16′ Pulling Boat, Shearwater

16' Pulling Boat, Shearwater

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Another in the series of lapstrake plywood small craft designed by Joel White especially for WoodenBoat, Shearwater combines the style of the wonderful open boats of western Norway and the performance of a Maine peapod with the ease of construction and durability of lapstrake plywood.

She’s narrow at the waterline, for a long, lean shape below that lets her glide through the water without fuss; yet, her topsides flare out to give lots of reserve stability and enough beam at the rail so that long oars can be used. Underwater, her bow and stern rise up so that she’ll turn quite quickly under oars, and not trip on her forefoot to become a liability when towed as a tender behind a larger boat in a following sea.

Shearwater sails well in light and moderate air. In a breeze of wind, leave the rig ashore.

Her hull, elegant and shapely as it is, is a study in simplicity, consisting of a backbone, three frames, and six planks-three to a side. Drawings for a sailing version are included, showing how to build the centerboard and trunk, rudder and tiller (she steers with a Norwegian-style cross­-arm and push-pull tiller), and spars. We’ve found her to be unusually fast under sail and great fun in moderate seas, but because of her speed under sail, her low freeboard, and undecked hull, she’s not a sailboat for all weather. When it gets rough, she’s drier and safer under oars at speeds slow enough for her to rise to meet the oncoming waves.

Outboard profile

At 16′ overall and 150 lbs, the Shearwater boat is suitable for cartopping and, at the same time, suitable for carrying a sizeable load. Because she’s of plywood, she won’t dry out in the sun when not waterborne. And because her interior is uncluttered with the usual frames, chines, seat risers, and inwales, she’s very easy to keep clean, to sand, and to paint. Her seats and floorboards are easily removed—they just lift out—making the task of caring for her even easier. There’s no doubt about it, Shearwater is a wonderful combination of beauty, sim­plicity, versatility, and performance.

Construction plan

Shearwater design plans come in eight sheets, and include sail plan, profile and oars plan, building jig details, construction plan, lines and offsets, plus three sheets of full-size patterns. WoodenBoat Plan No. 58. $75.00.

16′ Pulling Boat, Shearwater Design Plan Details

DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Double-chined, V-bottomed
Rig: Single lugsail
Construction: Glued lapstrake plywood

PERFORMANCE
* Suitable for: Protected waters
* Intended capacity: 3-4
Trailerable: Yes
Propulsion: Oars and sail Speed (knots): 2-4

BUILDING DATA:
Skill needed: Intermediate
Lofting required: No
Alternative construction: None

PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 8
Level of detail: Above average
Cost per set: $75.00
WB Plan No. 58

Completed 16′ Pulling Boat, Shearwater Images

Shearwater makes good speed when pulled with moderate effort, and glides well between strokes.