22′ Friend-Ship Canal Cruiser

22' Friend-Ship

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Join to view PDF Phil Thiel's Friend-Ship Plans

If you’d like to extend your cruising season, putting a roof over the your head to block the rain, and placing windows around you to divert the wind, can make manning the helm in inclement weather tolerable and perhaps even pleasant. Phil Thiel equipped his Friend-Ship canal cruiser with a shelter for the shoulder seasons; it comes apart in sections and stows aboard the boat for trailering and for passing under low bridges. The outboard motor is mounted in a recess in the transom and covered with an easily removed box to reduce its noise. Flanked by a pair of storage boxes, it serves as part of an 8′ long bench for passengers to keep the skipper company.

Thiel’s Friend-Ship is ideal for cruising sheltered inland waters.

At the end of the day’s travel, find a snug spot for the night where there’s enough water to accommodate the boat’s 9″ draft, and go below for supper in the main cabin. There’s room for four at the table. The galley has a countertop with plenty of room for a recessed portable stove and a sink on top and a cooler or two tucked underneath.

At lights-out a couple can retreat to a 4′-wide double berth aft, and a second couple, guests perhaps, can lower the dinette table for another double berth. Forward, there is a pair of single berths. The head is in a compartment on the port side of the aft companionway, set apart by a plywood door. Curtains will offer a measure of privacy for the three sleeping areas.

Flotation materials

The 1/2″ plywood bottom will easily take the gentle curves rising up from a flat midsection to the bow and stern transoms. The curves for the cabin and helm shelter roofs are easily made from 1/4″ plywood. The outwales running the length of the hull are there to protect it; they also add a strong curved visual element that is, in the words of the designer, “the chief means of changing a box into a boat.” Assembling the rest of the Friend-Ship calls for straight lines, right angles, and basic carpentry skills.

The Friend-Ship canal cruiser’s 14 sheets of plans include construction details, options for windows, and instructions for the sequence of assembly.

Outboard profiles

Plan 152-009
DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Flat-bottomed, transom sterned
Construction: Plywood
PERFORMANCE
Suitable for quiet, protected waters
Intended capacity: 1-6
Trailerable
Propulsion: 5–10-hp outboard
BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Basic
Lofting required: No
PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 13
Supplemental information: 1 page
Level of Detail: Above average
Plans Format: Print or Digital
Cost per set: $75
Related Publications:
WoodenBoat No. 222

More on the Friend-Ship Canal Cruiser

For an interesting addition to this design, read how a leeboard helps the Friend-Ship track better.

Ready more about Phil Thiel and his workshop.

Completed Friend-Ship Images

Charlene Mitchell

For those who prefer open-air boating, the plans include an option for a folding bimini in lieu of the wheelhouse. The transom ladder and folding swim step are an individual addition.