11' 9" Norwegian Sailing Pram
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Bill NielsenNorwegian Pram rigging and sail profile
The Norwegian Pram comes to us from long ago. While the lines of this example were taken off a modern descendant, the method of construction and the hull shape are directly linked to Norse small craft of the first millennium.
Simon Watts has made a career of teaching people to build lapstrake small craft, to help them learn ancient skills and to keep those skills alive. From his many years of experience he’s created a thorough step-by-step guide to building this pram nearly as it would have been done a thousand years ago, and peppered the manual with entertaining stories, fascinating history, and invaluable tips for working with wood in traditional ways. Many of these tips apply more generally (than to only this pram), and they make a great education for any builder.
Bill NielsenGeneral arrangement for the Norwegian Sailing Pram
This pram features a distinctive Scandinavian shape—a long narrow bow that makes for a great rowing boat, a sweet-towing tender, and an able craft in a sea or a beach-surf. She’ll have greater carrying capacity than a pointy-nosed boat of the same length, and she’ll be more maneuverable under oars or the optional lug rig.
She is built right-side-up on a strongback. Her central “keel” plank is bent to the appropriate rocker and then lapstrake planks are added to each side until the sheer is reached. In traditional Norwegian building the planking would be completed “by eye” before any transoms or frames are installed; Watts has given us the shapes of the transoms and of two temporary molds to help us along when our skills aren’t up to the level of ancient Norse builders. However, the planking is still completed before sawn frames (a technique that predates Scandinavian knowledge of steam-bending) are installed against the inner planking.
This Norwegian Pram plans and design book set is a wonderfully accessible way to explore the world of truly traditional boatbuilding. All the support you could want is included in the booklet, and there’s even a section on boatbuilding with kids with invaluable guidance for helping to pass this knowledge on to yet another generation. Plans and instruction booklet are digital (PDF) format.
In fact, we’re giving one away in May 2026. If you’re a paid subscriber residing in the United States, complete the entry form on our Small Boats Contest page to enter.
Norwegian Sailing Pram design details
DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Round-bottomed, transom sterned
Rig: lug
Construction: Traditional lapstrake
PERFORMANCE
Suitable for protected waters
Intended capacity: 1-2
Trailerable
Propulsion: Sail, oars
BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Basic to intermediate
Lofting required: No
PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 3
Supplemental information: 28 pages
Level of Detail: Above average
Plans Format: Digital
Cost per set: $30
Norwegian Sailing Pram particulars
LOA 11′ 9″
Beam 3′ 6″
Draft (db up) 4″
(db down) 3′ 4″
Weight about 120-130 lbs
Sail area 65 sq ft
Completed Norwegian Sailing Pram images
The Norwegian Sailing Pram is small and construction is simple. It’s easily handled by children under oar or sail.
With a simple daggerboard arrangement, this pram can go anywhere–deep water or shoal.
Plans include information on how to make your own oars.
I built one of these, but in glued plywood lapstrake, and it’s a great little boat. The info sheet says the sail area is 65 sqft, but the plans show a sail that is less than 40 sqft, something that whoever is selling these plans may want to correct. A 36 sqft optimist sail easily brings it up to hull speed on a breezy day, I would be curious to hear if anyone has tried to use one with a 65 sqft sail?