Having owned several larger cruising boats, I thought a simple, lightweight, and easily trailerable boat would be great way to downsize. For years, I’ve admired the designs of Sam Devlin, and I even owned one of his cruisers. When I stumbled upon the Pelicano 18 design, the classic look, along with Sam’s lyrical Design Notes, sucked me right in.It’s remarkable that he created such graceful lines using only six flat plywood panels. The Pelicano might be a perfect starter boat, but for me the attraction was its economy and simplicity: it can be stored on a trailer without marina fees, haulouts, and storage. There is no pesky bottom growth, no through-hull fittings, no oily bilges, no systems to troubleshoot, and nothing to winterize.

In the Devlin shop, the first Pelicano 20 takes shape on a form of interlocking pieces of oriented strand board. The plywood bulkheads and frames appear solid here, but openings, interior shapes, and deck and cabin-roof contours have been partially cut by the CNC router.Devlin Designing Boat Builders

In the Devlin shop, the first Pelicano 20 takes shape on a form of interlocking pieces of oriented strand board. The plywood bulkheads and frames appear solid here, but openings, interior shapes, and deck and cabin-roof contours have been partially cut by the CNC router.

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