15′ 11″ Penny Fee Design | Small Boats Nation

15′ 11″ Penny Fee

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Particulars and line drawing for the Penny Fee.

Penny Fee is a classic British wherry reinterpreted for glued-lapstrake construction—or, as her designer Iain Oughtred would say, clinker. This building method is well-suited to amateur construction—materials are easily obtainable, arcane boatbuilding techniques such as steam-bending frames are not required, and the final product is both beautiful to behold and easy to own. Because plywood lends dimensional stability to the planking, there’s no worry of planks shrinking, swelling, or splitting, which may make a difference to you as she won’t have the need for the “taking up” (allowing planks to swell until it no longer takes on water) period customary with boats of solid wood.

While the sweeping plank lines of a classic lapstrake boat are clearly in evidence, another advantage of the glued, frameless building technique lies in its clean interior—initial finishing and periodic maintenance are greatly eased by the absence of internal framing. Finally, the boat is somewhat lighter in weight than her traditionally-built sister would be, easing trailering and moving around on land.

Penny Fee design drawings.

Penny Fee’s dead-straight keel and hollow bow will make her track very well under oar or sail. She is thus best suited for longer passages than for poking about in crowded harbors. She’ll reward those who love to row with her long waterline and easy shape—the first to mitigate pitching as weights shift, the second to reduce resistance—and she is long enough to comfortably accommodate a pair of rowers.

Under sail Penny Fee displays sufficient beam for good sail-carrying ability and her roomy side seats allow creature comfort while keeping her on her feet. Oughtred shows four rigs, with one, two, or three sails, in both gaff and lug styles. She is truly a multi-purpose boat; while Oughtred’s portfolio includes boats better optimized for sailing, Penny Fee both sails and rows very well.

Penny Fee layout drawings.

Oughtred’s deep knowledge as a boatbuilder shows in these beautifully hand-drafted plans for the 15′11″ Penny Fee. Eight sheets display a wealth of detail, including full-sized patterns for station molds, stem, transom, rudder, and centerboard. Traditional rigging details, too, are exquisitely drawn.

15′ 11″ Penny Fee Design Plan Details

DESCRIPTION
Hull type: Round-bottomed, transom-sterned
Rig: Gaff and lug options, with and without yawl rigs
Construction: Glued-lapstrake plywood

PERFORMANCE
Suitable for protected waters
Intended capacity: 1-4
Trailerable
Propulsion: Sail, oars

BUILDING DATA
Skill needed: Intermediate
Lofting required: No

PLANS DATA
No. of sheets: 8
Supplemental information: 16 pages
Level of Detail: Above average
Plans Format: Print
Cost per set: $231