Wooden Dinghy

The wooden dinghy, as the name suggests, is made from one of the many different choice wood selections. It is fast rising in popularity and appeals especially to beginners for a myriad of reasons. Before we touch on that, let me give you a basic rundown on what it is and some minor details pertaining to it.

Dinghies are small boats of varied lengths (often between 2 – 6 meters) and most often towed or carried by larger vessels. The majority of modern dinghies are made out of a kind of high quality plastic known as GRP and this is known to give certain advantages such as requiring little care and less susceptible to rots.

However, dinghies made out of specific wood are known to be less susceptible to rotting and these woods include locusts, White Oak, cedar, pine and mahoganies.

A wooden dinghy is said to be very much lighter and also very easier to manoeuvre than plastic or metal boats. They can easily be hung on davits, towed and also car top-able. You can have the option of fitting a small outboard engine to this dinghy.

Another advantage of this is that it can easily be set up in a matter of minutes. You no longer have to wait for your wooden boat to 'take up'. The rig is also straightforward and this means, you do not have to waste precious time; leaving you even more time to sail.

Wooden boats, as I mentioned earlier are very much favoured by beginners learning to sail. With its wide range of lengths, you can find boats for single occupants or even double occupants. For instance, the 2.6m ‘pram’ has been known to be perfect for children wanting to learn to sail or even for fun-filled activities.

This boat has also been known to be sailed by adults. The 4.2 m skiff, which uses a yawl rig, is perfect for those who are looking for a dinghy, which allows for both rowing and use of the sail at the same time.

The above are just several examples of the many different plans and designs of such dinghies. If you must know, these wooden-built dinghies offer an advantage to all sailors and budding sailors in a major way – they are relatively easy to build.

Links to building plans can be found on this website. Together with step-by-step written instructions or even videos that show you how to build your own masterpiece, you can potentially save a lot of money by learning to build one on your own.

In addition to saving a ton of money, you will also achieve a sense of accomplishment unlike no other. You and your family or friends can spend time building it together while fostering a closer bond.

If building your own dinghy does not appeal to you or if you simply do not have the time to do so and would rather just hire someone to build one for you, there are many professional builders out there offering such services.

A wooden dinghy is perfect especially if you are barely learning to start sailing. It is light and easy to manoeuvre. What's more, you can easily learn to build one yourself with ready plans and kits.