Small boats are fun! And easy to build!
Building a small boat is a great way to learn stitch-and-glue boatbuilding! It’s fun and easy to build, cost is low and construction takes less time. Once the boat is ready, it’s much easier to carry the boat to the water. Little boats are usually car-toppable. Of all small boats that we have designed, the Dolphin 2.1 holds a special place in our hearts.
The Dolphin 2.1 is a 7-foot long dinghy designed for our first stitch-and-glue boatbuilding course in 2016.
It was designed to use 2 sheets of plywood. During the weekend-long course, we cut the plywood from the plans, stitched it, filleted and taped inside, then taped and sheathed the hull. Many times, when weather was hot and dry, we were able to put the boat in the water on Sunday morning (the course usually started on Saturday morning).
As the project gained popularity, we developed a sailplan for the Dolphin. Sail area is modest, making this dinghy perfect for sailing in protected waters with strong winds. The balanced lug rig is very easy to set up and disassemble too. The Dolphin is great for kids and adults. The open cockpit offers room for moving around, and the Norwegian tiller makes it even easier to steer the boat.
The Dolphin is very light, and one person can carry it and lift it on the car top. It is a perfect dinghy for medium sized sailboats, and an electric trolling motor will make it reach displacement speeds at less than half throttle. If you prefer a conventional outboard, 2hp is more than enough to push this boat to maximum speed.
The plans include an illustrated step-by-step building manual, bill of materials and drawings of all the plywood parts for cutting, in metric units. We also offer online support through email or Whatsapp, during the construction. These plans will soon be available in our design catalog!