NOW AVAILABLE: Building Plans & Kits for the ULTIMATE Dinghy

Finally — A Sailing/Rowing Dinghy That’s A Legitimate Alternative to the RIB
(And a Capable Camp-Cruiser As Well)

Part 2: An Overview of the Build Process


 

PLANS SET – $149 plus shipping
Seven sheets: sail plan, lines plan, construction plan, building jig, full-size patterns, and plank layout. Shipping cost is $20 for U.S. addresses and $60 for international orders. The plans also come with a materials list, other recommendations such as qualified sailmakers, and access to about 30 photos of the details of the finished boat.

CNC-CUT KIT – $1,995 plus shipping (Introductory price for U.S. for limited time):
Kits of all the plywood pieces, pre-cut, can be ordered through Hewes & Co. in Blue Hill, Maine. CLICK HERE to fill out an inquiry form and initiate your order. Kits ship within 4 weeks and often quicker, on a first-come-first-served basis. Plans sets are not included with the kit and must be purchased separately (see above paragraph on “Plans Set”).

International Purchases of the Kit: Kits from Hewes will be available in a variety of locations around the world. Hewes currently has a partner for deliveries in Europe, and they are currently working to line up a partner in Australia and New Zealand. Please CLICK HERE and fill out an inquiry form to see if kits can be cut nearby you and delivered to your location and pricing, as price above is for U.S. deliveries only.

Note that the kits consist of CNC-cut plywood only; rails, seats, and other pieces of “real” wood are not included, nor are the spars, sails, or rigging.

MORE INFORMATION:

THE DESIGNER & THE BOAT’S INTENDED PURPOSE
Rather than settle for an inflatable RIB that can hardly be rowed and cannot be sailed, one of today’s top small boat designers, Doug Hylan, has created OONAGH (pronounced “oo’-nah”) as a legitimate alternative to the inflatable/RIB dinghy.

Exceptionally seaworthy, this design achieves the trifecta of rowing, towing and sailing—and doing all three remarkably well. She also motors along quite nicely with a small outboard motor. And she’s steady as a church when stepping into her from the mothership. With oversized gunwale-guard wrapped around her rails, she cozies up nicely alongside without causing dings or rashes.

SKILL LEVEL & MATERIALS AVAILABLE
This boat can be built by anyone with reasonable woodworking skill using:

  • A set of building plans from Off Center Harbor (CLICK HERE to purchase)
  • A kit of pre-cut plywood pieces from Hewes & Co. (see links below)
  • An 18-part how-to-build video series by Off Center Harbor (available to all Off Center Harbor members)

NOTE: You can build it from the plans alone, but the kit and video series make it much easier and save you a good deal of time.

THE NAME (& OCH’s NICKNAME)
The design’s formal name — OONAGH — comes from a clever mythological giant who can hold her own in tough situations. But as A Real RIB Alternative, we at Off Center Harbor have already given this head-turning boat the nickname ARRIBA.

PARTICULARS
LOA – 11′ 8”
LWL – 9′
BEAM – 60”
DRAFT – 5” board up, 22” board down.
HULL TYPE – Multichine
WEIGHT – Approximately 170 lb.
SAIL AREA – 68 sq. ft.
CONSTRUCTION – Glued lapstrake plywood
SUITABLE FOR — Somewhat protected waters
TRAILERABLE – Yes
MOTOR – Yes, Electric or gas up to 2hp is all she needs
SKILL LEVEL REQUIRED – Beginner with modest woodworking experience
LOFTING REQUIRED – No

CAN SHE HANDLE A MOTOR?
From designer Doug Hylan: “I know that many people are going to want to put a motor on OONAGH, so she is designed for it. The tucked-up transom that makes for decent rowing will preclude planing, so there is no point in putting anything more than 2 horsepower back there. In fact, one horsepower is as much as she can really use effectively. This begs the question – why not electric? Why not indeed! A small electric motor will push her along nicely, and you will be able to carry on a private conversation while enjoying the scenery.”

HOW CAN SHE BE USED?
DOUG HYLAN: “Beyond use as a tender, OONAGH will make a fine boat for family sailing, fishing trips or just an evening row with the kids. Her simple construction and detailed plans will make for a good family construction project as well. I can guarantee that the experience of building, then using, a small boat will be a treasure that your kids and/or grandkids will carry with them throughout life.”

HOW-TO-BUILD VIDEO SERIES
An 18-part video series that shows how this boat comes together will be available to all Off Center Harbor members. OCH members also have access to two other epoxy/plywood boatbuilding series, plus two more series on how to use epoxy, totaling about 80 OCH-produced videos. The OONAGH series was filmed at Hylan & Brown boat shop, with Kit Macchi, one of their skilled crew doing the actual building. Episodes of the video series will be released this fall and winter (2020-2021).

Click below for a visual diagram of the parts that come with the kit: