Basic Sailing Dinghy Designs

The most basic sailing dinghy design essential consists of a 'box with a sheet' along with some form of rudder or other blade to control the direction of travel. Many may think that the simple 'pram dinghy' is little more than a box because of its blunted bow. It is possible, however, to make a simple dinghy using little more than a flat bottomed and truly rectangular hull. This makes construction as easy as possible and an affordable DIY project for even the novice amateur boatbuilder. Rather than a keel or a centreboard and case, these simple designs will commonly use lee boards instead. The pram dinghy in the lower picture may well do away with the rudder altogether, using an oar or paddle in the sculling notch instead. Small dinghies such as these often have a sail type that allows a relatively large amount of canvas to be set for their length; they may not be built for speed, but their small, lightweight hulls and modest cargo means that they will still potter along quite happily in even a modest breeze.

SailingDinghy.info, the site for information about sailing dinghies, their hull design, construction, rigging and sail types plus various dinghy sized boats for leisure and racing.