François Vivier Naval Architect
Stock plans : Classic and traditional sail boats

You will find on this page my "classic yachts and traditional sail boats" designs for amateur builders. Most of them are trailerable. They are also available as kit or "ready to sail" from authorised builders. See page "sail and oars boats" for other small boats designs.
I am progressively translating my building plans into English. If a plan is not said "available", please ask for a delivery date. My translation schedule will be adapted to demand.

Beg-Meil | Ebihen 15 | Ebihen 16 | Bounty | Lilou | Ebihen 18 | Jewell | Beniguet | Stir-Ven | Meaban | Koalen 22 | Norzh 22 | Pen-Hir | Koalen 26 | Toulinguet

Beg-Meil

Hull/Waterline length:	4.46/4.06 m	Breadth:	1.68 m	ISO Light weight clinker/strip:	350 /390 kg	Sail area:	14.3 m²	EU category:	C

Beg-Meil is a traditional day-boat, gaff sloop rigged, just like many that existed in the old days. It is elegant and seaworthy with its half-deck and varnished wood coamings. A steel pivoting centreboard (40 kg) provides stability and performance. She could be used as a day boat, in the style of old dinghies. You can sail alone, or with a crew of 3 and even 4. She is planked over plywood bulkheads, either with wooden strips or marine plywood lapstrakes. The lapstrake or clinker-built version is easier to build. Launching and recovering from a trailer is effortless. Hull shapes are the same as Ilur. Ilur is a reference sail and oars boat, with nearly 1000 plans already sold. The first Beg-Meil, named Pepito, was launched in Carnac in July 2005. She was built by the amateur builder Benoit Brabant using a kit supplied by Icarai. See our photo album. Many others are sailing or under construction. Beg-Meil is marketed in Western Europe by Icarai which sells also kits for the both wooden version. Please refer to the boatyard Icarai. Kits (in particular set of NC cut plywood), as well as finished boats, are availble from Clint Chase Boat Builder in the USA. Ask them for quotations.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	All	BEG-E	15 €	15 €	Available
Building plan	All	BEG-D	190 €	160 €	Available
Full size patterns	Strip planks	BEG-TL	150 €	125 €	Available
Full size patterns	Clinker	BEG-TC	220 €	185 €	Available
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

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Ebihen 15

Hull/Waterline length:	4.50/4.24 m	Breadth:	1.85 m	ISO light weight:	480 kg	Sail area (standing lug:	14 m²	EU category:	C

Ebihen 15 (previously named Ebihen) is a seaworthy, stable boat with good carrying capacity, it is suitable for family sailing, as well as fishing. Despite its length of 4.50 m, it offers a big and pleasant cockpit. She was inspired both by the fishing boats of Northern Brittany, especially Saint Jacut (the Ebihens are the islands in front of that port), and by the boats of Basse-Normandie, which were clinker built. Many different rigs may be chosen according to your specific needs, from the very simple lug sail to the well canvassed gaff cutter (see drawings). Ebihen 15 is fitted with a heavy metal centerboard that allows excellent stability and good windward ability. A well for the outboard motor is built aft of cockpit, with the motor handle at helmsman reach. The propeller is just ahead of rudder for good manoeuvrability. A 4 strokes - 3 to 6 hp - motor may be installed. Ebihen 15 can be built and stored during winter time in a common garage. It is of course trailerable. The first boat of the series was strip-planked (upper picture), with laminated frames and backbone, and almost no plywood. It is a beautiful wooden construction. The clinker version (lower picture) is mainly made of plywood, for planking but also backbone and transverse bulkheads, then much more easy to build by a first time amateur. I invite you to visit the blog of Stan Richards (California) describing the construction of an Ebihen 15 (clinker) A longer version (4.8 m), with same breadth and depth, is also available. She is named Ebihen 16 (see below). Ebihen 15 plans are also available for a traditional carvel construction. Ask the designer. Icarai is selling: Kit for Ebihen 15, strip planked or clinker. NC cutting of plywood for the clinker kit. Strip planked version is to be built with full size patterns sold by the architect. Ebihen 15 ready to sail, strip planked or clinker. Kits (in particular set of NC cut plywood), as well as finished boats, are also availble from Clint Chase Boat Builder in the USA. Ask them for quotations.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	All	EBI-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	Strip planks	EB15-DL	240 €	200 €	Available
Building plan	Clinker	EB15-DC	240 €	200 €	Available
Full size patterns	Strip planks	EB15-TL	160 €	130 €	Available
Full size patterns	Clinker	EB15-TC	250 €	210 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

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Ebihen 16

Hull/Waterline length:	4.80/4.54 m	Breadth:	1.85 m	ISO light weight:	520 kg	Sail area (standing lug):	15.5 m²	EU category:	C

Ebihen 16 is a lengthened version of Ebihen 15, with same breadth and depth. This gives more space for the crew and also more sail area. This last aspect is very fruitful for the standing lug version, the sail area being limited by the boat length. Ebihen 16 is also fitted with a water ballast (same principle as Ebihen 18) improving stability and trim. This is very valuable when sailing with a small crew. Several units are already under construction. The plan package is partly the same as Ebihen 15. If you have not any length constraint, I strongly recommend to choose Ebihen 16 instead of Ebihen 15. Icarai is selling: Kit for Ebihen 16, strip planked or clinker. NC cutting of plywood for the clinker kit. Strip planked version is to be built with full size patterns sold by the architect. Ebihen 16 ready to sail, strip planked or clinker. Kits (in particular set of NC cut plywood), as well as finished boats, are also availble from Clint Chase Boat Builder in the USA. Ask them for quotations.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	All	EBI-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	Strip planks	EB16-DL	240 €	200 €	Available
Building plan	Clinker	EB16-DC	240 €	200 €	Available
Full size patterns	Strip planks	EB16-TL	180 €	150 €	Available
Full size patterns	Clinker	EB16-TC	270 €	225 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
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Bounty

Hull/Waterline length:	4.70/4.38 m	Breadth:	1.75 m	ISO Light weight	200 kg	Sail area:	12.5 m²	EU category:	C

With its appearance of a traditional wooden boat, the Bounty is a boat made of polyester inspired from the boats used during the boating’s "belle époque". This boat is the reflect of the Minahouët, a sail and oar boats built at about forty units by the Grand-Largue boatbuilder. The Bounty offers to everyone the privilege to sail "a different way", a nautical pleasure reserved for too long to initiates.The boat is easy to rig and its use with a sail is really accessible to amateur sailors who are not aware of the traditional rigs. Bounty is two boats in one: either a dinghy with an outboard motor, or a sailing boat with the possibility to fit an outboard engine to its transom. The oars are available as an option in both cases for another way of navigation: rowing. See the Bounty web site for more Grand-Largue is interested to have dealers in Europe. If interested, see contact on the Bounty web site.

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Lilou

Hull/Waterline length:	5.20/4.50 m	Breadth:	1.85 m	ISO Light weight /Ballast:	370/40 kg	Sail area:	17 m²	EU category:	C

Lilou design is based on a fact: day sailing amateurs are mainly supplied with inflatable boats with big outboard motors, motor-boats inspired by the automobile fashion, plastic boats so simplified that you don't know where to turn the mooring line or high tech sail boats with carbon mast and expensive fittings. With Lilou, we intend to supply the demand for a simple but seaworthy boat, with a nice profile inherited from the tradition, but above all adapted to its intended use, offering a large room to its crew (the centerboard case is mostly under the floorboard). We as well intend to provide ease of construction and economy, both for the home builder and the professional, through the use of epoxy resins and NC cut plywood. Lilou construction use the stitch & tape method. In short, cut the bulkheads and strakes according to the templates, fix them temporarily with metal wires, « weld » the joints with epoxy seams, and cover the whole assembly with epoxy sheathing. This gives a strong and durable hull, which may be trailered behing an ordinary car and handled without special care. For the rig, we suggest the high peaked gaff sloop, giving excellent performances. Mast is easily stood up and rig quickly fitted. It offers the efficiency of a modern rig and the simplicity of a traditional rig. But a lug rig is also possible, very practical for fishing, being boomless. A  bermudian version with an aluminium mast may also be studied upon request. A well for the outboard motor is built aft of cockpit, with the motor handle at helmsman reach. The propeller is just ahead of rudder for good manoeuvrability. A 4 strokes - 3 to 6 hp - motor may be installed. Lilou is a trailerable boat that can be launched and recovered easily. She is light enough and requires a simple trailer without any brake system. Icarai is selling kit as well as ready to sail boat. Very detailed and complete set of plans, as well as full size patterns on polyester film, are available from the designer. The plans are presently not translated into English but I will do it on demand. Several Lilou are built abroad, UK, Australia, the Nederland...

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	N/A	LIL-E	15 €	15 €	To be agreed
Building plan	Stitch and tape	LIL-D	210 €	175 €	To be agreed
Full size patterns	Stitch and tape	LIL-TB	250 €	210 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

Ebihen 18

Hull/Waterline length:	5.50/4.94 m	Breadth:	2.10 m	ISO light weight /Ballast:	830/150 kg	Sail area:	24 à 28 m²	EU category:	C

Following the success of Ebihen, a beautiful hull, stable and seaworthy, I have been asked to design the same boat one metre longer, as most owners wish it to be. Then, Ebihen 18 came out of my computer. She is half decked for safety, with a wide space to spend a full day wandering or fishing. It is also possible to spend a night on-board under a tent. Boat and personal equipement are stored in large lockers. Even the long sculling oar is stowed on the floorboards. To resolve the required heavy displacement (about 1 500 kg loaded) of such a traditional hull and the possibility for it to be trailered behind a car, I have fitted a water ballast tank and a steel centreboard. The tank arrangement is quite simple : a drain plug in the hull and a dinghy type inspection hatch cover just over. After launching, open the plug. When the tank is full, lock the plug and shut the cover. After recovering, just open both to empty. It is also possible to drain into the bilges and to pump the water out before recovering the boat. The hull is strip planked over a criss-crossed structure made of a plywood backbone, including centreboard case, and plywood transverse bulkheads. The planking is sheathed for better resistance to chafe and to reduce maintenance. The erection of all numerically cut parts is extremely simple, without any measurement and marking, and assure a perfect result for the amateur builder and shortens significantly the labour time for the professional boat-builder. Have a look on the construction 3D sketches. Ebihen 18 is offered with several rig versions, in particular the gaff cutter and the two masted lug rig named flambart in northern Brittany. Both are superb, efficient, and well suited to this powerful hull. I can also draw other rigs on demand. A well for an outboard motor, up to 10 hp, is fitted aft. The propeller is just in front of rudder for easy manoeuvering, and the handle is at helmsman reach. The motor is fully hidden under deck. A flush hatch cover allows access for its installation and start up. A clinker version may be drawn on demand. Icarai is selling kit as well as ready to sail boat.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	N/A	EB18-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	Strip planked	EB18-D	380 €	320 €	Available
Full size patterns	Strip planked	EB18-TL	480 €	400 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

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Jewell

Hull/Waterline length:	5.98/5.30 m	Breadth:	2.20 m	ISO light weight /Ballast:	650/150 kg	Sail area:	19.1 m²	EU category:	C

Jewell came from discussion with Clint Chase, my boat-building partner in North America. As a family friendly day boat, she has to meet the following main requirements: To be trailerable by an ordinary car, and therefore light, and be able to beach temporarily for loading/unloading. To have a large, wide and deep cockpit, comfortable, allowing for fishing and a place where children could be safe. To have a stable hull for family sailing but give excellent performance for weekend sails “with the guys”. To have a cuddy cabin, with a toilet for women and children, a small galley to heat some meals and two berths to spend a night or two on board, or for napping. We also made the choice of a yawl rig, firstly because it is beautiful, and also because Americans are fond of yawls. I was happy to make something different than the gaff sloop I generally prefer on such a day-boat (Stir-Ven, Beniguet, Lilou...). The yawl rig is very versatile, allowing one to sail under main only, or under mizzen and jib. The mizzen also allows the boat to safely point into the wind, tending itself while the skipper starts the motor, puts in a reef, or entertains the kids. In Jewell, the main mast is shorter and lighter, so easier to step. In addition, we intend to make the masts hollow-birdsmouth construction and use Dyneema shrouds, both light and easier to handle. The jib has overlap in order to improve pointing ability. It is always a mania for me to design fast boats, especially to windward, as it is also the best for safety. The jib is small, so can be easily tacked even if single-handed. The mizzen is a simple standing lug (stores in the cabin) improved with a foot flexible batten. The long boomkin crosses the transom, under deck, and is easily pulled into the boat for trailering. Jewell is designed to be made both by home builders or professionals. She is plywood lapstrake-built, over plywood bulkheads. Even the backbone, incorporating the centre-board case, is made of several layers of plywood. A CNC pre-cut kit is available for home builders and is also used, of course, by professionals as it save a lot of working time. The kit includes all moulds and supports, allowing one to erect the hull without the need of a yardstick! All planking features an interlocking zigzag scarf to accurately align the pre-cut planks. Hull construction is kept light: 9 or 12 mm thick Okoume (Gaboon) plywood in order to have a lightweight boat but a sturdy one able to withstand trailering and the hazards of any adventurous sailing along the coast. The cockpit is made of two parts, a classic cockpit aft and an open full width cockpit forward. The cockpit is watertight and self draining. Recesses are fitted on sides to collect water and have it drained through Elvström type bailers in order to allow draining when the boat is heeled under sail. It will be possible to leave out the false cockpit floor in the case an owner did not need the self draining cockpit or wanted the extra cockpit depth and stowage under floorboards. There is an elegant, low and rounded coaming around the cockpit making it is possible to sit comfortably on the side decks. You may also sit on the aft side lockers, on the bridge-deck and also on the cockpit floorboard: very comfortable and well protected! Children and an adult can sit in the fore cockpit area out of the way of the mainsheet. A 3 to 4 hp motor long shaft motor mounts in a cut-out in the transom. When the motor is stowed into the dedicated locker, a removable shutter (filler piece) drops into place. There is no visible cut-out into the transom and the boat looks unaffected. A Torqeedo 1003 electric motor is an excellent alternative to a gasoline motor. As usual on my designs, there is a scull notch into the transom head and 3 m long oars may be stowed inside. It is possible to row from the bridge deck (two rowers side by side) as on Stir-Ven. The cabin has been drawn to give a enough comfort for short overnight jaunts and day-long excursions. In particular, there is sitting headroom, including the porta-potti toilet which is located at the deepest place. The berths are very long for comfort. The galley corner may be arranged as you like with a small stove. As there is no water ballast, you will find a lot of stowage space, including space for a cooler under the bridge-deck. Jewell is designed according to the EC and ISO safety rules in design category C (coastal sailing). She is unsinkable and complies with the wind stiffness test. Icarai is selling kit (in particular set of NC cut plywood) as well as finished boat. Ask for a quotation. Kits (in particular set of NC cut plywood), as well as finished boats, are also availble from Clint Chase Boat Builder in the USA. Ask them for quotations.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability
Study plan	N/A	JEW-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	N/A	JEW-D	480 €	400 €	Available
Attention : kit is necessary to build this boat
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

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Béniguet

Hull/Waterline length:	5.85/5.25 m	Breadth:	2.10 m	ISO light weight /Ballast:	850/180 kg	Sail area:	20.3 m²	EU category:	C

Beniguet is either a pocket cruiser or a day boat. As a cruiser, she offers a cabin with two quarter berths and a third one forward at child size. It is even possible to sleep three adults with a fore berth extension. As a day boat, she welcomes her crew is a two meters long cockpit which offers an exceptional comfort and let you wandering along the coast. A lowered space on both sides of motor well allows to stow a bucket or your fishing equipment. The cabin gives possibility to take a meal or a cup of tea inside, to find a shelter if raining or some shade on a sunny day. Madam will find a chemical or marine toilet. The steel centerboard rotates under the cockpit, and does not obstruct the cabin. It gives Beniguet much higher performances than most of the small cruisers inspired by tradition. As usual, I gave a lot of importance to the pleasure of steering a good sail-boat. The small keel, discontinued aft, makes the boat very easy to launch. It also protects the outboard motor installed in a well which is perfectly within reach of the helmsman, and placed in line of the rudder for easy maneuvers. The purists will be able to dismount the motor under sail, by placing it either in a cockpit locker, or simply place it transversally at the back. Nothing is omitted for a demanding sailor : anchor locker on foredeck, stowage facilities, opening portlight on the coach-roof face etc... Beniguet is clinker built in plywood-epoxy. A very modern solution which is also in the spirit of a pure classic boat. By limiting the number of varnished pieces or by replacing them with oiled teak, maintenance will be equivalent to that of a polyester hull. The cockpit is water-tight and self draining. The ballast is approximately 170 kg, half of which is placed within the centerboard, and therefore quite low in navigation. All this makes Beniguet a very dependable boat. Beniguet is built by boat-builder Grand-Largue which also proposes a complete kit including all plywood parts cut on NC machines, most of which not requiring any adjustment.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	N/A	BEN-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	N/A	BEN-D	480 €	400 €	Available
Full size patterns	N/A	BEN-TC	580 €	485 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

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Stir Ven

Hull/Waterline length:	6.70/5.80 m	Breadth:	2.2 m	ISO light weight /Ballast:	860/180 kg	Sail area:	25.9 m²	EU category:	C

Being the winner of the design competition "a boat to go to the islands" organised by Chasse-Marée, in the "revisited tradition" category, Stir-Ven combines classicism and modernity. It gets from classicism the elegance of its clinker built hull, the friendliness of its long and deep cockpit, the aesthetics of a gunter rig with high performances in all weather conditions, the beauty of varnished wood and bronze fittings, the possibility to row when wind is falling (oars are placed under the lateral decks). It gets from the modernity, the plywood epoxy technology, the reduced maintenance requirements, the ease of trailing and launching, the heavy (180 kg) cast iron streamlined centerboard which makes Stir-Ven to sail as a keel boat, both for sailing to windward and safety. Stir-Ven is intended for fast day sailing. It is also suitable for coastal cruising. She has two berths in its small cuddy, two others on the cockpit floor under a tent which even allows you to stand up! You can live a few days on board freely, having access to most moorings forbidden to larger cruisers. For all that, Stir Ven is one of my very prefered design. She is a trailerable boat but not limited to a frustrating one day only sailing. Today, 45 Stir-Ven have been built, nearly half of them by amateur boat builders. The class is under continuous development. Stir-Ven are now able to race together on occasions of classic boats gatherings on the coasts of France. Their exceptional performances are always remarked. An Australian builder, Michael Randall, is running a blog on the Stir Ven construction : http://mikestirvenbuild.wordpress.com/ There is also an owner association : http://stirven.canalblog.com/ Stir-Ven is built by boat-builder Grand-Largue which also proposes a complete kit including all plywood parts cut on NC machines, most of which not requiring any adjustment, and the templates necessary for construction. Note : I am interested having other builders of Stir Ven, or representatives, in foreign countries and in particular in North America. This applies also to other designs.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	N/A	STV-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	N/A	STV-D	480 €	400 €	Available
Full size patterns	N/A	STV-TC	480 €	400 €	Available
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

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Méaban

Hull/Waterline length:	6.80/6.33 m	Breadth:	2.3 m	ISO light weight /Ballast:	1175/315 kg	Sail area:	28 m²	EU category:	C

Meaban is a trailerable classic cruiser, with accommodation for 3 or 4. The centerboard is designed in order to pivot under the cockpit sole, avoiding a cumbersome centerboard case in the middle of the cabin. This allows both a large cockpit for day cruising as well as minimum but very practical accommodations with a small galley, many lockers, a toilet between fore berths, a sliding chart table and a foldable dinner table. A well for the outboard engine is built aft of cockpit, with the motor handle at helmsman reach. The propeller is just ahead of rudder for good manoeuvrability. A 4 strokes - 4 to 6 HP - motor may be installed and is completely hidden under the aft deck. The cockpit is self-draining for safety. To be trailerable, the boat needs to be light, keeping a minimum ballast for stability. That why Meaban is built on an  "egg box" structure, with longitudinal and transverse bulkheads made of 10 mm marine grade plywood. The bottom planking is a developed plywood panel. The side planking is cold molded with 4 mm vertical strips of plywood over longitudinal stringers. The planking is lightly sheathed. Alternatively, Meaban may be strip planked. Meaban is proposed with a gaff sloop rig but a bermudian rig is also possible if preferred. The first Meaban, made by home builder Thierry Fouchier, was launched in the Basque country in April 2006. The boat performs very well and gives full satisfaction to his owner, both in term of speed and sea-keeping. Meaban is a modern boat, considering construction techniques and ability to be trailered. But, as for all my designs, I wanted to draw a true classic, beautiful and suited to another way of sailing, away from modern marinas. For instance, the low draught makes Meaban an excellent boat for visiting small drying harbours. Legs are provided to that purpose and a stowage place is arranged under the cockpit. Several Meaban are presently under construction in France, Germany, The Nederland, Australia, Philippines and Poland. See the blog of Marcin Wolny. Méaban is professionally built by Grand-Largue (near Saint Malo). The boatyard is also selling a kit, including a full set of plywood parts cut on NC machine.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	All	MEA-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	Plywood cold molded	MEA-DP	630 €	530 €	Available
Building plan	Strip planks	MEA-DL	630 €	530 €	Available
Full size patterns	Plywood cold molded	MEA-TP	580 €	485 €	Available
Full size patterns	Strip planks	MEA-TC	580 €	485 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
Plan content - Ordering a plan - Order form

Koalen 22

Hull/Waterline length:	6.50/5.80 m	Breadth:	2.45 m	Light weight /Ballast:	1 800/700 kg	Sail area:	32 m²	EU category:	C

In the bloodline of Ebihen 15 and Ebihen 18, Koalen 22 is also inspired by the traditional crabbers of Brittany. The 6.5 m length allows accomodations for 3, still keeping a spacious cockpit. The toilets located under the coachroof, the galley close to companionway, the wide cockpit suited for fishing, will be appreciated for day sailing. The accomodations allow to extend the sailing range, and make a few days cruising along the coast with ability to enter the smallest moorings. The hull is strip planked or plywood cold molded over a structure made of crisscrossed plywood bulkheads. As on my other designs, the home builder as well as the professional will benefit from an exceptional ease of construction. The displacement, as well as the 700 kg ballast, gives this small bat an excellent stability and comfortable movement in a seaway. Koalen 22 is also able to sail efficiently to windward without need of the motor. A 10 hp about diesel engine is suggested. The propeller does not need any notch into rudder in order not to impair steering efficiency. Koalen 22 is a gaff cutter, a rig perfectly right for this hull. The moderate area of sails, the small bulwark, make the boat easily manoeuvrable even by one man only. The mast is stepped in a tabernacle to allow un-rigging without external aid. Koalen 22 is a "design project". This means that construction plans will be established on demand only and may take in account customer requests. Icarai, a boatbuilder located in Cherbourg, markets Koalen 22 in western Europe. Please get in touch with the designer for buying building plan.

Product	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability
Building plan	3000 €	2500 €	To be agreed
Full size patterns	600 €	500 €	To be agreed
NC cutting files	300 €	250 €	To be agreed
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat

Norzh 22

Hull/Waterline length:	6.60/5.80 m	Breadth:	2.40 m	Light weight /Ballast:	1 600/500 kg	Sail area:	24.5 m²	EU category:	C

Scandinavian traditional boats have been a major source of inspiration for yacht designers. Some of my designs, Youkou-Lili, Elorn, Seil, Laita, Stir Ven, have already Norse roots. They are all open boats, mainly "sail and oar" boats. Why not design a decked boat? In January 2010, I received from USA an e-mail titled "suggestion for a design that would be very popular" with some attached pictures of a very beautiful boat named Sjogin. This boat was built in 1961 in southern New-Jersey. The hull is typical of Swedish or Danish traditional fishing boats. I found the suggestion very relevant and decided to make a sketch of a new design, named Norzh 22, strongly inspired from Sjogin, using also my documentation on Scandinavian boats. Norzh 22 is to be built with modern wooden techniques and with more comfortable accommodations and I hope he will be actually popular! Norzh 22 will be very close to Sjogin above waterline. A slightly larger coachroof allows sleeping for 3 persons, with a small galley and a toilet. The cockpit is watertight and self draining. A small diesel engine may be installed, as well as an electric propulsion or an outboard in a well. The hull will be built with plywood lapstrakes over plywood bulkheads and backbone, in order to allow affordable construction either by an amateur builder or a professional. She is light enough to be trailered but needs a crane for launching. The gaff sloop rig is simple and fits well with this small sized cabin boat. The mast will be stepped into a deck tabernacle, allowing self dismasting. You may find pictures and details about Sjogin on the owner's blog. Of course, it is also possible to design a smaller open version, about 18' long, as well as a larger version gaff cutter rigged, from 25 to 35'. Norzh 22 is a "design project". This means that construction plans will be established on demand only and may take in account customer requests. Picture of Sjogin by courtesy of Russ Manheimer Icarai, a boatbuilder located in Cherbourg, markets Norzh 22 in western Europe. Please get in touch with the designer for buying building plan.

Product	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability
Building plan	3000 €	2500 €	To be agreed
Full size patterns	600 €	500 €	To be agreed
NC cutting files	300 €	250 €	To be agreed
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat

Pen-Hir

Hull/Waterline length:	7.49/6.85 m	Breadth:	2.5 m	Light weight /Ballast:	1 800/600 kg	Sail area:	33.8 m²	EU category:	C

After many years on « sail and oars » boats, and some others on a raid boat (Stir-Ven), I wanted for my own use a keel boat able to sail the same coastal cruising I sailed when I was young. I also wanted to propose a new boat in my catalogue between the centreboarder Méaban and the 8.5 m Toulinguet. A boat big enough to allow a fortnight cruise. But I wanted it very easy to handle, even single-handed, and not requiring a diesel engine, an electrical windlass and all those items now so common but which result in a large and expensive yacht. A small boat gives more pleasure and less trouble. Pen-Hir is the result of 4 years of thinking. My goal was to draw something in the same spirit as the American knockabouts designed by Alden and Crowninshield, very simple, fast and handy sloops. Similar boats were sailing in the Morbihan Gulf (8.5 m SI class), designed by Louis Dyèvre and Gaston Grenier. I was also very fond of Herreshoff designs with their extreme pureness. All those boats were in use during the first third of the 20th century, but I needed a boat suitable for modern use. The cabin had to be larger and the boat wider. Finally Pen-Hir has the looks of traditional yachts of Brest and Carantec areas, with a plumbed stem and a short counter, but keeps the gaff sloop rig with a small bowsprit. I like the gaff sloop with a high peaked yard which is efficient and allows to step the mast in the tabernacle without external aid. A modern bermudian rig is also available on buyer's request. The size of Pen-Hir, 7.5 m hull length, and its weight allow to trail it. She is fitted with two strong eyebolts allowing to handle the boat with a crane as for Dragon class boats. The accommodation is similar to Méaban, but with more room, a larger galley and a semi-separated  toilet. The mast is set on a strong but open bulkhead, just at coachroof fore end, thus non obstructing access to fore berth. The classic lateral plane All traditional yachts have a classic keel with the rudder attached at the aft. On modern boats, we always try to reduce the wet area and therefore to have a fin keel and a separated rudder. On Pen-Hir, I was very concerned about both performances and the ability to dry out on legs, which makes it possible to avoid calling in modern marinas. I made drag calculations and these show that the number of appendages is a major factor. In other words, a classic keel-rudder is one appendage only, whereas many modern sailing boats have 3 (keel and 2 rudders). A classic keel also gives a more effective lateral resistance, in particular at slow speed, thus being ideal for manoeuvring under sail in confined waters. Finally, the short classic keel, with the tiller at mid-cockpit, combined with a well canvassed rig, appears to be an excellent compromise for a boat requiring easy drying out. In addition, it reduces dramatically the risk of rudder damage. At owner's request, the draught may be modified to cope with local mooring conditions. The NC cut plywood structure As many others of my designs, the structure of Pen-Hir is made of criss-crossed plywood bulkheads, including the vertical keel. This allows Icarai boatbuilder in Cherbourg (my own son) to have the boat ready for planking, including most of her accommodation parts, two weeks after receiving the NC cut plywood panels. The bottom planking is made of one single developed plywood panel. The bilge and sides are made of two layers of cold moulded 6 mm plywood. See here the assembly process and the pictures of construction. Sustainable developement The boatbuilder and I have decided that the first Pen-Hir will be built respecting sustainable development, as much as possible, and we have launched a research and development program with several laboratories. We chose to exclude all tropical woods and in particular okume or mahogany plywood. The boat is made of first class Finnish birch plywood which is extremely resistant and stiff. The only drawback is that birch, as okume, is not a durable wood. Therefore the hull and deck are epoxy sheathed and all edges properly protected. All main timber parts are made of oak, in particular the coachroof coamings. Pine is also used in the accommodations. The mast and spars are made of Douglas fir. Of course, Pen-Hir may also be built with common marine plywood and red wood as timber. Electric propulsion In the same ecological spirit, I have decided to use an electric propulsion. It is based on a new 2 kW Torqeedo Cruise R outboard motor giving a thrust equivalent to a 6 hp petrol outboard. A remote throttle control is located in the cockpit at helmsman's hand. The motor is tilted in the aft well, so there is not any speed loss when under sail. Four gel type batteries (100 AH), located under fore berths, allow a range of about 20 nautical miles at 4 knots on a quiet sea. The motor is mainly intended for harbour access and manoeuvering but may also be used to come back to shore if the wind falls down. Batteries can be charged either by the means of a vertical axis windcharger or from harbour electric power. The aft motor well may also receive a petrol outboard at owner's choice. Icarai, a boatbuilder located in Cherbourg, markets Pen-Hir in western Europe. Plan for amateur builders is foreseen. Please get in touch with the designer.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	Plywood cold molded	PHI-E	20 €	20 €	About 2 months
Building plan	Plywood cold molded	PHI-DP	1 180 €	990 €	About 2 months
Attention : a NC cut plywood kit is necessary to build this boat
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Koalen 26

Hull/Waterline length:	7.95/7.23 m	Breadth:	2.8 m	Light weight /Ballast:	3000/1200 kg	Sail area:	53 m²	EU category:	B

Last year, I received the visit of Laurent Pilon. He lives on the Mediterranean coast, near Sète. He has already built a beautiful Beg-Meil, a 15' traditional gaff sloop on my design. Laurent was looking for a bigger boat, allowing coastal cruising in the spirit of a traditional working boat. He was interested in my Pen-Hir and we had an afternoon sailing together. But Pen-Hir is a sloop. He desired a true gaff cutter with a topsail. The boat has to be under 8 m in length, to cope with the available budget, allow home building, be easy to handle by a crew of 2, and find a berth in a local marina. I propose Laurent a new plan. As my previous design Pen-Hir, Koalen 26 keeps the spirit of Northern Brittany cutters and in particular mythic boats of Carantec with their short counter stern. Carantec bay was both a fishing and yachting area and gave birth to beautiful and outstanding boats taking the best of both worlds. The first Koalen 26 is to be build by Laurent himself. He knows wood, but is not a marine carpenter. He want not to spend too much time building the boat. Therefore, we use the same technique as on Pen-Hir: an extensive use of 3D design and plywood cut on a NC machine. This helps reduce drastically both the working time and cost on a “one off” yacht. In particular, the keel itself is made of vertical panels of plywood with a bulb type lead ballast transversally bolted. This simplifies construction, but also improves stability and windward ability without requiring too much ballast weight. Pen-Hir has prodigious sailing abilities and I look forward to get the same with Koalen 26. Well canvassed in light air and able to haul up in a strong breeze, the yacht needs only a small diesel engine (2 cylinder 14 hp for instance) and I strongly advise to fit a feathering propeller. The rig has to be simple to use: hollow mast stepped on deck; pivoting bowsprit (used to raise the mast); no running backstays; gallow frame for boom support. Jib and staysail are small enough to have double sheets (with light modern blocks) allowing the helmsman to sheet in without any winch. Roller furling at owner option. Accommodations give sleeping facilities for 4 with a classic arrangement. The foc'sle, with sitting headroom and no mast pillar, is designed to be used as the “owner cabin”. The head is isolated from the main cabin by a curtain or a door. 2 quarter berths may be used at sea to take a rest or to stow bags under cockpit seats. A chart table allows comfortable seated position and chart storage and provide an extension to the galley. Plywood construction incorporate many lockers and shelves. Standing headroom up to 1.8 m at owner option: the coach-roof may be raised with more camber if required. Koalen 26 is designed for both home builders and professionals. Detailed drawings and building instructions are already available in French for the hull as the first unit is to start by April 2012. Full plan package will be ready in 2012 and English version will be provided on demand. Icarai, a boatbuilder located in Cherbourg, markets Koalen 26 as well as the kit in western Europe.  Please get in touch with the designer for buying building plan.

Toulinguet

Hull/Waterline length:	8.45/6.80 m	Breadth:	2.75 m	Light weight /Ballast:	2.8 / 1 t	Sail area:	39 m²	EU category:	B

Toulinguet is a project I have in mind for a long time. Classic wooden yachts, as designed in the past by Cornu in France, Alden in the US, and many others, are becoming very old and more and more difficult to maintain in sailing condition. So I feel necessary to propose designs in the same spirit but built with modern wood technique. Toulinguet has been designed for both professional and amateur construction. She is a yacht of the 30's, with the classic hull forms, the old style rigs, the long keel, the discreet coachroof, the large cockpit. She is also a boat of the 60's with the modern wooden construction and practical accommodation well suited to coastal cruising. The rig, with a large mainsail, a masthead jumper and a moderately sized genoa allows the crew to tack easily and gives a lot of pleasure when sailing close to the coast. It also gives excellent windward abilities. A roller reefing system may be fitted for the genoa. Mast and spars are anodised aluminium standard profiles My aim is to find on Toulinguet the sailing behavior which distinguishes classic yachts : sensible steering, good course keeping, ability to manoeuvre under sail, soft motion at sea... The long keel, with a lead ballast, contribute to that and allows Toulinguet to dry out easily on its legs. A diesel engine takes place under cockpit, but it is also possible to have an electric propulsion or an outboard motor in a well. Accomodations for 4, with a double berth in the fo'c'sle and a 1.7 m headroom. Construction is made on an « egg box » structure (see photo album), with longitudinal and transverse bulkheads made of marine grade plywood. The bottom planking is a single plywood panel and the bilges and sides are cold molded with plywood. This makes a simple construction based either on a full set of plywood parts cut on NC machine or on full size patterns printed on polyester film sheets. A fist unit has been built by a home builder. It takes about 3000 hours. Two other unit are under construction by home builders. Toulinguet is built by Icarai. The boatyard  is also selling the boat as a customable kit.

Product	Version	Ref	EU (VAT incl.)	Other countries	Availability in English
Study plan	N/A	TOU-E	20 €	20 €	Available
Building plan	N/A	TOU-DP	1480 €	1240 €	Available
Full size patterns	N/A	TOU-TC	750 €	630 €	Available
Attention : full size polyester patterns or kit are necessary to build this boat
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