The Passagemaker Dinghy is easy to build but looks great and performs beautifully. A smooth glide when rowing, spirited performance when sailing, and steady handling with an outboard mark this latest entry in our fleet of graceful build-it-yourself boat kits.

This is the perfect dinghy for those with larger boats. Are you tired of moving heavy, traditional dinghies that weigh 200 lb, or struggling with a limp, awkward inflatable that can't be rowed or sailed? This elegant, Norwegian-styled pram weighs only about 90 lbs (41 Kg), but can survive real abuse in the dinghy park. With a 650 lb (294 Kg) payload, the Passagemaker can haul the entire crew in one go, or gear from the quayside to the mothership. The sailing rig components store flat inside the hull; fasten three shrouds and the mainsheet, hoist up the mainsail and jib, and you've got a fast, fun, stable sailing dinghy that will please even the most ardent and discriminating sailing enthusiast. If you have a long harbour to cross, a 2, 3, or 4 horsepower outboard will drive the Passagemaker to harbour speed limits and beyond. An electric outboard for fishing lakes will work great, too. If you don't want to lug around a smelly outboard and fuel you'll be delighted to discover how well the Passagemaker rows: there's plenty of rocker for low wetted surface and the transom won't drag in the water to slow you down.

A Fun Boat

Frustration with dinghies with makeshift sailing rigs drove the creation of the Eastport Pram, the Passage maker’s smaller sister. With its ample sail area and efficient hull, the Eastport sails better than any 8-foot dinghy has a right to. With a 78-square foot sloop rig, the 11'7" Passagemaker is even more exciting. While many Passagemaker builders will be using their boat as a tender to a mothership, even more people will be drawn to the design as a fun boat for messing about in. Spend Saturday afternoons gliding around the lake or bay. When you're done, the Passagemaker can be leaned up against the side of the house or wedged into the far corner of the garage. The rig is called a "Günter sloop." In this rig, a lower mast supports a taller mainsail with a yard. This allows for shorter spars, all of which can be stowed within the hull's length for towing behind a bigger boat or a car. It's a handsome rig, and powerful on all points of sail with the jib-and-main combination.

The Passagemaker Dinghy is built in a clinker style, which yields a rigid, durable, beautiful hull without resorting to complex moulds. The kit consists of okoume marine plywood panels-computer cut for accuracy, dark wood trim, and all of the epoxy, fibreglass and hardware you'll need. Begin by stitching the hull panels together with copper wire. Then fill the joint with thickened epoxy, and reinforce the bottom with glass fabric on the inside and outside. Add rails and glue the seats into the interior (they form airtight tanks for safety). Standard bottom skids and a big skeg protect the bottom for dragging across gravel beaches. Finish by coating the entire hull in several layers of clear epoxy for a durability and low maintenance, then sand and apply paint and varnish. The Passagemaker Dinghy is well within the reach of first-time boatbuilders. There are no tricky steps and no special tools are needed. Completion will average 100 hours for the sailing version. The daggerboard case is included in the base kit, so you can upgrade to the sailing option at any time in the future.

The boat is available as a standard version or as a take apart version.

Designed by CLC

Rowing Option

Passagemaker Take-Apart
We've had hundreds of requests for a take-apart dinghy. Take-aparts or "nesting" dinghies can be disassembled to take up less space when stored on the deck of a trawler or sailing yacht. The Passagemaker Take-Apart is identical to the standard kit, except that... (more)

Sailing Kit includes: aluminum mast, wooden boom and yard, shrouds, kick-up rudder, tiller, daggerboard, blocks, and hardware.

This does not include the sails or lines.

The rig is called a "Günter sloop." In this rig, a lower mast supports a taller mainsail with a yard. This allows for... (more)

This is the manual that is included in the kit. The manual has been written on the assumption that the work will be done in small segments in the evenings and weekends over about four weeks.

Purchasing this manual will help you with the decision to make the Passagemaker. It is not possible to... (more)