LOA 14’
BEAM 3’ 6 ½”
DRAFT 4 ¼”
WEIGHT 65 lbs (approx)
The PERIAGUA 14 is derived from the drawings in Chapman’s Architectura Navalis. The type was used as a lighter and ferry on rivers and in harbors in Sweden in the 18th century. She looks like a long, narrow pram, and is surprisingly fast, manoeverable and easy to row. Despite her narrow beam, she has much better stability than the DORY 14.
Like the DORY 14, she is built around bulkheads (or frames) and transom, for which patterns are supplied. The bottom and sides are drawn to scale with measurements supplied–all that is necessary is to transfer the measurements to full-size plywood sheets (no lofting required). She may be built lapstrake if preferred.
The PERIAGUA 14 also has only one solid wood component–the sheer clamp. It is made by ripping a slot in the bottom of a hardwood 1×2, which in turn slides over the plywood sheer.
I built the prototype in my barn in Maine in less than 10 hours, ready for sanding and painting. Mine has only one pair of rowing tholes, while the plans show two. These were originally made from grown knees—mine are plywood, and they work fantastically well (I think of them as “out-riggers”—like those used on sculls). However, they are also quite awkward, and I ended up cutting them down and installing right-angle-fitting bronze rowlock sockets (see photos).
