Boat Profile

Penobscot 14

An Arch Davis Classic

From Issue   Small Boats Annual 2019 January 2018

T he Penobscot 14 is a versatile sail, oar, and motor boat designed by Arch Davis in the early ’90s. His goal was to design a boat that was easy to build, had pleasing lines, and offered excellent sailing and rowing performance. He did not take inspiration from any particular existing design, and says his design was “based on many years of looking at boats and trying to figure out what makes a good one.”

He was influenced a bit by the Whitehall-type boats, but most have a narrow beam in proportion to their length and rarely a sailing rig, so Davis gave the hull more bearing to enable it carry sail and drew three sail plans—gunter sloop, lug cat, and sprit cat—to meet a variety of needs. Arch built the first Penobscot 14 in 1992, and the result was a seakindly hull with striking lines. Hull No. 1 sits in his garage, not taking up much space, and he still takes it out to row. He published plans in 1993 and since then has sold over 1,500 sets of them.

The stringers that back up the laps strengthen the hull without the need for frames.

The stringers that back up the laps strengthen the hull without the need for frames.

The glued-lapstrake 14′ plywood hull has an innovative structure with wider, and therefore fewer, planks, simplifying construction. The internal framework of longitudinal stringers is anchored to the stem, two bulkheads, and the transom. Two temporary molds help fair the stringers while the six strakes are applied. These stringers provide exceptional strength along the plank laps. The planks are attached to the stringers with glue and stainless-steel screws, and so fewer clamps are required.

Woodworkers with some experience can turn themselves into boatbuilders by following Davis’s excellent study package and watching the companion DVD. There are several helpful offerings to choose from: a 14-page set of plans; an illustrated 74-page builder’s guide; full-sized Mylar patterns for bulkheads, stem, transom and molds; and a frame kit, which includes bulkheads, temporary building frames, and transom frame. Kits for the sails, spars, and rigging are also available. If a builder needs help along the way, Davis responds to phone calls and emails; he was a big help to us during the construction of our P14.

The authors, here aboard their Penobscot 14, ST. JACQUES, opted for the sprit rig. The brail, clearly visible here against the tanbark cloth, makes quick work of gathering up the loose-footed sail.

The authors, here aboard their Penobscot 14, ST. JACQUES, opted for the sprit rig. The brail, clearly visible here against the tanbark cloth, makes quick work of gathering up the loose-footed sail.

Construction begins with the assembly of a jig built of common lumber. Davis emphasizes that a variety of materials may be used during all phases of construction, and recommends taking advantage of locally available materials. The boat is built upside down both on the temporary molds and what will become the bulkheads, stem, and transom. We chose okoume plywood planking, cypress stringers, and a white oak keel.

The keel can be built with a slot for a daggerboard or a centerboard, or left solid if the boat is intended solely for rowing. After the stringers and sheer clamp are added, planking begins from the garboard. When the deadwood is attached and the planking is complete, the boat is flipped right-side up, and it’s time to add the centerboard or daggerboard trunk. The bulkheads are meant to enclose watertight flotation compartments in each end, but we varied from plan and opted for readily compartments under the bow and stern seats and use spare PFDs as flotation in them. The breasthook, quarter knees, gunwale, and railcap complete construction of the hull.

In the three rigs Davis provides in the plans, the lug rig carries 77 sq ft of sail, the sprit rig 73, and gunter rig 95. The spars for all of the rigs will fit inside the hull when not in use. We chose the small sprit rig for ease of rigging and handling on our gusty bay.

John Stevenson's SWEET DREAMS carries the boomed standing lug.

John Stevenson’s SWEET DREAMS carries the boomed standing lug.

The boat is lightweight, easy to trailer, and getting underway is simple: Step the mast, bend on sail, and ship the rudder. At our beachfront home we launch with a dolly and further afield the boat is light enough to launch easily via trailer on a ramp. We can be underway in about 20 minutes. We wade the boat out a few feet and climb aboard over the side. Davis says that he boards over the transom, then pushes the rudder down with the trailing foot as he gets underway.

Once onboard we drop the centerboard a bit, row a few feet to get deep enough to drop the rudder blade, and look for the wind. When we find it, we loosen the brail and the sprit sets nicely. The sprit’s snotter runs down to the mast thwart and is tied off to a belaying pin. We use another pin for the brail. The sheets are easy to reach and to route aft for singlehanding.

The Penobscot 14 is a stable sailer, well suited for skinny water, and very comfortable for the crew with plenty of room for camp-cruising gear. With the sprit rig, heeling is minimal, and the boat exceeds 3 knots with little effort when we are out messing about. It will not point especially high; its favorite point of sail is a beam reach. The hull has just the right enough of keel and deadwood to sail in shallow water with the rudder retracted and the centerboard up.

The arrangement of the sides and seat offer many convenient places to sit with comfortable back support. The skipper’s favorite position is reclined against the transom with her foot up on a side seat. The stringers act as “mini shelves” that can hold gear such as a boathook, a paddle, or coffee cups. A small section of floorboards may be added, but we left the bilge open so we can see where all the spilled coffee went.

The Penobscot 14 rows with ease, carries well, and tracks straight.

The Penobscot 14 rows with ease, carries well, and tracks straight. Davis recommends 8′ oars. With the two rowing stations the boat can be rowed tandem.

When we can’t find the wind, there are rowing stations forward and amidships. There is plenty of room to row from either station, and the boat is well balanced with our crew of two—skipper on the aft seat and the first mate taking his place amidships or forward. The Penobscot 14 rows with ease, carries well, and tracks well. The oars may be left in the oarlocks when not in use, with the blades tucked neatly under the breasthook. There is also sufficient room to lay them on the side seats. Our neighbor has built two Penobscot 14s and has rowed them over 1,200 miles, so it is safe to say that it is good rowboat.

There's a notch in the transom for those who have a knack for sculling, and, if motoring appeals, the plans included instructions for equipping the boat with a small outboard of 2 to 3 hp.

There’s a notch in the transom for those who have a knack for sculling, and, if motoring appeals, the plans included instructions for equipping the boat with a small outboard of 2 to 3 hp.

The plans for the Penobscot 14 have provisions for mounting a small outboard. In this case, the transom is made thicker and a small, removable section is cut to accommodate a short-shaft motor. If the motor is not permanently mounted, the section that has been cut out is designed to be dropped back into place to restore the appearance of the transom.

The Penobscot 14 is easy to care for and store. After a day on the water, it is a simple task to wipe down the hull and cockpit by sponging the water (and coffee) out from easy-to-reach low points. The spars, sail, and rudder stow in the hull, then we throw on a custom-made Sunbrella cover.

penobscot 14 sailboat

Audrey and Kent Lewis live in Florida and enjoy small-boat sailing, restoration and boatbuilding when she’s not designing costumes or he’s flying. They launched their Penobscot 14 in 2017, and in 2016 they restored an 1880s Mississippi River Skiff for the Beauvoir Museum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Their personal fleet includes several Sunfish, a wooden Sailfish, wooden Sunfish, Catfish catamaran, O’Day Daysailer, Drascombe Lugger, and Drascombe Dabber. They have also rescued and fostered over 30 boats since 2011. Some people describe them as “boat-struck.” They document their boating pursuits in their blog .

Penobscot 14 Particulars

Waterline length/12′ 8″

Beam/ 4′ 6.5″

Draft, board up/ 7″

Draft, down/ 2′ 6″

Weight/155–175 lbs

penobscot 14 sailboat

Plans for the Penobscot 14 are available from Arch Davis Designs : Study Package (covers Penobscot 13, 14, and 17), $15; Boat Plans, $125; Frame Kit, $850. Inquire for details on other kits. WoodenBoat chronicled the construction of the Penobscot 14 in Nos. 138 , 139 , and 140 .

Is there a boat you’d like to know more about? Have you built one that you think other Small Boats Monthly readers would enjoy? Please email us!

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Comments (7)

Nice little boat for one-man use

It is great for rowing; our friend has built two for that purpose. He lost the first one in Hurricane Ivan. And there is plenty of room for two: Skipper on the helm and First Mate tending to sail. We’ve carried 4 adults with no problem, around 625 pounds.

Designer Arch Davis wrote this about crew size for the Penobscot 14: In very general terms, I feel that the maximum crew number for the Penobscot 14, under sail, is three adults, or two adults plus two children, a total of about 480 – 500 pounds. If you do the math, you will see that this gives a reduction of 2 inches of freeboard, but remember that the boat will heel in a breeze, further reducing freeboard on the leeward side. Another factor is that a bigger crew, four adults say, will make the boat rather crowded, so that it’s not so easy to move around, as you have to when tacking to windward, for example. The Penobscot 14 will happily carry a bigger crew under oars. Loss of freeboard is not so important, as the boat does not heel, and with no mast and sails in the way, there is more room in the boat. Four adults, or another child or two, make a reasonable crew in good weather conditions.

Great boat. My boat,YANKEE ROSE, has given my friend Chip and me many hours of wonderful sailing. We live a few miles from the Dunedin, Florida, causeway. It is easy to launch, and has decent wind and many spoil banks to enjoy.

Is the Penobscot 17 a good day sailer rig? Can you share some info about it? Thank you

The Penobscot 17 has a very versatile sail plan and a nice hull with a double-ended waterline. She is fast. We owned one for a bit that was well traveled, she went to the Small Reach Regatta and Mid Atlantic Small Craft Festival with her first owner, then Cedar Key and the Florida 120. She outran everyone in the Florida 120 with her double balanced lug rig. We picked her up, cleaned her up a bit and tried her out in our bay a few times. We found that her cockpit space was a bit tight for our tastes with the multiple flotation compartments, but that design is flexible. We also found ourselves ducking the double booms quite a bit with the frequent tacking we did in the tight corner of our bay. We are spoiled by our boomless Drascombe Lugger and Penobscot 14. She was much better set up for a skipper to set a long course and find a spot on a seat or on the floor for comfortable cruising. The balanced lug also had a 3rd mast step if one wanted to cruise with just one sail. There’s more info about 17 on our blog .

Plans for a boat like this?

Plans for the Penobscot 14 are available from Arch Davis Designs: Study Package (covers Penobscot 13, 14, and 17), $15; Boat Plans, $125; Frame Kit, $850. Inquire for details on other kits. WoodenBoat chronicled the construction of the Penobscot 14 in Nos. 138, 139, and 140.

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magazine, in the September/October and November/December,1997 issues, and the January/February 1998 issue. I intended the boat to be a suitable project for any builder with modest woodworking skills (although some have been successfully completed by absolute beginners with no prior woodworking experience). I took great care in drawing the lines, making a model to help me arrive at the prettiest, and most sea-kindly, hull form. I chose glued lapstrake construction. It is light, strong, and easy to care for. It also makes the best use of the inherent properties of the materials, so that the resulting structure itself is good to look at.

A simple adaptation of glued lapstrake allowed me to make it much more approachable for the less experienced builder. This was to attach the planking to fore and aft stringers. Instead of a large array of clamps being needed to glue each plank to its neighbor, the planks are simply glued and screwed to the stringers. This benefits the builder in several ways, and makes cutting and hanging the planking very straightforward. The stringers also stiffen the hull, avoiding the need for any transverse framing, which can make the boat difficult to clean inside.

The sweet lines, and the logic of the construction method make the Penobscot 14 a very rewarding boat to build. It's difficult to exaggerate the excitement and satisfaction of watching such a lovely craft come to life under your hands. The attention she draws wherever you take her, and her excellent performance under sail or oars, will give you great enjoyment for years to come.

Penobscot 14 built by Jeffrey Jacobson, Thornton, Colorado

THE PLANS The plans include 12 sheets of drawings, and a large sheet of full size patterns, showing the stem, transom, bulkheads, and temporary frames. This is printed on Mylar, which avoids the inaccuracies that can result when paper patterns move with changes in humidity. The Mylar is also very robust, and stands up much better than paper to workshop use. There is also a 74 page, illustrated building manual, which takes you step by step through the building process. Three different sailing rigs are shown. A daggerboard and a centerboard are also shown as options. The building manual includes a materials list, and sections on sharpening your tools, maintenance of the completed boat, fitting a small outboard motor, and other matters.

penobscot 14 sailboat

THE VIDEO/DVD A two hour video/DVD showing each stage of building the boat is available for those who want extra guidance. Close-ups show you how to get the best from your tools, how to make strong, tight joints, and how to handle the details that give a professional look to your boat. With sections on setting up, fairing, planing bevels, scarfing, scribing irregular shapes, and much else, the video/DVD does more than show you how this particular boat is built. It is an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of boatbuilding. Almost nothing tells of craftsmanship better than a sweet fair line. The video/DVD teaches an approach to fairing as a state of mind - it shows you how to look at a curve, and how to make it right. The video/DVD finishes with some great shots of the boat on the water. MATERIALS, COSTS, AND BUILDING TIME

penobscot 14 sailboat

The Penobscot 14 requires five sheets of 6 mm (1/4 inch) marine plywood for the planking, bulkheads, transom, etc. I recommend okoume or meranti; it is readily available, affordable, attractive, and pleasant to work. Suitable lumber for other parts of the boat is available almost everywhere. I don't make recommendations because of regional variations in price and availability, but I am always glad to answer questions about the suitability of any wood. Other materials include epoxy resin, and stainless steel screws. The epoxy can be obtained by mail order (or order the epoxy kit - see below); suitable screws are carried by most good hardware stores. How much does it cost to build the Penobscot 14? You should be able to put the boat in the water, without a sailing rig, for about $1,100.00. Sails and rigging will add up to $1,000.00 to that, depending on which rig you choose. The building time is the biggest imponderable. Everything depends on you, how much time you put in, how quick you are, how many coats of varnish you apply, and so on. A few builders finish their boats in three months. Six months is probably a realistic average, but some builders will take longer. Remember - the point is not arriving quickly, but to enjoy the journey! WHAT YOU CAN ORDER: (Click on Boat Design and Prices Page and Order Form || Shipping costs are given on the Order Form )

STUDY PACKAGE: This includes covers all three Penobscot designs, 13, 14 and 17. There are 24" x 36" blueline drawings for each design, showing the lines of the boat, construction sections, interior layout, and sail plans, and a booklet containing detailed descriptions of the boats, their development and construction, and numerous photographs and drawings. $15.00 + P&H. Shipping costs are given on the Order Form

DVD: Two hour video/DVD shows each stage of construction and the boat under sail and oar. $35.00 + P&H. Shipping costs are given on the Order Form

FRAME KIT: This includes the stem, beveled and marked for setting up, bulkheads, temporary building frames, transom frame, and laminated stem facing - the parts that determine the shape of the boat. They are shipped ready for setting up on a simple jig (not included). The kit also includes the plans and video/DVD. $875.00, including plans and DVD. Please call for shipping and handling.

EPOXY KIT: The epoxy kit comes from System Three Resins, and provides you with all the resin, hardener, additives, measuring pumps, brushes, gloves, and other items, that you will need. The System Three Epoxy Book, which gives detailed information on mixing and using epoxy, is included. (Epoxy solvent is not included, due to shipping restrictions. Hardware stores carry acetone or denatured alcohol, for use in cleaning up uncured epoxy). Please call for shipping and handling.

PLYWOOD PACKAGE: Plywood packages include all the plywood listed in the building manual. They come from World Panel Products, Inc., Riviera Beach, Florida. Three types of plywood are available; meranti, okoume, and sapele. All are high quality, marine grade plywood. Please call for details.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Sails, rigging kits, masts, spars, and other items. Call for details.

To view detailed boat plans description and spec pages, select a link below   Penobscot 13 | Penobscot 14 | Penobscot 17 | 12 Foot Main Peapod | Sand Dollar | Laughing Gull | Ace 14 Grace's Tender |  Jiffy V-22 | Jiffy 22 | Jiffy 9-7 | Bay Pilot 18 | Jack Tar | Grace Eileen 30 | Oar Plans

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My 14-foot Penobscot Sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

By Bill Conley, North Carolina Coastal & Piedmont Chapter

Since 1975 I have been building furniture for our house. A large wall unit, a curio cabinet, a grandfather clock, and a couple of bookcases. In 2003, we bought a condo in Beaufort, NC. I still lived and worked in Raleigh, NC, but we started spending a lot of weekends there. I volunteered at the Beaufort Maritime Museum’s Watercraft Center, learning to build and restore boats from the Boat Builder, Craig Wright. He was extremely knowledgeable and passed along that knowledge as I volunteered and took classes in boatbuilding that he and others taught. The classes included “Stitch and Glue,” “Framing,” “Planking,” and “Spar Making.” These were fun learning experiences, since furniture building and boat building are significantly different. Furniture building involves straight lines and square corners, while boat building involves compound curves, angled corners, and beveled edges.

penobscot 14 sailboat

One of the classes offered was a 9-day boat building class, where you could build your own boat from a design of your own choosing. I loved sailing, so I decided I would build a sailboat. In mid-2007, I started looking for a boat design that fit my desires – something small enough for me to sail alone or with one mate, and something that would be fast and spritely. I came up with an Arch Davis design, the 14’ Penobscot. Arch Davis designs were done with the amateur builder in mind. For example, the Penobscot has a lapstrake hull, but with stringers under the lapstrake plank joints to make it easier to fasten the laps together. I bought the plans, and before the class started, I made the transom, bulkheads, stem, keel, shear clamps, knees, and molds in my garage. I even made the oars. On the first day of class in September 2007, I took all these parts to the Watercraft Center in Beaufort and started to build the hull. In the 9 days, I completed the basic hull. I put in on a trailer and brought it back to my Raleigh garage to finish it.

penobscot 14 sailboat

Finishing included fairing and sealing both the inside and outside of the hull planks and painting them, installing the dagger board trunk, oarlock mounting blocks, mahogany seats, thwarts, breasthook, and inner/outer shear trim. The boat name was going to be “Little Blues” so the badge on each side of the bow is mahogany with sassafras inlay of a bluefish. The mast and gaff are both hollow to reduce weight. My wife, Sharon, made the sails from a Sailrite kit. Little Blues had her first splash-in April 2008, and first sail in Taylor Creek in Beaufort on May 1, 2008. On May 3, she won the “Best Sail” award at the Maritime Museum annual wooden boat show.

I keep her in Beaufort, and sail her often, sometimes in the Maritime Museum regattas. She sails beautifully, fast, and responsive. And she looks great flying up and down Taylor Creek too.

penobscot 14 sailboat

Nice story, Bill. Fun times under sail.

Great story and pictures! Thank you for sharing!

Great story – nice pictures, too!

Great story Bill. I bought my plans from Arch Davis in 1997 and have just now retired and looking for a project to ease me out of the 9-5 program. I think this may be it.

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  • Building the 'Ashley Grey', an Arch Davis designed Penobscot 14

Building the 'Ashley Grey', an Arch Davis designed Penobscot 14

by David Alpert (Richmond, VA.)

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Penobscot 14

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Product Specifics Section

Length over all: 14' 8" Waterline Length: 12' 8" Beam: 4' 6 1/2" Draft, board up: 0' 7" Draft, board down: 2' 6" Weight 155-175 lbs Sail area measurements: Gunter rig: 95 sq feet Lugsail rig: 77 sq feet Sprit rig: 73 sq feet

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More about the penobscot 14.

Penobscot 14

This design was featured in a series of three articles in WoodenBoat magazine, in the September/October and November/December,1997 issues, and the January/February 1998 issue. I intended the boat to be a suitable project for any builder with modest woodworking skills (although some have been successfully completed by absolute beginners with no prior woodworking experience). I took great care in drawing the lines, making a model to help me arrive at the prettiest, and most sea-kindly, hull form. I chose glued lapstrake construction. It is light, strong, and easy to care for. It also makes the best use of the inherent properties of the materials, so that the resulting structure itself is good to look at.

A simple adaptation of glued lapstrake allowed me to make it much more approachable for the less experienced builder. This was to attach the planking to fore and aft stringers. Instead of a large array of clamps being needed to glue each plank to its neighbor, the planks are simply glued and screwed to the stringers. This benefits the builder in several ways, and makes cutting and hanging the planking very straightforward. The stringers also stiffen the hull, avoiding the need for any transverse framing, which can make the boat difficult to clean inside.

The sweet lines, and the logic of the construction method make the Penobscot 14 a very rewarding boat to build. It's difficult to exaggerate the excitement and satisfaction of watching such a lovely craft come to life under your hands. The attention she draws wherever you take her, and her excellent performance under sail or oars, will give you great enjoyment for years to come.

penobscot 14 sailboat

THE VIDEO/DVD A two hour video/DVD showing each stage of building the boat is available for those who want extra guidance. Close-ups show you how to get the best from your tools, how to make strong, tight joints, and how to handle the details that give a professional look to your boat. With sections on setting up, fairing, planing bevels, scarfing, scribing irregular shapes, and much else, the video/DVD does more than show you how this particular boat is built. It is an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of boatbuilding. Almost nothing tells of craftsmanship better than a sweet fair line. The video/DVD teaches an approach to fairing as a state of mind - it shows you how to look at a curve, and how to make it right. The video/DVD finishes with some great shots of the boat on the water. MATERIALS, COSTS, AND BUILDING TIME

penobscot 14 sailboat

The Penobscot 14 requires five sheets of 6 mm (1/4 inch) marine plywood for the planking, bulkheads, transom, etc. I recommend okoume or meranti; it is readily available, affordable, attractive, and pleasant to work. Suitable lumber for other parts of the boat is available almost everywhere. I don't make recommendations because of regional variations in price and availability, but I am always glad to answer questions about the suitability of any wood. Other materials include epoxy resin, and stainless steel screws. The epoxy can be obtained by mail order (or order the epoxy kit - see below); suitable screws are carried by most good hardware stores. How much does it cost to build the Penobscot 14? You should be able to put the boat in the water, without a sailing rig, for about $1,100.00. Sails and rigging will add up to $1,000.00 to that, depending on which rig you choose. The building time is the biggest imponderable. Everything depends on you, how much time you put in, how quick you are, how many coats of varnish you apply, and so on. A few builders finish their boats in three months. Six months is probably a realistic average, but some builders will take longer. Remember - the point is not arriving quickly, but to enjoy the journey! WHAT YOU CAN ORDER: (Click on Boat Design and Prices Page and Order Form )

STUDY PACKAGE: This includes covers all three Penobscot designs, 13, 14 and 17. There are 24" x 36" blueline drawings for each design, showing the lines of the boat, construction sections, interior layout, and sail plans, and a booklet containing detailed descriptions of the boats, their development and construction, and numerous photographs and drawings. $15.00 + P&H: ($2.50 USA, $20.00 Canada, $24.00 all other countries.)

penobscot 14 sailboat

VIDEO/DVD: Two hour video/DVD shows each stage of construction and the boat under sail and oar. $35.00 + P&H ($6.00 USA, $20.00 Canada, $24.00 all other countries.)

FRAME KIT: This includes the stem, beveled and marked for setting up, bulkheads, temporary building frames, transom frame, and laminated stem facing - the parts that determine the shape of the boat. They are shipped ready for setting up on a simple jig (not included). The kit also includes the plans and video/DVD. $850.00, including plans and DVD. Please call for shipping and handling.

EPOXY KIT: The epoxy kit comes from System Three Resins, and provides you with all the resin, hardener, additives, measuring pumps, brushes, gloves, and other items, that you will need. The System Three Epoxy Book, which gives detailed information on mixing and using epoxy, is included. (Epoxy solvent is not included, due to shipping restrictions. Hardware stores carry acetone or denatured alcohol, for use in cleaning up uncured epoxy). $372.61. Please call for shipping and handling.

PLYWOOD PACKAGE: Plywood packages include all the plywood listed in the building manual. They come from World Panel Products, Inc., Riviera Beach, Florida. Three types of plywood are available; meranti, okoume, and sapele. All are high quality, marine grade plywood. Please call for details.

ALSO AVAILABLE: Sails, rigging kits, masts, spars, and other items. Call for details.

To view detailed boat plans description and spec pages, select a link below   Penobscot 13 | Penobscot 14 | Penobscot 17 | 12 Foot Main Peapod | Sand Dollar | Laughing Gull | Ace 14 Grace's Tender |  Jiffy V-22 | Jiffy 22 | Jiffy 9-7 | Bay Pilot 18 | Jack Tar | Grace Eileen 30 | Oar Plans

Penobscot 14

This blog follows the construction of a classic small sailing boat called a Penobscot 14. This boat was designed by Arch Davis, a fellow New Zealander, who is now resident in Maine, USA. Building this boat has been an ambition of mine since I saw it featured in the the Wooden Boat magazine in late 1997 and 1998.

Sunday, January 09, 2011

  • Gippsland Lakes Boat Camping 2009

penobscot 14 sailboat

  • Gippsland Lakes Boat Camping 2008
From

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Varnish and paint, thursday, june 04, 2009, saturday, october 04, 2008, seat laminations.

penobscot 14 sailboat

Monday, July 02, 2007

penobscot 14 sailboat

Breast hook

penobscot 14 sailboat

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Turn over day.

penobscot 14 sailboat

Rudder and Tiller

penobscot 14 sailboat

  • Photos Albums of Boat

Blog Archive

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My photo

Small Boat Restoration

Penobscot 14 st. jacques.

From

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penobscot 14 sailboat

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penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

penobscot 14 sailboat

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penobscot 14 sailboat

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penobscot 14 sailboat

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penobscot 14 sailboat

The fun thing about a blog is being able to look back a few years at the written record. Dec 2013 we were looking over Arch Davis' plans for our Penobscot 14 ST. JACQUES. We started off thinking she would have a gunter rig with a jib, and be painted white topside. And we'd use her to carry pirate garb to craft fairs...

penobscot 14 sailboat

No wind and cool temps, nice morning to go out for a row in ST JACUQES. We left the sail rig ashore, once underway I ewmwmbered I should have attached the rudder so Skipper could steer from the stern sheets. She of course improvised and steered with her paddle. I thought we'd be out for about half an hour but we stayed out for 50 minutes. 

penobscot 14 sailboat

  29 Mar 22:

ST. JACQUES has a new trailer, a galvanized EZ Loader with 12 inch tires. Double leaf spring. We added 2 keel rollers an a pad on the back of the box frame to spread out the load on the keel, where most of the weight is carried. Also added pads under the centerboard in case it gets loose for some reason.

penobscot 14 sailboat

We took ST. JACQUES out to be the photo ship for a Small Boats Nation article on a push pole duck bill attachment, she had a good time mucking about in the reeds. Skipper took the photos and I rowed for a little bit. 

penobscot 14 sailboat

2 comments:

penobscot 14 sailboat

Some very nice work, but how do you keep the workshop so tidy?

penobscot 14 sailboat

Hi Doug, Thanks. There is a constant battle against dust, we built the deck outside and do as much cutting as we can outside, all the saws are on rolling tables. In Florida it doesn't get too cold. If it is raining we stay inside and minimize sawing. We sweep every day, sometimes first thing in the morning is Tidy Time while we mull over the days activities. And the shop aka carriage house is only 3 years old, give us time :) http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/small-boat-carriage-house.html

This blog follows the construction of my custom Penenbscot 14 sailboat, built 2007-2011. My P14 has a hybrid sail configuration using a lug sail and a jib. The Lug is 67 sq. ft. The Jib is 19 sq. ft. Sailrite created the custom sail kits for me. The mast is located in the same place as the sliding gunter rig. The custom sailpan has the same center of effort as the Gunter sailplan. I have a small roller furler on my jib that works very nicely. My Penobscot 14 is named, "E-Z Duzit"

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Arch Davis web site

  • http://www.archdavisdesigns.com/

COMMENTS

  1. Penobscot 14

    The Penobscot 14 is a versatile sail, oar, and motor boat designed by Arch Davis in the early '90s. His goal was to design a boat that was easy to build, had pleasing lines, and offered excellent sailing and rowing performance. He did not take inspiration from any particular existing design, and says his design was "based on many years of ...

  2. Penobscot 14

    Learn how to build a 14-foot lapstrake sailboat with glued planking and stringers. The plans include drawings, patterns, manual, and video/DVD. Choose from gunter, lugsail, or sprit rig.

  3. Penebscot 14, How good for sailing?

    02-06-2002, 12:10 PM. Arch Davis has a video showing construction of the Penobscot 14. There's some good footage of him sailing it at the end. It might be worth spending the money on the video before you decide. I'm currently building the Penobscot 17. It will be a while before I can tell you how it sails. John M.

  4. My 14-foot Penobscot Sailboat

    In mid-2007, I started looking for a boat design that fit my desires - something small enough for me to sail alone or with one mate, and something that would be fast and spritely. I came up with an Arch Davis design, the 14' Penobscot. Arch Davis designs were done with the amateur builder in mind. For example, the Penobscot has a lapstrake ...

  5. Penobscot 14

    Fred Fisher, a retired cabinetmaker, finished this Arch Davis-design Penobscot 14 in November 2003. He planked the boat with 1/4" mahogany plywood with Spanish cedar stringers and trim. The rail cap, interior, and oars are white oak. The mast and spars are laminated Douglas fir. Fred uses his boat in Blackwater Bay, Florida.

  6. 2014 penobscot 14 sailboat for sale in Colorado

    14'. '. '. Colorado. $6,450. Description: The famous Arch Davis designed Penobscot 14, a 14 foot sloop with two pulling stations, centerboard, varnished spars, and gorgeous deep red sails. Finished in classic colors of green top sides, red bottom, and red and varnished mahogany interior. Two small dry cuddies, one fore and one aft.

  7. Penobscot 14 St. Jacques Sail Sea Trials 18 Jul 17

    Put the Penobscot 14 St. Jacques through sea trials for the sailing rig, a spritsail that we made from a Sailrite kit. Penobscot 14 designer is Arch Davis, l...

  8. Penobscot 14

    How to build Arch Davis' Penobscot 14 sailboat with spritsail. FMI: http://smallboatrestoration.blogspot.com/p/penobscot-14-st-jacques.html

  9. Penobscot 14

    Penobscot 14. Serge Larocque launched his Penobscot 14 earlier this year in July after spending 18 months building it. He chose a lug rig for its ease of use with no standing rigging to deal with. Serge reports that it's a fun and responsive boat. This picture of Serge sailing was taken in Lake Ontario last September.

  10. Penobscot 14

    Tweet. #1. Penobscot 14. 07-14-2003, 10:56 AM. Hello all, I'm looking for my first boat to build. I have some woodworking skills - I've built some furniture. I am looking to do some daysailing in the bays and inlets of the Long Island Sound with my two girls age 5 and 6.

  11. Any Penobscot 14 sailors here?

    Anyone here have a Penobscot 14 that they sail and row regularity that can give me some insights on their characteristics and If there's enough room to sleep inside etc. PReferably lug rig version but not necessary. Thanks. Last edited by Toxophilite; 10-04-2023, 05:36 PM . Tags: None.

  12. Penobscot 14: 8. Fitting Out

    Penobscot 14: 8. Fitting Out. This blog follows the construction of my custom Penenbscot 14 sailboat, built 2007-2011. My P14 has a hybrid sail configuration using a lug sail and a jib. The Lug is 67 sq. ft. The Jib is 19 sq. ft. Sailrite created the custom sail kits for me. The mast is located in the same place as the sliding gunter rig.

  13. Building the 'Ashley Grey', an Arch Davis designed Penobscot 14

    In researching which wooden daysailer to build. I came across Arch Davis' website and loved the look and description of his designs. I had settled on the 'Laughing Gull' but in calling Arch, which he welcomes and encourages, he convinced me that I could tackle the construction of his signature boat, the Penobscot 14, a round bottomed, lapstrake constructed boat with beautiful lines and great ...

  14. Penobscot 14: 2. Strongback and Framing

    Penobscot 14: 2. Strongback and Framing. This blog follows the construction of my custom Penenbscot 14 sailboat, built 2007-2011. My P14 has a hybrid sail configuration using a lug sail and a jib. The Lug is 67 sq. ft. The Jib is 19 sq. ft. Sailrite created the custom sail kits for me. The mast is located in the same place as the sliding gunter ...

  15. Penobscot 14: 5. Bits and Pieces

    The Penobscot 14 is designed by Arch Davis. See the link to his website below. Arch has designed a number of great boats. I chose the Penobscot 14 after researching many different small homebuilt sailboats out there. The unique use of permanent stringers that the strakes attach to was one of the main reasons that I chose the Penobscot 14.

  16. Penobscot 14

    More about the Penobscot 14. This design was featured in a series of three articles in WoodenBoat magazine, in the September/October and November/December,1997 issues, and the January/February 1998 issue. I intended the boat to be a suitable project for any builder with modest woodworking skills (although some have been successfully completed by absolute beginners with no prior woodworking ...

  17. Penobscot 14

    This blog follows the construction of a classic small sailing boat called a Penobscot 14. This boat was designed by Arch Davis, a fellow New Zealander, who is now resident in Maine, USA. Building this boat has been an ambition of mine since I saw it featured in the the Wooden Boat magazine in late 1997 and 1998.

  18. Penobscot 14 vs. Tammie Norrie

    The transoms are different in that the Penobscot 14 has a plywood transom with a sturdy and attractive transom frame. The Tammie Norrie has a solid wood transom that is a bit more elegant because it has more of the classical wineglass/Whitehall shape to it. The Penobscot 14 has stringers, and the Tammie Norrie has more conventional framing.

  19. Penobscot 14: 4. Interior

    The Penobscot 14 is designed by Arch Davis. See the link to his website below. Arch has designed a number of great boats. I chose the Penobscot 14 after researching many different small homebuilt sailboats out there. The unique use of permanent stringers that the strakes attach to was one of the main reasons that I chose the Penobscot 14.

  20. Small Boat Restoration: Penobscot 14 ST. JACQUES

    25 Dec 2013: We decided we needed to build a pretty wooden boat to excite kids about sailing, row for fun and to sell pirate wares at local craft fairs.I looked on the interweb and one of the first "pretty rowboats" that popped up was the Penobscot 14 designed by Arch Davis. It reminded me of our Lugger, similar fair lines, lapstrake construction, reverse sheer transom and a simple gunter rig.

  21. Penobscot 14: 12. Updates

    Penobscot 14: 12. Updates. This blog follows the construction of my custom Penenbscot 14 sailboat, built 2007-2011. My P14 has a hybrid sail configuration using a lug sail and a jib. The Lug is 67 sq. ft. The Jib is 19 sq. ft. Sailrite created the custom sail kits for me. The mast is located in the same place as the sliding gunter rig.

  22. Penobscot 14: 9. Launch

    Penobscot 14: 9. Launch. This blog follows the construction of my custom Penenbscot 14 sailboat, built 2007-2011. My P14 has a hybrid sail configuration using a lug sail and a jib. The Lug is 67 sq. ft. The Jib is 19 sq. ft. Sailrite created the custom sail kits for me. The mast is located in the same place as the sliding gunter rig.

  23. Penobscot 14

    Penobscot 14. This blog follows the construction of my custom Penenbscot 14 sailboat, built 2007-2011. My P14 has a hybrid sail configuration using a lug sail and a jib. The Lug is 67 sq. ft. The Jib is 19 sq. ft. Sailrite created the custom sail kits for me. The mast is located in the same place as the sliding gunter rig.