penguin sailboat review

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• Sailboat Guide

Penguin is a 11 ′ 5 ″ / 3.5 m monohull sailboat designed by Philip Rhodes and built by Schock W.D., Skaneateles Boat & Canoe Co., Helms - Jack A. Helms Co., Rawson (Ron Rawson, Inc.), and Customflex starting in 1939.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Originally designed to be completed by the amateur builder from plans. (still available). Fiberglass construction approved in 1959.

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This classic dinghy is the perfect off-season project with promise of great sailing to come

Admittedly, our choice to find a Penguin dinghy to retrofit and head out for some sailing was driven in large part by a sense of nostalgia. Although we enjoy sailing on more modern, performance-geared dinghies such as Lasers and occasionally even an MX-Ray, we realized we rarely got the chance to take friends out sailing on a small, unimposing boat, or even to enjoy sailing together in a dinghy. And while there are several great dinghies out there suitable for just that kind of sailing, it was stories fondly recalled by a family member who built a Penguin as a boy in Sea Scouts, that ultimately swayed us in the direction of this much-loved design. Designed by Phillip Rhodes in 1939, the Penguin is a simply rigged catboat that is just over 11 feet long. Its simplicity is largely responsible for what has made it a favorite boat for all kinds of sailors, from entry-level folks wanting to putter around an inland lake to some of the best in the world who enjoy getting down to brass tacks in competitive fleets all over the country. Because the boat is so easy to move around and handle it's also a great boat for children to learn in. With the Penguin, we threw that formula out. There are great deals to be had on Penguins, and it's not uncommon to find them free for the taking, assuming you can unpile the stuff in the garage surrounding them. In many cases, retrofitting a Penguin is going to cost more than the initial cost of the boat. And since many Penguins are built as kit boats, they can be found in varying levels of completion. One listing on the Penguin class Web site advertised a boat that was "90 percent complete 30 years ago." We had a few requirements for our perfect Penguin. First of all, we were looking for a fiberglass hull. It's not that there aren't some wonderful wooden hulls out there, and certainly the sense of nostalgia is ramped up a bit with a wooden boat, but frankly dealing with wood hull repairs was beyond what we were interested in. We wanted a boat we could have out sailing by spring, not another project in the garage to be maneuvered around. We were also looking for some level of structural soundness and wanted to avoid a boat on which the rails had been broken off because we had been warned that is a tough repair that tends to come back over and over again to haunt owners. A relatively new boat, in race ready condition with lots of wins to its name in a nearby fleet recently sold for $4,300. But that would have been overkill for our purposes. We wanted a boat that would be just as much fun for a quickly thrown together daysail as it would be competitive in regional fleets. We found it through a connection in the Penguin class. It was one of those boats that had been bought several years earlier by people wanting it for the same reasons we did, but after a few years life got hectic and the Penguin ended up in a shed in the back yard. We resolved to make an attempt to keep the boat's history from repeating itself. We ended up paying $850 for the boat, which was in relatively good condition but not without enough projects to keep us busy for a few months. We didn't delay in launching it for a shakedown sail to get a better idea of what we were dealing. We started with the hull. We spent a lot of time talking with people who know a lot about Penguins, and with a class as prodigious as this one, there are plenty of them. Patrick Hilliard, who has been sailing Penguins for about 30 years, warned us to check for leaking around the centerboard trunk, and sure enough, we noticed some during our sail and it was obvious it was coming from the cracks we saw. We followed Hilliard's two pieces of advice, both of which he said he learned the hard way: We removed the centerboard before we started working and took care to avoid getting any epoxy drips inside the trunk. We ground out the cracking and chipping areas around the base of the centerboard trunk. Next we filled in the ground-out area with West System epoxy thickened with West's Colloidal Silica filler. To reduce the amount of time we would spend sanding, we laid two layers of four-inch bi-directional fiberglass tape on top while the epoxy was still wet then followed immediately with a layer of release fabric and smoothed out the whole repair area. After it cured, we pulled off the release fabric, gave it a light sanding and painted the area. The centerboard pin gaskets were plenty dried out after years of sitting in the shed so we replaced them with new rubber gaskets from the local hardware store. We also made sure the pin, as well as the fasteners on the mast and boom, were stainless steel. Hilliard told us that a lot of sailors put in stringers to stiffen the hull fore and aft. Although we could see where our boat would probably benefit from this addition, we decided we'd save that project for the next season after getting a better of idea of how competitive the boat was. Satisfied that our hull was structurally in good shape, we decided our Penguin needed some spiffing up. The paint was faded and we wanted our project to look good too. We bought a quart of Petit Easypoxy one-part polyurethane in Ocean Blue. We rolled it on with a short-nap roller then immediately tipped it with a brush. After allowing it to dry overnight, we gave it a light sanding with 220-grit sandpaper before applying a second coat. And when it was done, our little Penguin looked like a new bird. Next on our to-do list was a thorough inventory of the rigging. It came with a wooden spar that was in acceptable shape. Our initial reaction was to run out and buy an aluminum spar, but the price was prohibitive. And we were comforted by the fact that a wood mast is repairable if it should happen to break. We opted instead to give it a good sanding and recoat it with five coats of Pettit's Flagship 2015 varnish, which has the UV protection we were looking for. The control lines on the boat were in need of replacement as well. We replaced them all through Redpoint Ropes, overestimating how much of each line we would need to give us some flexibility in setting up the boat to our liking. The Penguin class has no limits on how you can set up a boat so we had free reign to experiment a little in what set-up worked best for us. We wanted tracks to adjust the shroud tension, so we picked up some track sections from Harken. We used fender washers to mount them with 3M 4000 sealant and stainless hardware. While we were shopping with Harken we picked up an auto-racheting mainsheet block and a handful of cam cleats for our control lines. The last item we wanted to attend to was some method of keeping the centerboard down. We took a page from a setup common on a lot of club racing dinghies and rigged a shock cord from the centerboard handle, back through a block on the aft end of the centerboard trunk and then tied to the base of the mast. We put a 2-to-1 block and tackle on the end of the centerboard handle to secure it in the up position. Our boat came with a sail that, although it was a big aged, was in pretty good shape for our first season. One of the best things about getting into the Penguin class is the class itself, which is filled with knowledgeable sailors who honestly just want to get more people out sailing and enjoying their boats. We're sure we'll get a lot more suggestions of what our work list should include next year (and probably a few critiques of what we've done so far). And we might get a line on a sail that's less expensive than the $620 price of a new one but in better shape than what we have. It's going to be a fun summer.

Also in Retrofits

• RETROFITS: Bristol 32
• RETROFITS: Manta 42 MkII
• RETROFITS: Catalina 36 MkII
• Our annual guide to retrofitting
• Marshall 22 Catboat
• Swan 46 MK I
• Bayfield 25
• Beneteau Oceanis 430

Also from Staff

• Tor Johnson
• Learn to Sail Better
• New boat: Aureus XV Absolute
• Remembering Hobie
• Catalina 275 Sport
• New boat: Saphire 27

March / April Issue No. 297  Preview Now

PENGUIN CLASS DINGHY

Adrienne Keller and her father Kip launched their Penguin sailboat in October of 2007, the first boat either of them had built. Kip sailed Penguins, which were designed by Phil Rhodes, as a youth in upstate New York. They used okoume plywood on sawn oak frames, rails and thwarts are mahogany, and spruce floorboards. They bought used spars and sails to rig her with. The Penguin is as yet unnamed.

Design Specifications

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1931 Chris Craft 31' Trunk Cabin Cruiser Model No. 254

CAP'N LEWELL A. SWAN

BRANNEN SKIFF

From the community.

1899 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter Carlotta

Original 55’ pilot cutter in superb condition following extensive award-winning restorations in C

20' Rambler, Harry Bryant Offsets, $26,500.

Built in 2015 with custom cabin. Beam 6ft 9in. Cedar on white oak frame.

Nordic Folkboat

1952 Folkboat built in Copenhagen and imported to San Francisco. March 2023 survey available.

1955 Lyman Runabout 20ft

1955 Lyman. Great boat loved the memories. Bought it for my wedding and had it restored.

This site contains information about the Penguin Class dinghy, and it's Association with Fleets located on the U.S. East Coast, Mid West , Argentina, and Brazil.

For more information send an e-mail to:   [email protected]   or click on the Facebook link->

What is a modern v. classic Penguin  | Minutes 2017 Class Mtg | Penguin Plans | Penguins News Items |   Penguin Foils | Penguins

  in Argentina Facebook |   s

International Penguin Class Dinghy Association

Class contact information.

Click below

Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Dinghy

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 40

Join/Renew Your Class Membership – Click here

Photo Credit:C. Krafft

Photo Credit: P. Hull

About International Penguin Class Dinghy Association

The Penguin Class dinghy was designed by famed naval architect Phil Rhodes and the first fleet was formed on the Potomac River in 1939. An article about the boat appeared in a 1940 issue of Yachting magazine and Penguin fleets soon appeared all over the US as well as in a number of countries. It was used by many clubs in their junior sailing programs, but was also popular as a frostbiting dinghy and sailed by many of the top racers of the day from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. It is still raced today, primarily on the Chesapeake Bay and Chicagoland regions, however there are boats all over the country and renewed activity in South America. It provides a nice platform for adults, juniors, adult-junior, or single-handers who can add ballast as required to meet the minimum weight. The boat is fun to sail, quite responsive to minor trim adjustments, and a great training platform to learn about sail trim, weight placement, and boat balance.

Boats Produced: 9700

Class boat builder(s):

No current active builders. Plans are available.

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 8500

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

Chesapeake Bay, Chicago

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  2

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  310 (modern) 290 (classic)

Portsmouth Yardstick Rating:   111.5

Boat Designed in  1938

Length (feet/inches): 11’5″

Beam: 4’8″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 140 (hull)

Draft: 4′ (centerboard down), 4″ board up

Mast Height: 19′

Tuning Guides

Back to One-Design Central

Copyright ©2018-2024 United States Sailing Association. All rights reserved. US Sailing is a 501(c)3 organization. Website designed & developed by Design Principles, Inc. -->

PENGUIN Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of PENGUIN. Built by Schock W.D. and designed by Philip Rhodes, the boat was first built in 1939. It has a hull type of Centerboard Dinghy and LOA is 3.48. Its sail area/displacement ratio 44.53. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by undefined, runs on undefined.

PENGUIN has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about PENGUIN and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, contributions, who designed the penguin.

PENGUIN was designed by Philip Rhodes.

Who builds PENGUIN?

PENGUIN is built by Schock W.D..

When was PENGUIN first built?

PENGUIN was first built in 1939.

What is mast height on PENGUIN?

PENGUIN has a mast height of 4.88 m.

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Small Craft Advisor

Boat Designs: Evaluating SCAMP’S Big Sister

(this new welsford cruiser checks a lot of boxes…).

Over the past few days I’ve had email exchanges with John Welsford, New Zealand designer, regarding a brainstorm that’s been percolating in his clever, whimsical noggin: A bigger, more commodious takeoff on his wildly popular SCAMP design.

As most SCA readers know, the 11’ 11” SCAMP design was conceived 13 years ago when Josh Colvin, editor of this fine publication, asked Welsford to come up with a new kind of small cruising boat—one small enough to explore the most hard-to-penetrate backwaters, while being easy to rig, light enough to trailer with the smallest of tow vehicles, surprisingly great under sail, and comfy for overnight camp-cruising adventures. So, following some tweaks by designer and master boatbuilder Kees Prins, the resulting sailboat was dubbed SCAMP, for Small Craft Advisor Magazine Project.

SCAMP DRAWING…

The rest is history: More building plans and kits for SCAMP have been sold over the years than any other small cruising boat we can think of. Besides the original wooden version, Gig Harbor Boat Works was licensed in 2013 to produce a fiberglass SCAMP, and the little giant killer—in wood and fiberglass—has since its debut been at the center of various small-boat rallies, workshops and sailing events.

While SCAMPs are still being built worldwide by enthusiasts, plan and kit sales have slowly been approaching what might be a kind of saturation point. It’s not that “everyone who wants a SCAMP has already built one,” but we get the feeling that it’s time for something new and different—like a SCAMP-inspired design that has the personality and quirky appeal of the original boat, but with more creature comforts (for an aging population of SCAMP lovers).

Meet SCALLYWAG, John Welsford’s big sister to SCAMP, a 15’ 4” x 7’ 3” wonder with a “real” cabin, tabernacle mast, mizzen sail, powerful main, water-ballast tanks, sitting headroom down below…and like SCAMP, faster than many onlookers might expect.

SCALLYWAG DRAWING…

This might turn out to be a timely, common-sense follow-up to the successful SCAMP design—so tempting that John Welsford is talking about building one for himself.

(As a footnote, we might add that in 2008, prior to the introduction of SCAMP in 2010, Welsford came up with another design that was similar to but somewhat larger than SCAMP—called TREAD LIGHTLY, which measured 13’ overall, with a beam of 5’ and addition of a mizzen. The series of similar hulls began with PEANUTS, an experimental build that never quite made the plans list. That design led to TENDER BEHIND, then SHERPA, then TREAD LIGHTLY, then SCAMP, then SCRAPS and now SCALLYWAG. Quite a series!)

TREAD LIGHTLY drawing…immediate predecessor to SCAMP)

Here is John Welsford’s description of the SCALLYWAG design:

“I’ve had a number of people tell me they love SCAMP, but they’d like a ‘real’ cabin—something that would provide shelter for a couple of friends to overnight out of the rain; somewhere with space enough for four to sit and chat over coffee or rum on a cold evening; somewhere with a bench for a cooker, a table to eat the food off of, and lockers for all the essentials…and room for the skipper and first mate to stretch out and sleep in comfort.

“SCALLYWAG is not so big as to make launching and retrieving a chore; her mainmast is in a tabernacle, which makes standing it up easy-peasy for clients who don’t like the idea of lifting a mast that size vertically into place. Her mizzen is light enough to not be a worry, too, in that respect.

“The rig is a powerful one, but easy to access for reefing, and she will heave to under mizzen with the main let free so she sits mostly head-to-wind, dry and restful if a gust has to be waited out.

“I’ve added a pair of big water tanks for ballast, so with that and her beamy shape she’ll be very stable. Her cockpit self-drains, the motor is inside the tall transom for easy access, and while there’s room in the cockpit for four, she’ll be easy to single-hand and relaxing to sail.

“While the relationship between SCALLYWAG and SCAMP is obvious, it’s not just the styling. The backroom calculations in hydrodynamics suggest she’ll handle well, and be faster than many expect. With high stability and the ability to sit upright when aground, she’ll be able to transition from hiding in the mud or sand up a creek somewhere, to making a longer coastal passage without any fuss.

“Construction is simply plywood over ply bulkheads, with stringers to line everything up, and with considerable buoyancy just in case. The plans will have scale drawings of all major components, and we anticipate soon having printable full-sized templates for frames and other key items.”

As for specifications, beyond the overall length of 15’ 4” and beam of 7’ 3,” SCALLYWAG will have board-up draft of 10,” a board-down draft of 3’ 4,” a total sail area of 143 s.f. and a fully-rigged dry weight of 750 lbs. (Incidentally, the beam-to-length ratios of SCAMP and SCALLYWAG are almost identical.)

John Welsford says that plans for SCALLYWAG will be available on December 1, but he can take orders in the meantime. Price will be $245 U.S. funds for emailed, printable PDFs, and the plans can be ordered via John’s website: jwboatdesigns.co.nz (Joel Bergen, well-known for the Welsford Navigator he built and sails in many Northwest small-boat events, will be developing a set of SCALLYWAG patterns in the not-distant future, according to Welsford. Editor’s note: We heard from Joel yesterday; he’s hoping to develop CAD-produced patterns “in a few weeks,” now that he’s received initial SCALLYWAG drawings. Stay tuned; we’ll provide updates on plans and patterns in this space.)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF THE SCALLYWAG DESIGN:

Eager to hear what SCAMP-savvy friends might have to say about the SCALLYWAG specs and just-released drawing, we sought initial reactions from…

JOSH COLVIN, editor of Small Craft Advisor , who commissioned the SCAMP design in 2010 and enjoys sailing SCAMP #1:

“There’s certainly no doubt who designed this one! It looks almost as much like Welsford’s PENGUIN as a SCAMP. SCALLYWAG’s length is a sweet spot in terms of accommodations potential. She’ll be rowed less than most SCAMPs, but I love the inboard motor well to keep her lines clean, and the engine right at hand. But her most exciting feature is the addition of the mizzen, which will improve seaworthiness and make managing the mainsail easier.

“Between LONG STEPS and SCALLYWAG, those looking for something like SCAMP, but larger, have great options. I’m excited to see the first boat built—she will be bigger than most expect, just looking at the drawing.” SIMEON BALDWIN, builder of an early SCAMP who has perhaps sailed more nautical miles with a SCAMP than anyone…and who has also served as a generous advisor to fellow SCAMP builders and is an expert on rigging and sailing the little 11’ 11” boats:

“I like what I see of this long-rumored design. Knowing John and his attention to ergonomics, I can anticipate it will work well. The tabernacled mast and addition of a mizzen are most appealing.

“From the drawing I think it may resemble LONG STEPS in terms of the recessed footwell. It also appears he is eschewing a by-design lazarette made popular by many SCAMP owners.

“The double water tanks are something to contemplate. I don’t envision SCALLYWAG as a purpose-built racer with crew, actively keeping high-side ballast on long tacks, like the SKATE 15 that Brandon Davis designed, which utilizes two tanks and a dump-valve system that may be more elaborate than a typical cruising sailor would want to live with. But John may be describing two water tanks that are filled and remain separate from one another.”

(Editor’s note: Welsford’s comment on tanks, “The ballast tanks are linked, and they’re not far enough off the centerline to work independently. There is one each side of the aft end of the centerboard case and they go out as far as the seat-front extensions.”)

“I’m looking forward to how all of this works out!”

BRANDON DAVIS, of Turn Point Design in Port Townsend, whose company cuts CNC kits for the SCAMP and a variety of other small boats. Brandon is also a skilled designer and small-boat sailor:

“I really like this boat, since it has just enough room to have a cabin but it’s still small enough to be trailered, beached and easily built in a garage. The enclosed cabin should encourage longer trips or taking a friend along.

“The longer waterline should increase average sailing speeds. My guess is that rowing speed will be lower than the SCAMP, as the rower will not be able to take advantage of the waterline length because of her weight.

“Will SCALLYWAG be offered as a kit? I could see it selling well as a kit and the market could be ripe. Many SCAMP builders might consider this as their next build.

“I look forward to seeing the first SCALLYWAGs on the water!”

KEES PRINS, designer and boatbuilder, who constructed the first SCAMP while serving as boatshop manager at the Northwest Maritime Center…and in the process suggested and implemented some changes that improved the design:

“I think SCALLYWAG will find a great following in the SCAMP world and beyond. Adding a cabin will greatly enlarge the ‘SCAMP Crowd.’ At that beam, and with twin ballast tanks, stability should be enormous for a boat this length. I would have liked to see a cross section through the cabin to know more about sitting comfort. (Four people hanging out inside seems a little optimistic, but two should be comfortable.)

“I’m curious about what the tabernacle for the unsupported mast will look like. A big sail area, together with a stiff hull will induce a significant load on the tabernacle. There seems to be a deep well for the mast base to swing through, judging by the drain hole.

“All in all, SCALLYWAG looks very promising.”

OSCAR LIND, a serious student of all various small-boat designs , and earlier builder of a SCAMP, who shares at least one thing in common with John Welsford—they’ve never met a pun they didn’t like:

“I might have to clear out the shop and make as much room as possible to build this boat (due to the 7’ 3” beam, especially). It’s so tempting and fills the bill for usability and function.

“It does need a Chinese lug rig, though. I expect quite a few SCALLYWAGS will ultimately be built.”

(Editor’s note: John Welsford comments, “I like the Chinese lugsail, but for a sail of this size on a boat that will be trailered, rigged and derigged for each outing and dry-stored, the extra complexity of the Junk sail slows the process. As well, the balanced lug is in my experience, a little quicker upwind—unless the junk rig has cambered-panel sails, and there are few sailmakers producing those, so I think in this case, simplicity and performance get the nod.”)

As for my personal view as a serial boatbuilder, restorer and sometimes buyer of project boats, I enjoyed owning a SCAMP several years ago. While I loved sailing the boat, I wished it was bigger and included a sleeping cabin. So, John’s new SCALLYWAG design checks many more boxes as an all-around keeper, and I prefer its overall hull, cabin and rig design, not to mention its potential as a serious cruising machine.

So, once again, here’s a chance for you, as a fellow boat nut, to offer your evaluation of SCAMP and her newly-hatched big sister, SCALLYWAG. (Also, please add other thoughts in the comments section below…) • SCA •

Ready for more?

Reader Built Boats

WHIO, a Welsford pocket cruiser

From Issue   February 2015

WHIO’s gaff rig carries 235 sq ft of sail. When the wind fails, an outboard mounted forward of the transom provides power. The notch in the transom allows the motor to be kicked up.

R alf Schlothauer first tried to build a boat when he was six years old. He scavenged bits of plywood and lumber from the neighborhood and then enlisted the help of his sandbox playmates. The result was not a boat but a collection of even smaller bits of plywood and lumber. In his 30s his wife gave him a copy of The Backyard Boat Builder by John Welsford . He thumbed through the pages for a few years trying to decide what kind of boat he should build. “I never really fell for any of the dinghies and small sailboats. If I was going to make my lifelong dream come true, I had to build something special, something for my whole growing family would enjoy, something that would be like a mini campervan on the water but not compromise on a classic look.”

With her centerboard retracted, WHIO can anchor safely in waist-deep water.

He was drawn to Welsford’s Penguin , a 21′ pocket cruiser. It sleeps four, two in the roomy V-berth forward and two berths that extend from the main cabin aft under the cockpit seats. The galley, large enough for a two-burner stove and cookware, opens up to the port side of the main cabin. A portable head sits to starboard off to the side of the passageway to the forward berth. The accommodations were all his family required for extended weekend cruises and yet the Penguin would be small enough to be kept at his home and trailered to their New Zealand cruising grounds.

Designer John Welsford (right) pays a visit aboard WHIO. The view looking forward takes in the galley and the portable head head tucked in the passageway to the forward berth.

“When I ordered the building plans from John Welsford I had only very basic shop skills, and enough naivety to fool myself about how long it would actually take to finish the project.” Ralf persisted with occasional help from John and the informative mistakes that slow the going on the steep side of the learning curve. As his skills improved he “looked forward more and more to my time in the workshop. It gave me the satisfaction of doing something real to balance a day job that consists mostly of phone calls, emails and meetings.”

WHIO, named for a New Zealand river duck, emerged over the course of seven years and was launched quietly with just family and one boat-wise friend present. “The first time in our own boat was every bit of the magical experience I had hoped for,” says Ralf. “The kids could swim, jump in the water, play Frisbee and later we could all sit in the cockpit or cabin having a well-deserved cuppa tea or even a handmade espresso.”

WHIO’s bulder, Ralf Schlothauer, sails Lake Rotoiti, a 9-mile long mountain lake on New Zealand’s North Island.

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Comments (7)

What a lovely sailboat! I am just finishing a Martha’s Tender in a sailing configuration. It’s my first wooden boat and of course I am already shopping for my next one. It would seem that I have found it.

Gorgeous boat, Ralf. The helmsman and sail hauler looks really “boat-wise”. Well done, she’s lovely to sail in, stable, capable, and reassuring in gusts.

Mark, I just revisited this article to see if I still felt the same about the about the boat. Which I do and saw your name! I’m currently building the spars and mast for the tender so have not had to ask for Sharri’s permission. I did major maintenance to the Oyster and got third place at the Sanilac Wooden Boat Show for my trouble. She is in the water at this moment in Port Hope filling up with water as the rain has been relentless today. I hope that all is well at your end; Sharri and I are still enjoying our retirement with many plans to enjoy more.

Dick I hope Shari gives her consent. ‘Tis a lovely boat. Give me a shout when you finish her and I’ll bring a tot of Pusser’s.

Absolutely beautiful gaff-rigged clinker, Ralf. Brings back memories of our first sailboat which looked very similar, and we still miss her some 30 odd years later. I hope WHIO always remains in your family.

She is a beauty and perfect for my home waters of Lake Champlain. How may I get the plans?

Plans are available from the designer at: http://www.jwboatdesigns.co.nz/plans/penguin/

We often provide links to relevant web sites. If you see highlighted text, just click on it and the linked web site will open up. In this case clicking on the design name “ Penguin ” in the profile (and here) will take you to the web page for the plans. Christopher Cunningham, Editor, Small Boats Monthly

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Penguin Printed Plans

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Description

Additional information.

For a study plan download for Penguin, click HERE

For Penguin Plans digital download, click HERE

I have only rarely been tempted to enter the design competitions run by magazines, of the two occasions I have gone to the trouble of producing the very detailed drawings that are required by the judges I have had a win and an honourable mention so am pretty much convinced that I should give up while I am ahead.

Well, Penguin certainly did that, I understand that the judges panel were so split that some assistance was called for.

As a keen trailer yacht owner I had cruised much of New Zealand at 90 kmph my boat following along behind as we drove, boat already packed with stores and supplies, off to another distant lake or harbour.

Working from the bow aft, she has an anchor well for stowing wet and muddy ground tackle, a good sized foredeck and hatches large enough to provide both access and an airy feeling on hot days.

Inside there has been a lot of consideration given to cruising amenities. Mind you there were a few differences of opinion here, my interior layout advisor ( I'm married to her) told me that a separate "loo" was a must, I'd have put a portapotty under the forward end of the cockpit and pulled it out when needed but have dutifully fitted a dedicated heads compartment complete with bookrack for the out of date magazines at the forward end of the main cabin.

I am pleased with the handiness of the galley, it has good space to prepare meals while not being in the way of others moving about the boat and again there is plenty of locker space.

Cruising in a small and comfortable boat like this can be a real pleasure, without the work and expense of a larger boat on a mooring or in a marina one can have the comfort and character of a true cruiser with the very long weekend range that a trailer boat can offer. Its a tempting package.

Leeboards instead of a centerboard? Why not, heres Penguins new option.

A while ago I had a customer ask for a leeboard conversion for Penguin. Now, Penguin is pretty roomy inside anyway, the centerboard and its casing is hidden away under the drop leaf table and there is enough space to walk around the after end of the 'case from one side to the other, but on reflection I figured that it was not such a bad idea. Taking the centercase out makes the main cabin very big for a boat only 21ft 6in long, really roomy, you could darn near hold a square dance in there!

So there is a new sheet added to the Penguin plans, its easier to build than the centerboard version, will suit very shallow waters even better than the original, the boat has more space inside and a possible source of leaks has been eliminated.

That means that Penguin now has three rig options, centerboard, bilge keel and leeboard options and there is a stretch version sailing very successfully as well.

The design now has lots of choices. You can mix and match to suit.

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VESSEL REVIEW | Penguin Tenaga – New pilot launch is Singapore’s first hybrid-powered vessel

Penguin Shipyard of Singapore has completed construction of a new aluminium vessel for use by the pilotage fleet of parent company Penguin International.

Classed by Bureau Veritas with the “Electric Hybrid” and “ZE” (zero emission) notations, Penguin Tenaga will be operated by Penguin alongside the company’s other workboats in support of Shell Eastern Petroleum’s oil and petrochemicals refinery activities at Pulau Bukom island some five kilometres south of the main island of Singapore.

Penguin said the 16- by five-metre Penguin Tenaga is most notable for its being the first hybrid-powered vessel to be built and operated in Singapore. The boat was designed to be capable of running on pure electric mode at seven knots for up to 25 minutes while conventional diesel mode will enable it to reach a maximum speed of 24 knots. A hybrid operating mode, wherein electrical power augments the power generated by the diesel engines, is available as well.

As with many diesel-electric-powered vessels, the pilot boat’s batteries may be charged while the diesel engines are in operation during high-speed sailings, thus reserving the electrical propulsion for use in low-speed sailings to further reduce emissions in Singapore’s busy port waters.

The electric hybrid propulsion system and controls on Penguin Tenaga were provided by BH Global Corporation subsidiary Sea Forrest Power Solutions. Electric power is stored in a 42.6kWh energy storage system consisting of lithium-ion batteries provided by Durapower Technology while ZF supplied the gearbox, the shafts, and the propellers.

BH Global said that the hybrid system was designed for ease of use, hence the incorporation of an ergonomic graphic user interface and a feature that can automatically switch the propulsion mode from diesel to hybrid to pure electric depending on operational requirements. This gives the boat a high degree of flexibility, as it is able to switch to whichever propulsion mode is more efficient for the task at hand even when underway. Danfoss Editron – which supplied the vessel’s two electric motors, four inverters, and an inductor – has claimed that emissions reductions of between 10 and 20 per cent can be achieved compared to traditional diesel-powered pilot boats.

Solar panels have also been installed on the roof of the wheelhouse to generate electricity that is exclusively for recharging the occupants’ mobile devices and for supplementing the vessel’s hotel load. This means that much of the electrical power supplied by the onboard batteries will still be utilised for propulsion, a necessary attribute in light of the vessel’s expected heavy use in support of Shell’s Pulau Bukom refinery operations.

Penguin Tenaga has seating for two operators and 12 pilots/passengers.

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Tags: Bureau Veritas Penguin International Penguin Shipyard Penguin Tenaga Shell Eastern Petroleum Singapore WBW newbuild

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