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$200 Sailboat -- NUTMEG

In the late 70's Dave Carnell set about to build Phil Bolger's design FEATHERWIND a simple to build plywood sail-row boat he called NUTMEG. Dave drew up plans for the build-out of NUTMEG and began selling plan packets. In 1994 Dave re-drew the plans futher simplifing the construction process for persons with little woodworking experience. This is a proven fast small boat with over 600 plan sets sold!

Plans and the Compete Illustrated Building Packet for Dave Carnell's $200 Sailboat NUTMEG are available from the Small Boat Forum Store for $30.00 postpaid.

The plans include three 24" X 36" blueprints, four 11" x 17" sheets of details, 18 pages (printed both sides) of directions with many illustrations. If you have built even the simplist boat this is probabley more than you need. If you know nothing about boat building, the directions are all there. Subjects covered include: Sawing plywood sheets easily, Plywood Panel Layout, the simplest method of making a 16' long piece of plywood from two 8-footers for the hull sides, constructing the rudder, tiller and leeboard, flotation suggestions, painting the vessel, directions for simple oars that perform and look salty, Phil Bolger's piece on the original hull design from his book Small Boats, sailmaking ideas with a sheet on dimentions for NUTMEG, patterns for wooden cleats, directions for making an eye splice, sources of supply, and a list of good reading.

While the simplest sail might be an uncut polytarp, the lateen rig is a better choice and performer (dimentions included in NUTMEG's Plan Packet). It's the easist to rig and handle and is easily made from polytarp material. With the lateen rig there are not a lot of concetrated stresses on the edges or corners of the sail. If you have a SUNFISH or other similar sailboard, the rig can be dropped into this hull by simply making the holes in the mast partner shaped to fit.

NUTMEG presents as much boat as you can build with as as little effort and cost as any design out there. There is no lofting; no building jig is required. The fittings and rigging are the simpleist possible.

NUTMEG Particulars: LOA 15' 6", Beam 4' 6", Sail Area 76 sq. ft., Dry Weight 110 lbs + or -, Depth 6" + or -.

Send Check or Money Order to: Tom Vetromile 499 Camp Bay Rd., Sagle, ID, 83860. NUTMEG Plan Packet shipped first class mail in a manila envelope. ID State residnence add: 6% Sales Tax to purchase price. Foreign Payment must be in US Dollars & Drawn on a US Bank.

Click to the Small Boat Forum to find a Message Board devoted to: NUTMEG - THE $200 SAILBOAT

Here is Dave Masland's Blog on his build-out of NUTMEG in 2006

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