pocket cruiser sailboat plans

Study Plans are available for these designs - remember a study plan gives you more details and a wood materials list usually on two A1 sheets, so that you can cost out a project before ordering the full plans. When you order the full construction plans you do not need to order the study plan as well, as all the study details are on the full plans.

ORDER THE  16' MYSTERY PLANS

ORDER THE  16' GREY SWAN PLANS

ORDER THE  16' GOSHAWK PLANS

ORDER THE  16' GOSHAWK OPEN VERSION PLANS Note - you need the standard plan (above) as well, to build the open version

ORDER THE  16' GOSHAWK MOTOR VERSION PLANS Note - you need the standard plan (above) as well, to build the motor version

ORDER THE  PTARMIGAN 15 PLANS

ORDER THE  AVON 12 PLANS

ORDER THE  SIMPLICITY 14 PLANS

ORDER THE  HERON 14 PLANS

ORDER THE  15' HERON PLANS

ORDER THE  15' FIRECREST PLANS

ORDER THE  16' SANDGROUSE PLANS

ORDER THE  LYNX 14 PLANS

ORDER THE  LYNX 16 PLANS

ORDER THE  14' DUETTE CAT BOAT PLANS

ORDER THE  MORNING TIDE 14 PLANS

ORDER THE  MICRO 8 PLANS

ORDER THE  MICRO 10 PLANS

ORDER THE  YM SENIOR PLANS

Below is a simple card model by Ralph Woodard.

ORDER THE  4m MINI YACHT PLANS

Devlin Design Catalog

This is it! The whole enchilada. A four decade epic of artful boat design. Prepare to spend some time here. This list is for your meandering exploration of the work of Sam Devlin. New boats will be added until this is complete.

Amak 26 Tugboat

The Amak Tugboats are a series of concept designs, born of a lifelong love of the tugboat form, and they are just waiting for an excuse to be developed. They range in size from 26 to 44 feet. If a tugboat calls to you, there's an Amak to do the job.

Archimedes 22

You want your boating with an even more broad blending of classic and high tech? Want to explore power systems from 3 centuries? Check out the Archimedes 22!

Arctic Tern 23

The Arctic Tern is a seaworthy and versatile cruising sailboat with enough cabin space to make the trip worthwhile.

Banjo 20 Outboard, Pocket Cruiser, Full Construction Plans Now Available! And an Introductory Sale Price!

Banjo 20 full construction plans are here! And they are on sale for $100 off!! And study plans are only $5 and include 2 drawings and 5 photos. Click on the photo above to read what Sam wrote when he designed the trailerable pocket cruiser.

Bay Skipper 18

The Bay Skipper is an interesting design. It converts from a two person paddler to a sliding seat rower in minutes.

Bella 10 Skiff

Originally designed to teach boatbuilding technique, the Devlin Bella 10 is an easy building, elegant design that comes together in a fast rowing, lightweight skiff.

The Devlin Bella 12 is a boat that will row nicely with one or two aboard, yet be able to accept a very small outboard for those longer trips.

The Bella 16 is the largest in the Bella series, designed to build easily to row well with a load, and to look good while doing it.

Black Brant II 14

The Devlin Black Brant II 14 may just be the ultimate duckboat. Good for hunters and their dogs.

Black Brant III 15

If you need a duckboat to operate in shallower water, are traveling quite a distance from launch-ramp to the hunting area, and a couple of inches more of sitting blind height doesn't hurt, then by all means choose the Devlin Black Brant III 15.

Black Crown 27 for Sale!

When Sam designed and built this Black Crown 27 the purpose was to create a perfect small cruising boat for a couple. Currently she is located on the Chesapeake. When conceived she needed to be perfect for cruising the Northwest. Her sturdy build works well on both the East and West coasts and she just became available! Click on the photo above to learn more.

Black Crown 30

The Black Crown 30 is the latest in a long line of high quality power cruisers. Conceived for speedy or leisurely travel in comfort. Designed with the classic Devlin style. The best of the past built for the future.

Blue Blazer 25

The Blue Blazer was a design wrestling match for Sam. I recommend that you check out his design notes. I’ll let him describe the happy result below. — Jim   Starting at the stern is a teak swim platform to help board the boat from a harbor taxi and just...

Blue Fin 48

The Blue Fin 48 is an exception to the idea of stuffing as much into a boat as possible. She is intended for allowing a couple or a few friends to really stretch out on an efficient long range power cruiser.

Blue Fin 54

he Blue Fin 54 is an even more spacious version of the Blue Fin 48. Her hallmark is efficiency and smooth, easy running, proven out in practice by a customer built boat. She will take you as far as you want to go in comfort and style.

Bluebill 13

The Bluebill is a sneakbox style duckboat designed for a 20hp outboard, with a few key innovative features for better performance and utility.

Bluebill 13 Downloadable Construction Plans – Updated into New Format – Imperial & Metric Together!

The Bluebill is a sneakbox style duckboat designed for a 20hp outboard, with a few key innovative features for better performance and utility. These newly formatted plans come with both the imperial and metric measurements and full color pages.

Broadbill 11

The "Broadbill" is intended for the solo hunter, being small enough and light enough to fit into the back of a pickup or you might even consider cartopping.

Bullfrog 20

The Bullfrog 20 is a compact, outboard powered fishing boat with a high volume hull and the ability for some extended cruising.

Bundle Package 2 Downloadable Construction Plans Sale – Dipper 17 & Dipper 19 Together!

This is our second Bundle Package combining both the Dipper 17 and the Dipper 19 Downloadable Construction plans in your choice of either Imperial (inches & feet) or Metric measurements.

Bundle Package 3.0 – North Haven 24 & North Haven 26 Together -Imperial & Metric -Super Discounted!

This is our third bundled plans offering. Get both the North Haven 24 & the North Haven 26 full construction plans in both inches and feet and in metric together at a super discount!

Bundled Downloadable Construction Plans Sale – Candlefish 13 & Oolichan 13 Plans together for One Low Price!

First time product offering - The Bundle Package - Candlefish 13 and the Oolichan 13 downloadable construction plans together for one low price!

Bundled Downloadable Construction Plans Sale – Candlefish 16 and Candlefish 16 Casting Deck together at 25% off the Regular Price!

Two fishing boat versions that are easy to trailer and launch. One with a large raised deck forward and the other with more conventional seating - both with a great hull form and plenty of covered on board storage.

The Devlin Cackler is a new generation hunting skiff designed for hunting in areas where seaworthiness is essential and at a time of year when great distances may need to be covered in a hurry to avoid cold nasty weather.

Camarone 34

The Camarone 34 is a motorsailer for extended cruising and spacious accommodations, designed to operate equally well under sail and diesel power.

Camarone 40 – The Perfect Motorsailer!

Sam's newest Passagemaker Magazine article (September Issue) describes the fan-tailed ocean capable motorsailer - Camarone 40. Read more about the design clients' ambitious goals and how this 40 foot boat will be their home base once built for the next several years.

Candlefish 13

The Candlefish 13 is a versatile small fishing boat. Originally designed to be a cartoppable fishing skiff for high latitude rivers and lakes, she has also proven to be an excellent yacht tender.

Candlefish 16

The Candlefish 16 is a burdensome fishing skiff. Deep and seaworthy, it is wonderfully suited to life in our changeable weather and strong tides.

Candlefish 18

The Candlefish 18 is an open design based on the proven Pelicano 18 hull with a variety of features to make her a rugged and highly usable boat.

The Chinook is wonderful little cruiser, inboard diesel powered and trailerable, with several cabin configurations.

The Curlew 20 is an open design fishing powerboat that can be tailored easily to your specific needs.

The Curlew 24 is one of Sam's last hand drawn concept designs, squarely aimed at the goals of comfortable and stable cruising.

Czarinna 30

The Czarinna 30 is a leisurely cruiser that leans in favor of cabin space and economical range. She displays graceful lines from a golden era of yachting and carries you where you want to go with plenty of room to stretch out, stay warm, and enjoy the ride.

Czarinna 35

The Czarinna 35 shifts the balance in favor of cabin space, comfort, and livability in a graceful long range cruising yacht. A traditional expression of nautical grace with the cruising range to enjoy your travels.

Czarinna 43

The Czarinna 43 is a long range, economical cruiser, carefully planned for comfort to bring the family along for the adventure.

Devlin 37 Full-displacement Cruiser for Two!

Sam’s most recent article in Passagemaker Magazine features the Devlin 37. Usually he designs for a customer with a list of requirements. What if he did a design just for himself? The result of doing just that is a 37 foot long full-displacement, fuel-sipping, diesel cruiser with a fantail stern. Click on this box to read more and get links to the article and study plans.

The Dipper 17 was designed for the fisherman and pleasure cruiser that wants to get in and out of the weather and for the diehards that want to be out no matter what the weather.

Originally designed to fit in a 20' shipping container, the Dipper 19 is roomy inside, making for a comfortable, economical cruiser.

The Devlin Drifter 15 is a rugged, easy build design for a classic drift boat, waiting for your fishing adventures.

Duck Boats are Also Fishing Boats?

Many of our small boat designs were originally done for the Duck Hunting market but these are very capable boats and have much versatility in crossover applications like fishing, exploring, or skiffs.

Duckling 14 Rower

The Duckling 14 Rower is a proper rowing boat in a compact and easily handled package.

Duckling 14 Sail

If you want the clean design of the Duckling 14, but you prefer to have the wind do all the work. A sleek sailboat in a compact package.

Duckling 17

Sleek lines and a beautiful sheer make the Devlin Duckling 17 a delight to row and own. She is light and responsive and easily handled, providing great exercise for the single oarsman.

Dunlin 22 Cruiser

The Dunlin 22 has the soul of a workboat and the comfort of a classic Devlin design. Cruise the waters or tow something inordinately large, in one of two configurations.

Dunlin 22 Pilothouse

Dynamo Too 38

The Dynamo Too is a concept design from Sam Devlin that hides a luxurious cruiser in the clothes of a traditional working boat. Plus you can catch a whole lot of fish!

Dynamo Too 45

Dynamo Too 45 study plans include 4 pages showing both a motorsailer and powerboat version of this ocean going cruiser, inspired by the designs of the late Bill Garden.

The first Devlin design, the Egret is a proven 15' 3" open sail-and-oar adventurer. Easily singlehanded, she is stiff, stable, and comfortable in a breeze.

The Devlin Eider is a wonderful 17' 3" cabin sailboat. It is a great step up in size and function from the 15' Nancy's China, yet is still compact and trailerable.

Electric Philosophy 40 Study Plans Are Now Available!

Ed and Eileen Pauley had a dream. In the words of Eileen  “Every boat has a mission. And you need to pick the right boat for how you want to travel. And for us, if we’re going to live on it, it’s going to do what we want it to do and be comfortable.” And as Ed points out regarding the propulsion system, “What do we have to do to start? No warm up…We just go.” Study plans are now available for the Electric Philosophy 40 catamaran cruiser!

Electric Philosophy in Soundings Magazine 2024!

When we completed the build of Ed and Eileen Pauley's perfect all electric boat we could only dream of what awaited her in her travels. Now the Pauley's have been to Alaska and back on just the solar power provided by their roof panels. Journey through the build and travels with them in the February 2024 issue of Soundings Magazine. Click on the photo above for the link to the Soundings Magazine article..

Fairhaven Flyer 20

The Devlin Fairhaven Flyer 20 is an expedition rowing dory, designed for multiple approaches to adventure in human powered form.

The Gannet 25 is a twin outboard speedster for blasting around the waterways or settling in for a long day of cruising with friends.

Godzilla 22

If you have ever thought that you want your very own tugboat, one made with rugged Devlin technology, the Godzilla 22 is where the fun - and the work - begins.

Godzilla 25

The Godzilla 25 is still a mini-tug, but it's a bigger mini tug, if that makes any kind of sense. More power, more space, and more comfort in case you want to do more than just tug things.

Godzilli 16

The Devlin Godzilli 16 is a small workboat with undeniable charm and character, like a Yorkie that thinks he's a Rottweiler.

Gollywobbler 38

The Golly Wobbler 38 is a big boat, big enough to offer most of the comforts of home in a boat that will get up and go when you need to cover some ground. Enjoy the voyage.

Gollywobbler 43

A boat that can easily handle two couples cruising with comfort (built-in berths), a cruising speed of 18 knots and fuel consumption of about 10 gallons per hour, make the Golly Wobbler 43 a fine platform for your West or East Coast wanderings.

Gosling 10 Construction Plans Now Available!

A man with a larger cruising boat needed a dinghy that could accommodate 4 adults, the family dog, gear, a good sized outboard, and had a rowing option. That's a lot! Sam created the Gosling 10 in response.

The Guppy is a fine candidate for the all around dingy/skiff/small sailboat, without vice, she does her job efficiently and smoothly.

Hideaway 22 ? New Study Plan today, Coming Soon Construction Plans

What is it? Get ready to welcome a solar electric 'Shanty' boat type with low horsepower that is beachable, has full headroom, a large head, and opening windows. Available today - a one page study plan with an accommodation view, an exterior profile, and a stern/bow view.

The Honker is a lightweight, shallow draft vessel that, with a 60 horse outboard, can race along at 30 knots or idle for hours while trolling for salmon or bottom fish.

Honker H.B. 20 – New Design!

The Honker House Boat 20 is a crossbreed! She has a Millie Hill 20 shanty boat interior placed into Honker 18 utility pram hull that has been lengthened and widened. The best of both worlds! She allows us to get on the water in a towable small boat with the interior of a much larger boat. Downloadable study plans are now available.

Hope of Glory 38

The Hope Of Glory is another of our fantailed stern hulls with a lovely balance to her lines and a ketch rig for proper and easy sail handling by a short-handed crew.

Island Time 33

The Island Time 33 is Sam's newest design. A shallow draft outboard cruiser for two that Sam introduces in the current issue of PassageMaker Magazine. Available as study plans.

Josephine 40

Born of a man's love affair with an antique boat, the Josephine 40 is a modern adaptation in many configurations. All the charm with the ease, convenience, and low upkeep of a modern boat.

Josephine 47

The Josephine 47 expands the idea of a relaxed cruiser with the space for some friends, the privacy to stay friends, all in a rugged, seaworthy vessel with very long legs.

The Kestrel 26 is a concept design exploring the evolution of the Arctic Tern sailboat. If you need a bigger Arctic Tern, please contact us.

Kingfisher 26

The Kingfisher 26 is smallest of Devlin's series of double-ended workboat style cruisers. She'll take 3 passengers just about anywhere.

Kingfisher 28

The Kingfisher series of study plans welcomes a new member into the under 30 foot diesel cruiser category.

Kingfisher 30

The Kingfisher 30 is a working boat, the design driven by the needs of actual working fishermen. Given that mandate, Sam has conjured up a fair amount of comfort in a vessel that will see terrible weather and sea conditions.

Kingfisher 32 Cruiser

The Kingfisher 32 Cruiser is a livable, long range cruiser, built and styled along the lines of a traditional Northwest salmon fishing boat. A boat built for adventure.

Kingfisher 32 Troller

The Kingfisher 32 Troller is the more work-oriented version of the Kingfisher. Shorter cabin, longer working deck, and a bundle of innovations to make this a boat worth owning.

Kingfisher 33

The Kingfisher 33 is a diesel powered inboard cruising boat with a large cockpit for fishing or hobnobbing with fellow boaters when you're out and about in the Pacific Northwest waters. 

Kingfisher 36

The Kingfisher 36 takes the balanced formula of the smaller Kingfishers and adds more space and range to make for a really great cruising platform.

The Kokanee 36 is a concept design aimed at true functionality as a working fishing boat under sail. It's both an homage to the fishing vessels of history, and the modern touches that make it a reliable and comfortable vessel.

The Kokanee 38 is a great power cruiser yacht powered by a reliable John Deere diesel. She provides a safe and comfortable platform for all your boating adventures.

The Devlin Kokanee 43 is a modern take on the classic halibut schooner. A cruiser with double cabin flexibility, she's smooth, seaworthy, and comfortable for the long haul.

Krista-x Rower 24 Build Kits are Available Now!

CNC cut build kits for the Krista-x Rower 24 are available now. Click on the photo above to find links to this couple's build of the rower and then photo journal of their row from Vancouver to Prince Rupert, British Columbia using the inside passage.

The Lichen is a 20 ft. traditional sailboat with a leaning toward shallow draft and maximized interior space.

Linach 15 Plans – Two-Part Nesting Dinghy! – Full Construction Plans Available Today!

The Linach 15 two-part nesting dinghy does it all - rowing, sailing, and fishing - and can fit in the back of a pickup or minivan or SUV that can handle 4 x 8 plywood sheets. Starting today we offer the full construction plans as well as continuing to offer the study plans.

The Lingcod 24 is the perfect base for everything from a working utility skiff to a small houseboat.

The Lingcod 27 is a perfect base for everything from a working utility skiff to a small houseboat.

Lingcod 29 Houseboat

The Lingcod 29 is the perfect base for everything from a working utility skiff to a not-so-small houseboat.

Lit’l Coot 18 Bilge Keel

The Lit’l Coot is a wonderful little pocket cruiser, ideally suited to the waters of Puget Sound or the inside passage. She is trailerable on a small powerboat style trailer, and compact enough to store in the average residential garage. The bilge keels allow her...

Lit’l Coot 18 Full Keel

The Devlin Lit'l Coot Full Keel is a trailerable pocket cruiser that works equally well under motor and sail.

Lit’l Petrel 9

The Devlin Lit'l Petrel is the big sister to the Micro Petrel. She has the same ease of use, the same easy build, and the same utility.

Little Cod 21

The Little Cod 21 is a larger version of the Cackler design, and offers a stable, high volume base for a variety of boat styles.

The venerable Devlin Mallard is a proven sneakbox style boat that can take a 15hp outboard, but also excels at rowing.

Marsh Wren 20

The Marsh Wren is a larger refinement of the Nancy's China, a 20' (LOD) sailboat with both open cockpit daysailer and cabin versions.

Means of Grace 28

The Means of Grace 28 is an older Devlin design that nonetheless leads to an excellent sailing cruiser. It has a stable and high performance hull and the room onboard to stretch out and enjoy the journey.

Micro Petrel 8

The Micro Petrel is a great 8' yacht tender. She is the design response to the need for a small, rugged, lightweight yacht tender.

Millie Hill 20

The Millie Hill 20 is the clever marriage of tiny house and houseboat. It's an ideal solution to an economical getaway on the water.

Millie Hill 28

The Millie Hill 28 is a houseboat, a shanty boat. It's designed to maximize living space like a stationary houseboat, but with the addition of an outboard motor, it is fully capable of moving from place to place. To be fair though, the cool boat kids would just go ahead and build a matching tug to tow her around and impress the ladies.

Moon River – the Building Process

Join Sam Devlin as he takes you through the complete process of building the beautiful cruiser "Moon River".

Moon River 48

The Moon River is another Devlin masterpiece. She's a spacious day cruiser with high end appointments and the power to cover the water at a rapid rate without sacrificing tight maneuvering finesse for ease of handling.

Mud Dauber 23

Part workboat, part heavy hauler, part landing craft, and a side order of hunting and fishing, the Devlin Mud Dauber may be one of the most amazing utilitarian boats in the whole catalog.

Mud Daubler 22 H.B. – What’s This?

Recently Sam offered study plans for the Honker H.B. 20 - a houseboat placed into an extended and widened Honker. The study plans sales response was amazing. Could we go one better? Introducing the Mud Dauber 22 H.B. based on the Mud Dauber 23 design. The parallel sides of the hull give more of a houseboat feel and the beach landing gear in the bow make her useable for extended beach cruising with all the luxuries of a tiny home on the water!  The Mud Dauber 22 H.B. offers a full-time queen-size berth, enclosed head, galley, dinette for two, wardrobe closet, settee - a true big sister to the wonderful Honker H.B. 20.

Mud Peep 12

Grace and motion says it all when describing the Mud Peep 12 under sail. She is a light, responsive, and fast enough for good transportation.

MugWump 22 – Just Added! – 8 Full Color 3-D Renderings

The MugWump 22 is a pocket cruiser design that does it all in a small trailerable package that can be towed by a 1/2 ton pickup or mid-sized SUV. We've just added 8 full color 3-D renderings to both the downloadable construction and study plans.

Nancy’s China 15

Devlin's Nancy's China is easy to handle, easy to set up from trailer, and an enjoyable sailboat that was an instant success for Devlin Designing Boatbuilders.

Nancy’s China DC 15

In this new version of our old favorite, Nancy's China gets an electric motor built right into the rudder.

New for 2023 – Updated and in Color Snow Goose 16 Plans

If there were a best all around boat Oscar category, then the Cackler-type boats (like Snow Goose 16) would be nominated year after year. Now you can purchase the newly revised Study and Construction Plans featuring the addition of a removeable Pilothouse.

The Devlin Noddy 16 is a simple, versatile cabin fishing boat designed especially for use on the Puget Sound.

North Haven 24

The North Haven 24 shines at weekend cruising, and the huge, completely open cockpit is ideal for a flexible arrangement of folding deck chairs, a kayak or two, and/or a couple of four-legged friends. With a deep underbody and full-length spray rail, she’ll be a dry runner, and you won’t find many days when you have to throttle her back in rising seas.

Oarling II 17

Sleek lines and a beautiful sheer make the Oarling a delight to row and own. She is light, responsive and easily maneuvered, providing great transportation for the single oarsman or with passengers and cargo.

The Onyx 28 is a capable sailing vessel for longer cruises and variable conditions. She incorporates a simpler overall design with a more elaborate hull form and the kind of interior cabin that will take you on new journeys in comfort.

Oolichan 13

Oolichan 13 is the Northwest Native American name for the Candlefish. Check out this new variation of the Candlefish 13 aimed at a wider, faster, more stable platform for fishing. Study plans and Construction plans available!

Oolichan 13 vs. Candlefish 13: Side by Side Comparison!

Comparing the Candlefish 13 to the Oolichan 13 - a new third page for the study plans has been added today! See the differences drawn clearly and explained.

Oso Blanco 54

A 54 foot dreamboat motorsailor for traveling the world's oceans, rivers, and canals. A captain's suite aft, a generous bridgedeck with galley and ample seating midships, and a forward crew's quarters. Inspired by a trip to the coasts of Greenland, Sam has designed Oso Blanco as his dream vessel to get him through the Northwest Passage and back to the beautiful shores of Greenland.

The Oysta 25 is one ultra-seaworthy and compact little cruiser.

Sam has always loved this style boat.  In fact his love of the double ended Norwegian fishing troller resulted in his Oysta 28 motorsailor cruiser.  We hoped it would lead to full construction plans someday, but for now that’s on hold.

This lovely boat was built here at the shop many years ago.  It found a wonderful life in British Columbia for many years with a documentary film maker and his family.  Sadly, one day while it sat at its mooring buoy, someone boarded and robbed all her valuables...

The Oysta 42 is a true 50/50 motorsailer capable of motoring through any sea condition; with the sail-assist it's capable of doubling its useful cruising range.

The Oysta 52 is the second largest of the Oysta lineup to date, a trawler style long distance cruiser capable of taking the entire Brady Bunch comfortably into the far corners of the world.

The Ultimate Oysta, the big'un, the Oysta 62 is an aft-pilothouse dream cruiser for long duration adventures into almost any conditions in total comfort. Being a true 50/50 motorsailor, she's also capable of remarkable economy for such a big girl - not to mention reenacting battles from the age of sail with your friends or hosting an entire family reunion above the Arctic Circle...

The Pamlico 32 is a lean, shallow water cruiser filled with carefully considered livability and numerous design features.

Grace and motion says it all when describing the Devlin Peeper. She is a pleasure to row, light, responsive, and fast enough for good transportation.

Pelicano 18 Bassboat

The Devlin Pelicano Bassboat is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to maximize "livability" in a 18'-4" speedboat.

Pelicano 18 Center Console

The center console version of the Devlin Pelicano 18 is a nimble, versatile, and seaworthy open fisherman.

Pelicano 18 Shrimper

The Shrimper version of the Pelicano 18 has the heart of a workboat in a modern, fast planing hull.

Pelicano 20

The Pelicano 20 is a longer version of the Pelicano18. It add some cabin livability without sacrificing any of the easy trailerability or the garage storage option of the 18 footer.

Pelicano 23 Bassboat

The Pelicano 23 Bassboat features good seating in the cockpit and a cabin for sleeping overnight and staying comfortable on longer trips. It's a unique combination of real world durability mixed with the classic Devlin style.

Pelicano 23 Center Console

The Pelicano 23 Center Console version features a totally open cockpit, with open space for wrestling those big fish and hauling bulky gear.

Pelicano 23 Shrimper

The Pelicano 23 Shrimper features a covered helm area and large cockpit for fishing fun! It's a unique combination of real world durability mixed with the classic Devlin style.

Peregrine 36

The Peregrine 36 is a Devlin concept design for a long range sailing yacht with the long, low lines of crisp sailing performance and long term comfort for your adventures in northern waters.

Poleboat 13

The Devlin Poleboat 13 is a modern take on a traditional marsh hunting boat. A simpler boat from a simpler time...

The Polliwog is a great entry into wooden boat building! With the Polliwog, it is our intention to offer the amateur builder the opportunity to build a lightweight and strong dinghy or tender. Polliwog's performance is crisp, clean and efficient - you won't be disappointed.

Pond Skipper 14

A small and easily launched kayak that combines Devlin's rugged stitch and glue construction with an efficient paddle explorer.

Pyladian 31

The Pyladian 31 is a luxury performance cruiser from Devlin Boats. Her 300hp diesel and relatively shallow draft allow you to travel far and fast. Her interior appointments and high level of finish take you there in comfort.

Red Salmon 33

The Red Salmon is a high performance cabin cruiser with solid fishing leanings. In addition to disappearing in a hurry on twin 300hp outboards, she features the Mercury joystick maneuvering system for incredible ease of docking and handling. Hang on!

River Crawler 22

The River Crawler is a concept design that combines a shallow draft with a proper cruising cabin. Perhaps it can explore a river near you.

Rover 29 Cruiser

The Rover 29 is a diesel powered, double ended, full displacement sturdy and seaworthy cruiser inspired by the little fishing trollers of Norway. The cruiser design sports a full girth saloon and forward pilothouse and a generous well appointed interior

Rover 29 Halibut

The Rover 29 is a diesel powered, double ended, full displacement sturdy and seaworthy cruiser inspired by the little fishing trollers of Norway. The Halibut design boasts a pilothouse with a cockpit in front and a separate cabin forward

Rover 29 Troller

The Rover 29 is a diesel powered, double ended, full displacement sturdy and seaworthy cruiser inspired by the little fishing trollers of Norway. The troller design is for the fisherman and minimalist boater

This lightweight 6 and 1/2 foot dinghy answers a boatowner's request for the most compact 2 person rowing ship to shore boat possible - now available in both study and construction plans.

Sandpiper 8

This 8 foot rowing and sailing dingy was designed as a day sailer and yacht tender. The ease of handling, large carrying capacity, and its versatility for rowing and sailing are accentuated by the fact that Sandpiper weighs only 63 pounds.

Scarlet Macaw 33

With over 500hp of diesel power under the throttles, the Scarlet Macaw 33 is the boating equivalent of a 7 series Beemer. Big, fast, agile, comfortable, and polished.

The Scaup 16 is a sneakbox style duckboat with enough room for three hunters, 120 decoys, and a faithful canine companion.

The Scaup 18 is the bigger sister to the 16. It allows a couple of more hunters aboard, or large dogs, or more decoys. The key difference is the considerably larger volume of boat that the increased length and beam give you.

The Scout 20 is the dream of John and Helen Carson. A compact motor cruiser with a lot of function in a small package.

Sculldugery 15

The Devlin Sculldugery is a purpose built boat for those of you who like to sneak up on your waterfowl.

Sculldugery II 17

Sculldugery II 17 with its greater length and beam allows for 2 hunters in one boat.

The Sea Bug is a more compact version of the Sea Chaser, an inboard fisher with enough cabin to live comfortably on fishing trips.

Sea Chaser 23 Study Plans and Construction Plans now Available!

The Sea Chaser 23 study and construction plans are now available in our store. This is a serious get out there quick fishing boat that can be built in only months and is quite a quite seaworthy and stable fishing platform.

Sea Swift 19

The protected waters of the Northwest offer a myriad of uses for a seaworthy boat like Sea Swift.

The Shanty 36 gives houseboat living space in a boat's hull because of the pram design - new - one page study plan now available.

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PocketShip kit £7580

Study manual £35

PDF study manual £18

PDF study plans £3

Eco epoxy upgrade +£20

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Product Description

The Pocketship is a fast-sailing pocket cruiser with a dry and commodious interior. The boat can be launched and sailed single-handed and the cabin provides dry camping accommodation for two adults. The cockpit is laid out for daysailing comfort and is large enough for sleeping on warm nights.

John Harris has designed, built, owned and cruised aboard a variety of smallcraft. He designed PocketShip to be quick and easy to build using stitch-and-glue plywood construction. Examples are now sailing on four continents; as of this writing more than 60 are sailing or under construction around the world.

There is no more simple way to cruise than this design from John C. Harris. This is one dandy looking little boat. It's shapely, with lots of sheer, a pugnacious bow profile and sweet overall hull lines.

Robert H. Perry, Sailing magazine, June 2009

Interior arrangements are ample, we think bigger and more comfortable than anything else this size, without compromising Pocketship's looks and performance. Two adults may sleep below or wait out a rain shower and a portable head can be stowed beneath the cockpit, sliding forward into the cuddy for use. The enclosed area of the cabin is identical to an average four-man tent, but drier, more private and more secure.

The first boat was built and painted with the spars fitted in about 525 hours. The typical amateur builder might require about 30 weekends and occasional evenings to complete this boat. This kit is no more difficult to build than our other kits but there are many more parts: practice on a smaller vessel would speed things up but it is by no means essential.

We recommend purchasing the manual in advance of the kit; in addition to walking you through construction, the manual will answer most questions about tools, materials and your building space needs.

The manual is part of the dream, still frames of the amazing time you will have doing something meaningful with your family.

Brendan Greeley, Financial Times, June 2022

PocketShip is stiff and fast and tacks through 90 degrees. The helm is light and the boat will spin nearly in its own length in both light and heavy air and with a variety of sail combinations. We are thrilled with performance and handling – all expectations have been exceeded. The boat's speed under sail has startled many larger and more pretentious boats.

While the boat's sailing qualities are sufficient to undertake long expeditions in challenging waters without power, many sailing examples have small outboards mounted on a stern bracket for negotiating marinas, channels, or flat calms. We've seen up to five horsepower, but two horsepower is ample even for rough conditions. The excellent Honda four-stroke 2 HP is light enough not to diminish sailing qualities. Aftermarket outboard brackets are plug-and-play without modification to the transom.

The hull kit includes:

• Pre-cut hull panels, bulkheads, decks, keel, rudder, centreboard and plywood components
• Pre-drilled bulkheads and panels for assembly with wire ties
• Planed timber parts for the hull
• Wood for the spars
• The pre-cut parts for the building cradle
• Epoxy resin and activator
• Epoxy fillers
• Copper ties
• Woven glass fabric
• Comprehensive building manual

The basic hull kit does not include:

• Sails and sailing hardware
• Hull hardware
• Lead ballast

This kit weighs a lot and requires a specialised courier. The price of delivery will vary with your address. You are, of course, very welcome to collect the kit from our Lake District workshop.

Study manual

This is for builders who want to study the building process before committing to the purchase of the kit or plans. The 280-page instruction manual walks you through construction from cutting out the plywood to rigging. With almost 800 photos and diagrams and comprehensive explanations in plain English, no pocket cruiser project has ever been documented quite so thoroughly. This manual is included in the kit.

If, later, you decide to purchase the kit the cost of this printed manual will be deducted from the kit price.

This manual does not contain the plans of the panels with the cutting instructions so it is not possible to build the boat from scratch using only this manual.

PDF study manual

The construction manual for the boat is also available as a PDF download. After credit card authorisation a download link will be sent to the email address put on the order form.

Plans (not required by kit purchasers)

PocketShip plans include 116-feet of full-sized patterns for all plywood parts in the hull (and many other parts besides), and 11 pages of traditional scaled architectural drawings including sails and spars.

These plans do not include the instruction manual. You will also need the manual to build the boat – we recommend getting the manual to study before buying the plans.

Plans and instructions are in both metric and imperial measurements.

PDF study plans

These study plans are intended to give you an overview of the construction of the boat. They are in PDF format that can be viewed using Adobe Reader. There are ten pages and they measure 432 × 279 mm (17″ × 11″). They can be printed for carrying around.

After credit card authorisation the plans will be sent to the email address put on the order form.

When you have studied the plans, your next step might be to order the printed instruction manual, which will walk you through the project step-by-step.

European Manufacturers for Chesapeake Light Craft

Recommended Products

Boatbuilding DVD

How to build a lightweight boat (not just a kayak).

Hull hardware for the PocketShip

Hull hardware for a PocketShip.

Sails and hardware for the PocketShip

Sails and sailing hardware for a PocketShip.

Paint and Varnish for PocketShip

Paint and varnish for a PocketShip.

Wire Rigging

Wire rope for rigging a sailing boat, made to the length you need, with loops or thimbles on the ends.

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Small enough to fit in your pocket…and easy on it too

They say that BOAT stands for ‘bust out another thousand’ – or in the case of our government, potentially £200m – but it doesn’t have to cost the earth to get on the water, especially if you build it yourself.

Here are 10 pocket cruisers under 25’ (7.6m) to get you afloat without breaking the bank.

Fr ançois Vivier Méaban

If you’re after traditional looks, François Vivier doesn’t disappoint. The 22’4’’ (6.82m) Méaban brings the understated Breton working boat aesthetic to pocket cruising, with modern construction allowing for a light boat suitable for trailer-sailing.

Designed to be either cold-moulded or strip-planked, with a clever pivoting centreboard to allow for maximum cockpit space, the Méaban’s shallow draught and legs allow for exploring the upper reaches of rivers and small drying harbours.

Back in W60 (November/December 2006), François Vivier talks through his design in our regular ‘Grand Designs’ feature.

Contact: www.vivierboats.com

Iain Oughtred Kotik

When Iain Oughtred was commissioned to design a stretched version of his popular 18’6’’ (5.6m) Wee Seal, he came up with the Kotik. At 21’ (6.4m), it is designed to fit up to four berths, with either a sloop or yawl rig. The glued clinker construction and canoe stern make for a real headturner.

See W146 (March/April 2021) for Ewan Kennedy’s account of building a Kotik for cruising the at times challenging waters among the islands of Scotland’s west coast. “Final touches were a nice Harris tweed cushion for my bunk and a clock and barometer from Wempe of Hamburg; in a self-build you can spend the money you save on nice things.”

Contact: Iain Oughtred +44 (0)1470 532732

James Wharram Mana 24

At 23’6’’ (7.15m), the Mana 24 is the same length as TANGAROA, James Wharram’s first catamaran design and build, in which he successfully completed his ground-breaking transatlantic voyage back in 1956.

Only available as a CNC-cut plywood kit, the Mana 24 was conceived as a trailable family camping boat, with provision for extra accommodation to be offered by a low-cost dome tent on deck. The kit is designed to be assembled like flat-pack furniture, although with the help of James’s partner Hanneke Boon’s meticulous sketches and notes rather than a series of bewildering diagrams.

In W115 (January/February 2016) James Wharram explains his vision behind the design.

Contact: www.wharram.com

Stevenson Projects Weekender

Loosely based on the Friendship Sloops of New England, this 19’6’’ (5.9m) plywood gaff sloop (see W81 May/June 2010) has proved hugely popular with first-time home builders, thanks in part to the accompanying video series from Stevenson Projects which details the entire build process and techniques required.

In our current issue, W148 (July/August 2021) Penny Morton begins building a Weekender; the latest boat in a long and impressive amateur boatbuilding career.

Contact: www.stevproj.com

B&B Yacht Designs Princess Sharpie 22

As her designer Graham Byrnes explains in our W126 (November/December 2017) Grand Designs feature, the Princess Sharpie 22 was designed to be sailed, launched and rigged with ease single-handedly by the original client. “He wished the boat to be as economical as reasonable to build; a simple to build project that he could complete fairly quickly in his spare time.”

At 22’ (6.7m) with a distinctive cat ketch rig, the V-bottom sharpie hull is built using stitch-and-glue construction.

Contact: www.bandbyachtdesigns.com

Selway Fisher Morning Tide 14

Formerly the Tideway 14 (not to be confused with the open sailing dinghy of the same name), at 14’6’’ (4.42m) long and 6’1’’ wide (1.85m), the Morning Tide 14 is “about as small as you can go for a ballasted cruising yacht which still has pretensions towards some comfort”, as her designer Paul Fisher of Selway Fisher Design explains in W92 (March/April 2012).

In W91 (January/February 2012) & W92, Graham Young brings us his build of PICKLE, built to this design, using a plywood cut kit supplied by Jordan Boats .

Contact: www.selway-fisher.com

Paul Gartside Design #225

“A miniature ship for miniature voyaging”, writes Paul Gartside in W123 (May/June 2017) about this pretty little 18’6’’ (5.6m) gaff-rigged centreboard sloop. “Or maybe not so miniature; it’s surprising how far a little boat can wander given time and persistence.”

Designed to be strip-planked with glass sheathing inside and out, or alternatively built using wide plywood strakes before sheathing and epoxy coating, it has a “snug little cabin to warm up some soup and lay out a sleeping bag.” What more could you want?

Contact: www.gartsideboats.com

Glen-L Amigo

If you’re looking for bluer waters than those within the average pocket cruiser’s range, the Glen-L Amigo at 22’ (6.7m) is intended as a trailable offshore cruiser. Designed for one-off fibreglass or strip-planked construction, amazingly it has standing headroom throughout the cabin, without compromising traditional aesthetics.

Contact: www.glen-l.com

Dudley Dix Cape Cutter 19

The Cape Cutter 19 is one of the most popular GRP ‘pocket gaffers’ around, but as her designer Dudley Dix explains in W131 (September/October 2018), these days there is also a CNC-cut plywood kit available for home builders.

Its high-peaked gaff main and flush deck favours performance, while the raised sheer allows for comfort below and ample sitting headroom.

Contact: www.dixdesign.com

Chesapeake Light Craft PocketShip

CLC designer John C Harris drew up this popular 14’ 10’’ (4.5m) pocket cruiser – over 60 have been built or are in construction worldwide – to be quick to sail and build, for a tricky customer; himself.

With a cockpit large enough to enjoy daysailing with friends or to provide extra berths at night, the PocketShip’s stitch-and-glue construction is expected to take the amateur builder around 30 weekends and occasional evenings to complete. Plans include full-size patterns for nearly every part in the boat.

Contact: www.clcboats.com or www.fyneboatkits.co.uk (European manufacturers for CLC)

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2022 Boat of the Year: Best Pocket Cruiser/Daysailer

• By Cruising World Editors
• December 15, 2021

During and in the four days immediately following the US Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland, the  Cruising World  judges inspected and sailed on 27 boats vying for recognition. Learn more about the boats in our  2022 Boat of the Year  »

From the very beginning, nearly 50 years ago, Cruising World has kept an open mind as to exactly what constitutes cruising. For some, it might mean circling the globe under sail alone. For others, lowering the mast and motoring through America’s rivers, lakes and canals to complete a Great Loop fits the bill. Some seek long bluewater passages, others are content to gunkhole along a lakeshore in a shallow-draft vessel, sleeping under the stars on a cockpit bench or tucked under a boom tent should it rain.

And likewise, since the inception of our Boat of the Year contest a quarter century ago, we’ve asked our independent team of judges to evaluate a wide range of boats and measure them against their stated design brief. It’s not every year that our experts have the opportunity to inspect a category of nifty, smooth-sailing vessels under 30 feet, but for 2022, there was a trio of modestly sized smart, cool boats to put through their paces. The only problem? Each model was designed and built with a vastly different purpose (and sailor) in mind. 

The Tartan 245 was originally conceived as a training boat for sailing schools. J/Boat’s J/9 is an unabashed daysailer, meant to provide exciting spins around the harbor, even under mainsail alone. And, the Beneteau First 27 is fine-tuned to deliver performance, and definitely lives at the racier end of the spectrum. 

The judge’s task? Decide which nominee came closest to fulfilling its stated purpose.

Let’s begin with the J/9 . It’s simple. It’s fun. It’s a totally enjoyable, stress-free sailing experience that can be easily handled by any sailor looking to enjoy a breezy afternoon. And that’s just what the crew at J/Boats was striving for with their new 28-foot daysailer. 

In promotional materials, the company asks, “Is this the most comfortable cockpit ever?” And the answer, after sailing the boat on a blue-sky Annapolis day, would have to be yes. There is plenty of room for a couple of couples to sit comfortably. But the tiller and its extension also allow a singlehander to sit forward and easily reach the jib sheets, led to winches on the low-profile cabin top. Aft, there is even a small swim platform and ladder for when the time comes to douse sails and enjoy a dip on a hot afternoon.

Described from the get-go as a “daysailor,” a small cabin has room for an open V-berth, a couple of settees, a head, and space for a small portable cookstove and cooler. 

Underway in 10 knots or so of breeze, the boat was quite well mannered, even with the jib furled. Judge Tim Murphy notes, “The design writ started off with it being a mainsail-only boat, and then it ended up having a headsail too. But it’s really mainsail-driven. And the big drawing point is the huge cockpit. We sailed the boat under main alone, and sure enough, you could go out for an afternoon with just the main and have a time for yourself. The cockpit is perfect. It really is the strongest part of the boat.”

With the Tartan 245 , longtime Tartan naval architect Tim Jackett, who’s now practically synonymous with the brand, was originally asked to design an easily handled, simply laid-out 24-footer that would be ideal for sailing lessons. 

What he came up with is a delightful little boat that does all that and more. Longtime aficionados of the Carl Alberg-designed Ensign will recognize several features from that classic daysailer (the sailor who commissioned the 245 had a soft spot for Ensigns). The long and spacious cockpit, the tiller steering and the handy cuddy cabin are all perfect. What separates the designs is the Tartan’s lifting keel, which makes it versatile and trailerable. 

If the J/9’s focus is on simple sailing, the Tartan’s aim is to give students the ability to tweak sails and rig to their hearts’ content in order to learn big-boat handling and racing skills. Numerous control lines are led into the cockpit from the base of the mast, and aft, there is a beefy backstay adjuster.

The boat that the judges sailed in Annapolis was a demo boat for a local sailing school, and was stripped out inside, except for a cushion for the V-berth. But the owner’s plans included towing the boat back to his home in Florida, where he’s contemplating loading aboard a port-a-potty, cooler and stove, and possibly sailing it across to the Bahamas. Outfitted as such, it would be a sporty little vessel for exploring shallow-water venues between the cays.

With two boats that so closely hit the bullseyes described in their design briefs, there was one boat left to assess, and in the end, the Beneteau First 27 turned in a performance that insured it would sail away with the pocket-cruiser hardware.

Built in Slovenia and, before undergoing a branding and systems revamping by Beneteau, this sharp, tidy “sport cruiser” was known as the Seascape 27. By any name, it delivers thrilling performance in a compact, well-reasoned package. 

While the Seascape 27 was originally conceived as a major player in the ever-expanding world of doublehanded offshore racing— CW ’s sister publication, Sailing World , tested and rewarded that boat—the cruisier version was reintroduced this year with several tweaks and the new moniker: First 27. And as a racer/cruiser, it boasts all the amenities necessary for weekend and coastal voyaging: a serviceable head, galley and berths, and a Yanmar diesel. In other words, a couple could easily liveaboard, rather than camp, for short periods of time, but they could also expect to be serious podium contenders should those outings involve a regatta.

In the end, it was the little things that swayed the judges. “The fit-and-finish for the price point is at a different level,” judge Gerry Douglas said. “The equipment level was higher.”

• More: beneteau , Boat of the Year , Boat of the Year 2022 , J/Boats , Sailboats , tartan yachts
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Pocket Cruisers That Sail Far

It is not the size of your boat that matters, it is the size of your dreams  (published June 2018)

Today’s cruising fleet is made up of boats that are much larger than they were only just a decade ago. There is a lot to be said for the comfort and speed of larger cruising boats. And with all of the modern sailing gear and electronics available to us, big boats are much easier to handle than they used to be. But they are also much more complicated and thus more prone to need maintenance and repairs than small, simpler boats of yore.

Small boat cruising now includes boats up to about 35 feet and it is worth noting that some of the largest builders of production sailboats have very few models in the 35 and under category that could be considered a boat you could live aboard. Smaller weekending boats and daysailers are more common in their range.

POCKET CRUISERS The term “pocket cruiser” was coined a generation ago to identify the many small but capable cruisers that were launched at the beginning of the fiberglass age of boat building. Boats like the Pearson Triton, Tartan 27 and Catalina 30 were all considered perfectly suitable boats for a family to cruise for a week or an entire summer.

The early fiberglass pocket cruisers were often designs based on hull shapes that had evolved from the days of wood construction so they had long overhangs, attached rudders and narrow beams. They were cramped and tended to heel over hard in a blow. If the leeward rail went under, you knew it was time to reef.

Today’s boats are designed to sail fairly upright and use beam and even chines to provide a lot of initial stability. Sailing flat is more comfortable for everyone onboard and is faster than pushing the boat too hard and burying the rail. It means the boats can be sailed efficiently without heavy crew on the rail which means a couple can still get great performance without having to bring the whole neighborhood along. Plus, because the deigns are quite light, you end of reefing early and often, which takes the sweat out of managing your pocket cruiser when the breeze picks up. Some companies will even offer in-mast furling on their smaller boats, and that simplifies sailing even more.

Catalina’s 315, built in Florida, is an American classic among the fleet of pocket cruiser. Light and powered with an ample rig, the boat sails very well and is a real pleasure to handle. Catalina continues to build “American Style” into their boats so you will find solid joinery below decks and a lot of traditional features that set them apart from the fleet. Details like solid wood doors and louvers on cabinets turn the little 31-footer into a properly fitted out yacht.

Seaward Yachts are also built in Florida and are part of the Island Packet company with was recently bought by Darrell and Leslie Allen. The Seaward 26 and 32 are unique boats with swing keels and kick-up rudders. The boats were designed in Florida for the shallows of Florida’s west coast and the Bahamas across the Gulf Stream and in those waters they are ideal. But, the designs have also proven popular in the Chesapeake Bay, Southern New England and the Great Lakes. The 26 is a roomy little weekender while the 32 is a cruising boat that can be your home for long cruises.

Germany has become a world leader in production boat building in the last decade and three companies–Hanse, Bavaria and Dehler–have small cruisers that are modern pocket cruisers. The Dehler 29 is one of the most popular racer-cruisers in Europe with large well-established fleets that get together to both race and cruise. The Dehler brand is not that well known in North America but the boats and the builder behind them are first class.

Hanse has quietly but steadily built a market for their boats in North America that now accounts for a significant slice of new boat sales. The Hanse 315 is a perfect little cruiser that is fast, easy to sail, roomy and affordable. It even has twin wheels. Hanse is a high volume builder but they do not skimp on materials, hardware and the quality of the workmanship.

The Tartan 101 and 115 started life under the C&C brand, which is also owned by Tartan. When the company decided to split off the C&C brand, they renamed and re-engineered the two designs to meet traditional Tartan style and construction. Both boats are fast racer-cruisers that have done well in fleets all around America. But, they are also great little cruising boats that will be the right combination of qualities for couples or family who want the best of both worlds.

NOTABLE SMALL BOAT VOYAGES Since the early days of yachts there have been many great adventures and cruises in pocket cruisers so it is fair to say that it is not the size of your boat that matters, it is the size of your dreams. Here are some of my favorites.

Also in the 50s, Englishman John Guzzwell succumbed to the call of the sea. With a modest budget, he built a 21-foot Laurent Giles design that he named  Trekka  and in this little boat he set off from his home in British Columbia around the world. In 1959, after many adventures and several years, he returned to B.C. as the youngest solo circumnavigator in the smallest vessel to sail around the world.

Also in the Seventies, Yves Gelinas set off on his Alberg 30, Jean-du-Sud , from St. Malo in France with the intention of sailing non-stop around the world via the five great southern Capes. While he had to make a stop to repair his mast, he finished his circumnavigation in Canada having sailed 28,000 miles alone. Gelinas is the inventor of the elegant and simple Cape Horn self-steering windvane and his prototype steered his boat around the world in all conditions.

In the Eighties, young Tanya Aebi convinced her father that instead of attending university she would get a much better education if she sailed solo around the world. Her father agreed and took the tuition money he had saved and bought her a 26 foot fiberglass Folkboat design named  Varuna . Learning as she went, Tanya spent two years cruising around the world in the classic tradewind route via Panama and Suez. She returned to her home port in New York City to a hero’s welcome and her book,  Maiden Voyage, remains a best seller 30 years later.

More recently, in 2011 and 2012, young Matt Rutherford sailed a borrowed, 27-foot Albin Vega sloop north from his home in Maryland to the Northwest Passage. His mission was to complete a non-stop circumnavigation of the America via the NW Passage and Cape Horn. The grueling and arduous adventures took him 10 months yet he prevailed. And along the way he raised $130,000 for a local Maryland charity.

He is currently, at age 75, sailing a Moore 24 racing boat around the world and has thus far got to Australia. It is his hope, he writes, to complete his sixth solo circumnavigation before he leaves this planet.

Author: Blue Water Sailing

My Cruiser Life Magazine

What Is a Pocket Cruiser Sailboat? – Best Small Boats Under 30 feet 2022

If you want to go on a daysail this week, a week-long vacation over the holidays, and then sail to the Caribbean next year, a pocket cruiser might be the boat for you. Pocket cruisers provide big-boat features with all of the comforts of home but in a small package. Go the distance in a small, easy-to-handle, budget-friendly yacht.

Table of Contents

What is a pocket cruiser sailboat, what makes a great pocket cruiser, budget-friendly pocket cruiser sailboats.

• Functionality 
• Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 

Falmouth Cutter 22

• Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 

Cape Dory 25D

Contessa 26.

• Morris Frances 26 

Albin Vega 27

Sail away in a pocket cruiser.

Different articles and authorities list different requirements for pocket cruisers. In any case, a pocket cruiser is small, capable, and suitable for the cruising couple who puts a focus on simplicity. A pocket cruiser is a tiny cruising sailboat that can take you out for the weekend or a season. 

In many ways, the pocket cruiser is to sailboats what the tiny house is to home-ownership. It has all the same parts as a regular-sized house, but everything is smaller and requires a different mindset to enjoy.

For this article, I’m choosing to define a pocket cruiser as a boat with these features.

• Under 30 feet
• Seaworthy, ocean-going vessel
• Sleeping accommodations
• Enclosed Head / Toliet facilities

A pocket cruiser should look salty and ready to take on the world’s oceans. The best pocket cruiser sailboats look like they would be home in a postcard sent from the Caribbean, South Pacific, or wherever the boat took her crew. Often these salty sailboats were inspired by hardworking historical vessels and modernized. 

Pocket cruisers often feature opening bronze windows, opening hatches, and teak trim. Lyle Hess designs like the Falmouth Cutter and Nor’Sea 27 have beautiful nautical details. However, some pocket cruisers are more stripped down and focused on speed and easy maintenance. 

Pocket cruisers should have all the necessities for cruising life. These necessities include comfortable sleeping accommodations for at least two people, a functional galley, and a head.

Pocket cruisers should be at home daysailing or blue water sailing.

Is a Pocket Crusier Right for You?

If you are just getting started in cruising, a pocket cruiser can give you a taste of the good life. These smaller boats are affordable, functional, and just plain fun to sail.

The best small cruising sailboat designs are budget-friendly and can fit in a less expensive slip. The purchase price on an older 25-foot boat is likely much less than a comparably maintained but much bigger boat. Everything about a smaller boat is less expensive. For example, replacing an engine or rigging will be more affordable. In addition, the smaller size and fewer complexities make it more likely you can handle maintenance and projects yourself. 

Maintenance on a boat becomes exponentially more challenging and expensive the longer the boat gets. If your pocket cruiser needs to have its portlights re-bedded, you might be able to tackle that project right away and complete it in the weekend. If a cruising boat twice the size needed the same attention, the project might stretch out for weeks. 

Many marinas have a waitlist for slips that can accommodate full-size cruising boats with deeper draft requirements. But those same marinas often have a few slips for smaller boats with shallow drafts. These “less appealing” slips are often available without a waitlist and at attractive prices. 

Instead of saving for years to afford a larger cruising boat , you might be able to afford a smaller cruising boat sooner and start having fun right away.

Functionality

Pocket cruisers are small and delightful, and you’ll want to take your boat out for daysails, weekends away, or long-term cruises. Bigger boats are harder to maneuver in small marina fairways. Bigger cruising boats often don’t leave the slip for a daysail because it seems like too much trouble. However, if you have a small boat, you’re more likely to take her out for the day. This functionality and usability mean you’ll use and enjoy your boat more.

Pocket cruisers are easy to provision and take out for longer jaunts too. Because pocket cruisers have all the comforts of home, there’s no reason you can’t take your micro cruiser long distances. A pocket cruiser is like a Swiss Army Knife or a Tardis. like the perfect sailing knife . It can do anything and take you anywhere.

Best Small Boats Under 30 feet

The biggest requirement for a pocket cruiser is its small size. While cruising boats are getting bigger and bigger, these pocket cruisers retain their charm and functionality. Boats under 30 feet might not suit those who travel with an entourage or need a walk-in closet. However, they are just the ticket for those seeking a simple life on the open water.

Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20

At 20 feet, the Pacific Seacraft Flicka is the smallest bluewater sailboat on our list. This boat is built solidly and has crossed the world’s oceans. The first Flicka’s were home-built from plans, and Pacific Seacraft built the later models. Pacific Seacraft built their Flickas with fiberglass. The mast can be easily removed for trailering. 

The Flicka is 24 feet long overall, has an 18-foot-long waterline, and a three-foot, three-inch draft. Most Flicka’s have a nine-horsepower Yanmar diesel inboard. 

The Flicka features a v-berth forward, a settee opposite the functional galley, and a head. 

As a small, heavy displacement boat, the Flicka isn’t a racer. She usually cruises between four and five knots but can go six knots in the right conditions. Some sailors report the boat pitches and can have a lot of onboard motion in challenging conditions. 

The Flicka is an attractive boat that fits all the attributes cruisers look for in a pocket sailboat. 

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marco Coda (@carpediemsailtraining)

The Falmouth Cutter 22 is so small it could be considered in the micro cruiser sailboats category. This yacht is built to go anywhere, and you’ll want to go everywhere in it. It looks like a traditional sailboat and would be perfectly at home in a period-piece movie. 

While the Falmouth Cutter has traditional looks, the boat’s hull is fiberglass. This construction lends modern strength and durability to the boat’s classic looks. The Falmouth Cutter was designed by Lyle Hess, famous for designing small bluewater boats. Lyle Hess designed the 22-foot boat Seraffyn for Lin and Larry Pardy. These legendary sailors and authors Lin and Larry Pardy sailed around the world in the 1970s. Lin and Larry’s book  Cruising in Seraffyn made Lyle Hess’ pocket sailboat designs immensely popular. 

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The Falmouth Cutter was inspired by traditional working sailboats operating in the challenging waters around Falmouth, Cornwall in England. These cutters had to be small, fast, and carry large loads as they worked the challenging shores.

The forward cabin features a double berth, a hanging locker, and a head. The galley is aft with a two-burner stove, sink, and icebox. The aft area also houses a chart table. The saloon has two settees. Some owners install an outboard engine to free up interior space used by the standard inboard engine. 

The Falmouth Cutter was first built in 1980. It’s 22 feet long on deck with a 20.5-foot waterline. The length overall is 30.5 feet when you include the impressive bowsprit. It has a three-and-a-half-foot draft. Most come with a seven-horsepower Yanmar diesel inboard. 

The Falmouth Cutter offers a comfortable ride. They are beloved by their owners, and few are on the market at any one time. Used Falmouth Cutters are pricey when compared to other 22-foot sailboats. However, if you want to be the most popular small seaworthy boat in the anchorage, these pocket cruisers are worth the price. 

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Pacific Seacraft Dana 24

The Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 was designed by Bill Crealock. The boat debuted in 1984, and over 200 Dana’s have been built since then. The Dana is 27’3″ long overall, 24′ 2″ on deck, and has a waterline length of 21′ 5″. This sturdy boat has an eight-foot, seven-inch beam and over six feet of standing headroom in the cabin. 

The Dana has a v-berth forward, an inviting salon, an efficient galley, and a private head. The floor plan is open, and the interior feels spacious. The interior features rich teak panels for a cozy feel. 

Bill Crealock designed boats that were “ designed to deliver crews to their destinations in comfort, good shape, and refreshed .” While Crealock designed dozens of the world’s best cruising sailboats, the Dana is one of his best pocket cruiser sailboat designs. 

The Dana is cutter rigged and can sail at speeds up to six-and-a-half knots in the right conditions. The Dana 24 is a beautiful example of a pocket cruiser built to go bluewater sailing in comfort and style. 

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The Cape Dory 25 is a daysailer and weekender boat designed by George Stadel. The Cape Dory 25D is one of the best pocket cruiser sailboats designed by Carl Alberg. 

The Cape Dory 25D features a large head in the forward area instead of a v-berth. The salon is comfortable and spacious and features a 5’11” headroom. Each salon settee can be used as a berth, or the cushions can be arranged to make a large double berth. A quarter berth rounds out the sleeping accommodations. The galley is small but functional. 

The Cape Dory 25D has excellent ventilation with opening brass ports and overhead hatches. 

The Cape Dory 25D is 25 feet long, and has an eight-foot beam, a 19-foot waterline length, and a three-and-a-half-foot draft. It has an inboard Yanmar seven-and-a-half horsepower engine. 

The Cape Dory 25D is popular with Carl Alberg fans looking for small cruising sailboats. 

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The Contessa 26 is another small boat that’s famous for its offshore capability. Tania Aebi circumnavigated in a Contessa 26 and described her experiences in her book, Maiden Voyage.

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The Contessa 26 was designed by Jeremy Rodgers and David Salder in the 1960s. Around 650 Contessa 26 sailboats are cruising today. In 1984, the boat became known as the J.J. Taylor 26, but most people stick with the Contessa 26 moniker regardless of the production date.

The Contessa 26 is 25.5 feet long with a 21-foot waterline. It has a seven-foot, six-inch beam and a four-foot draft. The Contessa 26 has a six-and-a-half or seven horsepower inboard engine. The Contessa 26 was hand-built using fiberglass and known to be strong and sturdy. 

The Contessa 26 has three interior layout options. Each layout features v-berth sleeping accommodations, a head, galley, chart table, and salon seating. The interior is small but safe. The cockpit is suited for offshore work. 

The Contessa is easy to single-hand and is popular with cruisers looking for a bluewater sailboat in a small package. 

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Morris Frances 26

The Morris Frances 26 is a beautiful pocket cruiser, perfect for taking the family on a day sail or cruising long-term. Like all Morris yachts, the Frances was designed by legendary designer Chuck Paine. 

Chuck Paine wanted to design a boat “ capable of yearly cruises to and among the Caribbean islands, small enough to fit my limited budget, but large enough to survive a gale at sea. ” This description perfectly describes the best qualities of pocket cruisers. 

The Morris Frances 26 is 26 feet overall, with a 21.25-foot waterline length. She has an eight-foot, four-inch beam and a three-foot, 10-inch draft. The Frances 26 was built in America by Morris Yachts. The Frances 26 was built by Victoria Marine in England, later called Victoria Yachts. The Frances 26 had a flush deck, while later Victoria 26 versions had a larger coachroof and greater interior space. 

The Frances 26 has accommodations for four. It is usually Bermuda rigged as a cutter or sloop.

The Nor’Sea 27 is another Lyle Hess-designed boat. This rugged cruiser has completed at least four circumnavigations and hundreds of ocean crossings. About 450 Nor’Sea 27 sailboats have been built. The Nor’Sea is a trailerable sailboat, making it possible to move the boat to new cruising areas without sailing the whole way.

The Nor’Sea 27 was originally built in 1977 by Heritage Marine. The company was sold and renamed Nor’Sea. The 27 ft long boat has an eight-foot beam and a three-foot, ten-inch draft. The length overall increases to 31 feet when you include the bowsprit.

The Nor’Sea is available in two layouts. Buyers can choose between the popular center cockpit boat with an aft cabin or an aft cockpit with a convertible dinette. In the popular aft cabin model, there’s a forward dinette, a small galley, a private head, and an aft cabin with two berths. 

The Nor’Sea 27 is hand-laid and molded-in lapstrakes giving this small yacht a traditional look. If you can’t get enough of Lyle Hess-designed small cruising boats, check out the Bristol Channel Cutter 28. 

The Albin Vega 27 is a well-known ocean voyager. Over 3,000 Vegas were built, and several have circumnavigated. John Neal sailed his Vega from Seattle to the South Pacific and wrote about the voyage in Log of Mahina .

The Albin Vega 27 is 27 feet long, with a 23-foot waterline, eight-foot beam, and three-foot, ten-inch draft. Vegas is equipped with 10 or 13-horsepower diesel inboard engines. 

The Albin Vega 27 features a v-berth, head, and salon with two single bunks. The galley is located over the companionway steps. The interior is small but seaworthy and will suit a couple or a small family. 

The Albin Vega 27 is an affordable cruising boat that can cross oceans while keeping its crew safe and comfortable.

Albin Vega 27 Boat Sails into the Record Books

Jarle Andhoy sailed a Vega to the Arctic and shared his voyage on Norweigan TV. Matt Rutherford circumnavigated the Americas in a Vega and created a documentary film, Red Dot on the Ocean , about his solo voyage.  

During his cruise, Rutherford earned several Guinness World Records.

Pocket cruisers are so appealing — you’ll want to sail away in one. The good news is, that these boats were built to do just that. 

In the words of several famous sailors– go simple and go now .

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

Great review of pocket cruisers, Matt! It’d be cool if factories produced a few of these today. Cheers.

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Boat Profile

Echoes of a British pilot cutter

From Issue   March 2020

" I s that a PocketShip?” Even though it was the first time I had ever launched my PocketShip, it was not the first time a stranger had approached me to ask about it. This stranger turned out to be very familiar with the design, having followed it since Chesapeake Light Craft introduced it. What would prove to be the usual suite of questions followed: Did I build it myself? Plans or kit? How long did it take? How does it sail?  He expressed his enthusiasm for the PocketShip and his dream to build one.

The PocketShip was designed to be towed by a modest car with a four-cylinder engine. The full-sized sedan here is more than up to the task.

John Harris, the proprietor of and chief designer for Chesapeake Light Craft, designed the PocketShip as his personal boat. “I’d owned a production fiberglass pocket cruiser, which sailed well but was hellish uncomfortable,” he explained. “I had a hunch that I could design a sailboat with a 15′ length-on-deck that not only sailed extremely well, but was ergonomic for someone of my 6′ 1″ height.” The boat had to be light enough to tow to Florida behind his four-cylinder car, fast and seaworthy enough to sail overnight to the Bahamas, and commodious enough for a week’s cruising once there. He drew a centerboard gaff sloop with a doughty profile. The waterline length is 13′ 8″, and the boat weighs around 1,200 lbs when rigged, ballasted, and loaded with provisions. John packed a lot of boat into a small, well-balanced package.

The boom gallows catches the boom and gaff when the main is lowered.

The PocketShip struck a chord with amateur boatbuilders, and a flurry of interest from potential customers led John to add the design to the CLC offerings. The promise of big-boat cruising adventure in a petite, built-it-yourself, trailerable package proved irresistible to many, and at last update more than 300 kits and plans have shipped to locations around the world.

T he PocketShip is a do-it-yourself project with a scope and complexity that a handy amateur can readily contemplate. It is available as a kit with CNC-cut plywood parts, epoxy, epoxy thickeners, fiberglass, drawings, and manual. Hardware, timber, and sails are available as optional packages. I built from CLC’s plans, huge rolls of paper with full-sized patterns for nearly all parts. The 280-page   manual is a masterpiece, with minutely detailed instructions, readable prose, and clear photographs and illustrations. While PocketShip is best for the intermediate-level amateur, the quality of the manual has enabled complete novices to build fine PocketShips.

I built my PocketShip in a one-car garage over the course of two years. When I decided to order plans instead of a kit, I felt that I had to cut out all the wood myself in order to claim I had built my own boat. If I were to do it over again, I would build from a kit; it would get the build started faster, produce more precise work, and still require enough labor to provide a legitimate claim to a self-built boat.

The 2.5 hp four-stroke outboard is the maximum recommended auxiliary power. A larger outboard would add an unnecessary burden to the transom.

The PocketShip is constructed using the stitch-and-glue plywood method. Having built two kayaks before the PocketShip, the basic techniques were familiar to me, and the hull went together much like a giant, complex kayak. I picked up some new skills such as scarfing plywood (the kit uses CNC-cut puzzle joints), melting lead for the keel, and rigging the sheets, halyards, and stays. The manual always kept things from getting intimidating; it breaks down the building into a series of small, achievable tasks, most of which can be completed in weeknight sessions. Some things, such as the big fiberglass jobs, are best reserved for weekends.

For the performance-minded sailor, the optional spinnaker adds power for sailing off the wind.

Construction begins with the keel assembly, which includes the centerboard trunk and has two compartments, one at each end of the trunk, that are filled with 108 lbs of lead, melted and poured in. (Another 150 to 200 lbs of ballast—bags of lead-shot—will later get set in the bilges of the completed boat.) The finished keel assembly is dropped into a building cradle made of two female molds. The hull bottom and sides are then dropped in and wired together with temporary 18-gauge-steel wire stitches. Next, an array of plywood bulkheads and floors are stitched in place. The joints are then permanently bonded with big epoxy fillets and the entire interior is sheathed in fiberglass. The decks and topsides are also stitched, glued, and ’glassed. There are a few fiddly bits of carpentry along the way, where timber needs to be cut at a complex angle, but these tasks tend to be welcome breaks from the epoxy work.

The mast is a tapered hollow box, built up from four 16′ spruce staves. The bowsprit, boom, and gaff are all solid timber with rectangular sections, milled down to attractive tapers. While traditional in appearance, the rig is fairly modern in the details, including a roller-furling jib and sail track for the main. Rigging requires a wide variety of blocks, cleats, and eyestraps, and careful routing of the running rigging.

G etting the PocketShip to the launch site and out sailing is a breeze. For easy trailering, the mast is stepped in a tabernacle and folds down onto the boom gallows. On reaching the launching ramp, you start by casting off the tie down that secures the mast to the boom gallows. The bobstay also must be shackled to the bow eye, unless the geometry of your trailer permits it to remain attached. Standing in the cockpit, you thrust the mast upward toward vertical and haul in on the jib halyard, which does double duty as a forestay, pivoting the mast into place. Once the boat is in the water, drop the centerboard and slide the mainsail onto its track. When this process is well-rehearsed, it is possible to be underway within 10 minutes of arriving at the ramp.

The boat is designed with singlehanding in mind, with all lines, including the jib’s roller-furler line, led to the cockpit. For a relatively heavy displacement boat with a 13′ 8″ waterline and 6′ 3″ beam, the PocketShip has surprisingly inspired sailing qualities. John Harris likes his PocketShip to sail fast, and worked hard to get as much speed as he could out of this little vessel. The hull lines are fairly refined and carry a good dose of racing dinghy in them. The boat has a single hard chine, a V bottom, and a surprisingly fine entrance. If it were not for the 268-lbs of ballast required to keep her on her feet, it could probably be induced to plane quite readily. The ample sail area adds to performance; with a 109-sq-ft main and a 39-sq-ft jib, the boat has no shortage of power.

The prudent reefing and PocketShip’s ballast, over 250 lbs divided between the keel and bilge, lets the skipper sail while safely seated in the cockpit.

For a gaff-rigged boat, the PocketShip is close-winded, able to sail to within right around 50 degrees of the wind. A beam reach is where it really shines. The boat almost effortlessly plunges forth at a sprightly 5-ish knots and settles into a groove that yields delightful sailing. At speed, the PocketShip will plow jauntily through chop, and is stable and confident in rough conditions. Full sail can be carried up until the wind hits 10 to 12 knots; above that, a single reef will calm the boat down substantially without sacrificing any speed.

With its large sail area, a PocketShip will propel itself in even the lightest of airs. If currents are a fact of life in your home waters, however, a 2- to 2.5-hp outboard motor, hung on a mount fixed to the transom, is essential. The boat is easily driven and zips along under power. The manual notes that a pair of oars and a yuloh are auxiliary power options, good for a couple of knots, and though accommodations for them are not included, they would be easy enough for the builder to add.

The cockpit foot well is kept to a minimal but functional size to make more room in the cabin for storage and sleeping.

The cockpit is roomy enough to accommodate three or four adults. It is an expansive and comfortable space, almost as well suited to lounging about as a living-room couch. The narrow, shallow footwell is a compromise with the sleeping accommodations below it, but the PocketShip’s cockpit is perfectly functional.

The cabin provides sleeping quarters with the extensions, to left, under the cockpit seats.

The cabin has an open layout; you sit or sleep directly on the floorboards, with legs extended aft under the cockpit. At the forward end of the cabin there is a large storage area, and additional space aft, below the cockpit decks. There are comfortable sleeping accommodations for two full-grown adults. Though the cabin is small, it is possible to spend time below without discomfort, as I discovered during one very rainy weekend.

The PocketShip performs well in light air, and when the winds fail, it is light enough to be propelled by sculling or rowing if the builder choses to rig the boat for oars.

There is a degree of celebrity that comes with sailing a PocketShip. A PocketShip owner gets used to being photographed out on the water, complimented at the dock, and peppered with questions at boat ramps. On a recent trip to Friday Harbor in Washington’s San Juan Islands, my PocketShip looked Lilliputian moored next to the long rows of enormous, glittering, white production cruisers.  Yet, the tourists walking the docks were inevitably drawn to my little red boat. I had to abandon my plan to lie about and read, and instead respond to the stream of questions and compliments that the boat drew. While the monster yachts that surrounded me had galleys, settees, even televisions, one little boy stood wide-eyed, marveling that such a little boat could have windows!

 Jon Lee of Everett, Washington, is a full-time engineer, sometime amateur boat builder, not-enough-time sailor.  He built his first boat, a self-designed rowboat, during grad school. In the years since, more boats followed, while Jon swore he could quit anytime he wants.  His greatest claim to fame is successfully leading his boatbuilding team to two successive last-place finishes in the Edensaw Boatbuilding Challenge at the Wooden Boat Festival, and loving it.

PocketShip Particulars

Length/14′ 10″

Draft, board up/16″

Draft, board down/36″

Sail area/148 sq ft

Plans ($249) and kits ($3619, full kit) for the PocketShip are available from Chesapeake Light Craft .

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

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Comments (8)

I’ve already built one Chesapeake Light Craft kit (in my sixties) and can vouch for the high quality of the kits: design, engineering, materials, manuals, and customer service. Almost every summer weekend, I can be found out on Narragansett Bay, with family and friends, fishing for stripped bass, fluke, and scup on my beautiful CLC Peeler Skiff. Building and using my CLC boat has been one of the great pleasures of my life. My biggest problem is deciding which kit to build next. The PocketShip is definitely in the running when I retire.

Build a Swallow sail boat instead. I currently have a Pocket Ship and it is a hand full in 15 Knots, too light, not very happy with it. In hind sight I should have bought the Swallow Bay Raider 20, DAZ

Thanks for this issue! I have been pondering my possibilities of building a small craft and for a long time have thought about the PocketShip and the Weekender, so finding articles of both yachts in the same issue has been a pleasure. If possible, it would be nice to have an article about the Cape Cutter 19. Regards, Eduardo Fainé

What I consider as the worthy successor to the late, great Peep Hen sailboat designed by Reuben Trane. John C Harris takes the basic concept idea of Mr. Trane and refines it. He has a terrific eye for small-boat design esthetic. I sure can picture spending time inside that small, inviting cabin for an overnight trip or two.

As a resident of Maryland and a fan,

Always great to review the designs and sailboats offered by CLC

What a beautiful boat! Nicely crafted, and very cozy. I really liked the article. Thank you for this.

“Another 150 to 200 lbs of ballast—bags of lead-shot—will later get set in the bilges of the completed boat.”

When you say set – do you mean set in epoxy? Am contemplating doing something similar myself in my ‘too light’ boat.

Has anyone seen a version of Pocketship built without full cabin? I am curious about using the basic outlines and dimensions of this as a base for an open, centerboard, self-bailing/double bottom, single mast unstayed sailboat, with twin “bilge” keels instead of the shallow “v” …. thus hoping to see mods of this design if anyone has seen? Thank you.

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Sail Far Live Free

Go small and go now 5 pocket cruisers to take you anywhere.

What, no Georgian 23? ;)

Gotta love those little Canadian sloops!

Or Bayfield?:)

I am a Bayfield fan (and even more so a Ted Gozzard fan), but I wasn't aware of the Bayfield 25 making any major bluewater passages. Do you know of any?

A bayfield 25 is built well enough BUT it’s shallow keel and light weight classify it more of a coastal cruiser. But that also makes it a great gunk holer. It’s a nice little boat for the Chesapeake and coastal areas. It lacks the deep keel and ballast to be comfortable offshore. The bayfield 29 is a bit more blue water but also it’s shoal keel at only 3ft 6 inches also gives it a comfort ratio a bit on the edge for a true blue water boat. BUT that said a bayfield 29 outfitted right will get the job done and with a good turn of speed over most listed here. It will reach its hull speed of 6.5-7 knots no problem and will point windward well enough. (It’s not got to compete with a fin keel 30 footer but it will be more comfortable. And it’s faster then a westsail32 (nick named the wet snail 32) I find most of the better pocket cruisers on this list are great for what that are but NOT the most boat you can get for your money today. Some great 30-32 foot blue water boats can be purchased for LESS then some of these. I just bought a great bayfield 29 for UNDER 3K that’s right 3 not 30. I looked at a foulmouth cutter that was available in my area it was rough really rough and they still were asking over 10K. It’s only benefit was it came with a trailer but what good doesn’t that do when Your offshore. I wouldn’t mind taking one on single handed adventure as the romance of the boat would add to the fun of the adventure but. Is it the best boat for your buck? No their popularity and reputation and (good ones are getting scarce) bring high prices.

It's amazing: after looking at all your boat reviews and choices, I realize we have exactly the same tastes and dream boats! And I enjoy your writing and musings! I'm very glad I happened upon your blog site! Bill Hinkel

Thanks Bill! I love writing about sailboats almost as much as I love actually sailing them.

I've owned a Flicka, Allegra, and FC all excellent boats.

Wow...that's an impressive resume! I bet you've got some great stories to tell.

What about the Halcyon 23? Any thoughts on that one? Great article by the way!

Sorry, I'm not personally familiar with the little Halcyon 23, but you can read a review reprinted from "Yachts and Yachting" originally written in 1970 here .

How about the Pacific Seacraft 25? If your talking about small salty sailboat (SSS) that can take you to the paradise. She prolly don't a standing headroom but sure does the perfect little sailboat. Just like HC33t.

Yup, I too like the PSC 25. She's not as roomy as either the Flicka or the Dana, but a typically a fair amount more affordable. And as you point out, no standing headroom. Still, a pretty boat with bluewater experience.

A very informative article, thank you very much. I find myself daydreaming to be on a boat, sailing around the world quite often and i'm trying to collect a budget, to buy a boat and take sailing classes. I love the design on the ships you posted. Are there any good pocket-cruisers with a steering wheel ?(i can't say i really like tillers :P). Again, thank you for compiling this list, you gave hope to a "wannabe" skipper.

My humble little Bristol 24 wants to know if she can join the group.

Yup, good choice. Humble and capable...just the right ingredients!

what about the Catalina 22 ?

A fine little coastal sailboat, trailer sailboat and "first" sailboat, but for all the things that the C22 is, she is definitely not a pocket cruiser that can GO ANYWHERE. Don't get me wrong, I love the C22 and our first boat (Helms 25) was very similar, but neither is suited for offshore work.

My little hurley 22, can she make the mark?

A Hurley can do anything! Ihave had a 24 since 1972 they are forgotten but they are great! Joe

Morris Frances 26.

Good recommendation! I love all of the small classic Morris boats like the Frances 26, Linda 28 and Annie 29. Chuck Paine has a way of making these small boats look larger than life!

Was expecting to see an Albin Vega 27 mentioned...

I included the Albin Vega in my "Bluewater on a Budget" post about affordable offshore cruisers. You can read it here: http://www.sailfarlivefree.com/2012/06/blue-water-on-budget-5-budget-cruisers.html

Any thoughts on our west coast Brent Swain 26 welded steel boats? Truly budget cruisers!

I have built one, but yet to launch it I am getting a trailer for it, an advantage that I never thought of when I started building it. Not very many built, mine is a single keel version and I added a wheelhouse.

What about Cape Dory's?

Howard - Good suggestion. Both the CD22 and CD25 are worthy little pocket cruisers with classic Alberg looks. I haven't been aboard either and don't know of any that have crossed oceans, but I suspect someone's been offshore in these two little Cape Dory's and I have little doubt they could be good sea boats in the right hands, given their stout construction, full keels, etc.

The boats listed are priced such that one could buy a much larger, albeit not-so-primo boat for the same or lesser amount. I've seen decent cal 34s go for $8k. So why buy a pocket cruiser that goes for 30K? Smaller sails and reduced slip rent can only account for a modicum of savings

True enough, this is NOT necessarily a list cheap/affordable small boats, but rather well-built and capable small boats that can go offshore in the right hands. Some sailors simply prefer a small, simple sailboat to a larger more spacious (and sometimes more complicated) sailboat, even if the purchase price is similar.

West Wight Potter 14 #223. Mexico to Hawaii.

I'm contemplating buying a 26' Micmac for rougher waters. http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=6202

A Vancouver 27 !!!!

hey you forgot a little boat from south africa called the flamenca 25 great little boat built for the cape of storms

A Flamenca would also sail circles around this list of boats. These traditional long keel boats are slow and without decent fouls, suck going upwind.

Would the Cascade 27 be a good pocket cruiser or is this just a coastal cruiser

I think it would be a excellent choice

Mmm. Some consistencies in your selections (apart from the obvious US of A bias), they all have square bows. Me thinks this is as much a beauty contest as a seaworthy small boat list. I'm afraid trailer and seagoing don't fit in the same sentence

Guilty as charged! Although I do disagree about trailer and seagoing...with both the Flicka and the Nor'Sea being plenty capable on both fronts.

Okay. On seaworthy, I sailed in 12 knots past a site where 2 friends were drowned, their yacht lost in a gale. So is my Folkboat, my sailing skill or patience to credit or was their boat any less seaworthy? An ocean crossing does not make a boat seaworthy, the sailing skill and weather and sea mix have as much to credit. I assert that a long heavy keel, stout rig and water tightness are compulsory if you want to lengthen the odds in your favour.

Nice article, I would however strongly suggest that you give a second thought about linking to myboatplans.com. It's a scam (most, if not all, of the plans are available for free elsewhere on the net and at least some pics are stolen from other boatbuilders). You don't have to take my word for it, just google around.

Thanks, and thanks for the suggestion...the link has been removed!

I am agree with you. Tks. An article about siling solo those smalls boats (in spanish): http://www.navegar-es-preciso.com/news/la-navegacion-oceanica-en-solitario-en-peque%C3%B1os-veleros-/

How about a Privateer26 by Kenner ? Check the specs, and I think you'll find she's equal in important areas and prettier by far than most!

Having a love affair with traditional boats with genuine shear lines, I just stepped out of my Marshall 22, and into a totally unknown double ender called a Skipper 20. Why these trailer sailors dream have gone unnoticed is hard to fathom. With room for 4, 2' draft, 800#s ballast, and a cockpit larger than my Bristol 27' which includes a outboard locker has me spending the last 4 months making the 40 year old look like modern and updated, quality pocket cruiser. With the new genoa, 5.5kts up hill and down, and as dry as they get,, Where they been???

I just bought a Skipper 20 and am fixing it up, can you tell me how it handles in a heavy blow? I am planning to use it as a micro coastal sailer and would like to know as much about it's capabilitys as I can. Much appreciated, Richard.

What are your thoughts on a San Juan 7.7 with the keel shoe? Offshore sailong to Hawaii or the inside passage to Alaska.

What are your thoughs on a San Juan 7.7 with the keel shoe offshore? IE; Hawaii or the Inside Passage to Alaska.

We recently purchased a JJ Taylor Contessa 26, hull #262, Ophelia, and have trailered her to Malletts Bay in Lake Champlain, VT. We were extremely flattered to have a visit from Tania Aebi, who lives 35 min. from us and wanted to show her sister and daughter-in-law an example of the boat that she sailed round the world in the late '80's.

What about steel Tom Thumb 24 ???

For whatever reason, I'm a fan of the Bristol 24 (Paul Coble design). The baby Bristols are full-keeled and don't go upwind very energetically, but once the sheets are started they come into their own. Hulls are usually nearly bulletproof, and even if damaged, they are small and easy to fix... some have been gilded into mini-yachts, but I prefer sparse brightwork and light/white paint. They are very (very) sea-kindly for their size and although they heel to about 15-20 degrees, their nearly 50% ballast usually stops it right there... Mast-head rigged, they have a large main and can develop noticeable weather-helm, so one reef keeps the tiller loads modest. Thankfully they aren't very popular or well-known, so you can find bargains and even top-drawer examples probably will cost less than a modest commuter car... I'm now on my second one (after having a larger fin-keel... am returning to the B24); if possible, look for one with split lower shrouds... Oh, they have comfortable 5'11" headroom, or just a fraction more,,,

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