Description
The Great Pelican, a 16-foot microcruiser designed by William H. "Bill" Short in the early 1960s as an enlarged evolution of his iconic 1959 San Francisco Pelican, exemplifies rugged simplicity and seaworthiness for amateur builders seeking a trailerable pocket cruiser capable of coastal adventures beyond mere daysailing. Measuring 16 feet LOA (with an optional bowsprit extending to 18 feet), 14 feet 6 inches LWL, 6 feet 6 inches beam, and weighing around 650–800 pounds (depending on configuration), it features a flat-bottomed pram bow, hard chines for stability, a pivoting centerboard drawing 2 feet 6 inches down (8 inches up for beaching), and a transom-hung articulating rudder, all constructed from plywood using stitch-and-glue or traditional methods for easy home assembly. Its gaff-lug sloop rig (or optional balanced lug) delivers 120–140 square feet of sail area—yielding a SA/D ratio of ~18 for respectable performance up to 5.5 knots in choppy bays, though it excels more in downwind stability than upwind pointing—paired with configurations including open, cuddy, standard cabin, or flush-deck cruiser variants accommodating two for overnights with V-berth, portable head, and minimal galley. Kits and plans were once widely available from builders like the Smith brothers in Washington (who produced hundreds), enabling voyages from Nova Scotia to Florida or even Hawaii crossings.
