RoG Micro-Cruiser

Description

The RoG (River of Grass) Micro-Cruiser is a 15 ft 3 in (4.65 m) plywood micro-cruising sailboat designed by Jean-François (JF) Bedard of Bedard Yacht Design LLC as an expedition-oriented trailerable cruiser that’s compact enough to sleep two adults for a weekend or a single-hander for up to five days, perform well in varying conditions, and meet the RAID (Rowing and Sailing) competition requirements (shallow draft, rowable, beach-launchable). The prototype was built by JF Bedard in wood/epoxy stitch-and-glue construction and successfully completed multiple editions of the Everglades Challenge, even winning its class, demonstrating its seaworthiness and performance in long-distance adventure racing. The boat is offered as plans and optional CNC plywood kit rather than mass production, so there’s no formal production count, but multiple builders have constructed RoG from supplied plans. Its cat-ketch rig with carbon spars provides a versatile, high sail-area-to-displacement ratio for good performance, combined with features like water and lead ballast systems for adjustable stability, a swing keel, flotation foam for safety, and a surprisingly spacious cabin with sitting headroom and convertible berths — unusual in a boat this size.