Shearwater
Description
The Shearwater is a planning hull dinghy designed by Iain Oughtred, a renowned Australian-born boat designer, known for its lightweight construction, speed, and versatility for sailing and rowing. Built primarily by amateur builders using glued-lapstrake plywood, it’s a fast, responsive small craft inspired by traditional designs but optimized for recreational use. Available as plans from retailers like Classic Marine (www.classic-marine.co.uk) or Oughtred Boats (www.oughtredboats.com); not mass-produced, built by individuals or small shops. Introduced in the late 20th century, with examples built as recently as 2018.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 15.5 ft - (4724 mm) |
| Foot | 7.33 ft - (2234 mm) |
| Leech | * 15.99 ft - (4874 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 81.06 ° |
| Diagonal | 16.083 ft - (4902 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 2 in - (51 mm) |
| Area | * 57.23 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 11 ft - (3353 mm) |
| Foot | 5 ft - (1524 mm) |
| Leech | 9.33 ft - (2844 mm) |
| Area | * 23.22 ft² |
| Sail Type | LUGSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 5.75 ft - (1753 mm) |
| Foot | 7.92 ft - (2414 mm) |
| Leech | 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 80.66 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 9 ft - (2743 mm) |
| Head | 9.167 ft - (2794 mm) |
| Area | * 63.5 ft² |
| Sail Type | LUGSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 6.42 ft - (1957 mm) |
| Foot | 6.58 ft - (2006 mm) |
| Leech | 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 90.71 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 9.25 ft - (2819 mm) |
| Head | 8.83 ft - (2691 mm) |
| Area | * 61.69 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite.