Glen-L 15
While cabin-type mini and microcruisers are my personal favorites,
many things appeal to me about open boats for daysailing and
camp-cruising. One of their best qualities is the freedom they
afford the crew to use all available space as they see fit.
Instead of being restricted to designated sleeping areas—bunks
or a V-berth—the crew can stretch out at night wherever
they choose in an open hull.
Rowing for exercise or as a means of auxiliary propulsion
is a much more viable option in open boats. Cabin cruisers usually
have only one position from which it is practical to row, and
it’s often a compromise at best. Open dinghies can have
two or more functional rowing stations. Being able to see where
you’re headed is also much easier, with no cabin to block
the view forward.
In his article about cruising dinghies in this issue, small-boat
designer and experienced dinghy cruiser, John Welsford, lists
many important features an open boat should have for an enjoyable
camp-cruising voyage of hours to days, or even weeks. Chief
among them is that the basic hull design, keel and rig should
work in concert to give the boat stability and keep it on course.
Crew should be able to move about without carefully planning
every minor shift of their weight. Ideally, topsides should
incorporate at least some minimal decking and coamings or other
means of keeping excessive spray out. Cruising should be fun,
not a test of how well the crew can endure discomfort and adversity.
A good-looking boat that seems to meet John’s requirements
nicely is the well-proven Glen-L 15. Her hard-chine hull and
6-foot beam promise substantial form stability. A lead or cast
iron-weighted 3/4-inch plywood centerboard provides lateral
resistance. Generous bow decking provides plenty of protected
stowage and helps keep water out of the boat.
More than nine feet of seating is provided along both sides
of the 11-foot long cockpit. Eight-plus inches of side decking
aids comfortable rail-sitting during spirited sailing, which,
with 114 sq ft of sail on a 370 pound boat, is likely to be
a regular occurrence.
Glen-L 15 construction consists of 1/4" plywood planking
on 1" hardwood frames. The hull is built bottom-up on a
sturdy building form with the frames mounted on two carefully
leveled and aligned 2" X 4" longitudinal beams, and
held precisely in place while planking is applied. The keel-stepped
mast can be built of spruce, fir or box-section plywood. A 27"
deep, 3/4-inch plywood rudder is controlled by a pivoting mahogany
tiller.
For use as a camp-cruiser, the optional 3/8" plywood floorboards
should be installed to provide a flat area for sleeping. The
Glen-L 15 can be powered by an outboard motor up to 7.5 horsepower,
but those who would rather leave the noisy, smelly thing at
home could perhaps build a thwart for rowing out of the same
one- inch mahogany strips used for the seats. A couple of three-quarter-inch
square strips glued and screwed to the bottom of the thwart’s
ends would lock into the openings between the strips of the
existing side seats. The thwart would look stock—as good
as the other seats—and be instantly removable and stowable
forward, leaving the floor open when desired for sleeping or
other purposes.
See a completed Glen-L 15 on the Web at:
www.boatdesigns.com/products.asp?dept=443
A Glen-L 15 frame kit is also available, and Glen-L offers
plans for building an appropriately sized trailer.
Contact Glen-L at:
9152 Rosecrans Ave
Bellflower, CA 90706-2138
For ordering only, call:
562-630 6258
Specifications:
Length overall 15'-1"
Beam 6'-0"
Depth amidships 2'-0"
Draft (board up) 7"
Draft (board down) 3'-4"
Weight (approx.) 370 lb.
Cockpit size 11'-0" x 4'-6"
Sail area
Main - 90 sq. ft.
Jib - 24 sq. ft.
Total - 114 sq. ft.
Hull type: Vee bottom hard chine hull developed for
1/4" sheet plywood planking.
Sail type: Jibhead sloop-rig with centerboard.
Power: Short shaft outboard motor to 7 1/2 hp.
Trailer: Designed for use with Glen-L Series
1000 boat trailer plans.
