20161201

During the last days I looked again at the Vivier-designed 18' Seil and its smaller sister, the 12' Laita. These dinghies are Norwegian prams. They are distant cousins of the Dutch vlet. Centuries ago, prams and 'vletten' were the pick-up trucks of their time.

In Holland, you can see 'vletten' everywhere. Without twist in their hull panels, they are easy to build. When built in steel, they are virtually indestructible. Traditional 'vletten' are very seaworthy with their rounded hull sections. They were used both on inland waters as well as on the former Zuiderzee and the Wadden estuary. Today, they are still being used as workboats in harbours.

The Norwegian pram is similar to the vlet, but derived from Scandinavian utility boats. Prams are built in wood, using clinker construction.

Are prams good for dinghy cruising?

If a 11' Mirror dinghy can be classified as a pram, the answer should be yes. Numerous DCA members use Mirror dinghies for dinghy cruising. Another pram featuring at DCA rallies is the 12' Welsford Scamp. And the 18' Seil used to be a mighty competitor in numerous raids. Although this boat is just too big for singlehanding. For me, the pram type is more seaworthy than either sharpie or scow. And much easier to build than a traditional dinghy like the Ilur. So yes, I think I might try a pram for dinghy cruising.

20161201_334.jpg Steel vlet commonly used by Sea Scouts

20161201_DSC05541.JPG Laita (Vivier):too small for two.

20161201_MG_5633.JPG Prams at North House Folk School

20161201_Vlet2.jpg Vlet drawing found on Wikipedia.

20161201_seil-18-21.jpg Seil 18 (Vivier):too big for singlehanding.