Sam Devlin Nancy’s China DC. This is an open boat version of the more common version with a cuddy. At 15-1/2 ft. 6 ft. beam, this is kind of a realization of a Herrshoff 12-1/2 but in stitch and glue composite construction and with a daggerboard rather than centerboard
I built the boat from plans, completing it in 2003. The boat is rigged as a fractional sloop with Dwyer aluminum spars, spreader, upper and lower shrouds and forestay. The forestay is used to furl the jib with a Harken furler. The boat carries 300 lbs of lead ballast placed in removable enclosed cases on either side of the daggerboard trunk. With this much ballast the boat is very stiff. I’ve never intentionally flooded the boat to test positive flotation, but with the enclosed compartments supplemented by air bladders beneath the seats, it should remain afloat.
Over the years I’ve modified the original design to make it more suitable for camp cruising with the bow compartment enclosed, enclosed compartments on either side of the daggerboard trunk and an enclosed compartment at the stern.
I’ve used this boat on three Salish 100 cruises and equipped it with a Sunbrella tent fabricated to provide camping shelter. Light weight marine plywood bunk boards that stow flat on the floor fill the gap between seats to provide a sleeping platform large enough for two.
If I have any criticism of this boat, it’s that she requires a fair amount of time to rig and launch, making day sailing off the trailer inconvenient. Once on the water, the boat is a pleasure to sail. A tendency to wander, requiring a lot of tiller tending for longer sailing trips was greatly remedied with the 2024 addition of a skeg. This has improved tracking considerably.
Auxiliary power is provided from a four stroke Honda 2 hp outboard mounted on a lifting bracket on the stern. The motor was recently serviced professionally and I have a motor lock designed for this motor.
The trailer is a galvanized Easy-Loader trailer equipped with a vertical post to support the mast off of the boat. A spare wheel and tire is mounted to the trailer. The boat is registered in Oregon. The trailer was not required to be registered in Oregon.
While I love this boat, I also own and sail a 20 ft. gaff rigged catboat and I’m building a new boat; so it’s time to reduce my boat maintenance and upkeep costs.
$7,500 complete with trailer, outboard, and boat tent.
Contact: James Thomas jthomas18j5@gmail.com
