Launching the Points East Pram: DIY done right

Above, Chase motors the Points East Pram with a 2hp Honda outboard. Below, a comparison between the eight and 10-foot models of the dinghy.

September 2022

By John Gold

And. . . she’s launched!

After eight months of surveying our readers, planning, designing and building, Points East and Chase Small Craft of Saco, Maine, launched the Points East tender on July 15th at Marston’s Marina in Saco.

The result of our process is a lightweight (70 pound), eight-foot long, four-foot-wide, flat-bottomed, pram-style tender built from 6mm marine plywood, which provides stability, a good rowing experience and a 400-pound/three-person capacity that should serve cruisers well.

During our sea trials in July, we loaded the boat with designer Clint Chase (6’6” and 225 pounds) at the oars, two children in the stern seat and a third in the bow. The boat carried this load well, with the sheer strake remaining above the water surface. A similar test with three adults provided the same results.

“My first impression when I jumped in was “Wow, what a little boat!” and “Wow, it is really stable,” said Chase. “I tested the stability by sliding as far to one side of the seat, so the boat heeled way over and stopped before the water started coming over the gunwales.”

Chase was also impressed by the ease with which he could propel the boat using oars.

“After just a few strokes, I was really amazed how well she rowed with the lightest of strokes, he said. “With very short easy pulls, the pram really moved along. One flick of the oar and the boat would almost spin on a dime.”

The pram will also support an outboard up to 2hp.

“We powered the pram with a Honda 2hp, and she really did well,” said Chase. “It was comfortable to sit on the middle bench and operate the tiller. As in any small boat, a short tiller extension would be helpful.”

The pram’s design includes an optional skeg in the stern and two skids along the bottom to help the boat track well.

Chase plans further sea trials to test the towability of the craft, and he is already planning some design changes based on what he’s learned so far – including adding a sail rig, handles to the bow and stern transoms, and creating a storage cubby under the middle seat.

Chase is also developing plans for a ten-foot version that would provide 500-pound capacity.The 10-foot version will use 6mm plywood on the sides and 9mm plywood on the bottom for greater durability.

We began the project in November 2021 after a Points East reader survey. The results indicated that towability and stability were the primary concerns of cruisers. In addition, cruisers wanted a tender that was easy to row, lightweight and had good capacity. Another request from “do-it-yourselfers” was the ability to easily build the boat.

The pram is marketed by Chase as a build-it-yourself kit using precut parts. The Points East team assembled Hull #1 this spring, building the boat from the kit parts and finishing it in approximately two weeks. The kit uses Chase’s Tab-n-Lock system (for more on that, check out “What’s your ideal dinghy?” January/February 2022), which makes assembly easier and includes all instructions and materials needed, apart from paint.

You can view the complete building process on our website at pointseast.com/pram.

Kits and plans will be available for order at Chase Small Craft (chase-small-craft.com) later in the year.