Delft 25 Stock Plans

STOCK PLANS

DELFT 25

This pocket cruiser sailboat is a design for do-it-yourself construction in plywood. The mast is a wood-epoxy and carbon fiber, free-standing, rotating wingmast. An ideal trailerable sailboat for a family of four, it is also designed to be unsinkable. Study plans are US$15.00 (US$20.00 for overseas airmail), and the complete plan set is US$200.00 (US$220.00 for overseas airmail).

Particulars

                                                       LOA                            25’ 6”
                                                       LWL                            22’ 6”
                                                       B                                  8’ 0”
                                                       D                                  3’ 0” to 5’ 0”
                                                       Displacement             5,473 lbs.
                                                       Sail Area
                                                           Main                       259.6 sq.ft.
                                                           Jib                             80.3 sq.ft.

The Delft 25 has four berths: a double V-berth forward, and two settee berths port and starboard. Near the companionway, the galley with a small two-burner stove and sink is to starboard, and an enclosed head is opposite to port. Headroom in the center of the accommodation is 6’ 0”, and 6’ 3” in way of the companionway hatch. Water tanks can be put underneath the settees. The cockpit seats are over 6’ long, and the coamings are rather high for good protection from the weather.

The Delft 25 is designed for mounting an outboard motor on a transom bracket. Up to 20 hp should be sufficient. A standard 5-gallon fuel tank will fit in a recess under the port cockpit settee. The cockpit drains through scupper openings in the transom

The keel is made of built-up wood sections and a lead casting on the bottom with vertical through-bolts. There is a slot in the keel for a lifting daggerboard that comes up through the main saloon table. The top of the table is removeable, with a joint above the waterline, so that the daggerboard can be serviced while the Delft 25 is afloat. The rudder is hung on the transom, and the Delft 25 is steered from a tiller at the top of the rudder. Complete construction details are given for the keel and rudder.

The hull and deck of the Delft 25 are built with two layers of plywood over sawn frames. The longitudinal stringers in the hull are arranged to lay against the flat panels of the multichine hullform near, but not on, the chines. With this method of construction, the stringers do not have to be shaped to the corner joints, which saves a lot of labor. The method of construction follows the stringer/frame method described by the Gougeon Brothers in their book, “The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction.” The Gougeon Brothers are the makers of WEST System epoxy, which is recommended for the Delft 25 construction. A typical section through the hull is shown in the excerpt of the WoodenBoat article below.

Note also that the Delft 25 is designed to be unsinkable. There is enough foam in the bulkheads and structure, as well as other foam strategically placed throughout the boat to keep it afloat should something ever happen to swamp it. This foam is glued to the hull and underside of the deck. It can be painted with household latex paint to keep it clean, or it can be covered over with ceiling strips in a nice yacht-style décor.

A very nice design review of the Delft 25 appeared in WoodenBoat magazine, issue #142, May.June 1998. It is copied in its entirety in the figures below.

Bob Perry also wrote a nice review of the Delft 25 for Sailing magazine which appeared in the May, 1990 issue. It also is copied below.

Quotes from the press on the Delft 25:

From the reviews above:

WoodenBoat, May/June 1998 (Robert W. Stephens):

“Designer Eric Sponberg has combined simple construction, roomy accommodations, trailerability, safety, and spirited performance in this 25’ package.”

Sailing, May 1990 (Bob Perry):

“Eric Sponberg produces beautifully detailed plans accompanied by very thorough written specifications.”

“It’s bound to be a pleasant project.”

And from two other reviews:

Boatbuilder, Jan/Feb 1991:

“An attractive, practical pocket cruiser….”

Cruising World, January 1991 (Quentin Warren):

“In meticulous detail and with a sensitive appreciation for the capabilities of amateur boatbuilders everywhere….”

Please contact us by email, phone or fax for more information on this or other designs.