Harrier
an Expedition Wherry
Harrier is an open expedition boat for camp cruising and daysailing and rowing.
She was designed for Ben Fuller, curator at the Penobscot Marine Museum.
We worked together very closely on this design. His brief was for a double-ender that would perform very well both under sail and under oars while providing a seaworthy platform with room to carry two people and their gear for extended camp cruises or to daysail three. Did I forget to mention rowing? Ben is an avid rower and Harrier is set up to for single or tandem rowing, with or without a passenger/cox.
Ran Tan's Launching Day at The Apprenticeshop in Rockland Maine.
I'm frequently asked how Ben's Ran Tan differs from the plans. This photo shows how the interior was worked out. You can see how the wide rail works and the seating laid out. The forward thwart captures the daggerboard case. The after thwart is removable, held down by a lanyard to the floorboards. It is just notched over the knees port and starboard. We find that it can be removed – even underway – with no effect on the rigidity of the structure.
Ran Tan was finished off in Cherry, oiled, not varnished. Used as a Dayboat and kept under cover the Cherry has held up very well. A lighter weight interior can be done using clear White Pine for the seats and Douglas Fir for the stringers and rails – the laminations of the outer rail, shown here in orange, are best done in clear, laminated Spruce.
A boat can be laid out in a myriad of ways. There are all sorts of possible tweaks that can be made. The most important things to consider are, first of all, the structural integrity of the hull. A continuous seat stringer, for example, is essential. Another is trapping the dagger or centerboard case with a thwart. The other factor to consider is having the interior fit its occupants. People come in different sizes and an adjusted layout might be better suited for you. This is where mocking-up the interior after the basic hull is completed and turned right-side up is so important. You are building a custom boat. It should fit you!
WoodenBoat Publication's Small Boat Annual 2009 featured Ben's Harrier, Ran Tan in a Sail Trial with Jenny Bennett with a photo-shoot by Katherine Mehls.
Ben Fuller has done a video on self-rescue using Ran Tan.
The second Harrier was built by Jeff Saar, then a curator at the San Diego Maritime Museum. This boat was subsequently used in the filming of Master & Commander and now belongs to its production company.
The latest Harrier to be completed, Falcon de Palú, has been the subject of an article in Water Craft Magazine and another in Small Boat Magazine.
Dimensions:
17' - 0" LBP
15' - 0" LWL
4' - 11 7/8" Beam
0' - 5 1/2" Draft Board-up
3' - 4 5/8" Draft Board-down
Sail Area:
Main Sail: 100 sq. ft.
Mizzen: 10 sq. ft.
Total: 110 sq. ft.
Construction is glued lap or traditional lapstrake.
Plans are available as .pdf downloads. Harrier's Plan Package includes:
three sheets of drawings
a table of offsets for Harrier II
a Construction Booklet
set of full sized patterns for the original CAD Harrier.
Cost is $325 USD.
Price includes permission to build one boat for your personal use.
Purchase Plans!