New design!!!
Collaboration with Points East Magazine
Kits NOW AVAILABLE
New design!!! Collaboration with Points East Magazine Kits NOW AVAILABLE
Points East Pram 8’
Easy-to-Build | stable and ultralight | pretty yet utilitarian
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA 7' 9" | LWL 6' 7”
Beam 48" | Draft 5"
Depth amidships 17”
Power 2 hp max | Sail area 37 sf
Bare hull 70 lbs | Capacity 400 lbs or 3 ppl max
For years, we have had drawings in mind for a pram design that we wanted to kit and offer to our customers. The other prams that were out there were not “ours” and we had not yet perfected the many features that now make our boat kits special: we wanted these to be part of our Pram kit to help set it apart from the rest.
It was also important to us that our Pram could stand on its own two feet aesthetically and functionally, and not be “just another pram” available on the market. Pete Culler always said that if the boat looks right, then it probably works right, too. We collaborated with Points East Magazine and that has really helped launch this design project forward.
What sets the Points East Pram apart is the following:
It is not just another purely “stitch-and-glue” kit: the hull is built with 3 methods: stitch-and-tape for bottom seam, screw-and-glue to attach planks to transoms and frames, and glued-lapstrake for sheer strake.
The sheer strake is attached “lapstrake” style, which means it overlaps the lower plank by about 3/4” and is glued with epoxy, providing a strong fiberglass free joint.
The hull construction in the kits utilizes our novel “Tab-’n-Lock” construction method making the boat a snap to build
A unique seat riser “shelf” allows for the middle seat to move fore-and-aft in the 8- and 9-footer. The 7-footer will have an option for a fore/aft seat.
Other kit features make this pram very easy-to-build for a first timer: the NC scarf in the planks, the laminated plywood parts, predrilled holes for screws, and highly detailed instructions/plans.
Because of the mix of construction systems this pram teaches traditional boatbuilding skills in an accessible, non-intimidating package.
The Points East Pram is currently offered in the 8’ size but two more sizes are possible - 10-foot and a 7’ model to suit peoples’ needs for use as either a tender or a stand-alone rowing/sailing dinghy. A small electric motor like the EP Carry or a 2hp 4-stroke Honda can be mounted on the transom.
Read HERE about the PEP in the latest Boats of the Year issue by Maine, Boats, Homes and Harbors magazine
Complete kit contents for the Points East Pram
plywood kit | timber kit | hardware kit | epoxy kit
The Points East Pram kit is composed of a few sheets of 6mm Okoume or Meranti plywood for the hull and 9mm thick plywood for the structural parts such as transoms and frames. The timber kit uses select hardwoods for runners and gunwales and softwoods for seat, cleating, and chine logs.
Pram Options, upgrades, and accessories
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Okoume or Meranti can be used. Okoume will make a lighter boat; Meranti a more “bullet-proof boat”
A sailing version will be available
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Upgrade the middle seat to a mahogany seat (Pine is standard)
Upgrade to solid, hardwood knees in lieu of plywood knees in plywood kit
Optional for rubrails to be Mahogany or Ash
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Oarlocks can be oval- or horn-style
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Tool kit to build the Pram
Oarmaking kit or Finished oars available
Construction Photos
The Points East Pram is built using the Tab-n-Lock method which makes the boat easy to assemble. The planks have slots which engage the tabs on the frames; the ends of the planks screw into the bow and stern transom. The transom - which is made of two layers of 9mm plywood - receives a bevel which is easy and fun to make with a block plane. After the hull is formed, the seats are dropped into place: the fore and aft seat is plywood and is glued down. The middle seat is hardwood and attaches with dowels to the seat riser. The rubrails are bent and screwed and glue in place as are the hardwood runners and skeg on the bottom. The boat is finished with primer, paint and varnish and fitted out with the hardware.