14' Arch Davis Penobscot 14 (2019) - PIPER BELLE

I first fell in love with the beauty of Arch Davis’ design in 1997, when Wooden Boat published a 3-part article detailing it’s construction . Much later, and part-time over 6 years, I built mine of Okoume plywood planking, Douglas Fir stringers, and epoxy, but also Pine, Oak, Elm, Lauan, Mahogany, Spruce, Teak, and a tiny bit of Koa. The standing lug sail is well built, from Really Simple Sails, Philippines.
I launched on Lake Thunderbird, Norman, OK in fall of 2019. Favorite camp-cruises have been to Voyageurs Nat’l Park, MN; Cayo Costa State Park, FL, and L. Huron’s North Channel, Ontario. I pull it behind my Prius. It is a joy to sail or row – tracks well and the lapstrake hull makes music on the water.
With a single reef, I’ve close-reached in gusts to 29 mph while sitting on the rail. But loaded with camping gear for a week, in cold water, double-reefed in 25 mph and 3′ waves, I could barely tack or go to windward – an event which brought me to my senses and back to the beach. This boat was more intended for pleasure day-sailing than camp-cruising, but I’ve had great fun exploring with it.
I’ve calculated 273# with rig, boards and oars included, which is more than expected, but have not weighed the boat per se. A capsize test showed it wouldn’t turtle with my hollow wooden mast, but upon righting, the daggerboard slot was just below water. Some extra flotation and a gasket under the daggerboard hilt have largely remedied this.
Building and sailing this boat has been one of the most enjoyable episodes of my life.