She's been sold, but read on...
14' Duck Trap Wherry
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Nearly all of our boats are built on order and to their owner's specifications, but once in a great while we have an opening in our building schedule and build one on speculation, just for the fun of it. This is one of those boats.

14' Duck Trap Wherry

Background The boat we have for sale was completed just before New Year's–in time to make it to this year's New York Boat Show. Like every one of her predecessors built by Walter Simmons, her lines are traditional, though her specifications are more modern than you could possibly suspect by looking at her.

Wherries have been around for centuries, though the design work for this particular model was completed in 1984. To see additional photos and learn more about these unique boats, refer to our wherry page.

Specifications include glued lapstrake 6mm Okoume planking, bronze fastenings, and Spanish Cedar trim. The glued lapstrake construction method eliminates the need for steam bent ribs, making her lightweight (under 90 pounds) and readily maintained (there's no place for dirt and seaweed to hide and cause problems). She is painted Bristol Beige inboard to be easy on the eyes, and white outboard for visibility. Her thwarts, rails, and transom are varnished. There is no mistaking that shapely wherry transom. She is fitted with bronze oarlocks and sockets at both rowing stations, and comes complete with two pairs of Shaw & Tenney cherry-tipped spoon bladed oars, one of our 4# bronze anchors, and a custom made boat cover. She is in pristine condition inboard and out.

Handling Characteristics Wherries are designed for working alongshore where wave action is inclined to be choppy and confused. A boat that's "tidily" doesn't fare well in that environment. This wherry has moderate initial stability and high secondary stability, meaning that she is designed to roll some when necessary, but that the further she is heeled over, the more she resists heeling. That makes her a safe boat and one that moves well under oars. She was designed, in fact, to be a fast pulling boat.

Another outstanding and useful feature is her so-called plank keel, which is broad enough to function as a floor inboard. More importantly, it enables her to be beached readily, and ashore she stands upright with no laying over to damage her planking. The outboard surface of the keel is armored with epoxy to protect the wood from abrasion.

Our second Duck Trap Wherry–also a 14 footer, and identical to the one we're offering for sale.

©1999 W. J. Simmons, Duck Trap Woodworking