M H | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Designer | Reuben Trane |
| Location | United States |
| Year | 1981 |
| No. built | 40 |
| Builder(s) | Florida Bay Boat Company |
| Role | Cruiser |
| Name | Marsh Hen |
| Boat | |
| Displacement | 650 lb (295 kg) |
| Draft | 3.25 ft (0.99 m) withcenterboard down |
| Hull | |
| Type | Monohull |
| Construction | Fiberglass |
| LOA | 17.33 ft (5.28 m) |
| LWL | 16.25 ft (4.95 m) |
| Beam | 6.25 ft (1.91 m) |
| Engine type | Outboard motor |
| Hull appendages | |
| Keel/board type | centerboard |
| Rudder(s) | transom-mountedrudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | cat rig |
| Sails | |
| Sailplan | Sprit riggedcatboat |
| Mainsail area | 155.00 sq ft (14.400 m2) |
| Total sail area | 155.00 sq ft (14.400 m2) |
TheMarsh Hen is an Americantrailerablesailboat that was designed byReuben Trane as apocket cruiser and first built in 1981.[1][2][3]
The design was built by Reuben Trane'sFlorida Bay Boat Company in theUnited States. A total of 40 boats were completed between 1981 and 1987 when the company went out of business. A series of other builders acquired themolds for the Marsh Hen and the company's other designs and resumed production of some models on a limited basis. Other builders includedMirage Fiberglass (1988-1991),Custom Fiberglass (1992-1997),Sovereign America (1997) andNimble Boats (1998-2003). Production of the design was curtailed by 2003 and the molds purchased byMarine Concepts, although no further boats have been built.[1][3][4]
The Marsh Hen is a recreationalcenterboard boat, built predominantly offiberglass, withteak wood trim. It has acatboatspritsail rig, withaluminum spars. The double-ended, canoe-type hull has aplumb stem, an angledtransom, a shallow-draft, transom-hungrudder controlled by a teaktiller and retractable centerboard. It displaces 650 lb (295 kg).[1][3]
The boat has a draft of 3.25 ft (0.99 m) with the centerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowingbeaching or ground transportation on atrailer.[1]
The boat is normally fitted with a small, well-mounted,outboard motor for docking and maneuvering, but also can berowed and is equipped withoarlocks.[1]
The open-boat design has adodger that was factory-supplied as standard equipment. This acts as a sort of cabin top to provide sleeping accommodation for two people. The boat has a built-inice chest and a portable-typehead along with six lockers for stowage.[3]
For sailing the design is equipped with built-in flotation and a self-bailing cockpit.[3]
In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote that the "hull shape has evolved from working boats of the Chesapeake, and the rudder and spritsail rig are also traditional. The Marsh Hen was designed as a pocket cruiser."[3]
Related development