54 Professional BoatBuilderDESIGN BRIEF: Dive Tender 14continually crunched numbers, chang-
ing dimensions and flotation volumes
accordingly, until I achieved what I felt
was the best set of compromises. I con-
sidered adding small port and star-
board fins to reduce wind drift at low
speed, to assist in turning, and to allow
the hull to stand upright when beached,
but concluded that these are unneces-
sary except as an option.
Originally, I designed the Dive Ten-
der 14 so the helmsman can drive
while sitting on a seat locker, similar to
the Solo skiff, but I personally prefer a
center-console arrangement. I “bor-
rowed” the basic form of the lovely
compact helm station on the Silennis
boat, designing my own version. For aelongated outboard motor slot run-
ning forward in the boat, a bailing
bucket is all you need to rinse the well
deck without leaning over the stern to
get water. You can clean your catch
right there and blood and guts will
easily wash back out.
For use as a tender to a cruising boat,
the Dive Tender 14 will need to be light
and compact. While too large for the
average cruising sailboat, she will be
best suited to midsize and larger power-
boats. For my own 53' (16.2m) cruising
motorsailer, she will be carried in side
davits, which have inexplicably fallen
out of favor with the yachting world.
Because weight is always a consider-
ation, I designed the Dive Tender 14 to
be as light as possible, built of marine
plywood and epoxy.
The boat is of monocoque construc-
tion, and is composed of a single sealed
airtight shell. A complication of the
open stern is that exceeding maximum
carrying capacity will submerge the
well deck, sending water forward over
the cockpit sole. The sealed boat won’t
fill and sink, but the effect would not
be desirable for passengers and gear.
While working on the design, IW
ith these elements in mind, and
the exemplar boats represented
above, I proceeded to design my Dive
Tender 14. With her inset outboard,
arrowhead shape, deep-V bow sec-
tions, and open stern, you can sit on
the aft deck to strap on swim fins and
diving mask, and just slip into the
water. To reboard, you grab one of
several handles and slide right back
up onto the well deck, less than 4"
(102mm) above the water and dipping
even lower with your weight. This is
easier than popping up onto the ledge
of a swimming pool.
Another common consideration for
a tender should be its usefulness for
fishing. Once the mother ship is
anchored, a skiff gets you to the fishing
grounds, and can easily move to a bet-
ter spot. The Dive Tender 14, with
motor up, draws just 4", making it an
effective flats boat that can be poled in
ankle-deep water, functioning as a
casting platform for bonefish, tarpon,
and mangrove snapper. For fishing
channels and reefs, you can drift-fish
or use a grapple. You will be able to
land your fish right on the well deck
scant inches from the water. With theTransom
3 lams(^5) / 8 " ply
Transoms: 2 lams^5 / 8 " ply
OB transoms:
(^5) / 8 " ply
Sheer clamps and chine logs: 1x2s
Sheer clamp
Stringer
T 3A 3 2A 2 1A 1 S
Chine log
Access plate
Note: 1x 2 stringers not shown
Deck support
Bilge and deck
stringers: 1x2
Seat/lockers P & S
Seat/lockers
P & S
Well deck:^3 / 8 " ply
Bottom:^3 / 8 " ply Stem and forefoot:^5 /^8 " ply
(thinner if using okoume) All bulkheads:^3 / 8 " ply, except #3:^1 / 2 " ply
Sides:^1 / 4 " ply inside and out (thinner if using okoume)
Keel plank: 2 x 4
(^5) / 8 " ply backup blocks (3)
1 ' 111 / 2 " 1 ' 101 / 4 " 2 ' 11 / 4 " 2 ' 11 / 4 " 1 ' 91 / 4 " 1 ' 81 / 4 " 2 ' 61 / 4 "
LWL
Base
Dive Tender 14
Specifications
LOA 14 ' (4.3m)
Beam 4 ' (1.2m)
Draft 4 " (102mm)
Weight 250 lbs (113.4 kg) dry
Power 9.9-hp 4-stroke
15 "-shaft (381mm)
outboard
Displacement 275 lbs (124.7 kg)
Flotation 550 lbs/249.5 kg
(to submerge deck)
Carrying
capacity 475 lbs (215.5 kg)
DesignBrief172-EDFinal.indd 54 2/22/18 10:38 AM