Description
The Buster, a 12 ft 6 in lapstrake sailing and rowing dinghy designed by Charles D. Mower around 1923, was prominently featured in the October 1923 issue of Motor Boating magazine as a versatile, family-oriented tender inspired by traditional East Coast workboats, with its elegant lines and practical features showcased alongside detailed plans for amateur builders. With a narrow 4 ft 6 in beam, wineglass transom, and light displacement of approximately 250 lbs. (including 50 lbs. of internal lead ballast for stability), the Buster boasts a full-length keel for excellent tracking, a balanced lug or optional gaff sloop rig carrying about 60 sq ft of sail on a short unstayed mast, and dual thwarts for comfortable rowing or sculling over the stern. Its round-bottomed hull provides forgiving, beginner-friendly handling—sailing upright in breezes up to 15 knots—while the open cockpit seats three adults for leisurely daysailing or picnics in protected waters, with a small forward locker for gear storage. Though only a handful were constructed in cedar and oak by yards like Lawley & Sons during the 1920s, the design's publication in Motor Boating—where Mower was a contributing author—sparked interest among home builders, and plans preserved at Mystic Seaport continue to inspire faithful wooden reproductions today as a low-maintenance, seaworthy classic echoing the simplicity and grace of early 20th-century small craft.
