Dyer Dow 9'
Description
The Dyer Dhow 9' (often just called the Dyer Dhow or "nine-footer") is the quintessential American fiberglass tender and daysailer, revered as "America's Dinghy" for its unmatched versatility and durability. Developed in the early 1940s by William "Bill" Dyer at The Anchorage in Warren, Rhode Island, it started as a plywood rescue craft for WWII PT boats and subchasers but evolved into a fiberglass icon in 1949. At 8 ft 9 in LOA, this hard-chine flat-bottom design rows effortlessly, tows straight, sails spiritedly, and carries impressive loads—up to 650 lb.—for its size. It's a favorite for yacht tenders, junior sailing trainers, frostbite racers, and beach explorers, with over 6,000 built. Unlike inflatables, it offers stability without sacrificing portability (just 104–106 lb.), and it's still in production today, embodying Rhode Island's yachting heritage alongside neighbors like Herreshoff.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bill Dyer |
|---|---|
| Builder | Dyer Boats |
| Length | 9.000 ft |
| LOA | 9.000 ft |
| Beam | 4.500 ft |
| Displacement | 106 lb |
| Max Draft | 1.750 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.500 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | 12.50 ft |
| e | 7.25 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | 12.50 ft | 7.25 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 12.5 ft - (3810 mm) |
| Foot | 7.25 ft - (2210 mm) |
| Leech | * 13.15 ft - (4008 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 79.43 ° |
| Diagonal | 13.25 ft - (4039 mm) |
| Head (inches) | 2 in - (51 mm) |
| Area | * 45.42 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| MidGirth | 5.5 ft - (1676 mm) |
| Foot | 5.5 ft - (1676 mm) |
| Area | * 49 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.