Halfling

Description

The Halfling is a compact, wooden-epoxy nesting pram dinghy (a simple, flat-bottomed, square-stern tender) designed by Eric W. Sponberg (a naval architect known for free-standing rigs and small craft) in the late 20th century/early 2000s; it was inspired by a conversation with Cruising World editor Danny Greene, who had success with his own nesting dinghy plans, prompting Sponberg to create a simpler, lower-cost alternative focused on ease of construction and affordability. There is no mass production—it's a plans-only design for do-it-yourself builders, with Sponberg reporting sales of about 290 sets of plans worldwide (as of his 2017 update). Special features include a two-part nesting hull (the boat is literally cut in half fore-and-aft for compact storage/trailering inside a larger yacht or vehicle, with the halves stacking neatly), ultra-simple plywood construction using just four sheets of plywood plus basic materials (closet poles for spars), a sailing rig (typically a basic sprit or lug sail), rowing capability, shallow draft for beaching/launching, and lightweight overall—ideal as a yacht tender, lake/pond daysailer, or portable recreational boat; the name cleverly plays on the boat being "cut in half" plus a nod to Tolkien's hobbits (called halflings) for its small, cute size.