Mertens Prameke
Description
The Mertens Prameke (also known as the 8 Prameke) is a Belgian-designed small pram dinghy for rowing and sailing, ideal for tender use, youth training, or recreational paddling/sailing on calm waters like ponds, small lakes, or sheltered harbors. Introduced in the early 2000s by Jacques Mertens of Mertens-Goossens Yacht Design as an amateur builder's project, it draws from traditional Dutch pram (pram) designs with modern plywood construction for simplicity and affordability. The plans were popularized through outlets like Duckworks Boat Builders Supply, targeting DIY enthusiasts during the plywood boat revival. Mertens, a Belgian naval architect schooled in yacht design, has created over 100 small craft, focusing on vee-bottomed hulls for choppy conditions and easy builds. The Prameke emphasizes portability with a flat-bottomed pram shape for stability, a fractional lug or gaff rig option for light-air sailing, and stitch-and-glue plywood for quick assembly. Production is plan-based only (no factory boats), with hundreds built by amateurs worldwide.
Construction Details
| Designer | Mertens-Goossens |
|---|---|
| Length | 8.000 ft |
| LOA | 8.000 ft |
| Beam | 4.560 ft |
| Displacement | 150 lb |
| Max Draft | 0.330 ft |
| Year Built | 2001 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Blueprints
Sails
Mertens Prameke - 4-SIDED SAIL
| Luff | 8.5 ft - (2591 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 5.5 ft - (1676 mm) |
| Leech | 6.25 ft - (1905 mm) |
| Head | 3.5 ft - (1067 mm) |
| Diagonal | 7.93 ft - (2417 mm) |
| Tack Angle | 64.93 ° |
| Area | 31.72 ft² |
| Comments | 4-sided 4-SIDED SAIL sail |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Mertens Prameke - 4-SIDED SAIL
| Luff | 11.5 ft - (3505 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Leech | 19.5 ft - (5944 mm) |
| Head | 12.5 ft - (3810 mm) |
| Diagonal | 17.17 ft - (5233 mm) |
| Tack Angle | 86.36 ° |
| Area | 183.31 ft² |
| Comments | 4-sided 4-SIDED SAIL sail |
| Edit in Calculator | |
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.