Norwegian Pram 8
Description
The Norwegian Pram 8 is a compact, traditional wooden pram dinghy designed by American naval architect Frank Davis, with plans originally published through sources like Gougeon Brothers (known for epoxy techniques). Introduced in the mid-20th century, it's intended for amateur builders as a simple, versatile tender or daysailer—perfect for children, solo use, or family outings on calm waters. The flat-bottomed pram hull offers exceptional stability and shallow draft for beaching, while the lug rig provides easy setup and handling. Construction typically uses cold-molded plywood with epoxy for lightweight durability, making it quick to build (a weekend project for experienced hands). It rows well with two oars, sails responsively in light breezes, and accepts a small outboard.
Construction Details
| Designer | Frank Davis |
|---|---|
| Length | 7.917 ft |
| LOA | 7.917 ft |
| Beam | 3.917 ft |
| Max Draft | 2.000 ft |
| Min Draft | 0.500 ft |
| Notes | Lug Rig: Luff 2.0 Foot 6.0 Leech 9' 8" Head 7.25 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Norwegian Pram 8 - STANDING LUGSAIL
| Luff | 2 ft - (610 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 6 ft - (1829 mm) |
| Leech | 9.67 ft - (2947 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 92.91 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 6.42 ft - (1957 mm) |
| Head | 7.25 ft - (2210 mm) |
| Area | * 29.26 ft² |
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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.