Poco Dinero

Description

The Poco Dinero is a classic 20-foot auxiliary motored sailboat (gaff-rigged sloop) designed by John G. Hanna in 1938–1939, featuring a compact cabin cruiser layout suitable for coastal daysailing, short cruises, or weekend outings with modest accommodations for 2–3 people. It gained popularity in the mid-20th century among home builders and wooden boat enthusiasts for its simple, sturdy carvel-planked construction (typically wood with auxiliary inboard or outboard power), seaworthy hull form inspired by traditional working boats, and economical "little money" ethos implied by the name (Spanish for "little money"). No large-scale production occurred, but individual amateur and small-shop builds were documented from the 1940s onward (e.g., examples built in the 1940s in New England areas like Buzzards Bay), with plans reprinted in later years and model versions (full-size and scaled R/C like Poco Dinero Jr.) still available from vintage plan sellers; exact quantity built remains untracked but limited to custom/scratch builds rather than series production. Key features include a gaff sloop rig for easy handling and good performance in varied winds, auxiliary engine for reliability, shallow draft for gunkholing, stable and forgiving handling, and a focus on low-cost, practical wooden construction without exotic materials.