At a glance...
The Design
Ok, so you might have seen this boat around in a previous life, the muse is the D5 which is a well-proven classic. From this solid foundation we've added 5 years of product development to make this boat a modern classic compliant with current standards.
Like all good designs, we've included flexibility in the final product to help tailor the boat to your requirements.
Specifications-wise the 8' Pram is one of the lightest boats available whilst maintaining the capability to go 90% of the places big boats can go in addition to small water bodies that are prohibitive to big boats..
The Difference
The outcome of a well-developed product combined with a solid wooden base is easy boating. Add a touch of tailoring and you'll be on the water ready for adventure.
Just as wood floats on water our boats have inherent safety features other hull materials could only dream of. We then build on this with longitudinal buoyancy chambers providing a high standard of seaworthiness and providing a highly functional seat rail.
The functionality keeps coming with several configurations available to fit your boating adventure.
The Build
Production built means we've done this before.
Modern epoxide glues are the main weapon and this is what separates our product from your granddad's project. There is no metal, not an ounce of caulking and the maintenance plan is in line with that of any modern boat.
After completing the boat to your desire we then use a tough-as-nails polyurethane paint to give maritime performance and a product that will last a lifetime.
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Why an 8' Dinghy?
An eight-foot dinghy is more than enough for the modest person to get out on the water and achieve ambitious adventures.
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These boats fit in the back of a station wagon, in a van, on regular roof racks or even in a standard box trailer. Weighing in at a carton and a half of beer allows you to simply carry the boat down to the water or even drop it off the end of a jetty.
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Once on the water you'll have access to waterways that big boats can only dream of. Just like fishing from kayak but with added real estate for comfort and with the inherently shallow draft almost makes it a challenge to run aground.
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Specific to the Mountain Boats 8' Pram, the placement of buoyancy chambers along the side is a great feature in the event of swamping. A handy safety feature giving you the confidence to chase the bigger adventures.
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The buoyancy chambers also double as a clever seat rail allowing you to clip the seats in where you need. No need to sit ontop of the outboard or row from your arm pits and easily trim the boat whether its just you or you have a crew.
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A sensible match for this boat is a small outboard but some people like to keep it simple with a just a pair of oars or a sculling sweep. A sailing kit is available but can add complication for the newbie.
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As a tender to a mothership the only problem is that you might end up leaving the mothership behind while you head off adventuring in the simplicity of a small boat.
Your dinghy
How does one small dinghy boast so much? The answer lies between our novel production method and an understanding of what makes a boat useful for certain tasks. A boat that tries to do everything often does nothing well but a boat built to do what you want will do everything you need.
We've built a few of these now and there are a few consistent themes which is why we now offer this dinghy in 3 pre-defined packages; the Dam Buster, the Cruiser and New Caledonia. No fuss, just remember to pick your colour and we're confident you'll get everything the brochure states.
If you know your boats or need something special we've still got your back at no extra cost. Our novel manufacturing process allows us to switch out parts, add bits and pieces, or finesse the final result to meet your boating desire.
Mission
What is your boating mission? This is the most basic question to tailor your dinghy. Do you see yourself out on the water with a fishing rod or a cold beverage in your hands?
Are you in front of a river or do you have ambitions to cross seas? Perhaps the biggest consideration in your situation may be mobility and storage? Maybe you just need a basic tender with davit lifting points? If we can't work out a solution for your situation we'd rather not sell you a boat.
Propulsion
Paddles, outboards, or one of the many gadgets available online are all capable of moving your boat and we can make sure they fit properly.
Paddles bring a simple solution with the obvious choice being oars. There are many variations in this category though and our recommendation is the sculling sweep.
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Outboards are the most straightforward coming in petrol or electric flavours and can be found for a range of budgets. 1-2 hp is comfortable but we can get heavy duty if you use your tender as a tug boat.
Buoyancy
This is a question of people and places so that you can enjoy safe boating. You might have noticed that wood floats on water and this inherent buoyancy provides Basic Flotation for the Pram but we enhance the safety/functionality with three buoyancy chambers.
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If the buoyancy chambers are sealed as air chambers they provide adequate safety for Level Flotation for up to three people in open water. Maybe you're not planning on sailing to new Caledonia and this space is better utilised as stowage for holding the cheese and baguettes.
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Colour and Style
The complimentary tailoring of your Pram also includes a choice of exterior colour. Where added UV protection is required the inside can be painted as an option.
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The Pram also has a flexible layout with adjustable seats that can even be placed in a forward position off the forward bulkhead. The seat rail follows a standard pattern that enables you to add anything you can clip into the system. This provides the ultimate customisation with rowing seats, bait boards, eskys and anything your imagination details now able to be secured to your dinghy.
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Tailoring Examples
The "cheese & baguette" bow is the basic configuration providing a very practical surface for doing whatever it is you need to do on the water. The compartment underneath can either be sealed for full buoyancy or left open with access to store a packed lunch. This example also has an optional folding stainless steel horned cleat ($65 ea.) which adds a nice bit of bling.
As handy as this configuration is it is not ideal around heavier seas and waves.
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All open bow configurations have a solid plywood border around the access hole to prevent them filling with water if the boat is on its side and a scupper to drain any water if it does get in.
The "wave piercing" bow is made for tackling expansive seaways with its shape built up to handle waves and provide additional buoyancy volume. The addition of this capability to your craft is worth $110.
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The space can be sealed to provide full buoyancy or left open with access dry goods or an anchor.
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The wave piercing bow does have a bit of extra wood in it so it will add a kilo or two to the weight of your boat.
The transom (back part of the boat) is where all the action happens with outboards, sculling over the stern, or controlling a sailing rig.
The example adjacent to this picture (in Vintage Green) has a reinforced transom with a heavy-duty outboard mount (up to 4hp) in the centre and an auxiliary outboard mount offset. With the addition of a mounting point all transoms can handle 2.5 hp.
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Adding motor mounts does add weight so don't get more than you care to carry.
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Other than leaving the original curve of the transom the most basic thing we can do is add a sculling notch which doesn't cost a cent. We love sculling over the stern so it's our pleasure to bring you the capability.
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An offset motor mount is ideal with light outboards as it increases the cruising comfort and the sacrifice in performance is negligible. If motoring is the main game then a central mount is the way to go and oarlocks for sculling over the stern can be moved to the offset position.
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