The Howmar 12, sometimes written Howmar Twelve, is an American sailing dinghy that was designed by Craig V. Walters of

Sparkman & Stephens Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with offices in Newport, Rhode Island and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new and existing vessels for pleasure, commercial, and milita ...

as a one-design racer, trainer and day sailer and first built in 1983.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition'', pages 16-17. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994.

Production

The design was Sparkman & Stephens' design #2405. It was built by Howmar Boats Inc. and its successor company, The New Howmar Boats Corp, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, starting in 1983. A total of 200 boats were completed, but it is now out of production.

Design

The Howmar 12 is a recreational

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

, built predominantly of

fiberglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth ...

, with wood trim and foam flotation. It has a fractional

sloop A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast typically having only one headsail in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of (behind) the mast. Such an arrangement is called a fore-and-aft rig, and can be rigged as a Bermuda rig with triangular sa ...

with anodized

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

spars and a loose-footed mainsail, with an adjustable outhaul. The hull features a nearly

plumb stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a vertical

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

, a transom-hung

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally aircraft, air or watercraft, water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

and a retractable

centerboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

. Both the centerboard and rudder are made from polyurethane. The boat displaces and is self-bailing. The boat has a draft of with the centerboard extended and with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer or car roof rack. The design's sharp prow is intended to cut though waves and the design is capable of planing. It incorporates dry storage in a bow compartment. Factory options included a boom vang, a hinged

mast Mast, MAST or MASt may refer to: Engineering * Mast (sailing), a vertical spar on a sailing ship * Flagmast, a pole for flying a flag * Guyed mast, a structure supported by guy-wires * Mooring mast, a structure for docking an airship * Radio mast ...

step,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

straps and a mount for an outboard motor.

Operational history

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote, "roomy for its size, the Howmar Twelve is a racer, trainer, and day sailer. The hull’s light weight makes for easy cartopping."

References

External links

Howmar 12 photoHowmar 12 photo
{{Sailing dinghies and skiffs Dinghies 1980s sailboat type designs Sailboat type designs by Craig V. Walters Sailboat types built by Howmar Boats Sailboat types built by The New Howmar Boats Corp

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References

External links