Design and Construction
The hull is hand-laid fiberglass with closed-cell flotation and a wide beam, hard chine, and flat bottom hand-laid fiberglass with closed cell floatation. That flat-bottomed, hard-chine form is what lets her perform well in light breezes or a stiff wind, and it also gives her a minimal draft of roughly four to six inches with the board up. The cockpit carries non-skid flooring, and the hull is designed to be 80-percent self-bailing, an unusual figure for a boat this size and a real asset when a sudden squall dumps water aboard. With a 13-foot 5-inch waterline and a mast height of 20 feet 6 inches, she floats high and carries her 340 pounds lightly; the builder rated the supplied galvanized trailer at 700 pounds with a mast stanchion and winch, easily towed behind smaller cars.
Rig and Handling
The 14.6 is a fractional sloop carrying 112 square feet of Dacron in main and jib. A tabernacle mast allows quick stepping and easy retrieval at the end of the day, and the standard package includes color-coded main and jib lines plus simple up and down colored lines for centerboard control. Anodized spars and Harken blocks are fitted, and the builder claimed these quality parts assure years of maintenance-free use for the new owner. The rudder system raises or lowers from the cockpit and is designed to kick up and spring down as necessary, protecting the blade in shallow water or on a beach. A topping lift system is standard, and the boat can take an outboard on a motor mount bracket.
Accommodations
This is a daysailer, not a cruiser, but the cockpit is genuinely large for the length. It offers room for four adults, with generous freeboard, comfortable seats, and backrests. At the ends of the seats are locations sized for drink coolers or a battery box, and a large built-in storage compartment sits under the deck, reached through a hatch door for forward storage. The cockpit's volume, combined with the stable hull form, is why the design is recognized as an extremely stable, roomy, dry daysailer providing fun for all ages.
Known Issues
The one design characteristic a buyer should understand is the 80-percent self-bailing claim: the hull is designed to clear most water on its own, but the remaining 20 percent must be managed by the crew, so the boat is not fully self-draining and should not be left unattended with the drain paths blocked. The kick-up rudder and weighted fiberglass centerboard are simple, but their pivot and spring mechanisms are moving parts in the water and deserve a functional check.
The Verdict
The American 14.6 is a purpose-built entry-level daysailer that succeeds on its own terms. The flat-bottom centerboard hull makes her stable and easy to drive in a wide wind range, the tabernacle rig and cockpit-controlled rudder make launch and retrieval genuinely hassle-free, and the big cockpit with built-in storage makes a day on the water uncomplicated. She is not a racer and not a camper, but as a stable, dry, trailerable sailboat for newcomers and families she is well resolved.
Pros
- Wide, flat-bottom hull with hard chine delivers stability and performs in light or stiff breeze
- 80-percent self-bailing hull with closed-cell flotation and non-skid cockpit
- Tabernacle mast and cockpit-raised kick-up rudder simplify launch, retrieval, and grounding
- Large cockpit for four adults with under-deck storage and cooler/battery locations
- 112 sq ft Dacron rig with color-coded lines; anodized spars and Harken blocks as standard
Cons
- Only 80-percent self-bailing; not fully self-draining
- Daysailer only; no overnight accommodation or enclosed cabin
- Kick-up rudder and centerboard are moving parts needing periodic function checks
