Design and Construction
Build simplicity sets the Northeaster Dory apart from earlier dory kits. Its hull goes together using CLC’s patented LapStitch method: pre-cut planks are wired together and epoxied, with no ladder frame or molds required.
The hull planking is 6mm okoume. The bottom is 9mm plywood, fiberglassed on both sides and up onto the side planking, while the bulkheads are laminated from layers of 9mm plywood. Once epoxied together, the hull weighs roughly 100 pounds and is very strong.
All hull parts come computer-cut from BS 1088 okoume marine plywood, with holes pre-drilled and frame locations marked. The kit also includes spanish cedar rails and cypress-and-cedar seats. Builders receive a spiral-bound, 143-page manual in which every step is photographed or diagrammed, with dimensions given in both metric and standard units. CLC rates the build five out of five for ease of construction, at beginner skill level, and estimates 120 hours to complete.
Rig and Handling
Under sail, the Northeaster Dory is fast, stiff, and close-winded. Its narrow waterline makes the hull easy to drive, and it jumps up to speed in light air.
The sloop rig follows the proportions of traditional recreational dory rigs and descends from the Beachcomber-Alpha. Harris retained the standing rigging and sail track but replaced turnbuckles with simple snaphooks, allowing the shrouds to clip onto the chainplates for quick rigging and downrigging. The small, “handkerchief” jib is integral to the boat’s performance because it directs air over the low-aspect mainsail; Harris notes that dropping it leaves the boat dead. Taking in the jib also provides a convenient first reef.
A lug-rig option joined the range in 2012. It’s quicker to set up and easier to reef or stow afloat, though not quite as fast as the sloop. The lug rig can be added to a rowing hull or retrofitted to an existing sloop boat, and the showroom boat can swap between the two rigs in minutes.
A daggerboard keeps construction simple. A yoke-and-draglink tiller improves crew seating under sail.
Performance Under Oars and Sail
The narrow waterline produces a fast hull under either sail or oars, while the flared topsides provide ample reserve stability. Like all dories, the Northeaster tracks well, has a long glide, and stays dry in waves.
Test sailors found that it accelerates admirably even in light airs. When sailed bolt upright, however, the boat has a slight tendency to pound. Holding about 10 degrees of heel brings a chine into the waves and noticeably smooths the ride.
The boat is small enough for one person to row but large enough for tandem rowing with two adults. A drop-in sliding seat converts the stock rowing version to sliding-seat mode in minutes, allowing fast, dry open-water rowing.
Maximum payload is 800 pounds, and both cockpit room and payload receive ratings of five out of five. Four adults can sit comfortably. The Northeaster Dory is also stiffer and carries more passengers than the Gloucester Light Dory.
Ownership, Upgrades, and Equipment
Because owners can add the sailing rig at any time, many begin with a rowing hull and install the sailing component kit later. The sloop upgrade puts the mainsail on a track for easier dock handling and is required to reach the reef. The lug option can also be retrofitted to an existing sloop boat.
Douglas Fowler Sailmakers in New York builds the sails, and CLC offers a kick-up rudder for beaching. With its roughly 100-pound hull and beginner-friendly, 120-hour build, the Northeaster Dory can serve as a first boatbuilding project and remain useful as both a daysailer and rowboat for decades.
Known Issues
The main handling quirk appears when the boat is sailed flat. Period testing recorded a slight tendency to pound with the hull bolt upright. Holding 10 degrees of heel resolves it by bringing a chine into the waves. The known service note is therefore a tuning point rather than a fault.
The Verdict
The Northeaster Dory is a rare design that succeeds equally as a rowboat and daysailer. Its kit is simple enough for a beginner to build, and the hull is light enough to cartop yet strong enough to carry an 800-pound payload. The narrow waterline gives quick performance in light air, while the lug-rig option adds beach-and-row versatility without compromising the sloop rig’s close-winded performance.
Pros
- Easily driven, narrow-waterline hull that accelerates in light air and stays dry in waves
- Beginner-level, 120-hour kit build using the patented LapStitch method, with no molds required
- 800-pound payload and comfortable seating for four adults
- Choice of a quick-rigging sloop or retrofittable lug rig from a single designer lineage
Cons
- Slight pounding when sailed bolt upright, until the boat is heeled 10 degrees
- Modest sail area of 68 square feet limits top-end speed compared with larger daysailers
