Design and Construction
The hull is built predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim and foam flotation, a combination that keeps the boat buoyant and low-maintenance while preserving a traditional visual accent. The underbody shows a nearly plumb stem and a vertical transom, and the sharp prow was intended to cut through waves rather than ride over them. Both the centerboard and the transom-hung rudder are molded from polyurethane, and the rudder is controlled by a tiller. A retractable centerboard drops to a draft of 2.5 feet yet lifts to 0.33 feet, which permits beaching or cartopping on a trailer or even a car roof rack. The design is self-bailing, a practical attribute for a dinghy that may ship water in a breeze or during training drills.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the Howmar 12 carries a fractional sloop rig with anodized aluminum spars and a loose-footed mainsail with an adjustable outhaul for shaping power. The rig is simple enough for a trainer yet tuned for one-design competition. With a light displacement hull, the boat is capable of planing and the same low weight makes for easy cartopping, as a period review noted when describing the hull’s portability. The modest beam of five feet keeps the platform narrow but the configuration lends itself to responsive handling in a breeze.
Accommodations and Use
Although a dinghy rather than a cruiser, the Howmar 12 incorporates dry storage in a bow compartment for gear that must stay out of the bilge. Writing in a 1994 assessment, Richard Sherwood described the boat as roomy for its size, an unusual trait in a twelve-foot racer-trainer. The factory offered a mount for an outboard motor as an option, extending its utility as a tender or harbor runabout, while the standard role remained racing, instruction, and day sailing.
Factory Options
Beyond the outboard bracket, the original order sheet listed a boom vang, a hinged mast step, and hiking straps as factory options. The hinged mast step simplifies lowering the rig for trailering, and hiking straps speak directly to the boat’s one-design racing intent by letting crew hike effectively to windward.
The Verdict
The Howmar 12 is a focused little dinghy: a Sparkman & Stephens design built in small numbers, intended from the first as a racer, trainer, and day sailer, and executed with cartopping weight, a self-bailing hull, and a retractable board that makes it at home on a beach or a roof rack. Its foam flotation and polyurethane foils keep ownership simple, while the fractional rig and planing ability give it more spark than its length suggests.
Pros
- One-design pedigree from Sparkman & Stephens (design #2405)
- Self-bailing hull with foam flotation and wood trim
- Retractable centerboard enables beaching and cartopping
- Light weight and roomy for its size per period review
Cons
- Only 200 built, so limited availability on the used market
- Minimal accommodation beyond bow dry storage
- Outboard capability was a factory option, not standard
