Marsh Hen

For the bird species, see Moorhen.

Marsh Hen

M H
Development
Designer	Reuben Trane
Location	United States
Year	1981
No. built	40
Builder(s)	Florida Bay Boat Company
Role	Cruiser
Name	Marsh Hen
Boat
Displacement	650 lb (295 kg)
Draft	3.25 ft (0.99 m) with centerboard down
Hull
Type	Monohull
Construction	Fiberglass
LOA	17.33 ft (5.28 m)
LWL	16.25 ft (4.95 m)
Beam	6.25 ft (1.91 m)
Engine type	Outboard motor
Hull appendages
Keel/board type	centerboard
Rudder(s)	transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig type	cat rig
Sails
Sailplan	Sprit rigged catboat
Mainsail area	155.00 sq ft (14.400 m2)
Total sail area	155.00 sq ft (14.400 m2)

The Marsh Hen is an American trailerable sailboat that was designed by Reuben Trane as a pocket cruiser and first built in 1981. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Production

The design was built by Reuben Trane's Florida Bay Boat Company in the United States. A total of 40 boats were completed between 1981 and 1987 when the company went out of business. A series of other builders acquired the molds for the Marsh Hen and the company's other designs and resumed production of some models on a limited basis. Other builders included Mirage Fiberglass (1988-1991), Custom Fiberglass (1992-1997), Sovereign America (1997) and Nimble Boats (1998-2003). Production of the design was curtailed by 2003 and the molds purchased by Marine Concepts, although no further boats have been built. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Design

The Marsh Hen is a recreational centerboard boat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with teak wood trim. It has a catboat spritsail rig, with aluminum spars. The double-ended, canoe-type hull has a plumb stem, an angled transom, a shallow-draft, transom-hung rudder controlled by a teak tiller and retractable centerboard. It displaces 650 lb (295 kg). ^{[1] [3]}

The boat has a draft of 3.25 ft (0.99 m) with the centerboard extended and 6 in (15 cm) with it retracted, allowing beaching or ground transportation on a trailer. ^[1]

The boat is normally fitted with a small, well-mounted, outboard motor for docking and maneuvering, but also can be rowed and is equipped with oarlocks. ^[1]

The open-boat design has a dodger that was factory-supplied as standard equipment. This acts as a sort of cabin top to provide sleeping accommodation for two people. The boat has a built-in ice chest and a portable-type head along with six lockers for stowage. ^[3]

For sailing the design is equipped with built-in flotation and a self-bailing cockpit. ^[3]

Operational history

In a 1994 review Richard Sherwood wrote that the "hull shape has evolved from working boats of the Chesapeake, and the rudder and spritsail rig are also traditional. The Marsh Hen was designed as a pocket cruiser." ^[3]

See also

• List of sailing boat types

Related development

• Bay Hen 21
• Peep Hen 14

References

1. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Marsh Hen sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
2. McArthur, Bruce (2020). "Reuben Trane". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
3. Sherwood, Richard M.: A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Edition, pages 82-83. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1994. ISBN   0-395-65239-1
4. Edelman, Michael J. (2007). "History of the Peep Hen". peephens.org. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.