Grand Silmaril

The Grand Silmaril is a 10% larger version of the Silmaril. Both boats have the same hull shape, which was designed by François Vivier. Here is a summary of their shared features:

• They have a perfect balance between sailing and rowing.
• They are light and easily transportable while remaining safe at sea thanks to their generous freeboard, which doesn’t compromise the boat’s lines.
• The rig options make it compatible with a wide variety of activities.
• It is suitable for camping trips, with storage lockers and the ability to sleep inside.

It is 10% longer, meaning it has 33% more hull volume! The two versions are similar yet different. The choice will therefore depend mainly on the usual crew size and the planned sailing program.

The Silmaril was designed in 2013 to meet Arwen Marine’s specifications. The Grand Silmaril was added in 2022. Arwen Marine is a company founded by Emmanuel Conrath. He sold the boats as kits or ready-to-sail vessels. Conrath also provided guided construction, assisting amateur builders who came to his workshop.  Twenty-two Silmarils and Grand Silmarils have been built using Arwen Marine kits. In 2026, Conrath retired and VivierBoats took over distribution in the form of plans. Kits and ready-to-sail boats are offered by my usual partners.

Design

The hull lines are inspired by Whitehall boats from the U.S. West Coast. They retain the elegant lines and attractive wine glass transom of those boats. The hull is constructed using the lapstrake method with plywood, employing an improved stitch-and-tape process known as LapStitch, invented by John Harris (Chesapeake Light Craft). The planks are rabbeted lengthwise on one side to ensure a better hold for the sewn joints, allowing the hull to be assembled on simple trestles. This eliminates the need for a strong building frame. The designer also proposed an original hull shape featuring a sole that facilitates beaching and launching and a skeg made as an extention of the garboards, similar to some traditional boats, such as the Sea Bright Skiff on the U.S. East Coast.

The boat has two water ballast tanks, one on each side of the centerboard case. These tanks can be emptied and filled by opening an inspection hatch on top to access a drain plug in the hull. This allows for easy filling and emptying. While under sail, the ballast compensate for the light weight of the hull, providing good seakeeping.

With the ballast empty, the boat is lighter for rowing and handling. Note that some Silmarils do not have ballast. This is an option depending on the intended use. The ballasts can be converted into storage space or fixed ballast. It can also be removed entirely, which makes moving around on board easier, but it no longer allows for sleeping.

The two end compartments serve as buoyancy compartments. They can also be used for storage. The forward rowing thwarts is removable to allow sleeping in the boat, whose floors are on the same level. To facilitate cruising, the buoyancy compartments are equipped with access hatches for stowing equipment.

Rigs

Emmanuel has tried out numerous rigs on the Silmaril and Grand Silmaril. From that, I have drawn three rigs, for which the plans are provided:

• The balanced lug, a boomed lug sail, very simple with its single sail, set up in record time. It’s a safe bet and will satisfy most people.
• The lug sloop, is a balanced lug with a jib on a bowsprit. This is partly a new feature, as I have added a second mast step, set further back for better sail balance. With increased sail area, the lug sloop makes for a boat well-suited to a larger crew. In addition, it is possible to sail the boat without a jib, with the mast in the forward position, allowing adaptation to sailing conditions and crew size.
• Finally, the “bourcet-malet”, is a two masted rig which was common on the English Channel French coats. It requires a more experienced crew because there are a lot of lines and spars on board! It is very versatile: it is possible to sail under the mainsail alone, or under the jib and mizzen by lowering the mainsail. This is very useful if a squall hits you, or simply for fishing without the hindrance of a hoisted mainsail. The bourcet-malet is generally reserved for the Grand Silmaril. The mizzen can also stabilize the boat when rowing or at anchor.

Please note that the sails, masts, and spars are all the same, regardless of the version. You can also sail with a mainsail and jib if you tilt the centerboard slightly aft.

Based on experiments by Arwen Marine and my own, the construction package will include drawings and illustrated hardware lists. For several years, carbon masts and spars have been used exclusively on the Silmaril thanks to their extreme lightness, which is much appreciated. However, it will still be possible to request drawings for wooden spars, particularly if there are difficulties sourcing carbon tubes.

Construction

Thanks to its 3D design, this boat is made of plywood parts that were cut using a CNC machine. You can purchase a kit (cut plywood or more) from one of my partners or buy the CNC cutting files and have a local company machine the plywood panels. These services are becoming easier to find.

Silmarils are built almost entirely from plywood, requiring only a small amount of solid wood. This is advantageous for amateur builders who may have difficulty sourcing wood of the required quality. The hull is fully epoxy-sheathed on the inside. Only the sole and lower planks are sheathed on the outside.

Arwen Marine has produced an extremely detailed hull construction manual. I will gradually supplement it with plans and instructions for the rig, as I routinely do for my other plans. You can start building a new boat right away, as the missing plans and documents will be provided in due time. The Silmarils, both small and large, are proven designs!

Kits

Kits are (or will be) available from the following partners:

Grand-Largue / Bateaux en kit (France)
Fyne Boat Kits (UK)
Chase Small Craft (USA)
O’Connor Wooden Boats (Australie)