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The Silmaril is a sail-and-oar dinghy designed jointly by François Vivier and Emmanuel Conrath around ten years ago and available as a kit, ready built boats or as a supported build project through Arwen Marine, Emmanuel’s company. The range was subsequently expanded to include the Grand Silmaril, measuring 5.08 m. The distinctive feature of these two boats is their lightness, achieved through a construction using plywood, fibreglass and epoxy, with a deliberate decision to exclude solid timber entirely.

Emmanuel has decided to bring the wonderful adventure of Arwen Marine to a close, retiring to a spot near the Gulf of Morbihan, where he will surely be found at the helm of one of his boats. Arwen Marine initially marketed in France the kits designed in the USA by Chesapeake Light Craft and will continue to distribute the American kits in France with a new team at the helm.

We have therefore decided that the plans for the Silmaril and Grand Silmaril will now be marketed by VivierBoats. The kits, or ready-to-sail boats, are offered by my partners, in particular the Grand-Largue boat yard in France and Fyne Boat Kits in the UK. VivierBoats also sells the CNC cutting files for the plywood, which should help to expand the range beyond France.

The plan packages for these boats are currently being revised to adapt to this new distribution method, in the usual format of François Vivier’s plans. It is now possible to order the plans for the Grand Silmaril; the rigging plans, which are not yet complete, will be supplied well before the hull is ready to be rigged.