As a starter, I would suggest that you have a look at
http://www.bateau.com/free/freeplans.htm
The Sabot or D4 ( 8' 0" lg.) is designed to be build with standard size (4'
X 8' ) plywood sheet.
It sails well but does required some degree of agility. Under oars it
performs very well.
The other one is the Shellback sailing dinghy its about 10'-2" LOA. To
build this one you may have to buy the plans.
Under sail it performs well but its rowing performance is not as good as the
D4 (Sabot).

"Shaun Van Poecke" wrote in message
...
Im currently landlocked at Mt Isa in australia, a full days drive from any
water except a large lake. Ill be here for the next 6-12 months and I'd
like to build a small sailing dinghy partly for the amusement for it and
to
have something to sail.

Im hoping to build something around 8-10 feet and around 4-5 feet beam to
be sailed by only one
person (me) i'm 6'3 and 230. This will be a very cheap project for me, Im
hoping to use an unstayed mast and make sails myself from tyvek. Ive been
reading a good book lately on junk sails and it has very good directions
on
making a junk sail for a 9' dinghy. I'd like to keep it short so i can
car
top it, but thinking about it a bit more deeply, if its going to be too
heavy for me to manhandle off the roof then the consideration of length
really isnt that important; I'd have to make a trailer for it anyway.

I'll be using plywood, probably just plain garden variety, and painting it
when im done. Realistically, im not planning on selling it, and it if
would
last 6 months I'd be pretty happy.

What im looking for is some simple dimensions or better yet plans for a
boat
that would suit my needs. It neednt be too seaworthy, but something that
can take a bit of speed would be nice ;-) Will i get a hull in the 10
foot
range that will be able to get on the plane with someone as heavy as i am,
or will i need to go something more like 13-14' to get that? The simplest
construction possible would be
what im looking for, probably a centreboard boat?

If there are no plans available, even a name of a boat i can get some
pictures of would do. Im willing to experiment. I have a good size
workshop with most of the tools i'll need.

Thanks,
Shaun