A rigid, inflatable dory and method for constructing the same. A pre-hull is constructed by attaching to a front end of a rigid, substantially, flat bottom a forwardly inclined stempost and, to a rear end thereof, a rearwardly inclined sternpost, and by attaching left and right garboard plank blanks to the sides of the bottom and to the sides of the stempost and sternpost. The stempost and sternpost are forced toward one another to impart camber and flare to the garboard plank blanks, as by connecting them by a taut rope, thereby converting the blanks into garboard planks. A hull frame is then constructed on the pre-hull, comprising longitudinally spaced apart ribs and laterally spaced apart stringers. A gunwale is attached to an upper edge of each side of the hull frame. An inflatable sponson is mounted exteriorly on each side of the hull. For covering each side of the hull, a water-impervious fabric covering has a lower portion attached to the hull adjacent a garboard plank, an intermediate portion wrapped around a sponson, and an upper portion attached to the hull frame adjacent a gunwale. The method facilitates custom design of dorys as the method requires no plug or jig for forming a hull. The dory is light weight, and the sponsons yield enhanced buoyancy and stability in water, and reduced chance of impact damage to other boats.
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