CALLAGHAN DESIGN

High-performance dinghies, trailer-sailers and innovative sailing craft.

I'm Keith Callaghan, trading as Callaghan Design. I have been designing and building racing dinghies and small yachts for over 60 years, from National Merlin Rockets and the Hadron H2 singlehander to the Blue Lightning and Bluestorm trailer-sailers.

Most of my designs are suitable for amateur construction, and all but the largest are easy to tow behind a 2 litre vehicle.

See all my designs Buy plans Watch them sailing
  • More than 100 Hadron H2s sold
  • About 120 National Merlin Rockets built
  • More than 156,000 hits on my YouTube channel
YY27 (Blue Flame) YY27 (Blue Flame) Blue Lightning Bluestorm BlueMotion 550 BlueMotion 550 YY27 BlueMotion 550 BlueMotion 550 Bluestorm 900 Hadron singlehander Hadron singlehander Hazardous National Merlin Rocket Izivungu MR3750 Wicked Bluestorm 900 Hadron H2 Wicked
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A few of my current designs. The full list is further down the page.

All my designs

Each name links to the page for that design.

Sports trailer-sailers

Design Length overall Towing weight, including trailer Berths
BLUEEYES series 5.55m and 6.0m 850kg 2
BLUE SKIES 5.6m 1050kg 3
BLUE LIGHTNING 6.73m 1150kg 3
BLUESTORM 700 7.0m 1200kg 4
BLUESTORM 750 7.5m 1900kg 2-4
BLUESTORM 800 8.0m 2000kg 2-4
YY27 (BLUE FLAME) 8.2m 2100kg 2
BLUESTORM 900 9.0m 2300kg 4

High performance dinghies and dayboats

Design Length overall Description
NATIONAL MERLIN ROCKETS: "Hazardous" series 4.27m High performance 2-person dinghy
HADRON H2 4.20m High performance singlehander dinghy, carbon composite
HADRON H1 4.27m High performance singlehander dinghy, wood
BLUEMOTION 550 (BM550) 5.5m High performance dayboat
H480 4.80m Ballasted 2-3 person dinghy
TSR 4.20m High performance singlehander riverboat
HIGHLIGHT 5.5m Performance dayboat
HEATWAVE 4.27m High performance singlehander dinghy
HAZE 4000 4.00m Ballasted singlehander dinghy
HAWKMOTH 3.35m International Moth dinghy

Utility dinghy

Design Length overall Description
HUFFLER 2.70m Sailing or rowing pram dinghy

Non-current designs

Design Length overall Description
NATIONAL MERLIN ROCKETS: my 1970s designs 4.27m High performance 2-person dinghy
NATIONAL TWELVES 3.66m 2-person racing dinghy
INTERNATIONAL 14s 4.27m High performance 2-person racing dinghy
HARRIER 4.27m GRP singlehander racing dinghy

LIVELY, my Yachting World Rambler.

What every trailer-sailer has

  • Full size berths
  • Full sitting headroom
  • Galley space
  • A large self-draining cockpit
  • An inboard well for the outboard motor
  • A ballasted centreboard, fully enclosed in the hull when raised
  • True trailerability
  • Excellent sailing performance

What "trailer-sailer" means
The Recreational Craft Directive and its impact on DIY builders

Xantia towing Blue Lightning

Racing dinghies are where I started

My design career started with racing dinghies: mainly National Merlin Rockets (about 110 of them were built), but also National Twelves, International 14s and the Harrier singlehander.

The portfolio now includes several singlehanders and the latest Hazardous series of Merlin Rockets.

Plans, parts and advice

Ready to build one? You can buy plans for my designs, or email me with questions about which one suits you.

Buy plans Email me

Jordan Boats can provide a complete set of plywood components, cut to exact shape and size, for any of my designs. Please contact me or Alec Jordan if you want to know more.

See them, follow them, contact me

Watch many of the designs in action on my YouTube channel. For the latest news, follow my Facebook page.

Keith Callaghan, trading as Callaghan Design
7 Ramsey Road, Hadleigh, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP7 6AN, U.K.
Tel: +44 (0)7906 396403
Email: keith@bluelightning.co.uk