Peep Hen 14

Description

The Peep Hen (also known as the Peep Hen 14) is an American trailerable pocket cruiser sailboat designed by Reuben Trane and first built in 1981 by Florida Bay Boat Company (USA). It features fiberglass construction, a gaff-headed cat rig (single sail on a gaff spar for simplicity and power), a ballasted centerboard keel (for stability and shallow draft when up), positive flotation, a small cuddy cabin with berths (often two quarter berths over 6' long), and a self-bailing cockpit—designed for easy solo handling, quick rigging/launching (under 10 minutes single-handed), and comfortable coastal cruising or daysailing in protected waters. It's praised in owner communities (e.g., Hens Nest group, blogs like Sailing Auklet) for packing surprising accommodations and seaworthiness into a compact 14-footer, with good performance in varied winds, dry ride, and trailerability behind small vehicles; production ran until around 2003 (limited numbers, likely in the low hundreds based on active used listings and forums), now long out of production but with a cult following among small-boat enthusiasts for its quirky chicken-themed name (part of Trane's "hen" series including Bay Hen, Mud Hen, Marsh Hen) and practical design.