Summer Ease, more appreciation
I too want to give thanks for being introduced to this boat.
First I must admit that I am not a subscriber to MAIB. This is
probably a false economy. I keep hoping that the Bolger on
Design columns will be collected in book form and that I will
have enough sense to buy it while it is still in print. So until now I
have been unaware of Summer Ease.
This remarkable boat answers two questions that I have had
about Bolger's sharpie designs. The first is why he has not
published anything along the lines of the "improved" sharpies.
Not the "nonpareil" sharpies which would now be considered
simply v-bottom, but earlier Chesapeake and Carolina skiffs
which were flat 'midships but veed elsewhere. A "v" bow is a little
more difficult to build than a flat bottom but would answer two
problems; that of steering difficulty due to immersed forward
chines and that of a flat sharpie bottom slapping at anchor. Here
we have it and a nice conic projection to boot.
The second question is about aesthetic values. I understand
Bolger's arguments for flat sides and transoms on sharpies but
still... he himself has made the comment that there should be a
tax bonus for pretty boats that improve the view. I am glad that in
this case the roundhead puritan in him was overcome by the
cavalier. The flare is not extreme and the transom rake is used to
help hide the motor. Very nice. Maybe he was looking for that tax
break.
Vance
First I must admit that I am not a subscriber to MAIB. This is
probably a false economy. I keep hoping that the Bolger on
Design columns will be collected in book form and that I will
have enough sense to buy it while it is still in print. So until now I
have been unaware of Summer Ease.
This remarkable boat answers two questions that I have had
about Bolger's sharpie designs. The first is why he has not
published anything along the lines of the "improved" sharpies.
Not the "nonpareil" sharpies which would now be considered
simply v-bottom, but earlier Chesapeake and Carolina skiffs
which were flat 'midships but veed elsewhere. A "v" bow is a little
more difficult to build than a flat bottom but would answer two
problems; that of steering difficulty due to immersed forward
chines and that of a flat sharpie bottom slapping at anchor. Here
we have it and a nice conic projection to boot.
The second question is about aesthetic values. I understand
Bolger's arguments for flat sides and transoms on sharpies but
still... he himself has made the comment that there should be a
tax bonus for pretty boats that improve the view. I am glad that in
this case the roundhead puritan in him was overcome by the
cavalier. The flare is not extreme and the transom rake is used to
help hide the motor. Very nice. Maybe he was looking for that tax
break.
Vance