PCB's Bantam Design #654
Since there is some interest in this design, I would be willing to
e-mail part 2 of the article to anyone interested. I have it in jpeg
format and it takes about 1.8 megs for the 4 pages. Posting it to
the files would take a lot of space and I am not sure this would be
appropriate. I only get the daily digest but you can email me
directly. I am a bolger wanta be and have constructed 2 small "instant
boats" from bateau.com which I truly love,run with electric power and
have the bug to build the Bantam. (Thanks PCB, it is nice to have a
positive life change that is challenging, inexpensive???, intense as
you want and fun) My wife who was not a boat person loves the smaller
craft and the remote places they get to on the car and in the
thousands of fresh water lakes and hundreds of miles of great boating
in the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and Nation rivers at my convenience.
Studying under John Bartlett aka captjbturtle has been inspiring for
many reasons, the main one is that John truly loves boats and
especially loves USING boats to cruise and live aboard. The Idaho
like 32 footer Turtle he built is a beauty to see (I posted a picture
in the Bantam file) and to use with all the slight modifications made
for daily comfort --- head, shower capability, dining comfort and the
large double bed make it perfect for remote waterway cruising and
mooring in cities. It always attracts a lot of attention and is a
dream to handle with the drop centreboard and the 9.9 yamaha 4 stroke.
In a few months of cruising the Rideau River in Canada last year, John
used only about 25 gallons of gas. John left the Turtle in Canada for
the winter and is building the Bantam in Florida for winter use there
and possible shipping to Europe for extended cruising. John's
modifications to the Bantam include a forward folding deck. extension
of the transom to make a small but effective rear deck, a folding 2
piece swim platform, double bed arrangement, and a possible
modification to the cabin shape (not discussed with PCB yet). John
also contends that it would be simple to lengthen the craft by 4' or
more in the middle with out compromsing the performance and may even
make it go faster. By shifting the 9.9 off the Turtle and on to the
Bantam for seasons, it makes for an inexpensive sharing of power.
I will be visiting John in Feb to hopefully test the Bantam at the
pontoon boat stage and sharpen up my bulding skills so I can start one
in early spring. My wood heated shop is fine for small boats but the
Bantam is bit big and I am seriously considering adding the 4 feet in
the middle as storage in not a problem. Most of the pieces can be cut
and glassed inside but construction will have to be in the big barn
which is unheated. I have a 16' Javex (Clorox) bottle used for
fishing which I will happily abandon the hull and salvage all the gear
and 25 hp motor for the Bantam. It would be nice to share information
on the construction and learn from others and my own mistakes. I have
been enjoying the Bolger group for about a year as a lurker and like
the wisdom and wit and would like to hear more stories about using the
craft people built. Respectfully Paul McLellan
bysc@...
from the icy grounds of his bird sanctuary where snowshoes and wool
take over from oars and swimsuits.
e-mail part 2 of the article to anyone interested. I have it in jpeg
format and it takes about 1.8 megs for the 4 pages. Posting it to
the files would take a lot of space and I am not sure this would be
appropriate. I only get the daily digest but you can email me
directly. I am a bolger wanta be and have constructed 2 small "instant
boats" from bateau.com which I truly love,run with electric power and
have the bug to build the Bantam. (Thanks PCB, it is nice to have a
positive life change that is challenging, inexpensive???, intense as
you want and fun) My wife who was not a boat person loves the smaller
craft and the remote places they get to on the car and in the
thousands of fresh water lakes and hundreds of miles of great boating
in the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and Nation rivers at my convenience.
Studying under John Bartlett aka captjbturtle has been inspiring for
many reasons, the main one is that John truly loves boats and
especially loves USING boats to cruise and live aboard. The Idaho
like 32 footer Turtle he built is a beauty to see (I posted a picture
in the Bantam file) and to use with all the slight modifications made
for daily comfort --- head, shower capability, dining comfort and the
large double bed make it perfect for remote waterway cruising and
mooring in cities. It always attracts a lot of attention and is a
dream to handle with the drop centreboard and the 9.9 yamaha 4 stroke.
In a few months of cruising the Rideau River in Canada last year, John
used only about 25 gallons of gas. John left the Turtle in Canada for
the winter and is building the Bantam in Florida for winter use there
and possible shipping to Europe for extended cruising. John's
modifications to the Bantam include a forward folding deck. extension
of the transom to make a small but effective rear deck, a folding 2
piece swim platform, double bed arrangement, and a possible
modification to the cabin shape (not discussed with PCB yet). John
also contends that it would be simple to lengthen the craft by 4' or
more in the middle with out compromsing the performance and may even
make it go faster. By shifting the 9.9 off the Turtle and on to the
Bantam for seasons, it makes for an inexpensive sharing of power.
I will be visiting John in Feb to hopefully test the Bantam at the
pontoon boat stage and sharpen up my bulding skills so I can start one
in early spring. My wood heated shop is fine for small boats but the
Bantam is bit big and I am seriously considering adding the 4 feet in
the middle as storage in not a problem. Most of the pieces can be cut
and glassed inside but construction will have to be in the big barn
which is unheated. I have a 16' Javex (Clorox) bottle used for
fishing which I will happily abandon the hull and salvage all the gear
and 25 hp motor for the Bantam. It would be nice to share information
on the construction and learn from others and my own mistakes. I have
been enjoying the Bolger group for about a year as a lurker and like
the wisdom and wit and would like to hear more stories about using the
craft people built. Respectfully Paul McLellan
bysc@...
from the icy grounds of his bird sanctuary where snowshoes and wool
take over from oars and swimsuits.