[bolger] Re: Beth
Well, BETH is pretty much a racing (or say "performance") sailing
canoe, not the "cruising canoe" of earlier years.
I'd be inclined to use it as a sailing canoe, not a workboat. I
wouldn't really want to try and make it do duty as a flat-bottomed
skiff on a river trip on a prairie river, though a determined traveler
could surely cruise in her a la Bishop and his "Paper Canoe".
canoe, not the "cruising canoe" of earlier years.
I'd be inclined to use it as a sailing canoe, not a workboat. I
wouldn't really want to try and make it do duty as a flat-bottomed
skiff on a river trip on a prairie river, though a determined traveler
could surely cruise in her a la Bishop and his "Paper Canoe".
On the subject of Beth, Michael Storer's design,
The dimensions don't really suggest instability, just
the need for ballast in lively sailing. There's alot
of variables here such as how much sail your carrying
plus wind conditions etc. I'm presently building a
14" canoe yawl designed in 1889 which used 120LBs in
ballast in leather sand bags. Quite a few of the
sailing designs depicted in W.P. Stephen's "Canoe
and Boatbuilding" were identical in dimension to
"Beth" and were very seaworthy with the right amount
of ballast. Sorry to wonder off track although I'm
sure Mr. Bolger would agree that even some of his designs
would benifit from ballast or reefing in the correct
conditions.
Thanks, Gerald
The dimensions don't really suggest instability, just
the need for ballast in lively sailing. There's alot
of variables here such as how much sail your carrying
plus wind conditions etc. I'm presently building a
14" canoe yawl designed in 1889 which used 120LBs in
ballast in leather sand bags. Quite a few of the
sailing designs depicted in W.P. Stephen's "Canoe
and Boatbuilding" were identical in dimension to
"Beth" and were very seaworthy with the right amount
of ballast. Sorry to wonder off track although I'm
sure Mr. Bolger would agree that even some of his designs
would benifit from ballast or reefing in the correct
conditions.
Thanks, Gerald