[bolger] Re: A boat for all (well most) applications?

>Bolger has not designed very many simplified v-bottom hulls. (Slicer,
>in BWAOM, is one.) Especially in the past, his boats are mostly
>either flat-bottom or fully-developed (and very sweet) round-bottom
>boats. If you consider the more complicated construction, one of the
>Shivaree-series hulls would probably serve.

I don't thing these would be as hard as a plywood boat builder might
first think.

1) Setting up a strong back and molds ain't so hard.

2) Adapting Reuel Parker's 'New Cold-molding' technique would make it
easier to get a fair hull.

3) The resulting boat would be fast and pretty. Build the 25 footer
as an open boat, with a mind to coverting to a cabin cruiser when you
were finished dragging skiers behind you.

I bet the hull could be turned out in 6-8 weekends. I suppose the
fitting out would be faster in a square boat, but I think the time
that takes is more a function of how much cabinetry, not hull shape.

If I came into a 50hp motor by accident, I'd start a Shivaree today!

YIBB,

David
--

C.E.P.
415 W.46th Street
New York, New York 10036
http://www.crumblingempire.com
Mobile (646) 325-8325
Office (212) 247-0296
> I really want to build "an extremely easy to build, fast,
> efficient, comfortable and affordable camp cruiser".

I have a couple of responses to your question, but the first and best
is to fax the question to Mr. Bolger himself. He is responsive to
this type of question.

Most designers would reply that a hull designed for ski-boat speeds
will be unsuited to chugging along at diesel cruiser speeds. Mr.
Bolger, on the other hand, has remarked several times in print that a
high-speed hull may make an untidy wake at low speeds, but it is not
as inefficient as it appears. So, he is one of the few to entertain
your wish list.

Bolger has not designed very many simplified v-bottom hulls. (Slicer,
in BWAOM, is one.) Especially in the past, his boats are mostly
either flat-bottom or fully-developed (and very sweet) round-bottom
boats. If you consider the more complicated construction, one of the
Shivaree-series hulls would probably serve.

A more likely option is one of his box-cutwater boats, e.g. Hawkeye
or Retriever. Perhaps Retriever could be built as an open boat now
with the cabin added later. Or perhaps the Fast Motorsailer...

Finally, there is the Bantam 16/20, as shown here:
http://www.treasurecoasthouseboatrentals.com/
This could certainly be built as an open boat now, with the glass top
added later. You would have to ask if this could take the power to
reach ski-boat speeds.

I think any of these will exceed your 200hr estimate, and I would
also guess that Bolger will recommend a 4-cycle gas engine over
diesel.

Peter (who has probably forgotten about some other worthy
possibilities)
Mike, with the crew you have and the exploration you want to do why
not build the Buehler Pilgrim and use any old motor even a Chevy V-8
to power it. Trailering one you would have to buy permits but I have
trailered several big 50' boats with permits behind my Dodge Diesel
with a pilot car no problems. Buehler claims an inexpensive do
anything cruiser with the Pilgrim. You can even have an outboard
model.

Just do it and have a large cruiser before you get a huge cruiser.

John






--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Michael C. Kelly" <mikelly@a...>
wrote:
> I really want to build "an extremely easy to build, fast,
efficient,
> comfortable and affordable camp cruiser". (Fast to me means 6
months
> building, about 200 hr.). Call me a poor boy dreamer, but I'm
wondering
> if one of the Bolger designs could be used to play on the weekends
(and
> to my 5 teenage kids that means tubing and/or ski); Then later, be
> modified to be an old couples' diesel trailerable cruiser for trips
on
> Lake Erie (in 3 ' waves and wind resistance) and down the Ohio,
> Tenn-Tomm ( the great loop) where it will need to deal with tug
boat
> wakes and 4 knot head currents.
>
> Forgive me, but I've not read Bolger ( I plan to) , but I can't see
how
> a bow without a V can take a side wake? I've been beat to death in
flat
> bottom Jon boats, and our old 22" Larson Trihull would really rock
and
> roll in a strong side wake. Do most of the power designs mean that
they
> are applicable to only gentle, protected river cruising? If so,
that's
> fine, but I'd really like to find a design that can cross some of
these
> usage boundaries. (We plan to build a large Buehler design for our
> retirement/live aboard home, but it sure would be fun to have a low
cost
> "woody" camper/ weekender for the next 10 years).
>
> All opinions welcome.
>
> Mike
I really want to build "an extremely easy to build, fast, efficient,
comfortable and affordable camp cruiser". (Fast to me means 6 months
building, about 200 hr.). Call me a poor boy dreamer, but I'm wondering
if one of the Bolger designs could be used to play on the weekends (and
to my 5 teenage kids that means tubing and/or ski); Then later, be
modified to be an old couples' diesel trailerable cruiser for trips on
Lake Erie (in 3 ' waves and wind resistance) and down the Ohio,
Tenn-Tomm ( the great loop) where it will need to deal with tug boat
wakes and 4 knot head currents.

Forgive me, but I've not read Bolger ( I plan to) , but I can't see how
a bow without a V can take a side wake? I've been beat to death in flat
bottom Jon boats, and our old 22" Larson Trihull would really rock and
roll in a strong side wake. Do most of the power designs mean that they
are applicable to only gentle, protected river cruising? If so, that's
fine, but I'd really like to find a design that can cross some of these
usage boundaries. (We plan to build a large Buehler design for our
retirement/live aboard home, but it sure would be fun to have a low cost
"woody" camper/ weekender for the next 10 years).

All opinions welcome.

Mike