Re: Bolger tricks

> More than just physical boat geometry issues...

Many of the pieces of wood that go into a Bolger design serve more
than one purpose: the leeboard guard that is also topside stringer,
the cabin hatch rail that is also a deck beam.

Note the location of the pivot of the Teal tiller. It allows the
tiller to lie along the back of the rudder for compact transportation
and storage.

Peter

>[Bolger] obviously thinks out more than meets the eye.

I observe the same.

More than just physical boat geometry issues...
Often, the unseen details in Bolger boats coincide
with the human condition too. I am sure you could
find hundreds of examples of this, but a few of the
most obvious are:

The 'cooperative/competitive' racing rules for the
Pirate Racer class.

The marital harmony considerations of the
'His and Her' schooners.

Making Tortoise just ugly and cheap enough
to render it theft proof.

The most comfortable place to sit in a Birdwatcher
is just the right place to sit to be good ballast.

The foot powered watermaker in Col. Hassler
serves dual purpose of giving pysical exercise
needed during ocean passagemaking.

OK, I'm starting to see why Michalak admires Bolger so much. I'm
building the light schooner, and it only shows one reef. I wanted more
reef points, so I started doing math.

You know what? It comes out perfectly balanced if you simply use each
mast hoop as a reefed tack, and make a line of ties parallel to the
boom. He doesn't say anything about this in the plans, though. He
obviously thinks out more than meets the eye.

Furthermore, if I get tired of all the string-pulling a gaff schooner
requires, the SAME SAILS AND SPARS can be rigged as a pair of balanced
lugs, and the rig STILL comes out balanced! That's just plain freaky.

--Rob
Madison, WI