Re: [bolger] Digest Number 2666

Thank you all for the thoughtful comments on Oldshoe. This is a great
group.

BTW I have already built two Bolger boats, the Teal which is a wonderful
rowing and sailing boat, and a kayak (from the Instant Boats book) which
is profoundly tippy and really only suited to children.

Best
Barry

On 14 Oct 2005bolger@yahoogroups.comwrote:

> The square of the bow is up in the air, not the water,
> (99.99% of the time), and the air doesn't care about squareness.

Of course air does care about squareness, albeit not as much as water.
For example, the "Red Cross House" on Islamorada is built with a rounded
facade to deal with the wind, and slip through a tropical storm more
easily than a square building:

http://depts.washington.edu/archdept/welcome_arch/creative/design/design_badanes.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/7jvgl

and click on the picture entitled:

Studio and Tower Addition, Isla Morida, FL, 1991;
Steven P. Badanes with Jersey Devil


But, second of all, it is the case that heavy boats have intertia, and
this can be good. But a heavy *short* boat is not the same as a heavy
long boat. Further, in the very light air of Long Island Sound (it's
frustrating, believe me, I missed some good sailing because of it),
Oldshoe is just not going to be the best choice. Power boat wakes are an
issue in light air (stink pots love flat water), and don't tell me those
waves don't slap the square bow--I own a boat with a very similar bow
sweep are square transom nose--they do. And a lead mine boat will rise to
the waves and wake significantly more slowly than a lightweight boat (like
mine).

I stick with my recommendation--Oldshoe is NOT an ideal boat for Long
Island Sound.

> Chris, I'm not so sure, and I distrust your reasoning. First, the
> sailing conditions on the Chesapeake and LIS are not so very
> different. Second, the ballast is only about equal to another
> passenger. Third, weight is not the important thing; power/weight
> ratio (e.g. sail area/displacement ratio) is the important thing, so a
> big rig can save the day. Fourth, sail area / wetted surface ratio is
> the REALLY important number for light air, and heavy boats usually
> have an advantage over light boats.

1) I'll take your word on this--my experience differs, but I've sailed the
Chesapeake only once (in a boat owned by an Oldshoe builder, but it wasn't
an Oldshoe we were in).

2) Yes, OK. One more adult in a very short boat will have a very
significant effect on sailing characteristics.

3) Umm, power weight ratio isn't the *only* thing, mind you. On a
waterline of 3 feet, that ratio will have an very narrow range of effect
on sailng characteristics. Oldshoe has a pretty short DWL.

4) Even granting this, Oldshoe has a large wetted surface for its length.
Heavy boats have an advantage ONLY in some conditions. Light, fluky, puffy
air are not ideal conditions for heavy boats, and LFP describe LIS on a
typical nice Saturday noon.

> I would think Oldshoe would be great in Fischer's Island Sound, the
> Thimble Islands, and anywhere west of Norwalk Harbor/Norwalk Islands
> on the Connecticut shore. And rivers/harbors in Bridgeport, Milford,
> New London, etc. It might not be so good in places such as south of
> the bridge at Niantic Bay because the shore is severe and
> uninteresting (though it would be dandy north of the bridge).

Perhaps. Of course, the Thimbles are barely offshore, and if you're not
going any distance at all, which boat you have won't matter much.

> When sailing in any appreciable wind, wouldn't Oldshoe heeled slice
> the water with the chine, not bulldoze it with the bow?

You'll have to define appreciable. My guess is that "appreciable" will
exceed the median wind speed for LIS.


There are lotsa good boat for LIS. The right start is an unballasted
sharpie, or a catboat, IMO.


Chris Crandallcrandall@...(785) 864-4131
Department of Psychology University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 66045
I have data convincingly disconfirming the Duhem-Quine hypothesis.