Swinging Ballast Concept
http://hallman.org/bolger/SwingingBallastConcept/SwingingBallastConcept.png
Bolger credits Francis Herreshoff for the origin of this idea, but I
think that PCB, in his typical fashion, greatly simplifies and
improves. Reading 'between the lines' of the Cartoon, I believe that
the 'birdwatcher' cabin is of welded steel frame, and the lee boards
(hinging off the upper edges of the cabin) are made at least in part
from steel. Ballast is 200 lbs of lead, each side. Both the lee
boards and the step of the mast adjust by spinning of a nut on a
threaded rod.
Overall, the 26 foot x 4'10' hull and unstayed sprit rig are elegantly
simple (and therefore cheap & quick to build). Quoting Bolger" "The
transparent shelter was an early version of the Birdwatcher idea, to
allow the crew to sit well out to the weather side in shelter (from
the bulletlike spray that would be produced by her expected blinding
speed), and without compromising the buoyancy of the boat."
The boat could be trailered, with the fins, mast and ballast slugs,
carried loose. You would launch and if the ramp was too narrow, you
could assemble the pieces on the beach.
Bolger credits Francis Herreshoff for the origin of this idea, but I
think that PCB, in his typical fashion, greatly simplifies and
improves. Reading 'between the lines' of the Cartoon, I believe that
the 'birdwatcher' cabin is of welded steel frame, and the lee boards
(hinging off the upper edges of the cabin) are made at least in part
from steel. Ballast is 200 lbs of lead, each side. Both the lee
boards and the step of the mast adjust by spinning of a nut on a
threaded rod.
Overall, the 26 foot x 4'10' hull and unstayed sprit rig are elegantly
simple (and therefore cheap & quick to build). Quoting Bolger" "The
transparent shelter was an early version of the Birdwatcher idea, to
allow the crew to sit well out to the weather side in shelter (from
the bulletlike spray that would be produced by her expected blinding
speed), and without compromising the buoyancy of the boat."
The boat could be trailered, with the fins, mast and ballast slugs,
carried loose. You would launch and if the ramp was too narrow, you
could assemble the pieces on the beach.