Re: Old designers never die...
As I finish the refit and the new mizzen tabernacle on AS29 Lady Kate, I'm almost overwhelmed thinking the directions and new possibilities that Bolger and his boats opened up for me and pointed me down over the last twenty years. Most appear to have little to do with the boats at first glance: some things were simple synchronicity, others a deep causal chain.
Although we'd not been in touch for some while, I've cherished the association with Phil, and the deep affection for the boats has only strengthened with the passing years.
I'm saddened more than I realised by Phil's passing, but I won't begrudge his choice. There will be (are!) plenty of eulogies, but as we applaud after the curtain, I would like to add my applause to Bruce's and others, for Susanne--his wife, his collaborator and co-worker and co-designer, and his staunchest defender and protector these last more than fifteen years.
Tim Fatchen
"Lost Beyond Recall", on www.myspace.com/timfatchen seems appropriate as my personal farewell. The boat is Martha Jane "Shirley Valentine" sailing on the now vanished Lake Alexandrina.
Although we'd not been in touch for some while, I've cherished the association with Phil, and the deep affection for the boats has only strengthened with the passing years.
I'm saddened more than I realised by Phil's passing, but I won't begrudge his choice. There will be (are!) plenty of eulogies, but as we applaud after the curtain, I would like to add my applause to Bruce's and others, for Susanne--his wife, his collaborator and co-worker and co-designer, and his staunchest defender and protector these last more than fifteen years.
Tim Fatchen
"Lost Beyond Recall", on www.myspace.com/timfatchen seems appropriate as my personal farewell. The boat is Martha Jane "Shirley Valentine" sailing on the now vanished Lake Alexandrina.
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, Bruce Hallman <bruce@...> wrote:
>snip
> And
> we must also recognize that 150 of those designs spanning 15 years
> time where made as Phil Bolger and Friends, teamed in full
> collaboration with Susan Altenburger, and a large subset of these
> which we love and call "Bolger" were actually mostly of her creation.
>
> For that matter, PCB was hardly an "iconic American boat designer," he wasI am biased for sure, but considering the wide spectrum of Bolger
> surely an iconoclast! <g>
designs, some of the more famous were iconoclastic, and many were
mainstream, traditional and conservative. With 680 numbered designs,
not counting numbered variations (six light dory's sharing the same
number), and perhaps a hundred un-numbered 'cartoon' designs. (My
favorite rowboat design, Cartoon 5, was unnumbered.)
Perhaps 750 designs, spanning five decades. Phil Bolger might likely
be unsurpassed, measured in prolificacy, versatility, depth and
breadth by any other boat designer in the history of the world. And
we must also recognize that 150 of those designs spanning 15 years
time where made as Phil Bolger and Friends, teamed in full
collaboration with Susan Altenburger, and a large subset of these
which we love and call "Bolger" were actually mostly of her creation.
I disagree that Chapelle was in the running as an "iconic American boat
designer." H. I. Chapelle did design boats, but his main influence was as
a recorder and champion of _traditional_ American working boats. I'm sure
PCB was refering to clearing his head of all those traditional ideas. ;o)
For that matter, PCB was hardly an "iconic American boat designer," he was
surely an iconoclast! <g>
designer." H. I. Chapelle did design boats, but his main influence was as
a recorder and champion of _traditional_ American working boats. I'm sure
PCB was refering to clearing his head of all those traditional ideas. ;o)
For that matter, PCB was hardly an "iconic American boat designer," he was
surely an iconoclast! <g>
On Tue, 26 May 2009 13:34:43 -0700, John wrote:
> To borrow from our cousin fishermen, "fishermen never die, they just
> smell that way."
>
> Among his funny statements, one stands out for me: he said that he came
> into his own as a designer when he finally purged all of Howard
> Chappele's teaching from his mind.
>
> Chappele was, of course, Bolger's only real competition as the iconic
> American boat designer.
--
John <jkohnen@...>
There is only one difference between a madman and me. The madman
thinks he is sane. I know I am mad. <Salvador Dali>
To borrow from our cousin fishermen, "fishermen never die, they just smell that way."
Among his funny statements, one stands out for me: he said that he came into his own as a designer when he finally purged all of Howard Chappele's teaching from his mind.
Chappele was, of course, Bolger's only real competition as the iconic American boat designer.
~~John
Among his funny statements, one stands out for me: he said that he came into his own as a designer when he finally purged all of Howard Chappele's teaching from his mind.
Chappele was, of course, Bolger's only real competition as the iconic American boat designer.
~~John