Re: Idaho's predecessor, Hickman's "Viper" (and FBOC Cartoon #9 and CWS #301)

Wayne,

I'm immensely enjoying reading through these files, and slowly - thanks much for going to the trouble of posting themhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/files/Hickman%27s%20Viper/

PCB wrote discussing the relevant bottom attributes that "... A dead-flat bottom seems to be a primitive surface-effect machine. ..." (Cartoon #9, __A FLAT-BOTTOM OUTBOARD CRUISER__ , page 70, SMALL BOAT JOURNAL #33 October/November 1983). See:

cruiser_text_1.gif, cruiser_text_2.gif, and cruiser2.gif athttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/files/Power%20Sharpies/and;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hallman/2457045511/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/photos/album/1859821559/pic/listBolger mystery boat,
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/photos/album/1237191105/pic/listTurtle ll, and;
John's Mystery Boat (Turtle ll) &etc. threads, eg:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/messages/57515?threaded=1&m=e&var=1&tidx=1

At bottom, right down to 'skids', these VIPER provenanced boats get me wondering about the expected manners and performance of the sailboat Bolger design #301, COLD-WATER SAILBOARD, from __The Folding Schooner__ which has all but a longish dead-flat run. #301 mayn't be long enough in proportion at 15'9" by 3'11", but then it's lighter, so maybe it is expected to perform similarly with enough wind. Also by way of comparison just look at the 15'6" by 4'1" outboard LakeLaunch.gif athttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bolger/files/Power%20Sharpies/

--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Wayne Gilham" <wgilham@...> wrote:
>
> As promised, I HAVE uploaded a good bunch of articles from the
> great "Rudder" magazine of over a century ago, about the build and
> launch of "Viper", which appears to be the design-inspiration (thus
> predecessor) of all of Bolger's "states-class" power-sharpies (and
> of course SneakEasy).

> Settle in for a good long read (early 20th century prose was long-
> winded!!)

> These are informative of how getting speed was an obsession, and
> how it really was for the "inventor" even more than the schooled
> Naval Architect, to come up with breakthru concepts.

> And they are a hoot to read! What amazing prose-style.... Of
> course, Hickman was contentious and a real rascal -- had NO
> public-relations skills -- a true "Flamer" but in PRINT not just
> thru e-mails... there for posterity to read (and chuckle at???)

> They are in the YahooGroup "Bolger - Phil Bolger's Boats" ,
> under "files" in the new folder "Hickman's Viper"

> Enjoy. (heck, there's even a very complete "how to build a Viper"
> article with offsets AND enough construction details to construct
> one in the old plank-on-frame method -- reading THAT will certainly
> make us appreciate Bolger's plywood "box-boat" methods...)

> And throw up your own ideas/feedback... whatever bubbles up from
> your reading of this early
> pioneering work.

> Regards,

> Wayne Gilham

As promised, I HAVE uploaded a good bunch of articles from the great "Rudder" magazine of over a
century ago, about the build and launch of "Viper", which appears to be the design-inspiration (thus
predecessor) of all of Bolger's "states-class" power-sharpies (and of course SneakEasy).



Settle in for a good long read (early 20th century prose was long-winded!!)



These are informative of how getting speed was an obsession, and how it really was for the
"inventor" even more than the schooled Naval Architect, to come up with breakthru concepts.



And they are a hoot to read! What amazing prose-style.... Of course, Hickman was contentious and a
real rascal -- had NO public-relations skills -- a true "Flamer" but in PRINT not just thru
e-mails... there for posterity to read (and chuckle at???)



They are in the YahooGroup "Bolger - Phil Bolger's Boats" , under "files" in the new folder
"Hickman's Viper"



Enjoy. (heck, there's even a very complete "how to build a Viper" article with offsets AND enough
construction details to construct one in the old plank-on-frame method -- reading THAT will
certainly make us appreciate Bolger's plywood "box-boat" methods...)



And throw up your own ideas/feedback... whatever bubbles up from your reading of this early
pioneering work.



Regards,

Wayne Gilham



From: Wayne Gilham [mailto:wgilham@...]
Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 1:46 PM
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [bolger] FOR SALE Bolger Idaho -- and its predecessor, Hickman's "Viper"



AHA! looks like there's an add-on of horizontal "spray-boards" at gunwale forward -- exactly what
Albert Hickman had on "Viper", the 1907 flat-bottom power sharpie that may have been

Bolger's inspiration for this whole fleet of "states-class" boats.



Any comments from Roger (please!), why his splash-boards were added (I presume the flat sides can
give a lot of spray at some wind-angles...) and what effect it had?



On the one long visit with Phil way back in 1982 - that I treasure - he proudly pulled out all the
old feisty "rudder magazine" articles from Hickman, which articles extolled the virtues of the first
"Viper" and (in Hickman's in-imitable grating form) derided all detractors -- great early 20th
century writing!



This original Viper was a long, slender flatbottom.

Length: 20'2"
Beam: 3'6"
Slight rocker: 2-1/4" over 20 ft.
Speed: 3hp= 8mph
7hp= 14.3mph
12hp= 18mph



His subsequent "Viper II" and "Viper IV" played around a bit with the length/beam ratio, but didn't
change much...



Sounds familiar?? Awfully close to "SneakEasy"... or "Tennessee" -- or (of course) "Idaho"



To show the genesis, I have in my files, a two-sheet BOLGER plan, Design #358, with all offsets and
construction details, for a 20'2" x 4'3" flat-bottom slab-side inboard-powered sharpie specifying a
Yanmar 2qm15G inboard (rated 14hp) -- this plan clearly includes the note in Phil's simple/elegant
printed hand, at the bottom of each sheet (next to title block): "Rework of design by Albert
Hickman, 1910" -- so obviously Bolger puts some credence in Hickman's design, to go to all that
effort, to essentially "re-create" this historical boat. Wonder if was ever built??



By the way, THIS Bolger design incorporated similar but much wider and much longer "spray-boards"
than I see on the "Idaho" now for sale, sticking nearly 8" out from the gunwale by the fourth spaced
12" station, and tapering back to only disappear at the twelfth station, thus more than half the
length of the boat! That duplicates the original "Viper" pretty closely...



Bolger also designed around the same time a very similar but larger boat called "Firebrand" to make
use of a client's steam engine -- He thought it would also work to get some creditable speed out of
one of those heavy slow-turning long-stroke Palmer ZR t-head gas-engines, which I owned at the time
-- that was the purpose of our meeting, to discuss what sort of boat might work for this gem of an
old engine. Unfortunately, I lost the engine in a warehouse fire some years later.





I was going to put a link here, to ANY sketch / photo / details of "Viper" that might be on-line,
only to find that (although many blogs or websites REFER TO "Viper" as an important milestone in
boat design) actually there's nothing in the way of a photo out here in the ethers....



So I guess it falls to me, to post the many many many pages I have subsequently copied from 1910 and
1911 "Rudder" (found at the Seattle Library's great marine collection) about this design -- which
include LOTS of photos! -- maybe in one of the Bolger photo files? stay tuned...







Wayne Gilham



p.s.: Hickman went on to "invent" and (finally) successfully market the "Sea Sled" - considered by
Dave Gerr to be the most efficient offshore-suitable hullform ever developed - and a clear
predecessor to the Boston Whaler... He also was the first to actually "make work" surface-piercing
propellers! quite a brilliant mind. worth a Google-hour or two.



From:bolger@yahoogroups.com[mailto:bolger@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of rjbalholm
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 4:14 PM
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bolger] FOR SALE Bolger Idaho





FOR SALE Bolger Idaho
This is the original built by Bernie Wolfard that I purchased in Aug. 1997. It is now on a custom
trailer with surge brakes, and has a 1998 25 hp Mariner Big foot motor with 230 hours that will push
the boat to 17 mph at 6000 rpm. This boat has ben stored in side for all the time that I have owned
it. In the last four years it has been in the water one time. $12,000.00

CB radio
handheld VHF
fishfinder
many PDF's
2 anchors
2 1/2 in X150 ft anchor rodes
Porta Potty
compass
hourmeter
telescoping boarding ladder
tachometer
teleflex steering
2 propellers
2 paddles
hand bilge pump
dock lines
fenders
3 6 gal. fuel tanks

photos on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52920859@N05/7069083303/in/set-72157629431928398

The boat is at Yakima, Washington
You add the water and gas.
Roger Balholmrjbalholm@...<mailto:rjbalholm%40yahoo.com>



No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2411/4954 - Release Date: 04/23/12

Yes you see right. I was doing most of my boating on the Columbia and the wind follows the river and the spray ends up on the windshield. So I wrote to Phil about the problem and he suggested add to the rails. At first I made some out of scrap plywood and screwed them to the bottom of the rails, that worked no more water on the windshield. Then I built the more permeant fix.

AHA! looks like there's an add-on of horizontal "spray-boards" at gunwale forward -- exactly what
Albert Hickman had on "Viper", the 1907 flat-bottom power sharpie that may have been

Bolger's inspiration for this whole fleet of "states-class" boats.



Any comments from Roger (please!), why his splash-boards were added (I presume the flat sides can
give a lot of spray at some wind-angles...) and what effect it had?



On the one long visit with Phil way back in 1982 - that I treasure - he proudly pulled out all the
old feisty "rudder magazine" articles from Hickman, which articles extolled the virtues of the first
"Viper" and (in Hickman's in-imitable grating form) derided all detractors -- great early 20th
century writing!



This original Viper was a long, slender flatbottom.

Length: 20'2"
Beam: 3'6"
Slight rocker: 2-1/4" over 20 ft.
Speed: 3hp= 8mph
7hp= 14.3mph
12hp= 18mph



His subsequent "Viper II" and "Viper IV" played around a bit with the length/beam ratio, but didn't
change much...



Sounds familiar?? Awfully close to "SneakEasy"... or "Tennessee" -- or (of course) "Idaho"



To show the genesis, I have in my files, a two-sheet BOLGER plan, Design #358, with all offsets and
construction details, for a 20'2" x 4'3" flat-bottom slab-side inboard-powered sharpie specifying a
Yanmar 2qm15G inboard (rated 14hp) -- this plan clearly includes the note in Phil's simple/elegant
printed hand, at the bottom of each sheet (next to title block): "Rework of design by Albert
Hickman, 1910" -- so obviously Bolger puts some credence in Hickman's design, to go to all that
effort, to essentially "re-create" this historical boat. Wonder if was ever built??



By the way, THIS Bolger design incorporated similar but much wider and much longer "spray-boards"
than I see on the "Idaho" now for sale, sticking nearly 8" out from the gunwale by the fourth spaced
12" station, and tapering back to only disappear at the twelfth station, thus more than half the
length of the boat! That duplicates the original "Viper" pretty closely...



Bolger also designed around the same time a very similar but larger boat called "Firebrand" to make
use of a client's steam engine -- He thought it would also work to get some creditable speed out of
one of those heavy slow-turning long-stroke Palmer ZR t-head gas-engines, which I owned at the time
-- that was the purpose of our meeting, to discuss what sort of boat might work for this gem of an
old engine. Unfortunately, I lost the engine in a warehouse fire some years later.





I was going to put a link here, to ANY sketch / photo / details of "Viper" that might be on-line,
only to find that (although many blogs or websites REFER TO "Viper" as an important milestone in
boat design) actually there's nothing in the way of a photo out here in the ethers....



So I guess it falls to me, to post the many many many pages I have subsequently copied from 1910 and
1911 "Rudder" (found at the Seattle Library's great marine collection) about this design -- which
include LOTS of photos! -- maybe in one of the Bolger photo files? stay tuned...







Wayne Gilham



p.s.: Hickman went on to "invent" and (finally) successfully market the "Sea Sled" - considered by
Dave Gerr to be the most efficient offshore-suitable hullform ever developed - and a clear
predecessor to the Boston Whaler... He also was the first to actually "make work" surface-piercing
propellers! quite a brilliant mind. worth a Google-hour or two.



From:bolger@yahoogroups.com[mailto:bolger@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of rjbalholm
Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 4:14 PM
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bolger] FOR SALE Bolger Idaho





FOR SALE Bolger Idaho
This is the original built by Bernie Wolfard that I purchased in Aug. 1997. It is now on a custom
trailer with surge brakes, and has a 1998 25 hp Mariner Big foot motor with 230 hours that will push
the boat to 17 mph at 6000 rpm. This boat has ben stored in side for all the time that I have owned
it. In the last four years it has been in the water one time. $12,000.00

CB radio
handheld VHF
fishfinder
many PDF's
2 anchors
2 1/2 in X150 ft anchor rodes
Porta Potty
compass
hourmeter
telescoping boarding ladder
tachometer
teleflex steering
2 propellers
2 paddles
hand bilge pump
dock lines
fenders
3 6 gal. fuel tanks

photos on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52920859@N05/7069083303/in/set-72157629431928398

The boat is at Yakima, Washington
You add the water and gas.
Roger Balholmrjbalholm@...<mailto:rjbalholm%40yahoo.com>



No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2411/4954 - Release Date: 04/23/12

FOR SALE Bolger Idaho
This is the original built by Bernie Wolfard that I purchased in Aug. 1997. It is now on a custom trailer with surge brakes, and has a 1998 25 hp Mariner Big foot motor with 230 hours that will push the boat to 17 mph at 6000 rpm. This boat has ben stored in side for all the time that I have owned it. In the last four years it has been in the water one time. $12,000.00

CB radio
handheld VHF
fishfinder
many PDF's
2 anchors
2 1/2 in X150 ft anchor rodes
Porta Potty
compass
hourmeter
telescoping boarding ladder
tachometer
teleflex steering
2 propellers
2 paddles
hand bilge pump
dock lines
fenders
3 6 gal. fuel tanks

photos on Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/52920859@N05/7069083303/in/set-72157629431928398

The boat is at Yakima, Washington
You add the water and gas.
Roger Balholmrjbalholm@...