Re: Black Gauntlet II
>Several Black Gauntlet ll's were built. Bill Blatter had one at his Key Largo Shoal Water Cruises which I got to sail once. I liked her a lot and found her much faster and better to windward than Black Skimmer. In his later years PCB would have preferred an unstayed rig for BG; he felt the rig as designed was too complicated and expensive.
>
> The photos are not Black Gauntlet II, but a previous version designed
> for and built by Peter Duff. Bolger made several changes, before
> finalizing the plans shown in the article. He explains in the first
> paragraph that he was not satisfied with Peter's version nor with
> Pointer, and did not think they should be duplicated.
>
> So I was wondering if one had ever been built to those plans.
>
> Nels
>
>
> --- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Peter" <pvanderwaart@> wrote:
> >
> > > One question I have. Was one ever built from these plans?
> >
> > If you were actually looking at the book, you would know because it's
> illustrated photos of one before and after going 3-D.
> >
> > But it wasn't a popular design, and that may be because PCB was so
> candid about the faults as well as the good points of the type. I always
> thought it was a strange mix technologically, the amateur-friendly ply
> hull construction clashing with the wire-stayed rig.
> >
> > Lion's Paw as a similar hull in shape and appearance, but too big for
> just about anyone to build.
> >
> > AS-29 has a much-deserved greater popularity with a much more useable
> interior, and a low-tech rig. Also a very ship-shape appearance on the
> water.
> >
>
for and built by Peter Duff. Bolger made several changes, before
finalizing the plans shown in the article. He explains in the first
paragraph that he was not satisfied with Peter's version nor with
Pointer, and did not think they should be duplicated.
So I was wondering if one had ever been built to those plans.
Nels
--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, "Peter" <pvanderwaart@...> wrote:
>
> > One question I have. Was one ever built from these plans?
>
> If you were actually looking at the book, you would know because it's
illustrated photos of one before and after going 3-D.
>
> But it wasn't a popular design, and that may be because PCB was so
candid about the faults as well as the good points of the type. I always
thought it was a strange mix technologically, the amateur-friendly ply
hull construction clashing with the wire-stayed rig.
>
> Lion's Paw as a similar hull in shape and appearance, but too big for
just about anyone to build.
>
> AS-29 has a much-deserved greater popularity with a much more useable
interior, and a low-tech rig. Also a very ship-shape appearance on the
water.
>
> One question I have. Was one ever built from these plans?If you were actually looking at the book, you would know because it's illustrated photos of one before and after going 3-D.
But it wasn't a popular design, and that may be because PCB was so candid about the faults as well as the good points of the type. I always thought it was a strange mix technologically, the amateur-friendly ply hull construction clashing with the wire-stayed rig.
Lion's Paw as a similar hull in shape and appearance, but too big for just about anyone to build.
AS-29 has a much-deserved greater popularity with a much more useable interior, and a low-tech rig. Also a very ship-shape appearance on the water.
For those who have never seen a copy of, or ever read "The Folding Schooner", Chapter 12 was about the history of, and building sequence for, Black Gauntlet II. Somebody scanned the chapter and I came across it one time, and it ended up in the Bolger Cartoon Group Files.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BolgerCartoons/files/Black%20Gauntlet%20Sailboat/
This is a wonderful example of Mr. Bolger's writing, sharing of his own experience and skill in boat design and draftmanship. Makes me feel sad that those early books are out of print. I lost my copies a long time ago.
Several points caught my attention:
a) This probably explains in one article all one needs to know about big sharpies.
b) One of the earliest examples of using a building key. And to this very day is almost exactly the template for how Jim Michalak does it in all his plans.
c) That 35 ft. mast was a challenge for homebuilders and owners who did not rent a slip and Mr. Bolger spent much time and tried many times to find a better solution. This explains to me the lineage of the AS series, Martha Jane and WDJ Schooner, all far more practical but not as beautiful as what they replaced.
d) Mr. Bolger explains in no uncertain terms why this design actually might be "over the line where you can't get your money back out of her." (If you ever want to sell.) This has proven true for several other designs as well. You get your money back by using it.
One question I have. Was one ever built from these plans?
Nels