Bolger's Gypsy motor

[Chris Rogers]

I am considering building a copy of Bolger's Gypsy (15' LOA, 4' Beam). This is a plywood boat. How do I determine the maximum usable HP of outboard I can put on the boat without overpowering it?

According to it's data plate, a 14' Aluminum Jon Boat will take a 15hp. Is there a comparison?

Thanks.

[John Bell]

If you want an outboard powered boat, why not pick a design that's suited for the task? Offhand, I'd suggest no more than 2HP for Gypsy.

My 18'er has a 15HP on it and it's a LOT more boat than Gypsy.

[Chris Rogers]

I am interested in a general purpose boat that cheap and easy to build, will be a decent sailer , but that I can put a outboard on and use as a fishing boat. Gypsy seemed to fit the requirements. Do you have suggestions for another boat that may be better?

Thanks

Chris

[Keith Wilson]

I built a Gypsy in 1989. She's a great sailboat (if a little undercanvassed), and a very pleasant rowing boat if you add a small skeg. You'll also be able to instantly refute anyone who claims that Phil Bolger only designs ugly boxes, or that taped-seam plywood boats can't be beautiful. I would guess it would work fine with a little outboard, and wouldn't be a bad fishing boat for one person, or one adult and a child - 4 HP with a light throttle hand? Ask Phil Bolger; he'll know. I only used an electric trolling motor occasionally with mine.

If you want a similar sort of boat that's designed as a planing powerboat, look at Bolger's Diablo (http://www.instantboats.com/diablo.htm). They're both in "Build the New Instant Boats", and Payson sells plans for both. Diablo's neither a rowing nor sailing boat, though.

[ 04-18-2003, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[N. Scheuer]

Gypsy will support way more than a 2-hp motor.

I once wrote Phil Bolger asking what he would suggest from his design files for a small, open boat that would sail and row decently, and could at times run with an outboard motor. Ten hp nmay have been specified. He replied that Gypsy would pretty well fill the bill.

I never did build it, for other reasons.

It seems to me that Gypsy has enough hull at the transom to support a ten-hp motor, after all, the helmsman's seat position if not right at the transom, but fairly far forward.

Moby Nick