Handy Billy- and Top Hat, are now going to be available in frozen snot??

[RonW]

This is interesting, just when I thought the wooden launch of a by gone era was making a comeback. These guys liked the designs so well that they have decided to reproduce them in, what else but glass......

They do have a nice article on the merits of the design, and might help to inform the public that all boats don't have to do 60 m.p.h.

http://www.southportislandmarine.com/southporthb.htm

But doesn't anyone know that 30 year old glass boats have no value, and good wood boats do? Fiberglass does rot and ages badly.
What about the feel and beauty of wood???

Anyhow, onward and upwards with launches of a by gone era, even if they have to be frozen snot boats...

[dmede]

I'd like to hear Harry's thoughts on the venture. I would have guessed he'd be against it. I don't think it's such a bad thing really. Some people prefer glass to wood and some wood to glass. Makes sense that those who like glass should have acess to a few good designs and not just the run of the mill crap most people produce. Who knows it may even bring a few people in for a closer look and turn them to the real thing!

dave

[Bill Perkins]

Anyone who improves the model of mass produced boats is doing a positive thing I think . I'll be interested in the price difference between wood and glass HANDY Billys .

[RonW]

Appearantly they have made financial arrangements with harry bryan on the handy billy and doug hylan on the top hat, and have the authority to reproduce both designs in glass.

yes any and all improvements in the mass produced boat world is a very good thing.

I would like to hear the price of the top hat design...

[BrianY]

Any thoughts on if and how such an arrangement might affect the availability of plans for home builders?

[rbgarr]

The folks who are building these designs in fiberglass are good people. I've been by the shop to look at the Handy Billy they are building for a local owner. The deck and cockpit are being made up now and a mold will be made from them for future boats. They have another hull waiting in the wings.

They are eager to get experience with building the HB before investing in the tooling for the TH, but if someone happened along who would put money down on one, I imagine they'd get on with it, too.

One of the principals told me at the ME Boatbuilder's Show that the tooling for the TH would cost as much as $150,000, and the finished boat would be in the $80,000 range. That may be 'all up', but I'm not sure. That price compares favorably to an informal number given me by Doug Hylan for a wood one built by Benjamin River Boatyard last year at about this time. The original one built by them is a fine, fine looking boat.
:)

[RonW]

Good info rb, just what I was wanting to hear.
But you might as well finish, what are the prices for the handy billy?

By the way how are these guys doing with the southport 30, a very fine looking boat that I have admired for years, particularly in the bass boat version with a maroon paint job.
These guys do have good taste in boats, will say that for them.....


----Added comment, with gas being $3. a gallon, and it wasn't that long ago it was $1.35, are we seeing a trend towards more fuel efficent boats?
Are we also seeing a trend towards smooth riding boats, a revival of the old launches?

[geeman]

It seems to me like a good thing.It is my hope that gas prices will cause people to stop and take a look at these old designs,even if they are in glass.And your right ,,ANYTHING that makes the mass produce guys give the new boats more style ,is a good thing.I can see a flat classic style top on it like some of the electric boat makers are building for their boats.A nice quiet easy to keep up boat that doesnt break the pocketbook to keep on the water.

[JimD]

Boy! Some designers will do anything to pay the mortgage and provide for their families!

[Paul Pless]

and the finished boat would be in the $80,000 range.


A nice quiet easy to keep up boat that doesnt break the pocketbook to keep on the water.

That's a pretty good chunk of change to invest initially though. Not to say its not worth it.

[Rick Starr]

----Added comment, with gas being $3. a gallon, and it wasn't that long ago it was $1.35, are we seeing a trend towards more fuel efficent boats?
Are we also seeing a trend towards smooth riding boats, a revival of the old launches?

I've gotten some surprised pleasant feedback when I tell people that I go about 35 miles on less than 4 gallons of gas with my handybilly 21, (I still haven't found the optimum prop yet, either). One of my wife's work boats goes very close to 4 miles for $35 worth of gas these days.

[JimConlin]

...
But doesn't anyone know that 30 year old glass boats have no value, and good wood boats do? Fiberglass does rot and ages badly.
What about the feel and beauty of wood???
...
Enjoy your delusions.
Today I received a brokerage listing for a 1956 Cape Cod Mercury, a Sparkman & Stephens design. The price, which is realistic, is about twice what they sold for new.

Glass is an excellent material if you're going to build more than one and extra light weight isn't needed.

[JimD]

Enjoy your delusions.
Today I received a brokerage listing for a 1956 Cape Cod Mercury, a Sparkman & Stephens design. The price, which is realistic, is about twice what they sold for new...

So what does two times 1956 dollars work out to? Just curious.

[Paul Pless]

jeez, inflation since the mid fifties is a multiplier near seven

[pipefitter]

That's a chance outlay of expense for tooling these days with building boats that have a limited following in these modern times.Especially considering that the price of the resins are going to be directly reflected by the increase in oil prices and labor will soon follow.Also,there is so many workboat styles out there that will both go fast and slow compared to one with limited hull speeds.In my work,I rarely see someone that can pay $60k up for a hull be much concerned with the price of gas.Sure some may buy it and even end up making good on the tooling but the tooling also costs just being stored so it would have to keep paying it seems. The more modern trends, atleast here in the south that have to do with older type designs that do both go fast and are still sea friendly, still have a limited following. The go slow,efficient and classy work type boats are mostly sought by people that are a bit more eccentric and those would be apt to have a wooden one. It should be noted also that people that do opt for an efficient, fuel economy hull also look to diesel power in displacement or semi displacement hulls.There is a ton of competition out there in glass boats. Not to say this wont work because they sure have sold a bunch of the caribianas but I still think the cost is going to have to be less than alot of the hulls already in production and 80k is right up there.

[Bill Perkins]

I've had some similar thoughts . I think hull models will become less beamy over time as fuel costs increase , but that most people won't want to give up the ability to plane .There are a number of narrower old planeing types that are seaworthy and easily driven at fast and slow speeds .I think these are the coming thing ; that's what I chose .

[pipefitter]

As did I,Bill Perkins. But I look on the forum here at times to complaints to the Simmons being tender.I liked the tenderness of the Dories and their increased stability as they became loaded. The Simmons seemed to fit this bill. I also recall that someone also splashed the Simmons in a moldable glass configuration but from what I understand,they didn't do well. I am sure they are great boats tho as a member here has one of the glass ones and he has had high praises to it compared to some other similar sized glass production hulls. I like the narrow boats but I rarely fish more than 2 on boats up to 23 ft. I guess some clever marketing could make the ideas of the HB work out but it seems alot to go thru.Good luck to them at any rate.

[rbgarr]

IIRC, Doug Hylan said that he had sold 'quite a few' sets of plans for the Top Hat , but didn't mention whether many had been actually built other than the original.:confused: