Bolger light schooner

[jkess777]

Hello all,
I finished a Bolger light schooner this year. It is in the Instant boat genere in Dynamite Paysons book. I have sailed her a few times before the end of the season. It is a very fast little boat. I made a website with detailed building pics. The site isnt finished yet..but it is getting there.
http://www.valsarae.com/blank.em?pid=699835

Jim

[Thorne]

Sweet!

I'll be curious as to how the 2-piece goosenecks/gaff jaws work out -- I need to make one set for a boom on a small boagt, and figured I'd have to laminate several layers of oak to get them strong enough.

[djn]

Great job on the boat and site. I hope to see more pics. How stable is the boat in strong winds?

[jkess777]

Thorne,
I broke one side of my main boom gooseneck pushing her. But the goosenecks seem to be fine. The oak I used was very old and there may have been a slight check that I didn't notice.

Djn,
The initial stability is wonderful. In high winds you need a crew of at least three to keep her up. I have soloed her in up to 15 knot winds with jib and mainsail only. She loves to heal and will pass everything on the lake where I sail. Actually I can give the fiberglass cabin daysailors almost half the lake and still catch them. For tacking you have to go offwind some and build up speed because she is do light.

Acceleration is fantastic. In a gust it feels like you turned on a 20hp motor.

It is a fun boat...I get alot of compliments on her. No one around her has seen a schooner sailing. I was sailing her wing to wing and someone stated she looked like a butterfly skimming across the water. She does get up on plain easily running.

Jim