Hello,
I'm interested in comments on Phil Bolger's sometime or never. Has anyone built it? How do you think it would handle and perform? What do you think of it as a rough water skiff for fishing that will move along with 40-60 HP.
Member
Hello,
I'm interested in comments on Phil Bolger's sometime or never. Has anyone built it? How do you think it would handle and perform? What do you think of it as a rough water skiff for fishing that will move along with 40-60 HP.
Senior Member
WB 117-March/april 1994 has full article complete with photos
Senior Member
I'm not a fan of many of Bolger's latest offerings but thought "Sometime Or Never" looked like a fine boat when I saw that article. It appears to be larger version of one in his books called "Seguin" or something like that.
How will it handle rough water? Depends on what is meant by rough. It has fairly fine bow sections and a moderately shallow aft deadrise. It won't be as comfortable as a deep V in rough stuff but much better behaved everywhere else. Looks like a very good compromise hull shape to me and good looking to boot. I like it but you will need some spray rails since, as designed, it will likely be wet.
Trying to be reasonable
It's a stretched version of "Shivaree". He's done essentially this same boat in several different lengths with the same beam. Bolger himself speaks very highly of it, and he's brutally honest about his designs' shortcomings; says he finally got a powerboat shape right after all these years.
Original Invisible Man
One of Bolger's few boats that can be described as "beautiful."
But, does it fit your needs??
Later,
Phil
Senior Member
Nice shape. My eye wants a little less deadrise and beam aft, but who am I to argue about it with PB? A boat ought to curve in a bit more in plan at the transom, but nevermind, I'm sure he's right and I'm a jamoke.
I like he's got sleeping benches under a dodger. That could be fun.
David Stimson's iteration of the Westpoint Skiff might be worth a look too. As might the original, Alton Wallace's. A little smaller, but the same idea.
All in all, I think it's first rate. What's the building method prescribed?
Member
Thank's everyone.
Tom,
The spray rail is a question I have had since looking at this plan. The 16' version Shivaree has one but the this stretched version doesn't. Bolger seems to indicate it is dry. Could you expand more on your thoughts.
Ishmael,
I like the deadrise well enough, but I agree on the beam aft. The little bit of tumblehome does foil pretty well, to my eyes, the width of the transom. In the WB Designs article it mentions that the scantlings are "suggestive" and that the boat can be carveled, stripped, lapped, and that the original was cold molded.
Tar Devil,
Good question, I'm starting to realize that one fishing boat may not meet all my needs. I don't want to get carried away with stuff (hulls), but I'm thinking that maybe I would be better off building something 24-28' in the future with a pilot house for really reaching out in Alaska. Those rainy Kachemak days in an open skiff won't be as much fun in a few years. Maybe Sometime or Never and Bluejacket would make a nice one/two punch.
Senior Member
It's a round hull. At speed, all I have had experience with needed some kind of spray deflection.Originally posted by MTRiverDrifter:
Thank's everyone.
Tom,
The spray rail is a question I have had since looking at this plan. The 16' version Shivaree has one but the this stretched version doesn't. Bolger seems to indicate it is dry. Could you expand more on your thoughts.
.
In Florida last year I saw a very fancy and expensive 28 footer (over $200K) at a neighbor's dock where we were staying. I thought the lines were ruined by an added spray rail forward. I see the same thing on many other power cruisers. The owners had to add spray rails and put up with the way they did not fit the look of the craft in order to make the boat reasonably dry. Much better to design in some spray defection in the first place. One of the many reasons I like hard chine boats.
A slightly tapered waterline beam aft (about 85%)is usual to improve downwind running and avoid broaching in waves.
Senior Member
I have the highest regard for Bolger. At last summer's WoodenBoat show I mentioned to him that I'd long had the dream of having enough money to hire him to design a sail boat of about 20 tons - narrow like 10' beam, shoal like 3' board(s) up, aft gallery saloon, pilot house, and
by the way
beautiful.
You know he could do it and she'd be a wonder.
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