CHAPTER FIFTEEN

anything will plane if there's power enough, but it'strue that this little schooner will skitter likebobsled.

In stronger winds, or with a light crew, sheshorten down, like my otherforesail and reefed mainsail, still

At the time of writing, I have yet to build this craft. Iinclude it here because Phil Bolger tells me that severalhave already been built to his plans and have provedthemselves both as suitable projects for the homebuilder and as satisfyingly able sailors. "No bugs, nosnags, no vices," he says.

I have built three of the 31-foot Folding Schoonersfeatured in Instant BoatS, and on studying these plans, Ican see that this smaller nonfoldingschooner will offerno problems to the backyard builder. So, with Phil'scertification and blessing, I welcomed her as a worthyaddition to the fleet of Instant Boats. His own name forher is simply "Scooner," without the usual "h." Here'smore of what he has to say about her.

effort," ~ -- -- - of thrust vectors than I or anybody has!

nominal center of lateral plane.side thrust on the rudder, which,

to windward.The two cockpits are long enough to sleep

--- - --- ~--there won't be spilled outboard mix underfoot.

- -

aperture of the motor well. Probably

-

well-established designer's gambit andworks.

Bob Wainwright commissioned this design, and itincorporates a number of his ideas.l proposed a simplerversion, with jibheaded sails and no deck-but heinsisted, and I've since concluded he was right. Hewanted speed, enough speed to spice up the quaintnessof the rig.

So I piled on sail, 266 square feet counting the mainstaysail. The traditional schooner rig is about the bestfor carrying lots of area without going high. Reachingin a fresh breeze and not too much sea, with four or fivepeople on the rail to hold her up, she can pass almostanything short of a C-cat.l flinch at the phrase 'planinghull,' because I think it's misused and overused. Almost

I have extracted these comments, withfrom Bolger's recent book, - -~~, ~

by International Marine Publishing Company.

124

K'

0gIt),'"\/1:rIt):P

;.-

~-

f ~

" ~

ro~ ~

I ! ~ ~~

~

~II'

~,'~

~~

.~

~l'I .

% ...

I'

.~

a

~

"a

"

'i ci.

~~ ~

./:~1

7: ~

~

J ~

:.: ..'::::

~I

:~

:~

~-

I~

..

:~1

IjI, ":;~~

1v

:.:~

~-I~

:

.f.

l.:1- . :

-I: ;

J ::

I ~

I -:;

j.. ~

:

~~~~I

~

I~~~

Ir ..

,,\ , I

~:!oi

--'

c

-

/~,~

":;:~~

\

N~:I~~1'"

~~

R~~~~

,

G~

:

~~.

."~

'.

~.\0~~~~I

:..r

~

..~

..

I.~

"

~'

: 'I"-

'i

--,I

' '

~~

~

"

. "

I

i[~

i~..

'I~~8~~

!'i~.~~~..

\"""'""""

~""-

,I

---L- .J.

~I

~

~I ~

,-'"",I'b~

! ,

I~

~

~

~

I

~~

1"~;

~~~I

~JGO

~ ,

~~,,~1

~

~

1 1 "

,~.

.' P

i

~

,"~

-~

~,~N

, 1\

, "

N

~

"

. 1\

.

,,~\4

j)

. ~

I\

~

~

~

, Ii

. i

t

~

l~

t ,

~~

~

Ii

11,=-.

,.

~*

,~a

~

\

1-=

-

1

--

N

'QjQj

~...'Qjc:

8~

X'8::JIb,"

!5ll!w

Jo ~S~l ~q~ ~U!~:>ru~SUO:> 10J~lnp~:>01d ~W~S ~q~ ~Sn

"SI!~U pU~ ~nI~ q~!lt\ u~~s~J pu~ ~! ~:>~Id~~ o~d~qs o~ ~!

It\~S pu~ 'Ro ~! ~){~~ 'UO!qs~J ~sru:> ~!d 'S~P!S ~q~ o~ I~u~d

wO~~Oq-l~~J~ ~q~ ~!:I .!J ~~~ln:>:>~ ~SOw ~q~ SPI;)!!..~! ~IInq

~q~ uo ~q~!l S!q~ 00 °sI~u~d ~P!S ~q~ o~ spu~ S~! ~!J pu~

'~~~qs wo~~oq S!q~ Jo pu~ pl~MJOJ ~q~ l~pUn '-Iq~!l d~l~S

~~nq q:>U!-9 ~ d!IS °p~~q){Inq t l~qwnu pU~ WOSU~l~

~q'-l uo S~U!P~'-IU~:> ~q~ O~ wo~~oq ~q'-l uo ~U!P~~U~:>

~q~ q:>~~W pU~ '!..I!1t110dW~~ WOSU~l~ ~q~ O~ ~~~qs

~SOW1~~J~ ~q~ ){:>~J. °s~~~qs pooNJ..Id q:>U!-~ ~~lq~ ~q~JO S~:>~J q~oq uo ~U!P~~U~:> ~J~-PU~-~lOJ ~ It\~10 "UO S~O~

wo'-l~oq ~q~ '~:>~Id U! ~l~ s~oI ~U!q:> ~q~ pu~ sPIoW ~W~lJ

10 sp~~q){Inq ~q~ O~ P;)U~~S~J ~l~ S~P!S ~q~ ~:>UO

°SI~u~d ~P!S ~q~JO S~~P~ pl~oq~no q~!q ~q~ Ult\Op U~){~~ ~A~q no!.. l~~J~

's~oI ~U!q:> ~q~ o~ wo'-l~oq ~q'-l Jo ~!J ~:>~x~ U~ S'-I!Ull~d

S!q.l l~A~q ~~l~~P-£, I ~U~~suo:> ~ w~q~ ~A!~ :s~oI

~U!q:> ~q~ II~~SU! no!.. ~lOJ~q d~'-Is ~lOW ~uo S,~l~qJ.

o~:>~IdO~U! w~q'-l d!IS 0'-1 !..P~~l ~l,no!.. I!'-Iun p~qln~S!pUn dn ~~S

u~:> !..~q~ ~l~qlt\ ~:>~pns I~A~I ~wos uo 10 100U doqs lno/"

uo W~~ ~nI~ pu~ 'S~U!O! ~q~ ~Iqw~ss~ 'sl~d~~ ~q'-l ~~W

"s~I~lt\un~ pu~ s~oI ~U!q:> ~q~ ~U!I~~SU! ~lB no/" s~ S~U!o!

~s~q'-l ~nI~ pu~ l~d~'-I no/" ~~q'-l ~U!~s~~~ns '-IOU w~ I

°IInq ~q~ uo !..~w /"~q~ ~l~qN!.

WJ s~oI ~U!q:> ~q'-l pu~ s~I~lt\un~ ~q~ q'-loq U! s~u~o!~q~ ~U!~~~I '~U!o! p~nI~ p~l~d~~ ;)Idw!s ~ q~!lt\ q~~u~I

p~l~nb~l ;)q~ 0'-1 w~q~ p~:>s pu~ sl~~00J.9 I ~sn PInoN!.

I "q~~u~I S!q~ Jo ~J~l:> ~ Jo s~I~lt\un~ pu~ s~oI ~U!q:> ~q'-l

10J q~nou~ ~uoI St x 1; pu~J ~ou II!lt\ no/" ~l~ s~:>u~q:)

°s~oI ~U!q:> ~P!SU! ~q~ 10J sPIoW ~W~lJ ~q'-l U! s~q:>~ou

~nj ~snw no/" '!..Iqw~ss~ I~U!J ~q'-l ~lOJ~q ~eq~ ~'-IOU

~){eJ. o!..Iqw~sse Ult\Op-~P!sdn u~ U! S~P!S ~q~ o~ ){:)~~

pue '~n:> 'sPIoW ~W~lJ ~q~ ~no /"~I 'S~P!S ~~ uo sPIoW

~W~lJ ~q~ Jo SUO!~~:>°I ~q~ ){l~W ~pu~ 0'-1 pu~ p~~'-Inq

pooNJ..Id Jo s~~~qs ~~lq'-l uo S~P!S s,'-I~oq ~q~ ~no !..el :~U!l

le!I!w~J ~ ~A~q '-Isnw sd~~s ~U!lt\°IIoJ ~q~ 'It\OU /"g

'~sodlnd ~q~ 10J ~p~l~ 10!1~~X~

:)v ~00J-8./"q-t q:>U!-~ Jo s~~~qs ~;)lq~ /"nq PInoN!.I 'p~~~sUI °lOJ p~IIe:>un S! It\~!A /,.w U! q:>!qlt\ ~UO-Uln~~l

I~W!U!W ~q~ ~U!l~P!SUO:> P~!J!~sn! S! ){U!q~ I Ut1q~

){10lt\ ~lOW S! '-Inq wo~~oq 1~~UO1'-lS ~ 10J ~){~W PInoN!.

UO!~~U~W~I s~qJ. 'P~!J!:>~ds wo~~oq q:>U!-~ ~IqnopP~~~U!W~I ~q~ PI~nq o~ ~W~S ~q~ Jo ~lOW X1S P~~u PInoN!.

nox °pooNJ..Id 10!1~~X~ :)V~00J-8-!..q-t q:>U!-~ ~sn °q:)U!

~l~nbs ~Iq!ssod !..J.~A~ ~z!I!~n o~ su!~d snoIndru:>s ~)[e:I

~IUOP no!.. J! 'u~A~s-pooNJ..Id Jo s~~~qs X!S ~S~~I ~~ P~~u

no/" 'S){:>~p pue 'sp~~tpIInq 'S~P!S IInq l~q PI!nq OJ.

"){ooq S!q~ U! s~~og ~Ut1~SUI l~q~O ~q~ JO suo!ssn:>s!p~q~ wall sd~~ U! II~J o~ ~Iq~ ~q II,nox '~uoI~ o~ I s~ s~ods

q~!q pu~ s:>!seq ~q~ l~AO:> II,l/suo~~:>ru~SU! d~~s-!..q-d~~s

p~I!e~~p ~A!~ u~q~ l~q~~~ 'sUO~~d!l:>S~p !..J.o~~u~Idx~Jo ~S!I ~ o~ l~qwnu /"q p~!..~){ S~~l~ 10 SW~~! I~:>!~!l:)

q~!lt\ 'p~I~~~P ~~!nb ~re S~U!lt\~lp Jo s~~~qs lnoJ S,I!qd

~BIJ ;)q~ UO p;)l;)dB~ ;)lB S~SBW U!eW pue ;)lOJ ;)q~ q~og

.pU;) ~Bq~JO l;)~U;):> ;)q~ pUnOle ;){:>l!:> q:>U!-'(; B ;)q!l:>S os 'l;)~;)We!p

U! S;)q:>U! '(; ;)q O~ S/~! no!.. n;)~ n!M ;){ru ;){B:>S lno!..

~nq '~SBW ;)q~ JO do~ ;)q~ '){:>ru~ ;)q~ Jo l;)~;)We!p ;)q~ MOqS

~/US;)OP ue{d ;)ql .l;)dB~ ;)q~ qs!Iqe~s;) ~Sl!J ~ng .punol

o~ ){:>!~S ;)q:J ~U!lq o~ Sl;)UlO:> ;)q:J JJo ;)){B:J :Jsnw no!.. q:>nw

MOq no!.. MOqS n!M. S!q:J ~l;):J;)We!p q:>U!-l.Af ;)q:J ~U!MS

O:J S;)q:>U! * I :JB Sl;)P!A!P lno!.. :J;)S .l;):JU;):> ;)q:J qs!{qe:Js;)

O:J PU;) {;);)q ;)q:J ~B Sl;)UlO:> ;)q:J q~nolq:J S{BUO~B!P

;)q!l:>S pUB 'S;)SloqMes JO ;){dno:> B SSOl:>e S:JSl1W of.JqW;)

lno!.. JO ;)UO !..11{ '~U!dl1qS :Jll1:JS O:J !..Pl1;)l ;)l/no!.. U;)q/k'\.

.~U!:J:J;)S

S! ;)n{~ ;)q:J ;){!qM ~U!~~BS :JU;)A;)ld O:J !..{;)In:>;)S Slfl!d p;)n{~

;)q:J :Jloddns PU11100J f.J;)A;) :JnoqB SdWB{:> ;):>l1{d .!..pq~!:J

;):JBW n!M S;)~P;) l!;)q~ :Jl1q:J S;)lnSU;) S!ql .l;)q:J;)~O:J S;):>BJ

;)AB:>UO:> OM:J ;)q:J ~u!:J:Jnd PUl1 S){:>!~S ;)q:J JO S;)U!{ q:JMOl~

;)q:J ~U!:J:>;)dsu! !..q ;)U!{ ;)nI~ :JS;)q ;)q:J :J;)~ n!M no}..

lS11W;)lOJ q:>U!-9 :JOOJ

-t' I ;)q~ 'OM:J l;)q:JO ;)q:J PUl1 1S11WU!l1W :J00J-9 I ;)q:J ;)){BW

n!M l;)q:J;)~O:J p;)n{~ W;)q:J Jo OMl .S:JSBW l;):J;)Wl1!P q:>U!

-l.Af OM:J l;)q ;)){BW o~ '~UO{ :J;);)J 9 I 'st' X '(; lnoJ q:J!M U!~;)q

n/;)/k'\. .q:J!M ~U!){lOM;)q n,;)M :Jl1qM ;);)S s,:J;)I '~Sl!J :Jng

.p;)pUnOl !..Pl1;)USll1ds ;)q:J ~u!d;);)){ ;){!qM l;)dB~ q:Joows 11 ;):>npold O:J

~U!f.J:J Jo S;)!~;):>!U ;)q:J !..q P;)l;)q:JOq n!:Js Wl1 I .P{;)!J S!q} U!

old ou w,l 'Sll1ds JO ;)ll1qS !..w ;)Pl1W ;)A,l q~noq:J U;)A1

.l;)pnnq;)q:J O:J 'SdBql;)d 1d;):>x;)-:J:>;)}l;)d UBq:J SS;){ ;)lB Sl;)dB:J

l!;)q~ J! lO punol !..{~:>;)}l;)d ~OU ;)ll1 S:JSBW ;)q:J J! l;):J:JBW

:J/US;)°P !..nB;)l :JI 1B:>!:J!l:) :JSB;){ ;)q:J S! :J! 'SWl;)~ IB:>!:J:>Bld

U! '~;)!.. puy .S:JSl1W S/l;)UoOq:>s ;)q:J Jo ~U!dBqS ;)q:J S!

'In){S JO SWl;):J U! 'd;):JS ~U!PUBW;)P :Jsow ;)q:J !..{qBqOld

.!..sd!..~ U! op !..;)q:J Sl1 ;)~U;)nl1q:>

B JO q:>nw SB ;)sod l;)PPru ;)q:J lOll ){uru:J S:J! PUl1 pl11oq

-l;)~~l1P ;)q:J l;)q:J!;)U :JBq:J :Jno :Ju!od O:J ;)){!{ p{nOM I

.sul1{d ;)q:J ~U!MOnOJ 'UMO lno!.. uo p;);):>old O:J ;)d~qs

poo~ U! ;)lB no!.. 'S!q:J Sl1 l~J Sl1 l;)q ~o~ ;)ABq no!.. U;)qM

PUl1 'nnq ;)q:J ~u!p{!nq Jo S{B!:JU;)SS;) ;)q:J ;)ll1 ;)S;)ql

.;):>unoq ;):>np;)l o~ wo:J:Joq ;)q:J :JSU!l1~B {nl1W AAl1;)q

lO UOl! ~U!){:>l1q B sPIoq l;)d{;)q 11 ;)I!qM ;)P!SU! ;)q:J mall

S~U!U;):JSBJ ;)A!lP pUB ';)n{~ !..{ddy .q:J~U;)l:JS ;)/IJ.;)s;)ld

O:J '!..nBl;):Jl1{ ';)p:Jn B S;){oq ;)q:J l;)~~B:JS ~;)oqs wo:J:Joq ;)q:J

Jo S~U!U;):JSBJ ;)q:J lOJ S;){oq ;)lOq 'I{nq ;)q:J ;)p!s:Jno mall~Ur){lOM pUB ;)U!{l;):JU;):> nBl;)AO lno!.. ~u!sn 'MON

.S;)q:>U! 9 ~noqB !..q s:J;);)qs{l1np!A!pU! ;)q:J Jo s:JU!o! ;)q:J l;)~~l1:JS PInoqs no!.. '!..{d q:>U!

-r;( mall wo:J:Joq ;){qnop B :J:)ru~SUO:> O:J ;)sooq:> no!.. JI

l;)llBq un2

11 UMOp ~U!){OO{ SB :Jq~!l1l:JS 'W;)q~ ~UO{B :Jq~~s no!.. S~ dn

;)U!{ PInoqs SUO!:J:>;)S {Bnp!A!pU! ;)q:J Jo S;)U!{l;):Ju~:> ;)q:J'uo {;)ul1d wo:J:JOq-plBMlOJ ;)q:J q~!/k'\. 1! :Jq~!IS :J,uop os

1U;)WU~!{B S!q:J uo spu;)d;)p nnq ;)q:J Jo f.J:J;)wm!..s ;)1{.1

.dn q:>:JBW S;)U!{l;)~U;):> ne :Jeq~ ;)lnS ~U!){BW 'wo~:Joq ;)q:J

JaUOOI.f:JC; 11.f8'1100j-ZA [l al.{l 6Zl

NEW BOATS TO JOIN THE ORIGINAL FLEET130

I,.0~ , 0

I -

~ ~=l--VY---lI' _-t~;-I: I..- ~ I~", -J I I

r I~A.

~L

Marking spar stock for eight-siding.

,11-- . ii;, ~.~~ ~ - , . e~

I.

~wc. AAThe accompanying drawing shows how you can

make a spar gauge in a size suitable for the small sparswe're concerned with. It has two sets of sharply pointednails-a long outer pair and a shorter inner pair-andtwo angled, inward-facing cuts, one at each end. Push italong a square spar, and the long nails automaticallyscribe the lines for eight-siding. Repeat the processafter you've eight-sided your spar, and the two shorternails will scribe it for sixteen-siding. I've never seen norheard of this spar gauge from any other source. Its greatadvantage is that it is self-adjusting to any square stickthat's not too large, which means that you can ride itright through the taper, drawing the cut lines as yougo.

~~s~ ei

kGauge for marking spar stock for eight- and sixteen-siding.

to form a 2V2-inch square at the heel, or lower end,where they are stepped. Above this, both are rounded toa 3V2-inch diameter up to a point 4 feet below the truck,where they begin to taper to the 2-inch diameter of thetruck itself.

I would draw and cut the taper, and then repeat oneach freshly cut face. Now you have a tapered mast, stillsquare in cross section.

The next step is to eight-side it, removing wood fromthe corners so that it becomes octagonal in crosssection. Follow up by sixteen-siding it, which brings itclose enough to round that you can finish it off with asmall plane and some sandpaper.

In this eight-siding process, do not make the mistakeof taking the same amount of wood off the corners thewhole length of the mast right through the taper. If youdo, you will end up with a slightly blunted over-sizedpencil that is too small at the truck. I've done this jobmostly by the eyeball method, but the end result of thisby-guess-and-by-God approach has never really satis-fied me. There is a device that greatly simplifies theprocess, which I just recently came across while lookingthrough Small Boat Building by Dave Gannaway,published by Nautical Publishing Company, an Englishfirm, in 1976. He casually mentions what he calls thespar gauge.

The Light Schooner's fore and main gaffs are madeof 1 Vl-inch square spruce cut from slices of 2 x 4s; herbooms are cut from *-inch-by-3Vl-inch spruce or firboards, and their sides are stiffened by a piece of *-inchsquare stock; the club for her jib is the same.

A number of books devote some space to making thevarious types of spars-square, rectangular, and round,hollow and solid, with all the in-betweens, but I don'tknow of anyone book exclusively devoted to thesubject. I do know that whenever a master practitionerof the art, like the late Herbert Newbert of the Newbertand Wallace shipyard in Thomaston, was kind enoughto discuss the fine points with me, I soon got lost in theexplaining and dared not press my luck for furtherelaboration.

Even though you may not know a peak halyard froma topping lift, rigging this craft won't be difficult if youfollow the plans. The numbers in the boxed section inthe upper right-hand part of the spar plan sheet relateto the numbers on the sail plan drawing. By the timeyou've built and rigged her, you will know what all theparts are and what they are for.