Phil Bolger Interview podcast

[pindimar]

Furled Sails is a sailing related podcast service in the US and they have recently uploaded an interview with Phil Bolger, the boat designer from Gloucester, Massachusetts who is now around 81 years old and certainly one of the most prolific and creative designers there is!

Great to hear him speaking about various boats, mostly sail or row but a few power boats as well. The sound quality isn't so great but good enough to make listening easy.

Here is the link to Part I this week Part II will be uploaded next week, I believe.

http://www.furledsails.com/

GregF

[pindimar]

Part II of the FurledSales Podcast interview with Phil Bolger is finally up:

http://www.furledsails.com/

GregF

[b.o.a.t.]

Thanks Greg
been waiting for that.
Funny how some peoples' voices turn out to be almost exactly as you imagine them.
While others are totally different. Bolger is one of the former. Fascinating stuff.
cheers
AJ

[pindimar]

Hi AJ
I thought it was interesting, although a lot of the stuff in part I was more so. It was good, though, to hear Suzanne Altenberger speak, as well.

GregF

[b.o.a.t.]

Agree. On the whole, Part 1 held my attention more. Part 2 had its gems though.
Was surprised to learn that his two biggest selling sets of plans are the Gloucester
Light Dory & the Folding Schooner - 450 sets of plans sold in the first 2 months alone.

Funny thing... although I admire the man's inventiveness & creativity, there are only a
few of his designs that I'd like to build, and only a couple of those that I wouldn't
modify substantially to suit my ideas on egonomics or rig. My poor benighted Teal is
a case in point !! Mind you, when I think of a boat to suit any particular "need", Bolger is where I look first for ideas.

cheers
AJ

[pindimar]

Hi AJ

Yes, kinda know what you mean....

there was an article in Wooden Boat Magazine sometime in the early 90s, I think, in which he was quoted as naming what he felt were his five best efforts, and I just can't remember all five now, I'd need to look that article up, if I can find it. Anyway, all five were basically box-boats, the Gloucester Light Dory was the first, Birdwatcher and Micro were also on the list, there was another which was a power boat, I think? and can't remember the fifth, at all!

That was before his tie-up with Suzanne A, too, and I'd be willing to bet that his own list would have changed by now. In Part 1 of the interview I thought his comments about Suzanne were very interesting. He basically said that he was burnt-out and she came along with fresh ideas and that re-kindled his creativity...something like that, anyway.

GregF