An interesting little boat

[Tim Diebert]

Found this in the Micro Cruiser files. No, it is not a photshoped imaged, that is to scale and real.

Called 'Bredan'. A one-of me thinks.

Described as Larry Brown's ultimate microcruiser.

[Stump]

Tim, :cry: Only "x " and no link

[Tim Diebert]

OK...I think I figured out why you can't see'm. They are hosted by a yahoo group and these pages are members only....so unless you know the secret handshake you are not going to see them. So I downloaded them, and then uploaded them to my own server....and Viola` here you go...

[Tim Diebert]

Yes Ray, I see your point. Though this one looks a capable little unit. Funny looking yes, but solid.

To me, it looks like the basic hull form has taken some cues from Laytons Little Cruiser or Paradox. And that boat and owner has a distinctive set of accomplishments.

[Greg Luckett]

It looks a lot like the original West Wite Potters.

[Frank Hagan]

With the exaggerated sheer, can you even see forward of the bow? Or do you stand up, like you have to on some boats (the MacGregor 26x/m, for instance).

Probably very sea worthy, but the tradeoffs are probably more than just looks.

[tomstock]

Wouldn't a hull like that be extremely slow? All that surface area and heavy rocker is a lot of water pushing ...

[Barry Pyeatt]

It's just painted wrong. It just needs a Popeye and an Oliveoil along with some painted backdrops.

Maybe a "Little Toot" in the background too.

[Guest]

I think the boat was caught between two tractor trailers on the interstate, one stopping short and one not stopping at all, if you want my opinion.

[Bud_Wilson]

Differen't strokes for differen't folks said the farmer as he kissed the cow, under the tail. YALL COME Cap'N Bud. :wink:

[Craig]

I thought the photos had telephoto lens distortion, it really looks like that? Dam!, that's one ugly boat! Must be a new Bolger design...

[Tim Diebert]

I was struck by how funny looking it was as well....and by the way it looked like a real life cartoon. I also thought it was a poorly sized image and was squished.

I posted the pictures here....but then later on came across a file with a WORD doc of the owners performance report of the boat after a season of cruising. I believe he is (was) on the eastern US coast somewhere. Anyway, I read that piece this afternoon and it sounded like the chap was very pleased with the boat. As the designer/builder and owner he felt the project was a total success. The measured speed range is basically identical to a weekender.

I am glad you all got a kick out of it.

Actually, crawling around the file room of the microcruisers stuff found some pretty unusual boats...this one is fairly 'normal' looking.

I find them all fascinating.

Guitars, cars, women, art, music, motorcycles and boats.......it's all in the eye of the beholder. 8)

Someone loves that boat.

[tdrown]

made wider 2-1/4 times with a higher aspect ratio rig:

[Tim Diebert]

good one.

[Tidmarsh]

FYI--There's an article in the newest Small Craft Advisor about Larry Brown & Brendan. He's got a book coming out soon that will include plans.

[Frank Hagan]

Larry Brown's book "Frugal Yachting" has something on Brendan, in a section called "My Ideal Micro-Cruiser". It includes a 1' 6" wide box keel which increases headroom by providing a "path" to walk down in the 15' boat, extra ballast to counter-act the box keel's flotation, fully battened lateen sail, and a host of features borrowed from boats such as the Peep Hen and Bolger's designs.

In the section on "Why Not Build Your Own?" he includes a picture of looks to be a Weekender as an example of a wood boat you can buy in kit form, pre-cut and ready to assemble ... Mike Stevenson said this was probably a Canadian company that "borrowed" the Weekender plans to produce a kit boat, but stopped selling them after they noted their displeasure.

Brown sailed a Potter 14 with his family for years which he recounts in his book "Sailing on a Micro-Budget". I had heard he passed away a year or so ago.

[brian watkins]

I have checked out "Cruising on a Micro-Budget" from the library here several times, it's a refreshing book when the barrage of floating palaces in the magazines gets to be too much. He seems like someone who got a lot of joy out "sailing small", which BTW, is another good book:

"Sailing Small - Inspiration and Instruction for the Pocket Cruiser"

Edited by Stan Grayson, published by Devereax Books.