Over the bar.. Daniel Z. Bombigher

[Wild Dingo]

From his site...

"Daniel Z. Bombigher passed away on January 21st at the age of 60. His complete works are and will still be available thanks to Herve Coutand, naval architect, his ex-apprentice and collaborator, at the same postal and e-mail address, for all information, documentation and new shipbuilding."

Daniel Z. Bombigher has his website here (http://www.classic-yacht-design.com) and as you will remember is the designer of

http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/2shpountz/3840plv.jpg

The Shpountz range and the

http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/3ladies/lbv.jpg

The Dreams

http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/1intro/byv.jpg

Among others...

http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/1intro/danielciao.jpg

Ciao Daniel fair winds

[cdragon]

I had been in email touch with Daniel for a while recently-during his battle with cancer. He was quite an interesting man and very talented. I wonder if there are any owners of Bombigher designs on this forum or perhaps people who sail on one of his boats? I'd love to get in touch with them if so - Farewinds Daniel.

[Ian G Wright]

Sad to hear that. I liked his boats, very French.

IanW

[sawcutmill]

I met daniel in 1985 in Bermuda,while bringing my boat Pelagic across the ocean from England.We had dinner aboard his newest creation at the time in St Georges,bermuda.At the time the WoodenBoat Show was to be held in newport that year and he was planning on showing it there,so having a dock and a spare mooring, i offered him the oppurtunity of using it so he could get the boat upto show standards,which i must say his design did not need a thing as it was one of the most thoroughly thought out vessels i have ever seen,with knives made of merscham stationed at every possible location thru out ,just one of the small details that impressed me.He was one of the most relaxed and attentive guests that i have met,his show experience was a success and i believe that his stay in Bristol enlightened his trip as he was an avid LFH fan.I have fond memories of him sailing his lapstrake dinghy around Bristol with that unique french hat and striped shirt that was his trade mark.The sailing world will miss his detailed understanding of the sea and his vessel architecture,design and implementation.stephen milett

[Jerry Sousa]

Sad indeed, but at least his boats will live on. Here's a link to a yard in Pondicherry, India which custom build's to his designs. It's run by a French couple.

http://www.ultramarine-yachts.com/

Thanks for the heads up Shane. Were you thinking of having one of his boats built, matey?

[Lucky Luke]

Seems there is a few people we both care for, Shane!

...something like 15 years ago, Daniel Z. Bombigher and I both had a boat of our design being build in the same place. That was in Cannes, in the South of France. His was the first of the "dreams", mine a very agressive design aluminum power catamaran. Our boats could hardly be more different. We both liked to ride bicycles too (great to go along easily while Rolls Royces are stuck in traffic jams on the croisette..!), and I had vintage Raleigh, while he was on one of the early mountain bikes... funny!

Where at least we could both speak the same language was about the American type gaff schooners, which were (and still are for me) our favourite kind of ship.

But, although you will all reckogn the influence that these pilot schooners or cheasepeake sloops had on Daniel's design, you will - I am sure - reckon as well that his designs had a unique style. His talent in combining styles like his American raked mast and the smartly curved Dutch style gaff and roof beams are -as far as I know - quite unique. Talking about the rake of the mast in many of his designs, I asked him why was he so excessive? "because it's easier to reckognise your boat at anchor with many other boats, at night, while you are being pretty drunk" he explained...

Well, although Daniel was one the the French designers who had the most extensive knowledge and "Maritime culture", he had some non very scientific explanations sometimes. His hereabove "explanation" was a joke, of course, although a quite pratical and sensitive one...!But where he gave to his boats their undeniable charm was, to my opinion in this mixture of clacissism, of non-conformism and of pure talent.

His first "essays" in boat design and construction was through boat models making. He built a few but very models of some of the cutest boats of that time. He was a very talented painter too, and used paintings to refine his concepts. When he had an idea of a boat, he would not do a line until this idea was very clear in his mind. All the details had do be already thought of, the concept had to be totally clear. Then he would start painting, producing the picture he had in mind, and then only start drawing.

His plans never had any dimension given: you had to scale from the drawings. Just like the old shipwrights, he had an intuitive (and very well backed by extensive knowledge) sense of proportions, and what was to be right had to look right in the first place.

I know this story as true that he went to Sparkman and Stephens office, and met Olin Stephens there. The old man showed Daniel's drawings to his team, and said to them that he would very much like if they could do the same, if they can...

His drawings were a "2D" reflection of his paintings: often coloured, they had a lot of fancy decorative things like a banjo, a winchester rifle and a pelican standing on the transom of the dinghy...quite original style for construction drawings!

And now, as you say, his boats will remain. They outlive us most of the time, and that is one great beauty in boat construction and design. And his boats will remain for quite some time, certainly. Over 200 have been built to his designs, and while we are talking here, they keep being build in various places. Up to now, not one had anything serious happened to them at sea!!!
In India, some very cute Mediterranean boats are built, and many other larger ones by, mostly, individuals. It takes to the average man some 10 years, or over, to build a "Spountz"!!! And -as far as I know again - they finally get completed, and sail away. This success for difficult to build boats (strip plankin + 2 or 3 diagonals + a conventional planking...wouaouh!!!) is due to the fact thet not only the designs are very well thought of, but that Daniel was assisting the amateur builders by producing an extensive set of complementary drawings and a thick (hand written...and what an elegant handwriting!) book with explanation, tricks, decorative choices, you name it, you have it. A colossal work!

I think that I could talk about this man for quite a bit of time, but, as a N.A. myself, I would only say that I have tried to do better than Daniel. And you know what I have produced?: a Daniel Z. Bombigher style boat, and could not find any way to do better with this concept.
Sometimes, something comes close to perfection, and many of Daniel's designs were real acheivements.

Next drink: pour some overboard.

[ 02-21-2003, 08:18 PM: Message edited by: Lucky Luke ]

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by Jerry Sousa:
Thanks for the heads up Shane. Were you thinking of having one of his boats built, matey?Actually Jerry no I hadnt really given any serious consideration to any one of Daniels designs... just drooled a lot over them... they are beautifully drawn... I think there was a bit of a discussion a year or so back about them?

Thanks Luke seems he was a real charector in life which only makes his passing all the more sailent to us all. Were all his drawings the same as those on the site? Amazing! Often wondered if they were translated into English or just available in French? But as I say I never even got to that stage with them they were simply beautiful drawings... he was also a talented marine artist I believe where one could get a look at some of his other work do you know Luke?

Wish I knew some relevent French words to see him off but dont... so cheers to a designer of talent and scope

[garland reese]

Daniel's drawings are a joy to look at. I like His Miss Simplette design. It is good that his designs will still be available to be built. So many nice boat designs, wood and otherwise, cease to exist as available for new construction because the builder dies, goes out of buisiness, or the same happens to the designer. It's nice to know that Daniel's boats can still be built and folks can enjoy the creation and launch of a new boat from his portfolio.

[John Gearing]

Ah...sigh....I'm sad to see him pass. He drew some beautiful boats and I always loved the artistic flair he brought to his work. Reminded me in a way of how Bill Garden would usually draw in a little cartoon skipper with a pipe sitting at the tiller. I was in Cannes about a year ago and didn't think to look DB up.

His "Miss Simplette" looks to me to be a most interesting design for a small boat. One that can be trailered and camp-cruised yet still has some great traditional features. Yeah, I know, it's made of ply! But still! Check her out--
http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/3ladies/3-miss-simplette/ms.html

Daniel, bon voyage!

[Braam Berrub]

Man, all the greats are going. Wow. Just read the thread and wow. Really liked his quirkiness, his inventiveness. Man.

[Keith Wilson]

I like this one:

http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/6barqueprovencale/barque%20provencale.jpg

http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/6barqueprovencale/barque%20provencale%203.jpg

His plans are just gorgeous, and in color, no less! Sometimes he seems to favor art at the expense of science; I wouldn't want to sail Miss Simplette to windward if I were in a hurry. OTOH, they sure do enhance the scenery. Sad that he's gone.

Heres the link to his main page. (http://www.classic-yacht-design.com/1intro/bateaux.html)

[ 03-05-2003, 04:46 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]