Bolger Diablo encyclopedia

[Spokaloo]

Hey I am looking at putting one of these little buggers together and modifying some things which Phil and Harold may not be too thrilled. Id like to use this thread for ideas.

Please post any photos you have of your Diablo as a finished product, closeups of special features (rope rubrails, stringers, removable floors, transom bracing for larger motors, anything really) that you have added, and any special building photos that you think would have been nice to have during your build.

My wife wants something a little faster than the tug, and we might even be considering modifying it to pull <gasp> a wakeboarder.

Post up!

E

[scraper]

Fax over your question to Phil Bolger and Friends if he's around I'd expect he'll shoot back a reply. Did you post this on the bolger forum on yahoo as well?

[Tom Robb]

One thing I feel sure of is that PCB would not agree to is a monster motor for which the boat is not designed.

[Tar Devil]

My wife wants something a little faster than the tug, and we might even be considering modifying it to pull <gasp> a wakeboarder.

Thinking back to my water skiing show days, it wasn't all that difficult to pull the back end of a small v-hulled boat around when slaloming with a tunnel ski. I bet you could nearly turn that flat bottomed Diablo sideways with a hard cut.

Sure this is the boat you want, Spokaloo? I imagine there's lots of boat plans already available that'll do what you want without pricking the skin of the designers.

Later,

Phil

[Thorne]

There are a lot of links and pics on the web.
http://www.diabloboat.homestead.com/bolgers.html

If just pulling the occasional wakeboarder, it seems that the Diablo would be OK with a 30hp outboard or so. Wouldn't want to overpower it or try to turn it into a ski boat.

http://www.diabloboat.homestead.com/files/Diablo__3.JPG

[Bruce Taylor]

Have you seen Tar Devil's thread in B & R?

http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=51791

My diablo:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid29/p87c07c499ad1b966965d3bc214e5a5d3/fd589a2a.jpg

[Thorne]

Yeah, check out that thread. The consensus seems to be that the Diablo should be beefed up a bit for anything over 25HP.

[Memphis Mike]

Here's mine.


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid19/p97f2a20ecd2e4673500459b01d4a46ee/fdc14563.jpg

[Tar Devil]

Yeah, check out that thread. The consensus seems to be that the Diablo should be beefed up a bit for anything over 25HP.

Anything over 25 hp and I want seat belts, helmet and an ejection seat!!

I'm too old for that stuff!

Later,

Phil

Edited to add: Mikey, that picture of your boat ain't properly adorned. Dig up some of those good photos... with some wimmen hanging on for dear life!

[Tristan]

My Diablo looks pretty much identical to Bruce Taylor's. Sorry, I'm challenged by the daunting task of getting a photo on the WBF. I don't think you want any more power than 25hp. I use a merc 15 and go as fast as I want to go with my son and me (total weight 310lbs), fishing tackle, and 9 gals. of gas. Dynamite Payson says 25 is plenty. More than that and . . . well, I just don't know. I do have two locust cleats inboard on each side (fore and aft), use them to cleat the anchor line, dock lines, etc. By the way, because these boats are so light they can be a bitch to use a boarding ladder out of (ladder goes under the boat as the boat tips with weight on it, so you wind up hanging like a damn bat from the ladder). If you can just kick up the side (as with swim fins) and lay your belly over the gunnel it's best, but a bit hard for me at 73.

[mcdenny]

Here's a Diablo my son-in-law and I built last winter. It was stretched to 16 feet and uses a Merc 25. Works great. Others mention 'panting' of the bottom at speed. We added a 1x2 oak keel which helps tracking on turns and strengthens the bottom enough to avoid any panting.


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p848e36c440d5f8c5fe484b6160226c61/ee25861b.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid209/p92d816ce0345716ee3a8d086e3ebfe0e/ee25861a.jpg

[Tar Devil]

Great looking boat, Denny. Love the transom... it's what I had planned for my boat.

Later,

Phil

[Memphis Mike]

Wow! Great looking boat, Denny. The quarter knees on Denny's boat at the transom and gunnels will add strength to the transom and also help to transfer thrust from the motor forward.

[Spokaloo]

Keep the photos coming! I would love to see this thread have 200+ photos as a catalog for ideas, shapes, techniques, etc.

McDenny: How much do you think the keel helped?

Thanks for the link, it didnt work yesterday, but appears to be up today.

My intent to play with the hp figs and make it a wakeboarding boat is basically just a fanciful notion to go out in the smallest, most inexpensive boat possible and enjoy myself. I like the building process, so if it doesn't meet my needs, I will build another boat! I have looked at ski-specific boats, all require extensive build times (RM plans will take all that time up) and heavy motor requirements. I am fascinated by PCB's design, I like how Payson builds it, and am just going to try it on with a couple extra ponies (maybe). Ive read of a 40 hp motor hanging off one, but not sure thats necessary. I have also considered her possibly being drug around heavily by a ski/board, and am considering a skeg/runner or some such device on the bottom to not only stiffen her up a bit but aide in keeping from being slung around too much.

Im always open to thoughts and suggestions, designs and ideas, and PHOTOS!


E

[Tar Devil]

Ive read of a 40 hp motor hanging off one, but not sure thats necessary.

Bear in mind... the fella who hung that 40hp on a Diablo was an experienced boat builder and significantly strengthened the transom.

Later,

Phil

[Memphis Mike]

Here's another pic of my boat from the website. I forgot those were still out there. My motor is a 25 Merc and I really don't need anymore but then I'm not going to try to pull a skier either. My boat flys like a bat outa hell with the 25. I wouldn't be afraid to try a 28hp with the added quarter knees. The guy that put on a 40 built the sixteen foot model.


http://www.diabloboat.homestead.com/files/boatfrnt.jpg

[Spokaloo]

Phil, are you saying my immense depth of skill and expertise of a mini-tug, wherry, and 2 canoes isnt good enough? <wink>

Its sounding like that 28 is the way to go.

E

[Tar Devil]

I had no idea what you had built.

[Spokaloo]

Its a joke, hard to say things with a smile on your face on the forum, eh?

E

[Tar Devil]

I'm cool. Just didn't want insult your background. :)

[mcdenny]

I was in the boat by myself Sunday going full speed (about 30 mph with a 2stroke Merc 25hp) through a modest chop watching to see if the bottom flexed. It didn't.

The bottom is 1/2" BS6566 meranti with 6oz f'glas and three coats of Raka epoxy and a 1 x 2 mahogany keel. The inside is also fiberglassed from the transom to the aftermost bulkhead.

If you are going to use a more powerful, heavier OB you ought to consider a center console for several reasons: the boat can be trimmed more level by moving your weight forward, it's much easier to control a fast boat with a steering wheel as compared to a tiller and you can hang on to the wheel for support when it gets bumpy.

I'd think a 40hp would be fine if you build it strong with quality plywood, generous fillets and careful fiberglas work, and that center console. Just depends on what you want to boat for.

[Spokaloo]

I appreciate everyone's comments and information! I think we will try the 25-30 hp route first, close to Bolger's plan. I fully intended to go the center console route as it just makes the boat more usable, versatile, and comfortable. Any photos or ideas people had for center consoles are greatly appreciated as well.

Im going to use Dynamite's plan/logic on the ply and go the lumberyard route on this first one (ok, everyone can bemoan Lowes/home depot lumber now) to keep costs down, play with the design, and test durability. Trying to decide on Lauan or ext AC fir ply.

Keep it coming!

E

[mcdenny]

With so much of the boat made out of 1/4" ply, there's not much tolerance for voids in the core. Price out BS6566 meranti from Noah's marine before you buy.

My experience is the local old fashioned lumber yard will have much better plywood than the big box store. I would for sure not use luan underlayment unless you were just going to row. Fir is a pain to finish but is stronger than luan.

I just cut out some molds from 3/4" luan and found gaps > 1" in the cores plus occasionally the core plys were overlapped a bit.

[Tar Devil]

I found some 1/4 ply on the rack at Lowes where luan usually lays. It had equal plys and in all the cutting I've done on my Diablo I've yet to find a void. The stuff also works marvelously under a hand plane... good enough that I scarfed all my panels rather than butt splicing.

Later,

Phil

[sdwbc]

http://www.chiros.net/sm-rosie.jpg (http://www.chiros.net/sm-rosie.jpg)

Hey comrades. Wanting to use a moderately larger engine myself, I proceeded to stiffen the transom. It turned out like this:

http://www.chiros.net/sm-transom.JPG (http://www.chiros.net/sm-transom.JPG)

Took her out last Sunday. San Diego Bay: moderate/small chop very mild surge. The engine weighs about 122lbs. Myself (165 lbs) + girlfriend (125 lbs) + 6gals gas (~36 lbs).

The 2x6 vertical support beam epoxied into the transom is now split. Nearer to the port side lazarette, it's hairline, about 30cm long and about 1 mm wide, at the most. Whether this is just because of weathering of the doug-fir, or shearing stress of that 30HP monster, I cannot tell. I can tell you though I checked the transom at the beginning of the ride. I discovered the split today.

I am in the process of designing some butresses for the space where vertical transom support beam meets the horizontal one... as near to the motor bracket plate as I can (while attempting to maintain some sense of decorum and aesthetic value).

Overall, still stoked with the choices. Looking forward to taking her out on a lake... on a glassy day. When planing, I sometimes I think she will fly away. I agee with the person who recommended the crash helmet and seat belt. I'm also want to find the fattest throwable cushions ever made. :D

http://www.chiros.net/sm-rosie.in.water.JPG

[Thorne]

Looking good, nice to know that the transom really did need additional support (even if the first setup cracked).

[Spokaloo]

I received some information a while back on how to make that transom handle a 40hp motor, but you would have a considerable amount of work to do. One builder took his 2x6 transom framing and extended it all the way around the aft end of the boat to the aftmost bulkhead and across said bh. Interior sheathing of 'glass wouldnt hurt either to take some of the loads and distribute it more evenly to a larger area of hull.

I will be interested to see how it goes!

E