Bolger Sweet Pea

[Bagneaux]

I am wondering about building Sweet Pea for a sailboat only. I
currently have a Bolger Surf and I am tired of sitting on the bottom of the boat and my arthritic legs need more room. I am looking for a hull
which will let me use the 59 sq. ft. sail I currently have. I am also
thinking that Sweet Pea could carry a battery and trolling motor
rather well, possibly in a (no pun intended) well. The side seats and
room in Sweet Pea look very inviting. I would value your opinions of
this boat. Thank you.

[Steve Paskey]

I've always liked the Sweet Pea design, but I've never seen one in person, so anything I say is purely speculation on my part.

I think she'd certainly be a comfortable boat, and I see no reason that she couldn't be used for sail only -- no rowing.

As I see it though, she may not be the best thing for your purposes. She was designed to favor rowing over sailing, but you don't want to row. (Bolger lists her in the "rowing boats" section of "Boats with an Open Mind.)

And you'd like to add a well for an electric motor, but to do that the slipping keel would have to go -- it's right down the center of the boat, and extends the full length of the bottom. That would mean designing a daggerboard or centerboard to take the place of the keel, but the trunk for a board would completely mess up the interior of the boat, unless the bottom is wide enough to mount an off-center daggerboard along the face of the seats on one side.

But if you did that, you'd have to consider whether she's still suitable for the waters you'd like to sail -- the daggerboard would be much deeper than the keel, and won't kick up the way that a centerboard will.

I think you get the idea ... start messing around too much, and a beautiful, clean, well-conceived design becomes something else entirely -- and probably not for the better.

If I were you, I think I'd start by asking: what boat would I build if I decided that I'm NOT going to use the sail from "Surf"? Then figure out how much extra it would really cost you to go that route, rather than trying too hard to make Sweet Pea into something else.

For instance, Steve Redmond's Bluegill comes to mind as something that might suit you. It's a simple skiff for sailing or a small motor; it's easy and relatively inexpensive; and with the seats and wide beam you could likely make yourself pretty comfortable.

All that said, if you're interested in taking a closer look at Sweet Pea, get a copy of Dynamite Payson's new book -- "Instant Boatbuilding by Dynamite Payson." The book has full (but reduced size) plans for 15 boats, including Sweet Pea.

[Steve Paskey]

For what it's worth, I just pulled out Dynamite's book and checked ... the off-center daggerboard wouldn't work. Even at the widest point, the bottom's more narrow than the open space between the seats, so a daggerboard would clutter up the interior.

[Thorne]

I'll second Steve's opinion - the Sweet Pea is a pulling boat rigged for sail, and would prove to be very similar to the Surf under sail -- you'd sit on the floorboards also. The photos on this page show the boat being sailed from the floorboards, which I suspect is common when the wind is up -
http://www.dejonghwoodcomposites.com/cape_split_peapod.htm

Looks like you are in the market for a "real sailboat" -- not a sail and oar boat. I'd suggest forgetting about moving the sailing rig to the new boat, and focus on meeting your requirements of comfortable cockpit seating, stability, and easy powered by a small outboard or electric motor. A boat that size will want a larger sail -- nothing wrong with that.

The Goat Island Skiff would be a relatively easy build, and has a transom you can mount a motor on -
http://homepage.mac.com/peterhyndman/GISintro.htm

And there are many more similar boats designed for sailing or small motors, not rowing, with enough stability that you can sail sitting on the seats, not the floorboards.

[Steve Paskey]

The Goat Island Skiff is another good choice, and one of the options for the rig involves using a second-hand sail from a Laser.

Regarding Bluegill ... If you're not familiar with the boat, here's a link to the designer's web site:
http://www.sredmond.com/index_boat.htm

The list of plans -- including Bluegill -- is on the left.

[Bagneaux]

I actually have built a Bluegill but I left it at my inlaw's lake house in Hattiesburg , MS two summers ago. It was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. I have Payson's new book and the sweet pea plans. Payson states that the keel and rudder could be built deeper. The Dejonghwoodcomposites website shows that they did not build the side benches as per the plans which necessitates sitting on the floor. The trolling motor is not a necessity, although it would be nice. I actually have plans for a Stambaugh Catbird 16, but my daughter's wedding precludes buying new sails right now. I have plywood, fiberglass, and epoxy on hand. Maybe I should build a Gypsy which has some small side benches. Would that be better than the surf? Thanks for your opinions everyone.

[Steve Paskey]

I thought about suggesting Gypsy. From what I've read, she sails very well. I've always thought she seemed a bit low-sided, but adding even an inch or two of freeboard (easy enough to do) would mess with Bolger's cutting diagrams, and would require another sheet of ply (6 instead of 5) with more waste.

Definitely better than Surf. If you're determined to use that sail, she's a good choice. Cartopper might also work.

[Chipito]

I've built Gyspy and Sweetpea and I would rather sail Gypsy anytime. Rowing in bad conditions I would choose Sweetpea but otherwise I think Gyspy is a much better boat.

[Bagneaux]

This is just what I need to know.

[Thorne]

Try "sweet pea" + bolger

http://www.dejonghwoodcomposites.com...lit_peapod.htm (http://www.dejonghwoodcomposites.com/cape_split_peapod.htm)

plus many more....

[Thorne]

Search these forums -- there were some posts last year about a DVD called "Peapods of Maine" or summat, supposed to be very nice and authentic.

Lovely boats!