BOUNTY II, the fibrous sloop built by Coleman Boat and Plastics.

[SloopJonB]

I was re-perusing my Henderson book on Rhodes and discovered that Bounty and Bounty II have zero in common but the name and the designer.

Bounty II was a slightly reduced plan of a 42' design called Altair. Rhodes son did the reducing and Bill Garden collaborated for the engineering specs to build it in glass.

Don't know if it has been mentioned but it was also the first large production sailboat built in glass.

Vince Lazzara (Columbia, Gulfstar) was one of the principals in Aeromarine. That guy built a lot of boats.

 

[StuartSailor]

"Zero in common" is a bit of an overstatement.  The Bounty II was commissioned by Coleman as a follow up to the original Bounty that they also commissioned.  20 plus years had passed and Rhodes certainly had new concepts.  So an "Evolution" of sorts.  Also The Bounty was the first large sailing vessel built on a production line.  The Bounty II was the first large fiberglass sail boat built on a production line.  It was not meant to be a glass copy of the original but the next generation of a successful line.

 

[SloopJonB]

Re-read what I posted from Henderson's history of Rhodes.

There is a progression in all designers work - especially so in those days - it was very incremental.

Nevertheless, it was a different boat than the original Bounty that was the baseline for Bounty II.

 

[Sail4beer]

I thought the first large production fiberglass sailboatboat was the Bill Tripp designed Mercer 44 that entered production in 1959. They produced 14 of that model.

 

[Priscilla]

What a cracker I really do miss the days of the 25% overhang.
 

 

[SloopJonB]

I thought the first large production fiberglass sailboatboat was the Bill Tripp designed Mercer 44 that entered production in 1959. They produced 14 of that model.

View attachment 488158

Aeromarine started building the Bounty II in 1956.

 

[accnick]

This torn out page of a 1956 magazine was posted on Vintage Fiberglass boats. I've heard of the boats but didn't know the history. 

View attachment 427382

Fascinating. I did some research. In this year, Philip Rhodes was at the top of his game and designing plank on frame boats like this:

View attachment 427383  

An 'all fibrous' plastic boat, no wood except for a couple bulkheads, didn't seem right. Philip had to eat just like everyone, but in a little history, I found his son worked for him at this time. Son threw himself into the vat of plastic and turned his father's Rhodes 27 (41' LOA) in a fibrous design (with dad and others helping).

This even had a fiberglass mast built. Coleman was serious, no wood-nowhere! As we know, they overbuilt these early boats beyond the enth level.

But it was still a splinter shape even as boats were getting wider. Coleman built (I'm guessing from sketchy data)about 12 boats and then quit (or went under). Why they didn't build a fibrous tiller is beyond me. Wood kills!!! 

Did Philip stand back from his Fibrous Rhodes 27 and say, 'this is so much better'? 

View attachment 427384

A few years later, Pearson Yacht (or about to become same) bought the molds. But they knew, if you want to sell a lot of boats, they have to be pretty. So they added the typical gratuitous trim that all 'fibrous' boats would have: toe rails, handrails, coamings, etc. They had a pretty good run with their Rhodes 41 and built 50+ boats. They also split the single port ala Alberg 35. 

View attachment 427385

There was no interior pan in these boats so somebody must have spent a month sanding the inside and 'finishing' them(then promptly died).

As well as the new fibrous finish, Formica had solved the problems of wood with their cocoa-colored faux wood laminate that the builders loved then. But then Pearson 'accented with solid teak'... 

View attachment 427386

Interesting design and time. The hulls are so thick, they will never die. This snapshot in time was the startling death of wooden boats. Thankfully, it was short lived. 

Anyone with an interest in the history of fiberglass boatbuilding should read Dan Spurr's excellent book, "Heart of Glass."

Heart of Glass: Fiberglass Boats and the Men Who Built Them: Spurr, Daniel: 0639785800767: Amazon.com: Books

 

[accnick]

I thought the first large production fiberglass sailboatboat was the Bill Tripp designed Mercer 44 that entered production in 1959. They produced 14 of that model.

View attachment 488158

The Hinckley Bermuda 40 also entered production in 1959. But that design is older than that, and was built as the Block Island 40 before American Boatbuilding sold the design (and maybe the initial tooling) to Hinckley.

I have a friend with a BI 40 built in 1958.

Seems like Bill Tripp was in the vanguard of designing specifically for fiberglass construction.

When the fiberglass revolution started, it started with a bang.

Interestingly, I have another friend with an A&R-built wooden Rhodes 27 that was built after the fiberglass Bounty went into production. The A&R construction was exquisite.

 

[Bull City]

I think I mentioned this on another thread some years ago, but in the 1970s there was a Rhodes Meridian on a mooring near our Alberg Typhoon. I really lusted for it. Not this one, but you get the idea.

[Glad this thread has revived.]

 

[Cruisin Loser]

The Hinckley Bermuda 40 also entered production in 1959. But that design is older than that, and was built as the Block Island 40 before American Boatbuilding sold the design (and maybe the initial tooling) to Hinckley.

I have a friend with a BI 40 built in 1958.

The BI 40, Bermuda 40, and Mercer 44 are three very different boats. Eric Wood built some BI 40's under the name Migrator in the 1980s, good boats. The Mercer is a beautiful mahogany cave down below. The B-40 is a development of the BI 40, but is not identical, especially in the stern treatment

I think one of the early BI 40's was owned by John Nicholas Brown, who had Bolero built. When I was a teen his Malaguena, a Tripp/Hinckley 48, was the queen of Newport, moored in front of his home which is now the NYYC

 

[accnick]

The BI 40, Bermuda 40, and Mercer 44 are three very different boats. Eric Wood built some BI 40's under the name Migrator in the 1980s, good boats. The Mercer is a beautiful mahogany cave down below. The B-40 is a development of the BI 40, but is not identical, especially in the stern treatment

I think one of the early BI 40's was owned by John Nicholas Brown, who had Bolero built. When I was a teen his Malaguena, a Tripp/Hinckley 48, was the queen of Newport, moored in front of his home which is now the NYYC

The Migrators were nicely finished compared to the early BI 40s, as I recall.

 

[Cruisin Loser]

The Migrators were nicely finished compared to the early BI 40s, as I recall.

Beautifully done. I met Eric and went through the last of them when they were docked next to my Hinckley SW-42 in Bermuda in 2011.

 

[Bull City]

The Mercer 44 (Tripp) was built by Cape Cod Shipbuilding:

https://capecodshipbuilding.com/fleet/index.php?boat=mercer



They probably stopped production after realizing they were death traps.

 

[Sail4beer]

It is a retired design. They will bring the molds back in and build them if there was an order of 10 or more. Just like my little Gauntlet..

 

[joeharter]

Hi All,

I'm getting ready to sell my 1958 Bounty II and ran across this post. Funny that there is a picture of my boat in this post. It's the second picture with the white hull. Right now she is moored in San Diego Bay. I'll keep an eye on this post to see If anyone is interested or you can contact me directly: [email protected] (650) 245-2053. My chief concern is that she goes to a good home.

Thanks, Joe

 

[OSPREY]

Manitou is a landmark vessel, as one of the first major yachts to be built in fiberglass. She was designed by Phil Rhodes, engineered by William Garden and (over) built by Coleman Boat and Plastics. At 61, she's still capable of any reasonable voyage. 

Equipment: 
New, lightly used, American made sails, full batten main and 130 headsail. Furlex furler. 35 Lb Delta. 35 Lb Danforth. Sounder. VHF. Shore power isolation transformer. LED anchor light. Solar panel and controller. LED cabin lights. Dinghy. Recently rebuilt diesel. Same owners for the last 26 years. 

An opportunity to own a piece of yachting history. A beautiful design with a classic pedigree. $24,900. Call or text 252-670-5051.










For sale the boat is at Whittaker Creek marina NC 

 

[SloopJonB]

There is only one downside I can see to owning one of those boats.

Paying for a 40' berth for a 30' sailboat.

 

[Santanasailor]

There is only one downside I can see to owning one of those boats.

Paying for a 40' berth for a 30' sailboat.

In some ways, in a positive thought, less space to clutter, less room for junk to add up.  I like a simpler boat.  But then, now there are only two of us not counting the cat who hates being on a boat anyway.  So, we are good.  But I see your point.

 

[Kris Cringle]

In some ways, in a positive thought, less space to clutter, less room for junk to add up.  I like a simpler boat.  But then, now there are only two of us not counting the cat who hates being on a boat anyway.  So, we are good.  But I see your point.

I think there was a design shift in the late 50's when beam jumped a foot +-, in 40'. The beam allowed for more beam in the house along with the wide side decks emblematic of the CCA era boats.

But not all designs grew such as this still tradition 50's style BountyII. It still had a foot in the 40-50's. 

The narrow Concordia yawls were the end of this narrower 30's, 40's line. Not much in 40'; one main cabin that held the galley/ nav station and entire saloon, that was often just 2 facing settees.

A head and vee berth cabin forward, that's it. What you don't see is the volume of useful space, on deck and below, that supports life on board. Here's the classic 'mahogany cave'. 



 I see the perfect sailboat for a couple or small family. It lacks of nothing. It's not a house to live in, but that's what I like in a sailboat. 

 

[Latadjust]

 The gunports were open to show off her armament on a short-crewed maiden voyage to the outer port, and even though under a small amount of canvas, she heeled in a small gust and sank.

It also seemed to me that she was inherently unstable, 

This is what I recall reading in "Men, Ships and the Sea," a book I spent many happy hours glued to as a kid (great book, not just for kids for those who aren't familiar btw)