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Boats with an Open Mind: Seventy-Five Unconventional Designs and Concepts
 
 
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Boats with an Open Mind: Seventy-Five Unconventional Designs and Concepts (Paperback)

~ Philip Bolger (Author) "This was one of several requests for a breakdown dinghy..." (more)
Key Phrases: outboard utility, spray strakes, ballast casting, Sea Bird, Dynamite Payson, Barn Owl (more...)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

List Price: $37.95
Price: $25.05 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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  Kindle Edition, September 1, 1994 $19.22 -- --
  Paperback, August 31, 1994 $25.05 $23.67 $17.97

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Boats with an Open Mind: Seventy-Five Unconventional Designs and Concepts + Instant Boatbuilding with Dynamite Payson: 15 Instant Boats for Power, Sail, Oar, and Paddle + Devlin's Boatbuilding: How to Build Any Boat the Stitch-and-Glue Way
Price For All Three: $54.23

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"... entertains, informs, and makes you think about boats in ways you probably thought weren't possible-Boats with an Open Mind is wonderful, its author priceless. -- WoodenBoat

"Boat lovers who are used to designers who conceive the same boat over and over, camouflaged with a face-lifting here and there, will be amazed at Phil Bolger's diversity-Here are novel and wonderful boats." -- Boatbuilder

"Bolger has a way of seducing even the lay reader into thinking about and beginning to understand boat design." -- Cruising World


Review

``. . .entertains, informs, and makes you think about boats in ways you probably thought weren't possible--Boats with an Open Mind is wonderful, its author priceless. (WoodenBoat )

Product Details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 1 edition (September 1, 1994)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0070063761
  • ISBN-13: 978-0070063761
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #170,598 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category: (What's this?)

    #72 in  Books > Nonfiction > Transportation > Ships > Boat Building

More About the Author

Philip C. Bolger
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This book cites 35 books:
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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
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 (4)
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Unparalled, October 11, 2000
By J. ONEILL (Fairfield, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Congratulations! You have arrived! If you dream practical dreams--if you dream of building a boat--and if you haven't discovered Bolger, prepare yourself, for you are about to be set free! Bolger THINKS. He thinks of what you need in your boat, and he designs them in. The details are all there. He considers engines, ground tackle, comforts. He considers place. Where is the boat going to be used. Where will it be stored. Will it need to fit under low bridges. He considers limitations, specifically those of the home builder. No fancy custom bronze castings here; his fittings you can build from stock items, and they work. Bolger is one of a kind. He is the Master. His boats can be beautiful (Nord Koster) practical (Diablo) extraordinary (Steel Singlehander) and all of the above (Sainte Valery). This book is aptly titled; it WILL open your mind. Welcome fellow boat dreamer and builder, to the world of Phil Bolger & Friends. You're gonna like it here.....
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bolger's unique approach informs and entertains all, June 17, 1997
By A Customer
Phil Bolger has a direct approach to designing boats which is reflected in an easy writing style.

Radical designers have often called for advanced techniques of construction, expensive materials and sophisticated tools, with exotic results - but Bolger's boats are for anyone with a yen to be afloat, and so is this book.
Even if I never build a Bolger boat (unlikely, since three sheets of plywood are now on order) I will have gained an extra appreciation of boats and boating that will stand me in good stead.

His writing skill is to make clear what is needful without bombast or technical obscurity. Despite this, there is a technical daring in some of his simplest designs that can be breathtaking. At times he waxes poetic, within the context of how one might use and enjoy his designs. Check out "Birdwatcher" and see if you don't agree.

There is also a refreshing frankness about the ones that didn't pan out - not all designers will admit to errors, but Bolger is happy to expose his learning processes for our benefit. This is an unusual book, and I recommend it. Ben Mullet

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading if you like boats, September 6, 1999
By A Customer
Phil Bolger is the only boat architect I know who readily admits mistakes. This makes this book the best book about boats one can read. Only mistakes lead to experience. It is incredible how much you learn and how it changes ones opinion about how a boat should look. Especially those designing themselves will greatly appreciate all the ideas, ranging from novel to strange. This is one of the few books on boat-design which I have actually read from start till end.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A very handy primer of Bolger boat design
If you start getting into plans and methods for building your own boat, it isn't long before you run across the name of Phil Bolger. Read more
Published 18 days ago by K. Williams

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and fun to read
There is not enough detail in this book to build any of the boats, but the stories explaining the reason for each design are entertaining and informative. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Brian T. Rickman

4.0 out of 5 stars A Guide to How Boats Work
When I first showed my copy of Boats with an
Open Mind to a friend with a custom-built, gold
plater 28' ketch, he said 'you paid money to
look at somebody's... Read more
Published on August 7, 2007 by Lynn Hoffman, author:The Short...

4.0 out of 5 stars Boats with an Open Mind
The book is a good primer on different boat designs. Don't buy it expecting to build any of the boats enclosed straight from the book as it's not a "how to" book. Read more
Published on October 23, 2005 by Richard S. Wiederhorn

5.0 out of 5 stars PCB's the man
This guy's boats go from traditional to... wacky, I guess you'd say. This might be his only book still in print. Too bad. Read more
Published on August 26, 2005 by CC

3.0 out of 5 stars Clever but Homely
I have to agree with the reviewers that find Bolger refreshing and candid as well as knowledgeable to a fault. This book is eminently readable and rereadable. Read more
Published on August 11, 2003 by Clifford H. Campen

5.0 out of 5 stars I have read and re-read this book a dozen times!
OK, I admit it, I am enthralled with the genius of this boat designer, Phil Bolger. He has designed more boats than any person alive, 750+. Read more
Published on July 19, 2003 by Bruce Hallman

5.0 out of 5 stars Boats with an open mind
Open mind - you bet. A broad range of boats here. I wanted to build a light displacement, shallow draft, plus open ocean cruiser, 6 out of eight builders said it can't be done... Read more
Published on February 6, 2003 by Peter C. Dandeaux

2.0 out of 5 stars Boats with Mindless Drawings..............
While the book contains meaninful text, the drawings are nearly useless unless you want to go blind. They are virtually illegible due to there font type and size. Read more
Published on August 22, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Bolger is radical
If you have even caught a hint of what Bolger does and enjoy reading about boats then you will love this book. Read more
Published on September 18, 2000 by Martin Kuhn

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