Le Dulci-Mer, Bolger design #459, sailing in a moderate wind

Sailing the 30-foot custom Phil Bolger-designed Le Dulci-Mer off Shell Point, Florida, in a moderate breeze. The boat has an unusual but effective balanced lug rig.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Phil Bolger
• design #459
• Le Dulci-Mer
• Gary Blankenship
• balanced lug
• Shell Point
• sailing

[gbship]

The original keel trunk was much shorter because the keel was fixed; it didn't pivot. It was deep because that was needed to get the ballast low for stability while keeping it as light as possible. That's why leeboards wouldn't work. It was originally designed for single-handed ocean sailing with speed and low cost taking preference over interior accommodations. The higher truck was added so a swing keel would give shoal water capabilities.

[captmark97]

Handsome vessel, Skipper. But I wonder why the inspired designer, Phil Bolger, cluttered up the interior with that enormous swing keel trunk instead of using one or two leeboards as feature in so many of his other designs.