A brief note. - I built my boats - and this site about two years ago. In the intervening years I switched Internet Service Providers and archived all the source files for this site on a disk (and largely forgot about it) and had a second child. As time permits it is my solemn intention to add those little bits and pieces to this site that have gone lacking for a good long time. I did mention a second child correct? So broken links and all the site begins again.

A "Bolger Brick" is a little square sailboat that can be build with minimal outlays of time, money, or skill. Square blocky appearance aside it sails rather nicely and provides the crew with plenty or room to sprawl. It is a great choice for a home-built sailboat if you want to get onto the water quickly and cheaply. And aren't overly fussy about adhering to conventional marine aesthetics.

However, the best reason to build a Bolger Brick or two is to get a better appreciation of this designer’s work and end up with a pretty neat boat in the process.

I have been a fan of Philip Bolger’s work for years. His profound understanding that not everyone has unlimited spare time or cash is all to unique among boat designers. If you read his work your see that time and again he includes financial resources as a critical design consideration. Really.

A couple of years ago I bought myself a copy of his book "Boats with an Open Mind" After many readings I found myself embracing his arguments for plumb sides and sprit rigs. His design "Brick" caught my eye many times. Can it really sail better than it looks? Can it sail at all? Is it really that homely? (the answers are yes, yes, and pretty much).

I built a small cardboard model of a brick in inch to a foot scale. Yes, this really is a tubby, square little boat. With a surprisingly tall mast. I taped a photocopy of the design to the side of my computer monitor…where it beguiled me for the next year or so. The tension was building. That cockpit did look roomy. I began to daydream about sprawling in comfort on afternoon cruises at my family’s lake cottage.

On the Fourth of July (2000) at the family cottage I declared my intentions to build a pair of Bricks, one for myself and one for my brother. My brother had work obligations starting in early August so there was a clear deadline for getting the boats done if we were to take at least one sail that summer. I thought it might be fun to start a small fleet. Maybe have races.

I built both bricks at the same time. I fabricated all the parts for the pair of boats and then assembled them. Building two boats took little time more than a single boat would have and it was great fun to see two boats come together in the back yard.

These pages are a record of my experiences building and owning a Brick. I will describe the construction process I used. Pass along some hints and tips that others may find useful. Post a quantity of Brick pictures, and share some links and resources that I found useful. Have fun.