27' Garden Pollywog Power Cruiser (1995) - KISMET

Bill Garden designed 27’ “Pollywog” Troller Cruiser. Kismet is now being restored and re-powered by Brion Rieff in Brooklin, ME. She’s receiving a number of sistered frames and the cabin is being enlarged to accommodate an enclosed head and more commodious steering station and galley.

KISMET is a wonderful little cruiser based on the commercial salmon trailers of the Pacific Northwest. Built in 1995 by George Fryatt of Vancouver BC to William Garden’s POLLYWOG design, of which at least two other examples have been built.

Maynard Bray wrote a thorough review of the design in WoodenBoat Magazine #119, in which he describes her as such: “Like her progenitors she’s not speedy, but she’ll have their seakindly ways. She is thoroughly practical for a crew of two at all times, with space for sleeping guests on the 6-foot double berth formed by converting the pilothouse dinette. There’s a basic galley opposite the dinette, plus good steering stations below deck and on deck over the engine box. Below, forward are V-berths with an enclosed toilet between. At the after end of the pilothouse, on the port side, is a hanging locker. A combination heating and cooking stove is part of the galley; and in KISMET’s case this is a charming little solid fuel stove with a single alcohol burner. Altogether, this is a snug little cabin from which to watch the world slide by as she chugs along.

On deck, the self-bailing cockpit, which is accessed from the cabin through a Dutch door, has space for a couple of deck chairs under the shelter of a canvas awning. At the forward end of the cockpit, the engine box runs all the way to the port side, where it doubles as a standing platform for the helmsman. While on the subject of platforms, there’s another important one outboard of the transom that can be used for swimming as well as for turned-up-on-its-side dinghy stowage when underway.”