Willow was designed by Phil Bolger and built by Carl Brownstein, Rights O’ Man Boat Works, Shelton, Washington. She is a shallow draft (2 feet) leeboard cat-yawl launched in 1990 (see “Launchings” WoodenBoat, No. 100). Construction is conventional carvel (cedar-on-oak) except for elimination of the wooden keel in way of her ballast casting and with an offset propeller. Carl modified the house (inspired by William Garden’s Rainbird), cockpit and interior which improved looks and utility.
Our request to Phil was for a simple design, comfortable for two and suitable for inside waters of the Pacific Northwest. To that end, she has sprit booms and no standing rigging; winches are not needed. There are no “systems” but rather a gravity-feed kerosene heater, icebox, Origo alcohol oven, portable toilet, manual anchor windlass, etc.
There is enough salient keel that she goes to windward reasonably well boards up. With a relatively large rig and shallow draft, she has a good turn of speed off the wind. We sailed her to Alaska (Glacier Bay and Sitka) in 1994. After our return we learned that Willow accommodates a family of three nicely.
Phil Bolger has written two articles about Willow (Messing About in Boats 19:12 1991 and Coastal Cruising 10:3 1996).
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Hello Johnathan. We had the leeboards on for eight years or so, including the trip to Alaska. They worked well and gave no trouble. Took them off quite a while back, ostensibly to refinish, but never got around to putting them back on. Boat goes to windward reasonably well without them and we’re downwind sailors at heart.
Notice that only a couple of the photos show a leeboard. What is that about?
Hello Johnathan. We had the leeboards on for eight years or so, including the trip to Alaska. They worked well and gave no trouble. Took them off quite a while back, ostensibly to refinish, but never got around to putting them back on. Boat goes to windward reasonably well without them and we’re downwind sailors at heart.