BB Swan

[JonnyBoats]

Today at Mystic Seaport I saw a BB Swan sailboat, the "Carl F. Bettle" (named after the designer and builder). It is a fiberglass sailboat 12.5 feet long. It was built in 1946.

Surely this must be one of the earliest examples of "classic plastic"?

[SUNBIRD10201]

While not neccessarily the FIRST fiberglass sailboat, the BB Swan was definitely an early example. First introduced in 1946-7 by Carl Beetle with the molding done at the General Electric Lab in Pittsfield, MA. There is a pretty good reference to the early history of the BB Swan in Dan Spurr's book, "Heart of Glass".

[Adam]

Carl Beetle was the last of the Beetle family owners of the famous Beetle Cat (And of the famous Beetle Whale Boats). Something like six generations of builders in and around New Bedford, Ma.

He sold the Beetle Cat production to Waldo Howland's Concordia Company (Padanaram, Ma), while he moved West to RI (forget where) and embraced the new "glass" material. Not sure if it was a matter of recognizing a good thing, but getting in to early, but he was unsuccessful. Certainly a visionary.

These "Swans" (and at least one other sailing model - the "gull") pop-up for sale from time to time - There was one for sale on E-Bay not a month ago - and a fully restored one over at the Catboat Association site earlier this year. Besides Boats he also built numerous items in glass as well - water tanks, sheds, etc. - Norman Fortier has pics of some of this and can be seen through the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

It's interesting that the Fiberglass cat boat didn't make it, while the wood Beetle is still made as it has been since the 20's - chalk up a win for the wood boat guy's :-)

Besides the aforementioned book, see Waldo Howland's "A Life in Boats: The Concordia Years" as well.

Here is a Pic of a "Swan":

[Adam]

While we're at it - talking glass history.... and since this is a "Plastic Classic" site....Here is the first "large" sailboat ever purposely designed for fiberglass (the original "Classic Plastic" - 1951):



She still sails today....

[Bluenose]

Wow! Pretty darn sweet. I for one would like some more info on this beauty. What is she? Who is the designer? She looks a bit like an over grown Rozinante.

[Adam]

Funny you should say that - she was designed before Roz - and by the older brother.... :-)

One embraced glass - the other called it frozen snot....

http://www.dmcboats.com/takingshape.htm

[Bluenose]

Funny you should say that - she was designed before Roz - and by the older brother.... :-)

One embraced glass - the other called it frozen snot....

http://www.dmcboats.com/takingshape.htm

Thanks for the link. I guess I would have to agree with both of Herreshoff boys on this one.

I quite enjoyed reading the Commentary from the (re-)builder, Damian McLaughlin and his views on the contrast between his and modern designs.

If a boat designed 50 years ago can sail as described why hasn't it been copied? Is the average sailor really more interested in comfort below than good sailing attributes? An analysis of 10 popular designs produced in the seventies reveal almost identical proportions. IE: length/beam/displacement/sail area etc. Even the best of these designs would be a poor performer compared to ARION. I am truly mystified. What am I missing? Creature comforts are nice no question but in the spectrum of design compromise I much prefer a dry comfortable cockpit, ease of handling and a good ride. ARION is not a stripped out camper she has a galley with stove, sink and refrigerator. She has a small settee, an enclosed head, 2 single berths and two double berths in two separate cabins with 14 opening ports. Her design features may be a little extreme but she has proven to me that the design concept is not only valid but truly better. A recent trip to the Newport boat show confirms that the trend continues to produce wide heavy boats. The ergonomics of yacht design has centered on the vessel at rest and for many this is just fine. There are , I believe, many others to whom I would suggest that it is time to re-evaluate your choices and demand a better design blend.

We are of like minds on his thoughts about the designs available to sailors today and I am also quite mystified why we put up with the boat choices that we get today. At least boats like this still sail.

[Adam]

I too agree with his statements - Which also mirror the even stronger L. Frances's beliefs at what makes a boat both "lovely" and "wholesome" - or seaworthy. My guess is that modern cruising designs emulate the high performance ocean racers more for marketing then for seaworthiness - this, coupled with the fact that most sailors are not really "cruisers" in the CCA sense - being coastal and mostly "day sailors", have no real need (borrow from Yogi - "until they need it...") the more wholesome designs. These water bourn RV designs are usually better off in snug harbors then in 40 knot winds offshore.

I wholeheartedly implore people to read the old curmudgeons books "The Complete Cruiser" and "The Common Sense of Yacht Design". His writing is not for the faint of heart, but much of what he states holds very true 60 years later.

[Stubrow]

I've seen this article before. Not much to contribute to such a knowledgeable crowd, (a mere 'bottom sanding grunt' after all) except that, to me this seems like one of the truly 'timeless' designs. She still looks 'modern'.
Except to those who consider 'modern' a pejorative term...... Oh well... you know what I mean!

[Triton 185]

She looks a bit like an over grown Rozinante.

The Rozinante is another one of my favourite boats......hmmm I keep saying this about many different designs.

I agree, she does have that svelte classic quality.

[Kiaora]

My first log-on and I find a "new" reference to the BB Swan and a picture that appears to be the same as that used in a July '08 Sailboat Trader online ad, which I meant to call about because the boat looks like ours.

We own what seems to be a BB Swan catboat, although the 1977 Fl Title identifies our boat as a 1960 "Beetle."

Varnish work on our boats was out of the question on a rainy Sept day in '97, so a friend and I went to look at an unusual and inexpensive boat advertised in the local newspaper. When I saw the boat and the name "Beetle," Curiosity "hooked" me and I bought her---"Take Five" was painted on the transom.

My limited research found the write-up in a '74 edition of the "The Catboat Book" and a phoncon with the (then) builder of the wooden Beetle helped reveal the history. I recently found the CBA forum for these boats, but the few postings are old.

I fixed her up and introduced my visiting niece and nephews to sailing, then put her away while I was pre-occupied.

Sailing her (now named "Pelican") and finishing some details are new priorities, so would appreciate knowing of any current/previous owners or interested folks that could share information.

Thank you. Tom

[Adam]

Hi Tom - I would love to see some pics! Do you know which model you have? 1960 would be one of the last I think, as if I recall Beetle was gone in 1961. I recently made a pilgrimage to the "original" Beetle site on Clarks Point in New Bedford, maybe the "karma" brought you to this site :-)

[Brodie]

I do know Beetle plastics was still around in the 1970s in some form, as the lab where I work (which was built in 1975) has 14 very large fiberglass tanks that have Beetle Plastics labels on them. When I got here I didn't put two and two together with the name until I read "Heart of Glass", which is a great book BTW.

And by "large" tanks I mean LARGE.....18' high by 6' diameter....~4000 gallons....

[Adam]

That would be one heck of a holding tank :-)

You might be interested - The New Bedford Whaling museum now has the Norman Fortier Photo collection - with many displayed on their picture Flickr site. Included in these are some of the tanks -and other items - you describe by Beetle.

[SUNBIRD10201]

Somewhere around 1960, Beetle Boats (the fiberglass boat builder) and Marscot Plastics more or less merged to become American Boatbuilding. The Marscot and Beetle names were still used for a while....based on various magazine ads that I have. Now, supposedly, at some point after the death of Carl Beetle (in 1952??) the person who took over the reins of his boat company decided to get out of the boating business (perhaps this was around the time that Beetle and Marscot merged?) and start a business molding various fiberglass items, including large tanks for industrial uses. The company, BEE FIBERGLASS still exists as far as I know and is located at the entrance to the Fall River, MA Industrial Park. The property is pretty much surrounded by trees and so you can't really see much of what is going on there, but this is supposed to be what is left of "Beetle Boats". I think they do mold an occaisional boat hull/deck for other builders to finish off since I remember seeing a "lobster boat-type" hull and deck out front once.
Interestingly enough, this company is located about 1/2 mile from the 848 Airport Rd. location where O'DAY used to be, and where New England Ropes is now located.

[Kiaora]

Thanks for latest information. I posted pictures of mine on Trailer Sailor Catboat forum---it seemed easiest for us newbies. Tom

[Adam]

Can you put a link to your pics?