Spartina by Bolger
Description
The Spartina is one of the most beloved and elegant designs from the prolific American naval architect Phil Bolger (1927–2009), featured prominently in his book Boats with an Open Mind (Chapter 22). It's a 15'–15'4" trailerable daysailer—a pretty, lightweight, plywood lapstrake (clinker-built) centerboard sloop that emphasizes simplicity, ease of handling, and pure sailing joy. Bolger himself was particularly fond of it, and many enthusiasts consider it one of his finest "traditional-looking" creations (far from his more infamous boxy sharpies). Inspired by classic New England catboats but lighter and more performance-oriented for plywood construction, Spartina features a self-tacking jib on a balanced boom (for effortless tacking), a gaff or leg-o'-mutton mainsail, and excellent rowing capability when the rig is dropped. It's fast, responsive, and forgiving—perfect for solo or duo daysailing, lake/coastal hopping, or light adventuring. Owners praise its graceful lines, comfortable cockpit, and how it "sails like a dream" with minimal fuss.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bolger, Philip C. |
|---|---|
| Length | 15.330 ft |
| LOA | 15.440 ft |
| Beam | 5.500 ft |
| Max Draft | 3.000 ft |
| Min Draft | 1.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | - |
|---|---|
| j | - |
| p | - |
| e | - |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Documents
Sails
Spartina by Bolger - JIBSAIL
| Luff | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 5.25 ft - (1600 mm) |
| Leech | 11.33 ft - (3453 mm) |
| Area | * 29.56 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Spartina by Bolger - GAFF MAIN
| Luff | 9.92 ft - (3024 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 10.5 ft - (3200 mm) |
| Leech | 19.42 ft - (5919 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 82.72 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 13.5 ft - (4115 mm) |
| Head | 9.75 ft - (2972 mm) |
| Area | * 112.56 ft² |
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Spartina by Bolger - GUNTER
| Luff | 8.083 ft - (2464 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | 13.42 ft - (4090 mm) |
| Leech | 22.67 ft - (6910 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 79.48 ° |
| Diag (clew/throat) | 14.347 ft - (4373 mm) |
| Head | 13.92 ft - (4243 mm) |
| Area | * 142.78 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator | |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.