Description
Bolger Design #458, known as the Tortoise, is a minimalist, 5-foot-10-inch plywood pram dinghy designed by American naval architect Phil Bolger in the late 1970s as part of his "Instant Boats" series, developed with Harold "Dynamite" Payson. Featured in Payson's book Build the Instant Boats (1979), it’s a pint-sized, flat-bottomed rowboat with an optional leg-o'-mutton sailing rig, engineered for ultra-simple construction using a single sheet of 1/4-inch plywood for a hull under 40 pounds. Designed for solo use in tiny ponds, creeks, or calm harbors, Tortoise is car-toppable, beach-launchable, and ideal for kids or beginners learning to row or sail—offering surprising stability for its size but limited speed (2–4 knots rowing, 3–5 knots sailing). While not a performance boat, its rugged simplicity makes it a favorite first-build project, with dozens constructed globally, often in a weekend (~20–30 hours) for ~$200–$500.
