PDRacer Sailboat - Brick Grout Joiner / 2 boats joined together

Grout Joiner / 2 boats joined together
Pictures from Chuck Leinweber
www.DuckWorksMagazine.com
Text from Boats With An Open Mind, by Phil Bolger

Double Brick was designed by Phil Bolger at the request of a crab fisherman in Alaska. Double Brick was to be an easy to store, cheap to build and inexpensive to operate crab boat for the bays of Alaska. With it's quick and easy construction, ability to break down into two usable boats and its ability to carry over a ton of crab, the Double Brick seemed to fit the bill. It is important to know of the Double Brick's working boat heritage, so it won't seem so much like a boat from the Farside. This is the easiest and certainly the cheapest way to get they chance to own and sail a schooner. For the cost of a couple of sheets of plywood and a few hours work you can own and sail your own schooner, and have a boat with many unique characteristics. The center section is a watertight storage compartment for your perishables. Imagine this; you are heading out for a summer picnic with your wife and kids. You and the wife are in the back Brick, the dog and kids are in the forward Brick and the lunch cooler are in the connecter. You sail to your favorite secluded beach and lay out the picnic table. After lunch you seperate the two Bricks and let the kids chase themselves around the harbor. In the evening you reconnect Double Brick for a leisurely sail home. Nick, one of the helpers on the prototype named Brick Connecter a "Grout". The grout has it's own elephant ear leeboards and the sails from each brick are used together.

The key to how the Grout works, is the little metal triangular tab. It is permanently attached with screws to the hull, and a bolt is used to secure it to the Grout. The Grout also has it's own leeboards.

Chuck reports that when the boats are joined, they sail like a witch!

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