I wanted to build a new boat and after some research I settled on the Phil Bolger designed Diablo.

Diablo: "Speedster And Workhorse”

This is the title from chapter seven of the book “Build The NEW Instant Boats” by Harold H. (Dynamite) Payson.  It contains the plans for the Diablo and instructions for building the boat based on Phil Bolger’s designs.

The goal was to have a light, easily maneuverable and trailerable boat to fish the river in.

I liked the way it looked with her simple lines, shape and upswept bow. It’s utilitarian and planes easily with a small outboard and is very economical to run. The LOA with trailer allows it to be stored in most garages. It’s capable of doing 30+ mph with a 25 hp outboard .This site gives a basic overview of the construction process below.

Planning


I decided to stretch the plans to make the boat 16′ overall by changing the station spacing lengthwise. This changed the station spacing from 12″ to 12.8″. Additionally all lengthwise mesurements were multipled by 1.066. Even at 16 feet plus the trailer and outboard it fits in most garages.

I built a scale model. I found this to be usefull and when it came time to build, this step made the visualizing easier. Here’s a photo of my model. It gave me something to do while waiting for my wood to come by freight from Noah’s marine.

Detailed Construction


Useability


Videos