buehler yacht design

George Buehler Yacht Design

Custom and production yacht design.

• George’s Background
• Design Philosophy
• George Buehler Designed Boats for ‘All The People’
• Georges Stock Plans and Prices
• What are Buehler Stock Plans
• What’s in a Set of Stock Plans?
• Diesel Duck Stock Plans and Prices
• What’s In A Set of Duck Plans?
• BOOKS & CATALOGS
• RANDOM THOUGHTS
• - George’s Background
• - Design Philosophy
• - George Buehler Designed Boats for ‘All The People’
• - Georges Stock Plans and Prices
• - What are Buehler Stock Plans
• - What’s in a Set of Stock Plans?
• - Diesel Duck Stock Plans and Prices
• - What’s In A Set of Duck Plans?
• - Sitemap

50′ OTTER

The idea behind this design was to create a safe and comfortable ocean cruising and live-aboard vessel, while staying within guidelines of moderate costs and simple enough construction practices that the yacht could be built, and financed, by any amateur builder who sets his mind to it. I’m quite pleased with the way she came out, and this is one of my favorite designs because I see no way she could be improved. I like everything about her!

The hull is 50 feet long. This length was determined because it’s a size that allows a hull to be trim enough to easily bend material around which greatly simplifies building, yet still gives a good spread out interior and heavy enough displacement for comfortable living aboard. Briefly, it’s easier, and often cheaper, to build a trim long boat than a fat shorter boat of equal interior volume, and the result is a better performer because of the extra waterline length.

The hull is a simple single chine type, and can be built of planked wood, plywood, or steel, with minimal waste and no need for elaborate machinery or great skills. I’ve had a fair amount of experience with this type of hull, and have learned that by giving a chine hull a bit of dead rise, moderate beam, and fairly fine ends, they sail well, track well, don’t pound, and have a very comfortable motion in a seaway. And are easy to build.

Construction is stout. The wood version’s scantlings are based upon normal dimension lumber available in any lumberyard.She has 2.5″ x 5.5″ frames and 1.5″ planking. I’ve built several boats like this, and I like them because I feel safe in them. The steel version is equally stout, using 1/4″plate, heavy frames, and numerous longitudinals. Either the wood or steel version will be capable of sailing right through most things that get in front of them!

The vessel’s 44,000 pound displacement (cruising trim) allows her to be built like this, and her “flaired” sections give her the buoyancy to carry plenty of food, water, fuel, and personal items. Cruising boats built in this manner are nice because they’re very quiet inside even in bad weather, don’t bounce around that much, have the weight to carry through a chop, and practically never suffer structural problems.

The sailplan is a simple traditional cutter rig, which is the strongest and I think most versatile rig fora cruising boat. Using a solid wood mast and 3/8″ galvanized rigging makes it quite inexpensive, and very strong. One local yacht rigged in this fashion had its mast hit by a seaplane. The airplane was destroyed, the sailboat wasn’t damaged.

The interior is comfortable for a couple to spend alot of time aboard. The pilot house version has a second stateroom for guests, although this area in the bow could also be used as a shop or office area which is a more useful thing.The dinette table can convert to a double, or, to avoid long term guests, let company sleep on deck! Both versions have large galley areas, near centerline sinks, large “heads,” and lots and lots of storage area. The pilot house version is the most comfortable inside, and has a separate shower stall.

The plans come as a package showing both canoe and outside rudder sterns, pilot house and short cabin arraignments, wood and steel construction plans, a 3 masted “motorsailor” sailplan, a bow sprit cutter version, and of course my BuildingBook that tells step by step how to build her, and, for those who believe in such things, a long fin and skeg rudder underwater version. A person can switch parts around and build her as they please. Personally, I rather like the short house and outside rudder version because it’s the simplest to build and looks so businesslike, although as I get older I’ll admit to interest in inside steering….

The photos show the first built, beautifully done by Ruby and Ed Roote, in Oregon. They sailed it to CentralAmerica and back, then sold it in SF. I heard a funny story; apparently the new owner anchored off the Farolan (?) Islands off San Francisco. When they went back to the boat, it was gone! There was a full search by the Coast Guard but nothing. Supposedly A WEEK LATER, sometime very late at night, she came drifting into the military base harbor by Pt. Conception, to the complete surprise of the people when they woke up the next day! Makes ya wonder about this”Homeland Security” stuff all them consultants are making fortunes from…..

OTTER interior drawing (finally) added 11/2014

Somebody building OTTER sent me these greatCAD views. I’ve finally posted them and, I apologize to the guy who did them because I simply can’t remember who it was. Wish I knew how to do the program that created these; they’re great!

(5/06) Here’s some shots of an Otter being built in Bellevue, Washington, by Curt Estes. He’s doing a great job of it.

The plan includes ORPHEUS , a stripped down and simpler version. This is a serious gung ho basic cruiser.The example below is steel and very good looking except for that awkward “dodger.” I suppose it’s practical and once you’re aboard the boat you don’t see it.

PARTICULARS

LOD : 50′ … LWL: 41′ … Beam: 13′ 11″ … Draft (loaded): 6′ … Displat DWL: 44,600#

Suggested power: 30 HP and up

Plans come showing both versions, and both wood and steel construction.

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462 Diesel Duck “Making Time”

Salt & Tar

Building rediviva.

We have been getting a lot of questions about the details of the boat, so I figured I would make a separate page all about her!

She is a new George Buehler design called Button 2. I had been looking at Buehler boats for quite some time. I really came to like, and appreciate his take on boat design/construction. I knew I wanted to build one of his boats. The only problem was that none of the stock plans were exactly what I wanted. Although Buehler’s site is packed full of awesome designs I always came up with some reason why a boat wasn’t “the one”. Which in reality means I am to damn picky…(Ruth can attest to this…) After months of fliping back and forth through the few boats we had narrowed it down to I happened to click on a boat that I had written off the first time I saw it. The reason I never really payed this boat any attention was the cabin/deck layout. It’s what you call a raised sheer. Which I personally find very unattractive.

Because of this I didn’t pay any attention to the rest of the boat. This time however I went in with an open mind knowing that I would likely have to modify any design I pick In order to suit my needs. I realized right away that I absolutely loved the style of the hull! Blunt bow, sexy sheer sweeping up toward the sky. I figured it would be no problem to built this hull to the plans, but design and build the deck/cabin myself. The only issue remaining was the rig… Ruth and I had talked a lot about building our boat, and one thing we decided on is that it would be pointless to build a boat that wasn’t exactly what we wanted. Therefore she needed to be a ketch. Gaff rigged for and aft. Logical… No… Practical…. No… Salty, sexy, and exactly what the boat of my dreams looks like in my head? Yes! Unfortunately changing the rig is not something that I am confident doing myself, so I sent George an email explaining all this and asking if he could modify the plans for us.

George Buehler turned out to be very easy to work with, and didn’t try to talk me out of building the boat the way I had fantasized about her for years. He agreed to do the modifications, but little did I know he would go on to design a whole new boat! Button 2 retained the salty characteristics that pulled me in when I decided she was the one, but she was reborn into something new. Longer water line, 4 more inches of freeboard, reduced beam, fuller belly, simplified construction,  new cabin/deck/rig, and the list goes on.

Of coarse I plan to add some personal touch…This is a sketch I made before we got the new plans.  This is whats been lingering in my head for a long time… Fortunately the two look quite similar, and after a few additions ratlines, baggy-wrinkles, giant bulwarks,channels, deadeyes, etc. she will be just right!

Now for some more technical info on our yacht! She is mostly douglas fir. Her keelson is 9”x12”. Laminated together with epoxy from fir 2×10’s. Her ballast is cement reinforced with rebar, and packed full of 1” steel plate/ railroad track for added weight. She has 3/4” galvanized bolts every two feet running clear through the keel cast into the ballast to hold it all together, As well as 5/8” bolts every two feet to tie the floor timbers to the keel. Her frames are built from fir 2×6’s with 3/4” plywood gussets fastened together with 3/8” galvanized bolts. Her planking will be 1-1/2” cvg old growth fir above the chine, and 1-1/2” clear port orford cedar below. The planking will be fastened with #14×3” hot dipped galvanized screws, and all butt blocks bolted with HD galvanized bolts.

The rest of the construction details are in theory only because we haven’t bought the materials yet, and are far to spontaneous to make a plan on how everything will go together…

Anyway thats our salty lady so far. I will keep the construction details up to date as we continue the build!

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George Buehler Designs

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by Old Stoker , Dec 30, 2020 .

Old Stoker Junior Member

Does anyone know if Georges Plans are still Available.  

skaraborgcraft Senior Member

As far as im aware, his widow Gail does not want to deal with his plan sales. I have yet to see any update about this on the website, but i would try the contact numbers and emails just in case. It would be a pity to see his work vanish.  

Thanks for that I agree,I have one his plans for Dragonfly 64 in steel and wood And I corresponded with him for many years. We are loosing a generation of plans and Designs, Tom Colvin is another.  

Ike Senior Member

George was a great loss. I never met him in person, (even though he lived only 10-15 miles from me) but I corresponded with several times. Hopefully His widow will eventually sell his plans to someone who will make them available. Until then there are his books, Buehler's catalogs and books. http://georgebuehler.com/books.html , and his web page is still online George Buehler Yacht Design Home Page http://georgebuehler.com/  

Thank you.  

Bill V New Member

Old Stoker said: ↑ Thanks for that I agree,I have one his plans for Dragonfly 64 in steel and wood And I corresponded with him for many years. We are loosing a generation of plans and Designs, Tom Colvin is another. Click to expand...

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Dragonfly plans are in the back of his first book, but as drawn, 50ft.  

Sad news of the passing of George Buehler from backyard boating building forum

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