Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

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Kelly Anderson
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Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by Kelly Anderson » Sat Jan 19, 2013 5:39 pm

While casting about for a new hull I came upon the web site of the Creative Marine Frolic 21, which is in the size range I am looking for, and I see that there are a number of Frolic 21 hulls in service in the UK. However, after several attempts to get in touch with Creative Marine through the “Contact Us” section of their web site, I am still confronted with silence on their part.

My questions to the group are:
Is Creative Marine still in business, and if so are they usually hard to communicate with? What is the best way to contact them? Is there a direct e-mail address I can use?
Does anyone know the price range for a bare hull?
How good is the quality of their product?
Has anyone ever imported one to the US?

Thanks for your help.

Kelly
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by steamdon-jr » Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:09 pm

Kelly,

Hi how are you ? I also tried to contact them once for another item that was listed on their site and to no avail. I am surprised you are not further on your boat project with all of your expertise. I thought you had a builder in mind when you sold Reciproca. Maybe Ronnie Baird could do a special build for you as he has taken some of his hulls and stretched them and/or shortened them to peoples needs. And then you could drive down once in a while and watch the build. You know Ronnie too so it is like helping a fellow local boater...well semi local. I seem to recall you wanted something on the Elliot Bay Lines but bigger ? what engine do you have picked and/or built ? Hope all is well with you and Gail.

Don Fenstermacher, Jr.
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Kelly Anderson
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by Kelly Anderson » Mon Jan 21, 2013 4:18 pm

I just sprung for a call to Creative Marine, and spoke to a helpful gentleman who was surprised that my e-mails hadn't been getting through. They will load hulls into containers to ship to the US, and the cost of a bare hull is 5,200 pounds ($8,257 at this time). A hull with a mahogany deck is 15,000 pounds ($23,799), fairly reasonable. He said that they have shipped two hulls in one 40' container. Doubling up could reduce shipping costs if anyone is interested.
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by farmerden » Tue Jan 22, 2013 4:20 am

Hi Kelly Go to the Search area on this site and type in "Magic Hull" It's produced in the Pacific Northwest and about 2 years ago it was available for about $5800 US http://www.dinghyco.com Den
The boat is not shown on the web site and I had to reach him on the telephone!
http://www.thesteamboatingforum.net/for ... Hull#p2240
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by PeteThePen1 » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:51 pm

Hello Kelly

Just felt I should add a couple of thoughts having done the hull import thing, except in the other direction. I imported a Rose hull from Beckmann's on a trailer to the UK.

If the Frolic range appeal to you, then do take a good look at the SBA Steamboat Register http://www.steamboatassociation.org.uk/ ... Id=1117882. One can get it to do a listing by hull type so that you can then see the names of all the Frolic 18s, 21s and 30s and then look at the entry for each. I did the same sort of thing with Rose hulls as well as studying the lines that Ron managed to find for me. However, the missing element is to get a feel of how large/small and cramped/spaceous the boat is on the water. In my case, now that my fitting out is very nearly finished I think that the Rose is probably not beamy enough. However I will happily live with that as she is so pretty.

Shipping can be a problem for the wallet with exchange rate fluctuations. However, with the UK entering a triple dip recession with no end in sight compared to the US, the prospects for the exchange rate are probably in your favour. In my case I got burned by the shipping line deciding to hike prices to restore profits under the excuse of rising oil prices. If you are importing just one hull, shipping on a trailer may be cheaper than in a container mostly full of air. But, do beware of trailer build regulations in your state! For my import the big worry I had was making sure that we could get a 50mm hitch rather than a 2". What I failed to spot was the EU reglations about parking brakes and lighting. Rectification has also been a wallet painful experience. Mind you, nobody I know has a trailer quite like mine!

If you are looking for around 20ft, then the Bossom’s Boatyard Ltd., Model, Nell (Length: 19' 5", Beam: 5' 10") is a pretty boat with a lot of room.

Regards

Pete
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by Kelly Anderson » Sun Jan 27, 2013 8:14 pm

Farmerden,

Thanks for the tip regarding the “Magic” hull, but like the Elliott Bay, it is too large for me to adequately store, and considering transportation costs, is nearly as far from me as the UK. There used the be an ad on Northwest Steam Society’s site for a fiberglass 22’ x 6’ hull that a couple of steam launches were made from, but it has since disappeared. Anybody know where it went?

Pete,

Getting a response from someone in the UK is just what I need. I have seen SBA the listing of all the Frolic 21 steam launches in service, but a few questions are as yet unanswered:
First, is there a chat room out there where more boaters from the UK congregate? The SBA doesn’t seem to offer one, and I would like to find out more from “local” sources.
I have yet to see a photo of a Frolic 21 hull out of the water, or a lines drawing to see the underwater profile. Are there any out there?
Most if except for two of the Frolic 21’s listed on the SBA’s roster are from different builders and are twenty or more years old. Only two are listed as being built by Creative Marine, and both are about ten years old. Why haven’t any been added recently? Has anyone out there successfully dealt with Creative Marine recently, and are they considered a considered a reliable supplier? Getting relies to my e-mails seems to be a problem, which doesn’t bode well.

Shipping to the US may not be an issue, since I have an inside connection with an international shipper.

Here are before and (almost) after photos of the automobile engine hat I have been converting into a launch engine, 2-5/8" & 4-15/16" x 3-1/2". Feed and air pumps are still to be made.

Image

Image

Image

Here is a video of the engine running on air.

And here is a video of of Reciproca in operation.
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by Mike Cole » Mon Jan 28, 2013 4:25 pm

The SBA does have forums on its website but you do have to be a member to use them.

Mike
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by Gudmund » Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:37 pm

The SBA is well worth joining for the 4 issues per year of their magazine 'Funnel', but don't expect much from their forums. And if you do visit the UK there are plenty of members who will be only too pleased to meet you and possibly take you out.
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by gondolier88 » Mon Jan 28, 2013 9:02 pm

For an engine like that, a 21ft Frolic is going to do it no favours, although 21ft LOA, they have a massize overhang aft, and a cutaway forefoot, actual LWL is around 18ft, the design squats a lot at speed and has a steep resistance curve, with a lot of wavemaking at between 75-100% hull speed. Don't misunderstand me, they are well built, pretty, and for cruising around at 3-4 mph in elegant style are perfect, but you could do better.

For the price of a hull and shipping you could build a strip planked hull to the exact dimensions and style that you want, as well as being able to suit it to your engine too. There are existing designs around in your size range, or design one yourself/have one designed.

A well designed launch at 21ft would easily attain and maintain hull speed with the engine you have (provided your boiler is a match too!) With a Plumb stem, fine entry, flat run aft, tapering finely to a transom with room to spin a good 18"Dia. prop. would give you cruising at 5-6mph, with hull speed around 8-9mph.

Greg
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Re: Creative Frolic 21 Launch Questions

Post by Gudmund » Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:03 pm

For a strip plank hull you might like to look at 'Talisker' with a wineglass stern or Nokomis with a transom stern, both Selway Fisher 21ft. Good pictures of both can be seen on the SBA pages.
Gudmund
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