FLICKA HISTORY--PAGE 2

were changed from 10,000 lb. to 5,500 lb. and from 3,200 lb. (approx.) to 1,720 lb., respectively.

To the author's best knowledge, the first ferrocement boat was built as a demonstration project at a boat show to help promote the design and construction method. The boat did not catch on at this time. Ferrocement construction was expensive and quite a project for such a small boat.

Over the next five-year period, 400 sets of plans were reported sold. Of the boats that were built, most were built from GRP, although the author is aware of one boat built of wood using carvel planking. In 1974 Bingham and Katy Burke started construction on a Flicka plug so they could build their own boat. Because of business pressures, this plug was sold to a group of builders in Santa Barbara, California - Nor' Star Marine.

This company started producing well constructed GRP hulls, circa 1975. Westerly Marine in Costa Mesa, California (USA) and a gentleman by the name of Mike Bradshaw purchased  a hull from Nor' Star. Because Nor' Star had not completed the mold for the deck and cabin trunk, Westerly Marine built the deck and cabin trunk
out of wood to the same design as the then uncompleted deck & cabin trunk mold. To the author's best knowledge this is the only

Flicka completed with wooden decks and cabin trunk. The picture below is this Nor' Star/Westerly Flicka. The boat is of composite construction and has a custom cockpit with bridge deck.

By the time the author's Nor' Star Flicka was purchased in February of 1976, the company was producing a GRP deck, cockpit and cabin truck. This aft-cabin Flicka, s/v AFRICAN MOON (now named s/v DOLPHIN SPIRIT) was completed by Westerly Marine in February of 1977.

The Nor' Star Flickas were either sold as "kit" boats or completed by Westerly Marine under subcontract to Nor' Star. The combination of Nor' Star's superb hull, cockpit, deck and cabin truck and Westerly Marine's outstanding craftsmanship produced a boat which was well founded and truly beautiful. These early Flickas did not incorporate a GRP liner. The interiors were finely finished in wood. The Nor' Star/Westerly Marine Flicka #7 is considered by early Flicka aficionado's to be the most beautiful Flicka produced. Unfortunately, Nor' Star Marine closed its doors - circa 1977.

Thanks to the effort of Bill Luther, an admirer of the Flicka and who had worked for Bingham, the mold was sold to the then young Pacific Seacraft Corporation, circa 1977. The new builders modified

the cabin trunk and moved the deck hatch. The radius of the cabin trunk crown was decreased to form a flatter cabin top and the hatch was moved from the deck to the cabin top just forward of the mast step.

By 1978, Bingham's long awaited dream came true. He took delivery of hull no. 25 - s/v SABRINA.

In a personal conversation  with Bruce Bingham, I remarked, "I don't know what you did when you designed  the boat but you created an extremely fast seaworthy boat."

Mr. Bingham replied, "I did nothing, I just trans-ferred the lines of the two boats I discovered near Wickford, Rhode Island."

In retrospect, what Bruce Bingham did was not only give us a fine sailing machine which has stood the test of time but he preserved a hull form that is part of America's maritime history.