Beauty and the Beholder

[Steve Hunter]

SAILING SHOULD BE FUN

I just read an article about Gary Hoyt the designer of the classic early Freedoms by Tillotson Peterson. He observed that sail boat enthusiasts have declined in numbers and that there have been many converts to power boating. His rationale was that there have been few innovative technical advances in the sailboat industry that have attracted the young or new people to sailing. Sailing for many he observed, is just too hard and too much work. Our lifestyles today are regretably filled with too much work time, too many alternatives competing for our liesure time and too many credit cards to pay for it all. We are also living longer but often do not have the strength and agility required to sail in our silver years. I agree with Gary Hoyt that more thought needs to be given to make sailing a boat easier, safer and more fun. No one wants to spend their weekend tending sail lines. For this as he also observed sometimes we must sacrifice traditional methods and traditional designs. Whereas I can appreciate the beauty of a classic wood boat ( I just saw an incredible Alden this last weekend)I wouldn't want one under any circumstances. A Hunter by no stetch is the most striking boat in the harbor. Who can get visually excited about excessive freeboard , plastic portlights and rubber toe rails. But as many people on this site have said previously, they are roomy, comfortable and can accomodate guests. They are just more fun to be on than a narrow, low, sleek boat that requires one to "duck" under almost everything. Now if boat designers could just build these new plastic tubs a little better not cheaper and make them easier to sail! I'd happily sacrifice a little beauty for a better built, easy to sail, functional boat. I so noy understand why it takes the sailboat industry so long to respond to customer complaints and preferences...even something as simple as Hunter Marine and their stupid CNG stoves. It would allow many more people to keep on sailing as they reach their "mature" years and avoid becoming another noisy smelly trawler tripper convert. The harbors are overrun with these ugly monstrosities but probably with good reason.

 

[Ugadawg]

Beauty vs. Practicality

Carefully maintained traditional boats with their high-gloss varnished hulls,cabins and woodwork and polished brass are admirable - but impractical in today's busy and hurried world. Even with lower-maintenance gelcoated fibreglass boats, I have seen far too many boats allowed to fall into a state of dis-repair! It just breaks my heart to look at what once were beautiul boats that now are grey and dull with weathered grey teak, dirty standing rigging, dirty and frayed running rigging, torn or loose sail covers, etc. One dock over from mine is the remains of a rather large wooden cabin cruiser. We wonder how the thing stays afloat, what with all the rot and holes in it.In a nutshell, most people nowadays are just too busy to maintain a wooden boat. Even retirees seem to be busier in retirement than when they were working.

 

[Calif. Ted]

Steve makes a good point about technology

and ease of sailing that shaped my boating experiences. I grew up on the ocean and small boats, many of the early ones of wood. About 1980 I swore off boats and moved to the mountains, ten years later I started fishing again in Maine and went sailing a few times. Bought a little open bow runabout with 2 stroke outboard (low maintenance). Got close to retirement and took the ASA classes and chartered some new boats. The changes sold me, self-tailing 2 speed winches, reliable headsail furling, wheel steering, auto-pilots, pressure freshwater systems, refrigeration, water heaters, sugar scoop sterns, propane, GPS and all that beam to give you the room to carry that stuff and more time to actually sail the boat. Before we bought our current boat we did charter a 34' diesel trawler for a couple days to make sure we didn't want to try that route, luckily neither my wife nor I could tolerate the noise and we just don't care for the "feel" of a power boat hull in rough water.I must admit that my wife and I have been looking at a cutter rigged Bayfield ketch that recently went up for sale nearby, it is wicked pretty.

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

I agree with Roger

I agree with roger-whose boat looks very much like my last boat. Mine was , however, a Sailing Star knock-off of his apparently O'day. mine was a bit older and had mahogony trim on the gunwhales and transom(very high maintenence). She was always kept in fine shape, and I could barely go through with the transaction when it was time to let the new owners have her while I prepared to take on my not-so-old venture 21 that was badly in need of some TLC. There is the Key.. my new boat is lower maintenence but it's previous owner had a no-maintence approach.

 

[Droop]

I think the new boat are much

more beautiful. I really like the new Dufour line (see link). The Dufour 34 is hot! Hunter new like looks great. Catalina always made a great looking boat! There are a lot of classic old boats that are beautiful and some that are stupid looking too!

 

[fleet Capt. Brian]

beautiful boats

hands down,I think that the old wooden tall ships are without a doubt the most beautiful sight in all the world,however a 35,37,40 or 60 ft trimaran is also a sight to be seen.I personally own 8 boats and enjoy them all.And a 1928 wooden hulled sailing boat with all her flags a flying is still the most breath-taking sight there is.

 

[Pat Coulter]

skitz-oh-phrenic

I agree with Cruising World magazine. The new Hunters look like they are having an identy crisis.

 

[Droop]

Re skitz-oh-phrenic

I think the new 2004 hunters look GREAT. Very nice lines. Now the 1995-2004 look like space ships! Oh course I think my old 1992 Hunter looks great too! Hunter is getting it back together in a big way! Look at the new 33, 36, 38 and 41! They are hot boats! Look out Catalina!

 

[Capt Bill]

Long Live O'DAYs!

To ask an O'DAY owner if he likes modern boats over his beloved O'DAY is like asking John Kerry if he "likes" Pres. Bush! There are still some absolutely gorgeous boats being built to traditional lines - but with modern equipment. Great boats - if you can afford it! But for the rest of us - give us our beautiful O'DAYs and we'll be eternally happy! Bill on STARGAZER

 

[SailboatOwners.com]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending October 3, 2004:Which expresses your view on the beauty of traditional versus modern sailboats: 33% I wish modern looked more traditional, but with no loss of function32% Modern boats are every bit as attractive in their own way21% The traditional boats have it hands down in appearance14% Traditional boats are more attractive, but don't justify the functional disadvantages

 

[Mary]

My 14 year old son wants a boat!

While searching for sailboats I have come across several odays. Are these boats good for beginners? My son sailed this summer and is hooked on getting a boat, obviously used! Any recommendations? Thanks.

 

[Ben McAndrew]

Circa 1985 style

The lines of the old classic boats are beautiful. However, a good point is raised that they aren't as functional. Those hunters that look like spaceships, they are UUUUGLY!! And, there are some parts of them that don't even serve function. Consider the width of the side decks on the Hunter 336. Not very wide! Some of these boats are difficult to move around on. The 336 has VERY little room up on the foredeck. I've sailed on one. Those boats aren't sailboats. They're a floating RV with a mast.I prefer the look of the O'Days circa 1985. They are pretty, but function does not suffer. They are modern, but they don't look like spaceships. And, if you look at a boat like the O'Day 28, the weather decks are almost 2 feet wide!! -BM

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Ben, no argument from this "old boat" owner

As a 86 H34 owner, I always look over my shoulder at the boat when leaving. That's the test. Spaceship is a perfect metaphor too. They leave me cold. And you know, those narrow decks and small fore-decks are because the inside is made to look as large as possible when viewed at an auditorium boat show. The market is to RV buyers. Going forward on a sailboat deck???? What for?? Why shouldn't the interior look large??? Waves bouncing the crew around inside from one far off wall to the other?? What's a wave? What's a handhold? What's storage? Ah, America, bigger is better.

 

[Seattle Scott]

A Classic

on Puget Sound this summer

 

[Phil Herring]

Anybody know what it is? (Scott's pic)

nm

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

'80s boats are old???

By then, Eurostyling had already begun to take over and change classic styling. By then, almost all wood except for a little trim was gone from most production boat cabins...and from exteriors too. By 1990, few swim platforms were still bolted on...they'd become an integral part of the hull mold. In fact, by then, if you took the masts off most new sailboats, it would hard to tell 'em apart from express style powerboats from 50 yard away. But then, if you're under 30, a boat built before you were even in kindergarten WOULD be "old."

 

[Fred Ficarra]

Scott, how big is she?

Looks to be mid 30s. But that's just from looking at the porthole size. Wow, a cutter rigged schooner. That's odd!

 

[Seattle Scott]

Looks 30ish to me

I wasn't there (Port Townsend). I loaned my boat out and got pics in return, like the attached:Classic, pseudo-classic and classic rubber

 

[Seattle Scott]

Finally, my desktop

which has been identified on this site

 

[Dfalcon16]

Personally...

Peronsally, seeing as right now I do not own a boat..and will not for at least a few more years because I am just getting back into sailing, I like the old boats design's but I love the reliability of and look of the newboats as well..traditionally with boats (as well as with cars) the older they are the more maintenance required, I personally wouldn't mind owning one of the new Hunter HC50's