Donal wrote:

"The_navigator©" wrote in message
...


Jonathan Ganz wrote:


Well, I like Doug, so I won't comment.

Are you a coprophiliac or are you taken in by his endless BS?


I think that both you, and Doug, have a lot to offer.

Doug does seem to know quite a bit about boats. That shouldn't provoke an
emotional response.


He does know some things and when he's right, I'm not perverse and I
don't disagree with him. But on some technical issues -usually about
design and materials -he is wrong. When his mistaken ideas are presented
as a fact that may influence anothers action then I feel that one should
object to it. Of course one might say that this is an alt group and so
caveat emptor applies, I hope we sailors are far more responsible people
than most. For instance, suppose a newbie searched the archive and, as a
result of Dougs posting thought that a Bolger micro would be a safe boat
in a gale and did not seek protection early enough? The though of being
caught offshore in a vessel as unseaworthy as the micro should be an
anathema to any sailor unless they are suicidal. I say that it must be
made very clear that such boats are suitable for pottering around on
placid safe waters and nothing more. As such, they are probably great
fun and certainly cheap and easy to build. If that gets people sailing
then that's good too. But let's also remember that thousands of people
risk their lives and are rescued every year because they assumed that
their boats are up to any condition that they may find themselves in
when they are not -at least not with the level of expertise that they
have on board.

Consider also this, many sailors today will still lie ahull in a storm
despite proof that a breaking wave at sea will overturn any small boat
caugh abeam. For some reason they think the designer must have designed
the vessel to be safe when used like that. This thinking is as stupid as
the people that rely on air bags to protect them from their atrocious
driving and I for one would wish to help dispel the huge amounts
misinformation in this medium.


Cheers MC