Frank Maier wrote:
Folkboat:

Pluses: It crossed the Atlantic without sinking; but then, so did Thor
Heyerdahl on a boat built of marsh reeds tied into bundles. The Ra, or
at least Ra 2, may have leaked less than the Folkboat. And I think
they were about as fast.

Minuses: Everything else.

Surely you jest. Wasn't your path lined with admirers exclaiming over
what a suitable & seaworthy vessel you'd chosen?


Oh, you wanted more detail? Ok, some commentary:

I've never been to jail. Well, ok, let me be more precise (honest).
I've never spent more than one night in a holding cell; but I'm
certain that a regular two-person cell would be roomier and more
comfortable than a Folkboat. What's the old quote? It's either Boswell
himself or him quoting Johnson saying something like, "Anyone smart
enough to get into jail will do so rather than go sailing because
sailing is like being in jail with a chance of drowning. And the
company is better." Anyway, that's the gist. And that's a pretty good
description of an ocean passage on a Folkboat. A jail cell in the
clutches of a maniacal giant paint-can shaker.

A jail cell the size of a phone booth laid on it's side.

My imprssion of the Folkboat and it's many near-sisters is that they
actually are pretty good sailing boats, but have some quirks. For one, I
bet your boat leaked so much because 1- either somebody had tried to
caulk the laps similar to conventional planking and/or 2- the deck
wasn't properly canvassed & saturated, so all the spray went straight
below. Plus the freeboard is low, so you spend a lot of time with the
lee rail under.




My experiences with that boat, and others, helped me decide that I was
a "modern" sailor. The 60's were a time of great change in the sailing
world as well as in the society around us. For me, the Cal 40, a
"plastic" fin-keel sloop, vs. "traditional" designs was equivalent to
Galileo telling the Papacy that the Earth goes around the sun, not
vice versa, and y'all just better damned well get used to it. It was
Darwin looking objectively at the reality around him and accepting
that species evolve; they were not created directly by God as-is and
intended by Him to remain as-is forever. Of course, there are still
religious traditionalists, like sailing traditionalists, IMHO, who
ignore reality in favor of their chosen philosophy. De gustibus... , I
guess.

You have to admire that kind of devotion, even you have no desire to
emulate it.

Some of those old time boats were high art. They take a lot of very
specialized care, which most people don't have the time for even if they
had the patience (if they had the patience, the skills would follow).
One blessing is that the proper materials to take care of the survivors
are easier to find now than they were 35 years ago.

The Folkboat(s) I've sailed have all been fiberglass and day raced.
They're fun, but some sailors coming into them are frustrated because
they reward a very different type of handling than a fin keeler.



So, you're perfectly welcome to go to sea in a Folkboat, or a Westsail
32, or any other "retro design" boat with a D/L ratio over 350.

If I had to do something of the sort, I'd probably make it an S-boat.

... God
bless you. Have fun. I'd be happy to buy you a rum punch if we meet in
some island bar. We can savor our drinks and while away the evening
arguing tracking, acceleration, comfort-motion, politics, religion,
... whatever. grin

But me, since the early 70's, I've been essentially an
anti-traditionalist. Mind you, I can walk the docks and admire the
aesthetics of 'em; but when it comes time to actually go sailing,
gimme a fiberglass fin-keel sloop. And please keep the D/L ratio under
250!

Agreed... although an S-boat would be tempting as a feat of dedication.
My grandfather's soul would be pleased. The problem is that I've been
spoiled too long... had a series of boats that were less trouble, easier
to handle and less likely to bite if mis-handled, far less maintenance,
drier inside (and having a dry bunk can be worth a LOT), faster, etc
etc. My wife and I looked for a couple of years for a "big & serious"
cruising sailboat that had our desired features... speed, comfort,
seaworthy enough (but not making big sacrifices for it), good looks,
plus shallow draft... but we eventually got a tugboat instead and now we
just sail for fun.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King