"Paul" wrote in message
le.rogers.com...
Buy your boats used.
You can indeed afford boats that are built well.

I am very new to boating and I realize I may be starting an argument which
is very much not my intention, I'm just trying to learn here.

Would there be a difference between being built well and being able to
survive being smashed into pilings by 74 mph winds in a hurricane?

I swear to god that's not intended as flamebait, I honestly thought a well
built boat could still fare badly if loose in a hurricane.

Built well is a combination of form, fit and function - which pretty
much basically describes all manufactured or crafted products.

One can assume that a boat built to survive being smashed into
pilings by 74 mph winds is built well, but does it serve it's intended
function and is it recognizable as a boat? A steel reinforced
concrete block can be designed to float and most likely survive 74
mph winds and probably do some damage to the pilings, but can
you water ski behind it?

I've always been of the opinion that if it suits you and you are
happy with what you have, then it is doing it's job despite what
others say about it's relative merits in comparison.

It's as simple as that.

Later,

Tom