"Capt. Rob" wrote in message
oups.com...
Tom Morris has only sold a handful of Morris 36s. Does that mean it's
not a
successful design as well?


With all due respect, Maxi, the current Robinhood is a semi custom boat
that is using the same hull but is a much higher quality (higher end)
vessel compared to the original Cape Dory 36. The CD was affordable in
her day compared to the higher end Robinhood which was never likely to
sell in high numbers.

The hull and deck lay-up schedule of the RH36 is identical to that used by
Cape Dory. Interior appointments may be different, but honestly I haven't
seen them. You are right that it's a semi-custom boat, just like C. E.
Ryder's Sea Sprites and Southern Cross boats were in their day. There isn't
widespread demand for such designs today, so the RHs are built in limited
quantities, and generally on special order with only a boat or two built for
"the showroom." Cape Dorys were mass produced in their production years,
and aren't built today because they couldn't compete with the more modern,
high-volume designs from Catalina and Beneteau, for example. So any Cape
Dory CCA-type design you see today will have to be a Robinhood, and it will
cost a lot more than the same basic boat did years ago. It has more to do
with economies of scale than with quality.

Max