Bryan wrote:
Trying to tell people to install vented loops is like trying to get
them to close seacocks when they leave the boat for extended periods.
Ain't gonna happen.


Peggie Hall wrote:
I know. Today's typical boat owner is a new breed...

I dunno if it's so much a "new" breed as the same old
dumb-ass from all ages of history, only set free in today's
consumer-driven easy-credit economy.

Would we have it be any different, truly? Then it would be
much more difficult to be above average!

... clueless, happy to
remain so, unwilling to learn even the most basic skills, do any manual
labor, or take any responsibility for ensuring the safety of his own
boat...

Careful, now you're swerving into politics!

... if I've heard "that's why I have insurance" once, I've heard it
100 times! Perhaps if the insurance industry stopped paying claims for
preventable losses.... But that ain't gonna happen either.


That's true but many insurance companies either raise rates
on "accident" prone boaters just like they do for similarly
inclined auto drivers; and also insurance companies quit
writing boat policies. A big wave occurred after Hurricane
Katrina, and boat insurance is going up.

All the above are among the reasons why I think the
recreational boating market is not going to climb up into a
seller's market any time soon, if ever. The impact of peak
oil on the macro economy and the reduced interest in outdoor
activities on the part of young people (most of whom would
be perfectly content to sit around playing video games) are
two more.

Btw, Doug... Not all bilge pump thru-hulls are above the waterline???
That's nutsy design...how can a pump empty out a boat through a hole
through which water can come in faster than the pump can push it out???
Otoh, I just learned that a lot of cockpit drain through-hulls are also
below the waterline...which makes no sense to me either...sigh...


Well, boat design & construction is a compromise. Some
compromises are better than others

DSK