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On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 03:36:35 GMT, (Lee
Huddleston) wrote:

If you own a certain model of vehicle, you notice how many are on the
road. Since I own a Bruce Roberts design, I seem to notice a lot of
them around. In fact, I know of a partially built Mauritius 43 for
sale in Morehead City, North Carolina right now. Might be hard to get
to Europe, though. :-)

It is a tribute of sorts to BR that so many people have bought his
designs. It's also a tribute that they can be finished in a way that
connotes strength and longevity, and yet also sails well and
comfortably.

I don't reject the notion that a home/owner-built yacht cannot in fact
be a great deal *better* than a production boat, or even that the
finest of modern designs are not available to the home-builder (Dudley
Dix and Angelo Lavranos come to mine). What I would argue is that the
skills and determination and yes, the money to properly realize the
architect's intentions with the design do not often meet in the same
boat.

Your own boat might be a case in point...if it was so magnificently
done by another fellow, how did you get the benefit of it? I can guess
that the original builder, who took years to do the job right,
possibly got too old or sick to use the boat, and had to sell it.

I hope the process was enough for that individual. Were I 25, I might
do it myself, but if I ever want to cruise for extended periods, my
compromise will likely be to modify an existing vessel.

R.