Indeed some BR are boxy and some others aren't. For a designer who has so
much model to choose from we need to say which one. After ready a few tales
about sailor caught in gigantic surf around NZ and Australia, most of them
wanted to slow their boat using warps, drogues and even parachute.

Unless someone is a first hand sailor trained on 60feet surfing maxi beast,
i'm not sure that it is a big difference to go 7.5 instead of 8.0 knots with
a 38 LWL (for a given 40 some feet LOA). Of course if you're stuck at 5
knots because someone doesn't know how to hoist a sail and trim it is
another problem. It all depend on the navigation program. Some people
want to go fast and i agree, other want safety.

I valuate your opinion but i don't know what boxy means. For my education,
do you think that this design is boxy or functional ? ::
http://www.langevin.biz/marinette34/next_boat.htm

André

"DSK" wrote in message
...
André Langevin wrote:
Those Bombigher are beautiful boats for someone with a sentimental heart
but i would never go on the ocean in north atlantic neither out of the
trade wins with a boat like this. The first knock down and you loose
everything over the deck.


I agree that the Bombigher designs are not the "ultimate heavy weather"
vessel but what sailboat is totally immune to knockdowns?


Please think in advance as to where you want to go. Document yourself
about the ships that made it before. Talk with people that have been in
hard weather because it could happen to you as well. And probably your
design will change thereafter.


Agreed, and add that you should take the time to do some hard weather
sailing yourself. Nothing like being there.


I'm planning a circumnavigation and lot of cruising and after many months
looking at different boats and characteristics, reading Adlard Coles,
Dashews on bad weather and other things, documenting on many accident at
sea... i am still confident i could do it in a conventional boat like
a Roberts 43 but built in steel or aluminum and be equiped to be able to
sustain 2 feet of water over the deck for day long without leaking a
single drop in...


That's more a function of how the deck is built & how the hardware &
fittings are installed... after a few years, it will be a matter of how
well the boat is maintained.

I don't particularly like Bruce Roberts designs because they are boxy &
slow, and a lot of effort is exerted to make them "salty looking" instead
of truly seaworthy... such as having a high LPS, etc. Two points to bear
in mind when discussing "seaworthyiness:" fatigue is the greatest enemy of
the offshore sailor, and there is no way that the design and/or
construction of *any* vessel will ever protect you from that deadly hazard
of heavy weather offshore, getting konked in the head by a can of soup.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King