On Sat, 31 Mar 2007 12:41:57 -0400, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:
There are high standards and there are low standards. For, example a
sailboat built to ABYS standards is poorly built compared to a sailboat
built to Lloyds standards. And a boat that's not built to any existing
accepted standard is a very questionable proposition. Yet, today's yacht
purchaser seems be unconcerned with boat building standards. They are
more concerned with how many it sleeps or if the head is enclosed. You
should ask yourself why.
Why? I'll be more than happy to tell you why. Because people these days
themselves have few or no standards. About 30% of the people in this
country call themselves Democrats, i.e., no standards. About 10% of the
people in this country are illiterate, i.e., no standards. But since
most of that 10% are Democrats I suppose it's six of one and half-dozen
of the other. About 90% of the people in this country watch excessive
hours of television daily, i.e., no standards. Less than half the people
in this country regularly attend church, i.e., no moral standards. These
are but a few examples of a standard-less society.
Now, what's this got to do with sailboats? Lots, believe me, lots! Take
the MacGregor 26X and 26M. Neither boat is built to any accepted
standard of quality at all. Yet, a standardless boat is the leading
seller in that size range. Is that not convincing proof that people
these days have no personal standards? Can you imagine anybody concerned
with safety and proper boat construction actually paying good money for
a boat that's built to no accepted boat building standards? It's
incredible to think such a sad state of affairs has eventuated.
Keep in mind that many "premier" name boats use teak and cabinetry
to represent quality.
Initial visible hardware may be 3 steps above an inexpensive boat like
a Mac, Catalina or Coronado, but hardware can be readily replaced.
Design and cost is the first consideration for high-volume sales, and
the Mac and Catalina boats have done well here.
Hull/deck construction and the consistency of the materials and
manufacturing processes are the "quality" hallmarks of mass produced
boats. Their sales and the longevity of the boats speak well to their
efforts on that issue.
Why do you suppose many sailboat builders have gone out of business?
The boats found no market as new, but still are bought used,
laboriously maintained, if not sailed, by those who adhere to your
shallow method of "standards."
Such conduct reminds me of that of those fans of old "classic" cars
who lovingly replace every piece of rusted metal and rotten
upholstery. The car becomes different in its entirety, has cost many
times more than its original cost, is still archaic in its
engineering, won't be used as originally intended, but it is
"classic."
Ok if that's what you want, but I simply go to the appropriate museum
to view such fossils.
Having done much sailing and living aboard many boats of varying costs
from my basement here in N. Illinois, I can speak with more authority
than those who simply hook-swing on barnacle-encrusted old boats,
which will perhaps sadly too soon become part of the natural seascape
in obeying the sea-faring version of nature's "Ashes to ashes," which
can be termed nautically as "Coronado to reef."
More important to me is the quality of the boat in hull/deck materials
and that tried and true construction techniques are used.
Contrary to your limited experience in that area, I have done
considerable study, employing the experience of thousands of man-years
of sailboat owners. Had to use thousands, since it takes about a
thousand man-years of sailboat owner "experience" to glean about
one man-year of sensible data.
Having seen that the Parker Dawson didn't even use washers
under its deck cleat nuts, and learning from a friend - a blue water
sailor - that he found while preparing his recently purchased Ted Hood
designed Wauquiez Hood 38 MK II a serious thru-hull builder error
which could sink him, and seeing other instances of "quality" boats
being less than their reputation, I am especially sensitive to initial
build quality. You have used the Wauquiez name favorably in one of
your eloquent trolls, and I have no doubt it is a fine boat, but
reality steps in even there.
Below is a link to the Mac 26 build process. Nice. You probably know
that drunk Frenchmen are less reliable boat builders than illegal
Mexicans who can be deported should they make a mistake, but make
a note anyway.
To sum up the whole "standards" issue, which is always iffy unless one
actually supervises construction, a boat is just so many pounds of
materials put together to serve a design purpose. Initial hull/deck
materials and attentive construction process are the premier
consideration to me.
All afterward can be improved if needed/desired, within the design
constraints.
I know you feel threatened by Macs, especially the 90HP ETECS,
but you will have to deal with that insecurity as you travel the path
of life. Maybe it helps to tell you that if I get a Mac I'll probably
put only a 25HP 4-stroke on it, and paint it mustard. Maybe not.
Anyway, as I see it no boat will provide class to any owner, but an
owner may provide class to any boat.
http://www.macgregor26.com/construct...nstruction.htm
--Vic