"Lee Huddleston" wrote in message
.. .

snip

I like steel for its strength and safety. I have ridden out seven
hurricanes in the boat -- most at the dock, one at anchor. One
hurricane drove my boat up against a pylon. Wooden pylon was chewed
up; steel boat was not even scratched. Probably good sailors can own
fiberglass boats. For those of us who have a habit of running aground
and into other objects, steel is the only way to go.

When we started looking for Fintry, steel was a requirement. I hope to
never go aground, but when I do, I want to hurt the ground more than its
hurts me.

During the summer of 1996, when we crossed the Pacific, seven boats went on
the reef (all due to owner carelessness). Four, all glass, were lost --
ground to little bits. Two glass boats came off -- they had attempted to
enter port at night, hit the reef because they mistook shore lights for
leading lights, and were pulled off quickly after a call for help. One,
steel, went on the reef on the SE side of Fakarava -- 30 miles from the
village of Rotoava and 250 miles from Papeete. She spent a week on the
exposed reef and was finally dragged off by a tug -- looking like a kid's
toy pulled across the playground on her side. Horribly battered, she
floated without a leak, and , after repairs to her rudder and shaft,
continued on her journey.


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


..