Interesting story in today's (5/11) Wall Street Journal, pg. 1. Jack
Christenson, of Marshfield, Mass., spent 17 years building a 56-foot
schooner in his back yard. He's finished it, but now he can't afford to pay
to have it trucked to the sea, can't find docking space at any price, can't
buy insurance because he has no sailing experience, and can't find a school
or other charity to take it for free.
The guy is an MIT grad, now 68, and apparently he is a masterful craftsman.
The hull, masts and sails are all beautifully made, but sailing schools are
afraid to accept it because they can't be sure he didn't make some major
structural error. What a shame.

I suggest this story is BS. Do some investigation and you will find the REAL
reason for this dilemma!
Steve

"auerbach" wrote in message
. com...
Interesting story in today's (5/11) Wall Street Journal, pg. 1. Jack
Christenson, of Marshfield, Mass., spent 17 years building a 56-foot
schooner in his back yard. He's finished it, but now he can't afford to
pay
to have it trucked to the sea, can't find docking space at any price,
can't
buy insurance because he has no sailing experience, and can't find a
school
or other charity to take it for free.
The guy is an MIT grad, now 68, and apparently he is a masterful
craftsman.
The hull, masts and sails are all beautifully made, but sailing schools
are
afraid to accept it because they can't be sure he didn't make some major
structural error. What a shame.

I am a structural and marine engineer.
Why doesnt he hire someone?

"Steve Lusardi" wrote in message
...
I suggest this story is BS. Do some investigation and you will find the
REAL
reason for this dilemma!
Steve

"auerbach" wrote in message
. com...
Interesting story in today's (5/11) Wall Street Journal, pg. 1. Jack
Christenson, of Marshfield, Mass., spent 17 years building a 56-foot
schooner in his back yard. He's finished it, but now he can't afford to
pay
to have it trucked to the sea, can't find docking space at any price,
can't
buy insurance because he has no sailing experience, and can't find a
school
or other charity to take it for free.
The guy is an MIT grad, now 68, and apparently he is a masterful
craftsman.
The hull, masts and sails are all beautifully made, but sailing schools
are
afraid to accept it because they can't be sure he didn't make some major
structural error. What a shame.

Brendan says:

I am a structural and marine engineer.
Why doesnt he hire someone?

Because, me bhoy, we traditionally charge too much for services that most folks
feel should be free "for the love of the sport".... ;-)

Steve


Stephen C. Baker - Yacht Designer
http://members.aol.com/SailDesign/pr...cbweb/home.htm

auerbach wrote:
Interesting story in today's (5/11) Wall Street Journal, pg. 1. Jack
Christenson, of Marshfield, Mass., spent 17 years building a 56-foot
schooner in his back yard. He's finished it, but now he can't afford to pay
to have it trucked to the sea, can't find docking space at any price, can't
buy insurance because he has no sailing experience, and can't find a school
or other charity to take it for free.

Wait there's more. It's too deep, and apparently he can't afford to
finish commissioning it with all the rigging & other equipment it needs.

The guy is an MIT grad, now 68, and apparently he is a masterful craftsman.
The hull, masts and sails are all beautifully made, but sailing schools are
afraid to accept it because they can't be sure he didn't make some major
structural error. What a shame.

IMHO the shame is that he didn't think ahead. Doesn't MIT teach it's
students how to plan properly? Oh well at least he had fun building it.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

On Wed, 12 May 2004 15:26:27 -0400, DSK wrote:
Wait there's more. It's too deep, and apparently he can't afford to
finish commissioning it with all the rigging & other equipment it needs.

The guy is an MIT grad, now 68, and apparently he is a masterful craftsman.
The hull, masts and sails are all beautifully made, but sailing schools are
afraid to accept it because they can't be sure he didn't make some major
structural error. What a shame.

IMHO the shame is that he didn't think ahead. Doesn't MIT teach it's
students how to plan properly? Oh well at least he had fun building it.

================================================== =====
Most people say that the cost of the hull itself is only about 15% of
the total. The rest is rigging, propulsion, deck hardware, and other
internal systems. It's entirely possible that the boat needs a LOT of
extra $$$s just to finish it up properly. Interesting story though,
and it would be too bad if the hull ended up in front of a seafood
restaurant with a sign on it.

Doug,
Ah HaH the real reason comes to the fore! Of course, the hull is finished,
now the boat project really starts. Advise to those builders that think they
want to build themselves is to build backwards. Acquire all the hardware,
fittings, engine, mast, rigging and sails first, then build the boat. If at
some time, you cannot handle the cost, you can back out by simply selling
the unused, new equipment and you haven't invested in the overheard of
maintaining a construction site. Failure becomes affordable.
Steve
"DSK" wrote in message
...
auerbach wrote:
Interesting story in today's (5/11) Wall Street Journal, pg. 1. Jack
Christenson, of Marshfield, Mass., spent 17 years building a 56-foot
schooner in his back yard. He's finished it, but now he can't afford to
pay
to have it trucked to the sea, can't find docking space at any price,
can't
buy insurance because he has no sailing experience, and can't find a
school
or other charity to take it for free.

Wait there's more. It's too deep, and apparently he can't afford to
finish commissioning it with all the rigging & other equipment it needs.

The guy is an MIT grad, now 68, and apparently he is a masterful
craftsman.
The hull, masts and sails are all beautifully made, but sailing schools
are
afraid to accept it because they can't be sure he didn't make some major
structural error. What a shame.

IMHO the shame is that he didn't think ahead. Doesn't MIT teach it's
students how to plan properly? Oh well at least he had fun building it.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

On Wed, 12 May 2004 15:26:27 -0400, DSK wrote:


IMHO the shame is that he didn't think ahead. Doesn't MIT teach it's
students how to plan properly?

Recall that many MIT grads go into the consumer software and military
defense industries and then ask yourself that question a second time
G. It takes a genius to devise operating systems and missile
projects that screw up regularly, don't work as advertised and can be
buggered up by teenagers, and yet still sell late and over-budget to
largely uncritical customers.

That's why, largely, many folk build their own boats, come to think of
it.

R.

Steve Lusardi wrote:
Doug,
Ah HaH the real reason comes to the fore! Of course, the hull is finished,
now the boat project really starts. Advise to those builders that think they
want to build themselves is to build backwards. Acquire all the hardware,
fittings, engine, mast, rigging and sails first, then build the boat. If at
some time, you cannot handle the cost, you can back out by simply selling
the unused, new equipment and you haven't invested in the overheard of
maintaining a construction site. Failure becomes affordable.

But then you can't move out of your house and live under the upside-down
90% completed hull...

half seriously, I wonder if this guy did not ever hear & read the old
boatbuilding cliche "the hull is only 20% of the cost of the boat." Or
maybe he did, but didn't believe it?

Fresh Breezes- Doug King