On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:40:14 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Irwins are one of those boats you swear on or swear at. I've always
found them cheap beyond belief, but others who seem to know their stuff
say they are well built. Beats me.

A friend of mine owned a big Irwin 53 ketch back in the mid 90s. His
rudder broke while sailing north in the Gulf Stream one year, and they
had to be towed 200 miles into Norfolk, VA by the coast guard. Other
than that it seemed like a fairly solid boat.