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Julie Mor · 05-07-2013, 08:47

Has anyone here found themselves struggling with visual attraction vs practical application when searching for a boat?

Back in the '70s, when I first imagined myself sailing the ocean, the boats that I fell in love with were the IOR racers. The sleek design, flush deck, multi-spreader tall rigs made my heart skip a beat. And when below you found beautiful joinery, I melted. Swan became my dream boat.

We are now searching for a boat. Our search started with well-built older boats that were of a more contemporary design. Much of the ideals that girl long ago dreamed of have been replaced with more common sense ideals. But I still want a double spreader rig.

Maybe that's just a feeble attempt to hold on to my youth.

Our broker recently suggested we look at a Cabo Rico 38. We had been looking at Tartan, Sabre and Ericson. The Cabo certainly fulfills the beautiful woodwork element. But both of us kinda struggle with typical Cabo features like the wheel at the helm. It reminds us of pirate ships. We have on intentions of flying the Jolly Roger.

On the more practical side of things, we wonder about the cutter rig with its staysail and how that would work tacking with the genny up. Do you need to furl the sail in, tack, then unfurl it again? That would be a pain when out for a daysail. But there's an awful lot we like about the Cabo too.

There are other things we're on the fence about. I've heard many times, "When you walk away from your boat and look back on it, you have to love what you see." I'm just not sure I could fall in love with a classical design.

**Hud3** · 05-07-2013, 10:17

Many cutter rigs will have a Yankee foresail. Mine was a high-cut, 110% roller furler. I never had any trouble getting it through the slot when tacking, as long as the wind was at least 5 knots.

MarkJ · 05-07-2013, 11:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julie Mor

I've heard many times, "When you walk away from your boat and look back on it, you have to love what you see." I'm just not sure I could fall in love with a classical design.

Well, thats the biggest pile of dog poop of a reason to buy a boat!
I can tell you one thing Julie, and thats the look of your boat to someone off the boat has absolutely bugger all to do with how good the boat is.
in my 35,000 nms I have never stopped and swum out a few hundered meters and looked at my boat and then swum back.

The look of your boat is total vanity! Narcissistic vanity that old grey beards rely on.

You cant see what it looks like when onboard!

ctl411 · 05-07-2013, 11:33

No reason on earth to sail a ugly boat. If you want to be practical buy plane tickets.

**Paul Elliott** · 05-07-2013, 11:40

Mark, when rowing away in the dinghy I love to look back at our boat. To me she is a thing of beauty, and I revel in my narcissistic vanity. I wouldn't have it any other way.

A staysail can make tacking a big genoa difficult. We have a fixed staysail and when tacking in light air sometimes someone has to go forward to pull the 120% genoa clew around the stay. If we are flying the staysail I tack that last, and let it act as a ramp for the genoa to slide over. Or, we can partially furl the genoa so it is less likely to hang up on the staysail stay. A smaller Yankee-cut jib should be less of a problem, but you do give up some drive. We sometimes sail in conditions where I appreciate the staysail, so to me it's worth a little occasional hassle.

**neilpride** · 05-07-2013, 11:56

Few months ago Kings Legend a Swan 65 stop here in St marteen , ohh boy, i spend almost 1 hour wachting the whole boat , and i run the next day for 1 more hour , a joy to see, any small detail in the boat is like designed by a master...

Well many fall in love with our boats , the lines , how float in the water , myself to, love to see the boat in the distance anchoraged,,, and when i see other beautifull boat in the area sometimes i take the dingy to say hello hahaha the real reason is to see the boat....

Thx god dudes like MarkJ are a minority, i cant imagine living in a black and white Beneworld.... Lol

Snore · 05-07-2013, 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctl411

No reason on earth to sail a ugly boat. If you want to be practical buy plane tickets.

+1

Gotta be proud of what you sail

Kenomac · 05-07-2013, 15:10

Buy an Oyster.... you'll never need to look back.

oblivionboyj · 05-07-2013, 15:58

Styling and lines are all subjective.
What is beautiful to one is god awful to another.

But the OP hit on an idea that god me all tingly...
Is it considered acceptable to fly the Jolly Rodger?
I love that!
What's the actual SOP and protocol on the flying of flags?

barnakiel · 05-07-2013, 16:21

I think it is good to think about how one is about to use the boat.

Long bowsprits, varnished woodwork and pirate ship styled steering wheels are all fine, but I would have none of it if my intention were to sail the boat intensively and extensively. There is beauty in simple and practical design too. Carbon print-thru I find pretty and Spectra sails are gold.

If I were to use the boat mostly as a cozy floating condo used predominantly to lure nice and pretty persons of the opposite, then I would invest heavily into a small square rigged tall ship. Square rig is said to deliver very well off the wind, and this is where all gentlemen seem to go. So there a practical aspect to all this pirate styled beauty too.

b.

**boatman61** · 05-07-2013, 16:34

Personally cutters are great... and a ketch cutter even better... I have crawled over Cabo's... lovely boats but to dark and gloomy below for my taste.
Don't get so wrapped up in the 'pose' that you forget the 'livability'...

Cheechako · 05-07-2013, 17:06

Some people need to be emotionally attached to a boat. As I've aged it's become less of a consideration than it used to be. Practical, easy maintenance, and comfort seem to be winning out now.

VirtualVagabond · 05-07-2013, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Well, thats the biggest pile of dog poop of a reason to buy a boat!
I can tell you one thing Julie, and thats the look of your boat to someone off the boat has absolutely bugger all to do with how good the boat is.
in my 35,000 nms I have never stopped and swum out a few hundered meters and looked at my boat and then swum back.

The look of your boat is total vanity! Narcissistic vanity that old grey beards rely on.

You cant see what it looks like when onboard!

Such a sensitive soul

We're the opposite. Our big old ketch has loads of timber, bowsprit ratlines etc.
So I guess you need to know what kind of sailor you are.
Our boat is a home that we can move around the place, and that suits us. Right now we're sitting at anchor in Portobello, Panama after a 7 day sail from St Martin. The night is still and we can hear howler monkeys... nice

We're totally impractical old romantics, but we like a boat that has the mystique of far away places. It's all part of having a chapter in our lives where we're living an old, totally impractical dream.

But if you're down to earth practical and have no soul and want a boat that matches, Mark has it down pat.

Truth is, when I'm head down butt up in the boat fixing another bit of old gear that's failed, I envy Mark and wish like hell I could be that sensible...
Then when we're gliding along at 7 knots on jib and jigger in 25 kts, I feel sorry for him

Decide what kind of sailor you are, and you'll find the boat that suits.

Vic