Hull Wars & Superiority

[Holding Pattern]

I love sailing. I love cruising. I despise the recent infection of hull-snobs. Mono or multi we all have one thing in common: All sailors have a screw loose, you just have to find out which one it is (from Don't Stop the Carnival.) So if we're all out here for the love of what we do, why are we starting to be racist? I'd like to see a discusson of why we're doing this, NOT why you think one is better than the other.
Now on threads I'm seeing the term 'leaner' and it is always connected to Cat vs leaner. Sort of like saying Caucasian vs N****r, both are boats and both are people, it's just a diminutive to make a bias seem relevant and stronger.
I've cruised many miles and sailed many more and only recently have I actually had people come to my boat to tell me why theirs is better and simply based on the number of hulls or masts. It used to be that million dollar boat would socialize with thousand dollar boat because they had a common thread of cruising. I'm seeing a lot more prejudice, a lot more socio-economic lines being drawn.
Why do you think we are separating ourselves into these categories instead of enjoying what we have in common? A few threads here have gotten quite edgy...again, why are we dividing ourselves? Please, NOT why you think one is better than the other, I'm interested in the psyche.

It's a very cold day in FL and I guess I have too much time on my hands this morning... I don't want to make enemies, I'm just feeling like I'm living in suburbia where if you don't keep up with the Smith's and Joneses then you're blackballed - magnanimous cruisers are why I fell in love with it.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Holding Pattern

I love sailing. I love cruising...

It's a very cold day in FL ...

About Zero F (-18 C), /w bitter winds here, in N.W. Ontario.
I envy you.

[Doghouse]

People are taught to be in a clique since they were in elementary school. Sailing was an even ground as for the longest time sailboats were for those who wanted to get away and enjoy life as life is. Powerboats were for those with MMTB disease who wanted to take the house and "status" with them.

Unfortunately the Sailboat manufacturers in seeing that the Baby Boomers were getting ready to stop working decided to get in on the money. (not that I blame them) So they started to build floating houses that were powered by wind instead of fuel. Thus the new 40+' median size of a sail. Yes that has advantages, but most of these are not designed to handle big water. This is an deduction on my part as I watch the vast lot of them enter the ICW in Norfolk and spend a week or more motoring down vs riding the big blue.

Heck my club shuns me a little because I own a 27. Mind you it is new and costs more than the 36-38 that they have. I also am out every weekend and some weeknights enjoying sailing or tinkering with the boat. Rather than sitting in the house looking down at the dock where the boat has been parked for the past 9 mths.

(gunpoint) Doghouse, get down of the soapbox and nobody gets hurt...

[Islandmike]

Brian,

Be comfortable in what you have, I have a tradition clipper bowed boat that many would consider a slow, ineffienct tub. Especially considering some of the new high tech designs with their fin keels etc. I appreciate all types of boats, I like what I like for various reasons. I love my boat, I dont want another type at this point - I try and avoid people who want to speak in negative or demeaning terms about anything or anybody...Life is way too short.

And bye the way, I would love to have some of your weather hear in CT, we are starting to slide into the Winter weather and I think it could be foul this year...

[Sunspot Baby]

A lot of the comments fired around this forum are good natured and the vast majority of us are not so thin skinned that we can't take and even enjoy the ones fired our way.

Relax.

George

[rtbates]

Maybe it's the mantra of the insecure, "I can't be 'right' unless you are 'wrong'." Some folks just have to be right in all their decisions. Of course it has nothing to do with being right or wrong. Unfortunately lots of folks see everything as right or wrong. It's a ego thing I suppose.

Randy

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Brian and Heather,
Since learning to sail their have always been the snips and snides about mono versus multi versus powerboater and plastic versus wood et all and don't get me started on the different rigs. I've known and respected many sailors on each of the various category of boat and therefore don't pay any attention to the insults being thrown around. I can understand the various appeal of each kind of boat but it doesn't mean I don't have an an opinion. Sometimes its joking and sometimes its just not understanding that other people have different opinions.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Talbot]

JohnL

Could not have put it better myself. Be a real nightmare in the marina if we all had the same boat!

[Pblais]

The hull your on is better than being on the shore just watching all the rest.

Holdingpattern, from a fellow Challenger 40 owner , I think allot of the conversation, and even debate, is a matter of people wanting to know what the attraction is to multis. Even more of it is multi owners wanting to share their aquired appreciation of multihulls with others. Human nature. In general, no real malice is intended. Just honest support for what one sailor feels is the best way to go. I agree we have had a recent surge of multihull owners discussing the benefits of multi hulls. As a result, within all the debate, I have aquired allot more knowledge about multi hulls than I had before.

[Amfivena]

I thought many of the threads were fairly tame. If you want to read some real vitriolic dribble check out some automative threads. You want true hate? See what Land Rover people think of Jeeps, or Toyota people think of Land Rovers, or Mustang/Camaro, BMW/Acura etc. It's amazing how hateful owners can be in the course of justifying there purchases.

Otherwise, like most here, I just like boats and tend not to take too much offense if someone calls my hull type anachronistic. Of course, being a Westsail owner, I pretty much ignnore anything anyone says about my boat.

[Holding Pattern]

Kai Nui said it right - I've acquired a lot more knowledge and the added knowledge has been priceless. I like reading about multi's because I get a lot of ideas of things to try - a lot of innovations coming from them and their designers.

I agree that enthusiasm and insecurity (both ends of the spectrum, eh?) make up for the vast majority of the superiority battle... see, these discussions are what happen when on the same 40' enclosure you have a psychologist and biologist specializing in behaviour...and both ends of any spectrum usually have a feeling of superiority: politics, religion, sailing, even...it's just human nature.

This isn't about thick skinned or thin skinned or taking offense...that's just not an option...You can say anything you like about HP, but I go to sleep at night with a smile on my face, I still get sappy when we're bringing the dink back and she just looks simply picturesque sitting in the distance - I still say "Wow!" Everyone loves their boat for specific reasons,some more mysterious than others, haha...

Originally Posted by Pblais

The hull your on is better than being on the shore just watching all the rest.

BRAVO!