One of my Melonseed owners sent this comment to me years ago:
"The moral of this story is that if you have a big boat you have to spend so much time paying attention to sailing that you can’t play make believe. Where’s the fun in that?"
I agree with almost everything in this article except the powerboat comparison. I am getting older and actually considered a powerboat for cruising the PNW waters until I looked at purchase price and fuel costs…no way. Boat cost is more equated to weight than length, and a high quality 20’ powerboat might cost ten times as much as Sampaguita, and fuel costs would be exponentially higher to drive the correspondingly massive increase in displacement (when using a Nordic Tug as an example). The only advantages might be room inside and speed of passage…if you can somehow afford it.
Here our focus starts with first word in the title of this magazine.
The other end of the scale spoke for itself a few years ago. A huge amazing motor yacht sank if front of everyone's eyes! So you have all the money you need to buy the best, hire the best crew, all to watch it join the Titanic. Now go one step further. How many crews on other mega yachts have been sent back to the factory to retrain on all the automated Seacocks etc? Is there any peace in owning something that big?
I think we tend to love what size we can get on the water with, whatever that may be! Canoeists can drag thier boats overland to a pristine lake! I wish I could get there too, but if there are no launch ramps, it is off limits to me! A trailerable boat gets us to far flung lakes or coasts (with ramps) at 60 mph! Keel boats would be a week or more journey away if cruisning a coast but they will never see the inland lakes I can! Often times the larger boats are docked at marinas. They get out but over time are used more as a cottage at the dock! Maybe they move thier boat to a new marina to explore new waters, that sounds fun! Who am I to judge we all just want to leave dayly troubles behind and enjoy being out on the water! If you did a survey, what would it really tell us? More likely it would put trailerable boats in the majority, knowing your readership! But, if some minority equalled only 2 % of your readers, they are still a valid 2 %, as they get to decide, not us! If you'd expect a solid answer from me, though, the tralerable boats with small cabins are the only correct answer! Everyone else is delusional!!! Lol! Enjoy all! BestRoy
When I was a little kid, I was taking sailing lessons and the instructor said “sail the smallest boat you can afford “. 50 years later it seems to make sense.
We all know that size does matter. But going in all directions. Joshua Wheelers choice for the things he's done simply cannot be faulted, and that is the point. They are his choices to do what he did. I've always loved the Flicka and used to follow Katy Burke and Bruce Bingham in Cruising World. The conversation that Josh Colvin has continuously moved forward needs all the depth and breadth it can get. One aspect of size in small craft we haven't crossed as much is displacement, and that is where this wonderful boat shows a different branch to the discussion. If you trailer, and if that means raising and lowering the rig often, the weight and length of this rig will start to tell. And while you can shift to gaff, lug or sprit sails for some relief, an honest appraisal of your needs becomes even more important as displacement and draft enter the picture.
I suspect that, had you rigged the canoe with any of the standard rigs, including leeboards, for about the same cost, you might still be sailing and camp cruising her, even if as your "second boat." There is something very satisfying in having people come up, saying "Aren't you worried about capsizing that thing" and telling them that you have never flipped a canoe.
One of my Melonseed owners sent this comment to me years ago:
"The moral of this story is that if you have a big boat you have to spend so much time paying attention to sailing that you can’t play make believe. Where’s the fun in that?"
I agree with almost everything in this article except the powerboat comparison. I am getting older and actually considered a powerboat for cruising the PNW waters until I looked at purchase price and fuel costs…no way. Boat cost is more equated to weight than length, and a high quality 20’ powerboat might cost ten times as much as Sampaguita, and fuel costs would be exponentially higher to drive the correspondingly massive increase in displacement (when using a Nordic Tug as an example). The only advantages might be room inside and speed of passage…if you can somehow afford it.
Funny, our connection, right? I hope you can come out on March 12th.
Of course, I’ll absolutely be there! I wouldn’t miss it, my friend. ❤️
Here our focus starts with first word in the title of this magazine.
The other end of the scale spoke for itself a few years ago. A huge amazing motor yacht sank if front of everyone's eyes! So you have all the money you need to buy the best, hire the best crew, all to watch it join the Titanic. Now go one step further. How many crews on other mega yachts have been sent back to the factory to retrain on all the automated Seacocks etc? Is there any peace in owning something that big?
I think we tend to love what size we can get on the water with, whatever that may be! Canoeists can drag thier boats overland to a pristine lake! I wish I could get there too, but if there are no launch ramps, it is off limits to me! A trailerable boat gets us to far flung lakes or coasts (with ramps) at 60 mph! Keel boats would be a week or more journey away if cruisning a coast but they will never see the inland lakes I can! Often times the larger boats are docked at marinas. They get out but over time are used more as a cottage at the dock! Maybe they move thier boat to a new marina to explore new waters, that sounds fun! Who am I to judge we all just want to leave dayly troubles behind and enjoy being out on the water! If you did a survey, what would it really tell us? More likely it would put trailerable boats in the majority, knowing your readership! But, if some minority equalled only 2 % of your readers, they are still a valid 2 %, as they get to decide, not us! If you'd expect a solid answer from me, though, the tralerable boats with small cabins are the only correct answer! Everyone else is delusional!!! Lol! Enjoy all! BestRoy
When I was a little kid, I was taking sailing lessons and the instructor said “sail the smallest boat you can afford “. 50 years later it seems to make sense.
We all know that size does matter. But going in all directions. Joshua Wheelers choice for the things he's done simply cannot be faulted, and that is the point. They are his choices to do what he did. I've always loved the Flicka and used to follow Katy Burke and Bruce Bingham in Cruising World. The conversation that Josh Colvin has continuously moved forward needs all the depth and breadth it can get. One aspect of size in small craft we haven't crossed as much is displacement, and that is where this wonderful boat shows a different branch to the discussion. If you trailer, and if that means raising and lowering the rig often, the weight and length of this rig will start to tell. And while you can shift to gaff, lug or sprit sails for some relief, an honest appraisal of your needs becomes even more important as displacement and draft enter the picture.
I suspect that, had you rigged the canoe with any of the standard rigs, including leeboards, for about the same cost, you might still be sailing and camp cruising her, even if as your "second boat." There is something very satisfying in having people come up, saying "Aren't you worried about capsizing that thing" and telling them that you have never flipped a canoe.