[Silmaril]

Ok, I''m not a naval archetect, but I have spent thousands of miles in the north atlantic, albeit on some pretty darn nice boats. Each one had its own characteristics, how it handled a blow, how it moved through the water and waves, how it handles a knockdown. The interior layouts either worked well for the ocean or didn''t. Most of my time was spent on the hoary old IOR boats of the 70''s, where broaching while running in a following sea was just another daily maneuver.

All things being equal, I bet with a little ingenuity I could modify a bathtub to pass the CE-A rating. It''s just a set of standards. It has nothing to do with the comfort of the boats motion in a seaway, how easy is it to set a reef, how dry is it going to weather. Are the bunks livable with proper lee cloths, can you use the galley during a storm. Are there handholds below that are strong enough to hang from and placed throughout the cabin. The list goes on and on.

I am amazed at the floating condos that are being mass produced by the industry today. I look at the aft cabin berths stuffed under the cockpit sole and wonder how they would be out at sea. With their placement out at the end of the boat, their movement would be much greater than those that would be situated in the cabin. And with all that space to roll around in, how comfortable would they be anyway? Where are the setees and pilot berths of old? The pilots have given way to entertainment centers. The setees are now unique dinettes for entertaining. Look around at the galley, where are the pad eyes for strapping yourself in. How about handholds, when at a boat show, I asked the sales rep about them, and he pointed out some delicate looking wood trim, when I tried to hang from them he asked that I please stop as I was bound to break them. Ever been below in 35 - 45 kts of wind and 15 - 20 foot waves? I have, and there are times when you were hanging on with all your weight from the handholds. And bulheads, doors and hardware should be able to stop an NFL linebacker without breaking apart. I was below when a boat I was on pitchpoled, I slammed into the salon''s forward bulkhead and door, ouch, but the thing is, it didn''t come apart. No splintered wood or twisted hinges, just a sore shoulder. I wonder at the small wood screws holding the bulkhead doors together on the big three boats I see at the shows.

So lets all get over the "Who''s boat is CE-A and did it first" stuff. Todays big three are building the boats that the majority of the new boat buyers want. They sail nicely for their intended purpose and will probably survive the occasional blow. You want a real world circumnavigator? They are out there, but just not at the price point that the big three are selling to. That is why the real ocean going boats are about two or three times the price of the same length boat built by the big three. That is the "Fringe market" as far as they are concerned. Not their focus.

Most buyers of today''s mass produced boats are looking for a little adventure, a nice place to hang out in over the weekend. I mean come on... cup holders in the cockpit? Get real...