Quote:
Originally Posted by casioqv
Does grouping boat brands and models by seaworthiness really make any sense?
I could imagine a Macgregor 21 handling a light ocean storm just fine with everything in perfect shape, proper storm sails and a drogue, some rigging upgrades, and well sealed hatches. An old Westsail 32 with the original standing rigging and some crevice corrosion on the chainplates could easily become demasted, while the Macgregor is undamaged, right? Or it could loose a shoddy through-hull and sink.
Is the design and construction of the boat itself really that relevant compared to the variables of equipment condition, and skipper experience? I doubt it!
I suspect that most boat sinking in rough weather isn't due to the overall quality of the boat, but due to overlooking some minor maintenance issue like a corroded hose clamp, or a low grade bolt fitted where a high grade was needed. Even the lightest lake cruiser is built with huge margins of safety in design and construction, assuming everything is maintained in tip top shape.
Which boat will be more comfortable and sail-able in a storm seems pretty clear cut, but which will be more likely to survive probably can't be predicted from generalizations about entire brands or models.
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Does it make any sense? Heck no! But it's fun!
Seriously, all I know as an average schmo that has done a lot of reading about these boats - here and elsewhere - is that you always run into comments like "I would never take an XX out of sight of land. The build quality is too spotty and the equipment too light." etc.
So in that regard, people DO put these "production boats" into these categories and as a potential buyer it gets overwhelmingly confusing. I guess I'm just trying to find some very general consensus on what's what.
Yes, these kinds of lists are pretty arbitrary. But that's better than nothing. Think of it as the little brother to
"Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" - maybe like
"Twenty Production Boats To Take You Just Far Enough Out To Get You Killed Because You Didn't Buy a Swan".
PS - Where do Sabre's fit? #3?