Let's talk Swans...

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by casey1999

Would you really want to look at the deck mounted coffee grinders or some scantly dressed women lounging on the deck?

I'd want to sit on my grinders, drink in hand, looking at some scantly dressed women lounging on the deck.

I'd probably name the boat "Scantily Clad".

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by tdw

Whenever I've looked at used Swans (new ones being simply way out of my league $$ wise) the main concerns have been ...

Access to below deck ... (coupled with difficulty in mounting an effective dodger)
Pokeyness of galley and head ...
Draft ...
General cruising comfort ....

not all these points necessarily relate to the same boats. The earlier S&S Swans have more than adequate access but tend to have pokey galleys, something I've noticed with a lot of older S&S designs. While some Swans had optional shoal draft keels you don't tend to see many of them and the standard keels on the Holland and Frers boats are a tadge to deep from my cruising needs.

I guess that in reality most Swans are bought predominantly for racing with short term cruising comfort being an option rather than a prerequisite.
(Emphasis on "most" as I personally know/knew two Swans that have gone round the world cruising.)

They always looked to me like they had seriously offshore interiors - in the old style that Stephens grew up with. Tight spaces so you couldn't get thrown far, big nav. stations near the cockpit, pilot berths etc.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by SloopJonB

They always looked to me like they had seriously offshore interiors - in the old style that Stephens grew up with. Tight spaces so you couldn't get thrown far, big nav. stations near the cockpit, pilot berths etc.

Too true and 40 years ago probably my ideal. I guess times and thinking change particularly as we realise that most of our time is spent at anchor not sailing the roaring forties.

[Hudsonian]

Could one of the Australians please explain what you mean when you say "pokeyness"? I couldn't find "pokeyness" in an online dictionary of Australian usage. In the US, pokey is a verb meaning jail or an adjective meaning slow.

[SloopJonB]

Originally Posted by Hudsonian

Could one of the Australians please explain what you mean when you say "pokeyness"? I couldn't find "pokeyness" in an online dictionary of Australian usage. In the US, pokey is a verb meaning jail or an adjective meaning slow.

If you will accept an answer from a Canadian, it means little or cramped or having dark corners etc. - you have to "poke around" in it.

[tdw]

Sloop nailed it ... funny isn't it how words can mean something quite different from one location to the next. One of my favourites is DUREX. In Australia that is a brand of adhesive tape, in New Zealand its a brand of condom.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by tdw

Sloop nailed it ... funny isn't it how words can mean something quite different from one location to the next. One of my favourites is DUREX. In Australia that is a brand of adhesive tape, in New Zealand its a brand of condom.

Does that mean you Aussies can't afford a real condom??

[killarney_sailor]

Originally Posted by Faster

Does that mean you Aussies can't afford a real condom??

I guess the tape could work if you were careful - the removal though!

[tdw]

Originally Posted by Faster

Does that mean you Aussies can't afford a real condom??

Hmpph ... An Australian Moderator and a Canadian moderator walk into a bar ... the bartender says "hey is this a hijack" ?.

Helen Clarke, Prime Minister of New Zulland, is rudely awoken at
4am by the telephone.

"Hillen, its the Hilth Munister here. Sorry to bother you at this hour but there is an emergency! I`ve just received word thet the Durex fectory en Auckland has burned to the ground. It is istimated thet the entire New Zulland supply of condoms will be gone by the ind of the week."

PM: "Shut - the economy wull niver be able to cope with all those unwanted babies - wi`ll be ruined!"

Hilth Munister: "We`re going to hef to shup some in from abroad...

Brutain?..."

PM: "No chence!! The Poms will have a field day on thus one!"

Hilth Munister: "What about Australia?"

PM: "Maybe - but we don`t want them to know thet we are stuck."

Hilth Munister: "You call John Howard - tell hum we need one moollion condoms; ten enches long and eight enches thuck! That way they`ll know how bug the Kiwis really are!!"

Helen calls John, who agrees to help the Kiwis out in their hour of need.

Three days later a van arrives in Auckland - full of boxes.

A delighted Hillen rushes out to open the boxes. She finds condoms; 10 unches long; 8 unches thuck, all coloured green and gold. She then notices in small writing on each and ivery one.........

MADE IN AUSTRALIA - SIZE : MEDIUM

Now back to our regular program ....

[Hartley18]

Originally Posted by tdw

Hmpph ... An Australian Moderator and a Canadian moderator walk into a bar ... the bartender says "hey is this a hijack" ?.

I can see this site has degenerated somewhat since I was here last..