general question for a general discussion

hillbillybear · #1 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008

Why is it that the UK has such a good selection on small (25 feet and smaller) sailboats. Some of them are really sweet looking. I look on some of the for sale web sites and there are many nice looking small sailboats available. Why can't we get some of those sweet looking boats over here?

Faster · #2 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008

A couple of possibilities come to mind....

There's probably not a lot of money in importing such small boats into a market that is pretty well served already.

Many of the European, and especially UK mini cruisers are bilge keelers - not required nor popular in North America. Also UK boats are rigged/designed for the generally stronger conditions in the English Channel, which may not translate real well to the many light air regions on this side of the pond.

It is interesting, though, to spend some time leafing through the British sailing mags.. definitely see things you don't see over here - but the same goes for Holland and other regions as well.

eMKay · #3 (**permalink**) 09-02-2008

Probably because any boat under 30' on this side of the pond is "too small". Same goes for a car with an engine under 3 liters. Sad really.

Omatako · #4 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008

It's probably got more to do with the number of bolt-holes that sailors have in England menaing that they can sail from one place to another and if any bad weather pops up they always have a safe haven within a few miles that they can run to.

This means that small boats can safely circumnavigate the UK and sailors can pretty much get away with little boats where in other places they may not be safe at sea.

Andre

tdw · #5 (**permalink**) 09-03-2008

You can pretty much circumnavigate Britain without spending nights at sea provided your boat is capable of getting into some of the quite small harbours around the coast.

The Brits are not so obsessed with size so sub 30' worked for and made good sense. Remember also that British incomes have been in the main and until fairly recent times much lower than American. So it has not simply been the cost of buying but also the cost of maintenance to consider.

See the thread on the four knot ******. Keep Turning Left (Geographically not Politically) . Not many Americans would even vaguely think of doing this.

Read the Unlikely Voyage of Jack de Crow.

There is a part , indeed there are many parts of the British character that are utterly commendable.