Some yachts are plain ugly and some beautiful, why and does it matter?

[Mike R]

I continually row away from mine fast but she keeps blowing out the fuse and I have to go back....


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[El Pinguino]

Anything with a deckhouse and those 'see through' plastic thingos ( it must be like viewing the world through unset jelly) hanging from a bimini are pure fugly in my eyes....and all Westerlys are luverly... so there


'Wedding caked' centre cockpits are also fugly.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Here's a pic of the Shannon 54DS... the boat that put the company into bankruptcy... again. Looks like it's made out of Legos, nothing rounded off on the entire boat. About as sleek and aerodynamic as a brick.

Yup, that really is a five star fugly.... whatever were they thinking.....

[pillum]

Isn't it like picking a life partner, those long legs, perky boobs and pretty little nose might catch a man's eye, just as that six pack muscly body might catch a woman's. But the proof is in the pudding and for the long run, compatibility, security, reliability and intelligence are much more important.

For me, sure I can appreciate a pretty boat, but more important is sea keeping qualities; good sea berths, a pleasant motion in all conditions, a reliable engine, windward sailing ability.... The list goes on. It would be a foolish sailor indeed who chose a boat based on aesthetic considerations alone.

[weavis]

I have an affinity for the wisdom of older guys from a generation past. Its getting harder to find them these days, probably due to being in mid late 50s myself.

Over one dock from me, there is a guy probably late 70s early 80s, fit as a butchers dog who is always tinkering on his 40 foot Motor boat. Im sure it gives him something to do and keeps him busy. Family looks like there is money judging by the new cars and clothes when they come down to take the boat out.

This morning at 6:15am, he was there. A small crane was lifting out one of the engines. Now I dont know what type of boat they have, but its pretty nice. Lovely even, immaculately kept. I watched the engine get lifted onto the back of a pickup, and driven off.

A little later, he walked passed my dock and stopped for a moment to be neighbourly. We exchanged boat type pleasant things and I mentioned that his boat was lovely...... he said one of the engines needed the head taking off for an annoying issue. There was silence for a second, and then he said.

"A boat is like a woman. No matter how gorgeous, how sexy, how attractive, some poor guy somewhere is putting up with her sh*t. Today is my day"

And then he walked off.

Ladies........ P.C. aside......... it made me laugh.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by weavis

I have an affinity for the wisdom of older guys from a generation past. Its getting harder to find them these days, probably due to being in mid late 50s myself.

Over one dock from me, there is a guy probably late 70s early 80s, fit as a butchers dog who is always tinkering on his 40 foot Motor boat. Im sure it gives him something to do and keeps him busy. Family looks like there is money judging by the new cars and clothes when they come down to take the boat out.

This morning at 6:15am, he was there. A small crane was lifting out one of the engines. Now I dont know what type of boat they have, but its pretty nice. Lovely even, immaculately kept. I watched the engine get lifted onto the back of a pickup, and driven off.

A little later, he walked passed my dock and stopped for a moment to be neighbourly. We exchanged boat type pleasant things and I mentioned that his boat was lovely...... he said one of the engines needed the head taking off for an annoying issue. There was silence for a second, and then he said.

"A boat is like a woman. No matter how gorgeous, how sexy, how attractive, some poor guy somewhere is putting up with her sh*t. Today is my day"

And then he walked off.

Ladies........ P.C. aside......... it made me laugh.

Beautiful

[Tayana42]

My boat is beautiful.




S/V B'Shert

[Scout 30]

Is it just a coincidence that catamaran owners think that looks aren't important?

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Alan/Rhapsody

Ok, I cannot resist this one. We are currently in Fiji on our 36' Herreshoff Nereia Ketch. Totally old school, traditional, and gets comments everywhere we go. And, she sails like a dream. I would not own a boat that is not beautiful to me. L.Francis had two comments on yacht design I remember:
The first was that if a design is beautiful, the boatbuilders / craftsmen will take the time to do a better job building the boat.
The second one says that if, as you row away in your dinghy and you look at your boat, she doesn't cause you to smile, then it is the wrong boat for you.
I smile every time....
(Sorry, I don't have the exact quote)

Let's see a photo of your boat!

I really like seeing Herreshoff boats.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Is it just a coincidence that catamaran owners think that looks aren't important?

I think its more likely that they accept that its a rare monohull that is pretty.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by weavis

I think its more likely that they accept that its a rare monohull that is pretty.

Very rare here in Florida. Not so much in Maine.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Every boat currently sailed has someone who loves her or loved her once, though that initial love may have faded.

Even the most dilapidated, neglected, and deteriorated hulk, at one time in its youth caught the eye of someone or was the fantasy of someone who built her. Though today that love is dead or the lover dead.

So, like most things in life, "To each his own taste."

Or: "What is ugly to some, is beautiful to others."

__________________

That said, here are a few boats that are NOT of my taste.

Why?

Something about them just does not fit my taste. I greatly admire "practical and functional" looking boats and features. But, sometimes the appearance (design) can be hard to accept.

Sometimes it is the lack of "gracefulness" that I associate with beautiful yachts or boats that makes another boat "less than beautiful" in appearance. For example the Aero rig boat shown below, to me, looks "clunky" because of the rig. Unappealing visually, despite the cutting edge technology and the possible advantages of the design. Of course if I owned her, I would probably consider that aspect of her design to be "beautiful." Again, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Then take a look at the power cat below (I don't know the make). In some ways it looks very practical, with a very large solar array up on the top and a large enclosed or shaded "cockpit" (or Pilot House or back porch) aft. Those features probably are very efficient and helpful. But, as a boat, it lacks visual appeal to me, and some power cats do look good. But, given that it is a "solar" featured boat, this may be an indicator of what the future holds. If I wanted to live on the hook in sunny Florida, that large solar array up top could be the greatest feature of the boat.

Of course some "ugly boats" are really extreme or "novelty" boats, like the pictured "Cosmic Muffin" built from an old aircraft fuselage.

Likewise, there are some boats that may look "good" and "pretty" from some angles, but from another angle look odd or ugly (to me). For example the extreme shapes of some IOR influenced Racer/Cruisers and the extreme tumblehome shown in one of the following photos, to my eyes, makes that boat look like a bloated boat. (No offense intended to any owners of those boats, as I am sure they look better from the bow or side.)

[weavis]

I could live with the fat bottomed girl and the aerorig....... the others? not so much.

[nimblemotors]

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by thinwater

For example, can you imagine going anywhere on deck, even the upper deck, in any seaway?

Nope can't imagine doing that, because there would never be any reason to do that. It isn't a boat that has laundry hanging from flagpoles!