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

[Dockhead]

Beauty in anything is a difficult subject. It's "in the eye of the beholder", but yet not entirely. Because it's connected in some way to elegance of function, harmony of lines, balance, about which there are some elusive but objective things.

Another thing is most boats are much more beautiful from some angles, than others.

Mine for example, which I thought was somewhat ugly when I bought her. Until I saw her from a few good angles and started to perceive some harmony in her lines:



From some other angles, she looks fat and awkward.


I have looked a lot at Amels and have not found any good angles, I must admit. One problem is the very flat and passive sheer line.

One boat which looks fabulous from almost any angle is the Homan & Pye designed Oyster 485. Wow, what beauty. Actually just about anything designed by Kim Holman is floating sex to my eye.

Meanwhile I've had to settle for a boat which looks pretty just from some angles. Which is good enough for me.

[Dockhead]

Definitely fugly: Fugly, fuglier, fuglissimo:



Gorgeous:



Funny thing, though. As I looked for images of the O485, I noticed that it does actually have bad angles, and interestingly, the same bad angles my boat has. Basically any angle which makes it look short or fat.

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Beauty in anything is a difficult subject. It's "in the eye of the beholder", but yet not entirely. Because it's connected in some way to elegance of function, harmony of lines, balance, about which there are some elusive but objective things.

Another thing is most boats are much more beautiful from some angles, than others.

Mine for example, which I thought was somewhat ugly when I bought her. Until I saw her from a few good angles and started to perceive some harmony in her lines:

Attachment 103191

From some other angles, she looks fat and awkward.


I have looked a lot at Amels and have not found any good angles, I must admit. One problem is the very flat and passive sheer line.

One boat which looks fabulous from almost any angle is the Homan & Pye designed Oyster 485. Wow, what beauty. Actually just about anything designed by Kim Holman is floating sex to my eye.

Meanwhile I've had to settle for a boat which looks pretty just from some angles. Which is good enough for me.

Oh now you're just fishing. And caught me. She's a bonny lass and Aye will be.

[weavis]

Lol....... There are few sailing boats which I think are beautiful.

Oscar Hammerstein wrote:

"Do you love me because I'm beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?"

Tru dat.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

And….do you consider the MacGregor 65 to be ugly or beauty?

I think it looks long and sleek and speedy (and one has set an offshore race record)

But, "Looks ain't everything."

[Kenomac]

Poetry in motion.... from any angle.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Muckle Flugga

Oh now you're just fishing. And caught me. She's a bonny lass and Aye will be.

i didn't really intend to be fishing, but thanks anyway

[robert sailor]

Great designs whether in buildings cars or boats is not an accident. It comes from a brilliant creative mind and we all recognize it when we see and feel it. Great designs are also not cheap so don't expect them in entry level products. Great designs can also be just as functional as they are beautiful.
Back to the Amel ..decent boats that get the job done but they do have some rather tacky design features however as they evolve they are improving on that end, I don't think anyone will ever mistake them for an older S&S design.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Poetry in motion.... from any angle.

Very beautiful. And I'm a big fan of Oysters especially from the aesthetic point of view.

But the H&P ones were much, much prettier to my eye than the Ron Holland ones. Like this one:



Wow. Drool.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

I am of course totally biased. But a fusion of British bluntness and Norsk tradition renders modernity frivolous. Ya she gives up a few points to windward but she will take you anywhere you point her. "She's got legs"

I have never seen one of those (Ingrid 38PH?) so I look on it with fresh eyes. And I like what I see.

[Ericson38]

Taswell 49-Dixon design, not as much sheer as Bob Perry would put in a similar boat (Tayana 48), or that Olin Stephens would put in his (Hylas 49), but more spring to her sheer than an AMEL. Reverse sheer does increase usable interior volume, can increase LPS angle, and reduces height of the cabin.

[Ericson38]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Great designs whether in buildings cars or boats is not an accident. It comes from a brilliant creative mind and we all recognize it when we see and feel it. Great designs are also not cheap so don't expect them in entry level products. Great designs can also be just as functional as they are beautiful.

Well said-

[noelex 77]

If aesthetics are high on your wish list, make sure you consider the appearance of a potential yacht in cruising trim. (If you want a cruising boat)

Out of necessity most owners will fit accessories such as dodgers, biminis, davits solar panels, tender, outboard, wind generators, radar, fenders etc. These appendages usually detract from the appearance , but the effect is different from design to design.

The pictures in the manufacturers' brochures naturally do not include these options.

The other consideration is outside storage. Cruising boats get littered with all sorts of junk. If there is suitable storage for these items the yacht will look far less cluttered.

Equipment choices also play a role. A generator is not seen, unlike solar and wind.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by noelex 77

If aesthetics are high on your wish list, make sure you consider the appearance of a potential yacht in cruising trim. (If you want a cruising boat)

Out of necessity most owners will fit accessories such as dodgers, biminis, davits solar panels, tender, outboard, wind generators, radar, fenders etc. These appendages usually detract from the appearance , but the effect is different from design to design.

The pictures in the manufacturers' brochures naturally do not include these options.

The other consideration is outside storage. Cruising boats get littered with all sorts of junk. If there is suitable storage for these items the yacht will look far less cluttered.

Equipment choices also play a role. A generator is not seen, unlike solar and wind.

Some look good even up on stands in a shipyard. Just seven days till launch.

[Ericson38]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Some look good even up on stands in a shipyard. Just seven days till launch.

Looking good there.

My two favorite friends. The '91 Westy just blew her differential out of the transaxle after 217,000 miles. She gave it all for trips to 'Voyager" this year, also a '91, launching tomorrow afternoon after 6 mos out of the water. Big difference between sanding and painting an Ericson 38 and a 49 foot sailboat, just remember. Timely for us, our son of 10 years back in the day is now a strong man of 22.