Will Sailboats Still Be Made in 30 Years?

[GILow]

Tinfoil hat = ON.

Actually, I have a good deal of faith that such conspiratorial logic is flawed and that generally good ideas sell themselves.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by Rorzech

Anything that poses a real threat to the status quo will be bought out and destroyed or the inventor will be destroyed. Billions and billions of $ are at stake here. The global corporations are calling the shots if you haven't noticed. Don't get your hopes up too high, because it could be a long way down. Sorry to be so negative.

And yet people still find the strength to carry on. Isn't it inspiring?

Makes me feel like bursting into song.

"When a hero comes along........."

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by thunderhoof

...

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by; And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking, And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.
Sea Fever by John Masefield

Yes, a very nice day dream...

Reality looks then probably different - You go down to the seas, staying for hours in a traffic jam, the lonely sea - is not than lonely any more - the beach is full of umbrellas and towels, sun-cream greasy body lying next to each other to the horizon, the marina is crowded, so to find you tall ship you have to step over several others. Then, the star - to navigate is invisible due to the smog of the city - replacing the grey mist of the sea of the past ages.

Well hopefully after 20-40 miles in the wide open the loneliness you are seeking will come around you and you might be on your own - finally - until the next AIS or radar alarm of an approaching container vessel breaks the silence...

[Seighlor]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Yes, a very nice day dream...

Reality looks then probably different - You go down to the seas, staying for hours in a traffic jam, the lonely sea - is not than lonely any more - the beach is full of umbrellas and towels, sun-cream greasy body lying next to each other to the horizon, the marina is crowded, so to find you tall ship you have to step over several others. Then, the star - to navigate is invisible due to the smog of the city - replacing the grey mist of the sea of the past ages.

Well hopefully after 20-40 miles in the wide open the loneliness you are seeking will come around you and you might be on your own - finally - until the next AIS or radar alarm of an approaching container vessel breaks the silence...

CatNewBe, what a sad life you must lead. Don't look at others to follow.

[CatNewBee]

Well, the future is open obviously.

But if boating becomes a mass phenomenon it probably would not be so much fun anymore. If the challenge, the danger, the thrill and uncertainty, the planning and waiting for the right time window, the fight with the elements and the joy of discovering hidden places is replaced by technology for everybody by just press a button - then I will need a new hobby.

[bvisailing32]

lordy , I hope so....that sailing vessels will still be manufactured in 30 years.

But, from what I have seen out there on the water, there is a huge dependency on electronic whiskey delta gizmos.

Also, with great wind, sailing vessels, especially catamarans have main and jib up, with both engines full ahead.

They cannot read charts, they do not know coastal piloting and navigation, and if the GPS goes tango uniform, they call the Coasties or Sea Tow, or someone for help .

They cannot sail , no power , into or out of slip, or onto a mooring, or when anchoring. And I am talking boats up to 55 ft.

they do not know how to reef. They do not know when to reef.

They cannot even tie a proper cleat hitch. Just walk down any dock. Let alone bowlines, rolling hitches, or sheet bends, figure 8's or stopper knots.

They do not know fog procedures, or even sound signals in limited visibility or signal lights and day shapes , or use a depth sounder for tracking fathom lines .

It appears that people who own boats in our present times, many have no idea how to tell weather trends by the wind direction. They have no clue about marine weather.

And yes, it is disturbing to a very long time sailor to witness all of this present day and future electronic crutches and real seamanship making a dive for Davy Jones Locker.

Yes, there are a few real sailors still out there, many are on this forum, but I just wonder in 30 years, how many people who own sailing vessels will work and study and learn and practice real seamanship skills.

It appears that those days are coming to an end. For us that is a sad comment on sailing. On the other hand, for others, they are experiencing party time in water world, sitting across from the downstairs kitchen, near the bathroom, taking it easy in the living room, in a leather recliner, with a remote having a robot figure out what course they need , and what button to push.

Well, we cannot fix that, so it is time to go below, haul out the dark rum from the starboard locker, and prepare to splice the main brace, while the mate is topside at the helm standing watch, and actually steering the vessel by hand. Aye, and double reef in the main, 110% lapper, no weather helm and feeling fantastic.

No, deck hands, no paid skippers, and no cook or bartender. Just us two.
Oh yeah, and Erica is a great sailor and mate, and skipper as well.

Yep, we are a dying breed, but by Neptune's Beard we are not going down easily. And, Erica and I are happy, not having a clue about most of these technical posts.

We do have one hand held GPS, that we combine with Coastal Piloting and paper charts, compass, kt. meter, depth sounder, watch and tell tales.

Fair winds and following seas to all.

Keep the fun light illuminated .

[hafa]

Hobie Cats and other small sailing craft will likely still be around in 30 years and those who learn to sail and race them will continue to be in an intimate relationship with the wind and water with no distractions.

It's not a giant leap from sailing these craft to sailing larger vessels.

[Nikki S]

Sails have such a great conversion rate, and are pretty and relatively quiet and in the right conditions provide so much pleasure....while I'm a huge fan of wind generators, it's really hard for me to imagine a wind generator that would also act as a sail.
The greatest improvements I could imagine would be if the solar panels and house batteries were smaller for same power, if my iPad had a longer battery life, if the water maker just continually condensed water out of thin air and kept the tank full, the Yanmar could be replaced with... um... with ....like a tiny flux capacitor that runs on fruit peel, and never needs maintenance-same with the dinghy outboard. Oh and indestructible heads, and a mast that stayed up without rigging and sail plan that could sail at say 10 degrees off the wind, but didn't effect the ability to hove-to, and a rectractable keel that acted as legs, so you could beach your monohull upright. And through-hulls that never corroded....hmmm what else, antigravity hose that runs water uphill so you didn't need a water-pump....Naah that last one could have side effects. Better to have a water pump that never breaks....and clothes and sheets that wash themselves. A hull with built in anti-foul

[Ken Z]

Well said bivsailing32, and to someones amazement, I have sailed all over fl., keys and the islands with a lead line, compass, charts and my electronics was fleshlights, amen for old 😏

[pacesetter]

Wind generators will not provide the energy you need to sail. Sail boats will be around.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Ken Z

Well said bivsailing32, and to someones amazement, I have sailed all over fl., keys and the islands with a lead line, compass, charts and my electronics was fleshlights, amen for old 😏

There's no need to reveal your personal proclivities.

NSFW alert!

Warning to readers who don't know what they are.

Do NOT google "fleshlight"!!!

I will refrain from posting a link to an image of one.

[Zven]

I think it is unwise to assume that a boat's solar panels will never cover more than the same boat's horizontal area...
Flexible and bendable panels are already popular, and prices are coming down while efficiency is improving.

In calm weather, solar panels could potentially be folded out to capture a great deal more of the sunshine. Sails could be made from them or combined with them.

Satellites and other spacecraft already do some of these things.

Solar-powered aircraft have been built and flown - based on designs quite different from traditional planes.

I'd not be surprised to see boat design moving in this direction, in the decades to come.

[Group9]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

I imagine most people sail because they like to sail.

[SimonV]

The combustion engine may disappear, minuet nuclear power plants or tinny warp drives could be all the rage, but wind is wind and where it blows sailors will go

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Zven

I think it is unwise to assume that a boat's solar panels will never cover more than the same boat's horizontal area...
Flexible and bendable panels are already popular, and prices are coming down while efficiency is improving.

In calm weather, solar panels could potentially be folded out to capture a great deal more of the sunshine. Sails could be made from them or combined with them.

Satellites and other spacecraft already do some of these things.

Solar-powered aircraft have been built and flown - based on designs quite different from traditional planes.

I'd not be surprised to see boat design moving in this direction, in the decades to come.

You're right that these things work in space, but would they bother with all that technological complication up there if they could just put up a sail and get plenty of power from the wind? I love what my solar panels do for me (I'm currently in Japan and my boat's on its mooring in Maine and the beers aboard are ice cold and will be when I get back aboard in 6 days!) and I hope they continue to get more efficient right along with battery technology improvements. But I don't think they will ever be efficient enough to create the power to push my boat at hull speed for hours and days on end like the sails can and they certainly won't give me the same feeling of freedom and excitement that moving under sail does.