Formosa Boats - Your Thoughts?

[anjou]

Hi everyone,

Im not the first, nor will I be the last to be attracted to the Formosa style of boat.

Ive done a lot of reading and am under no illusions about the pitfalls of this make. Poor quality materials, poor build quality, termite damage, hidden rot, high maintenance etc are just a few concerns.

Add to that, the heavy handling and slow cruising speed, makes me wonder what the attraction is when a newer, shiny plastic, low maintenance, mass produced racer with off the shelf spare parts might make more sense.

There is a glut of plastic boats available right now and they represent such better value and the quantity makes it a buyers market.

So why do I keep coming back to the Formosa dream? Ironicaly, when I first saw "Captain Ron" at the movies all those years ago, I was instinctively attracted to the boat without knowing what it was.

Here I am, looking for my first liveaboard, trying to wade through all the fora and websites, gleaning as much information from all aspects as possible.

Its a bit like dating, ........trying to find that magic chemistry that will work for me, yet knowing that a compromise has to be made. We all to the tickbox list of pros and cons to help the decision process and ive already worked out I need a boat thats 30-36ft, ketch or sloop, equiped to live aboard with the basics we all look for.

But i keep coming back to Formosa. Why?, ........there cant be too many other boats with the style, charactar, living space, individuality, seaworthyness etc.
Im not looking for a racing yacht, a gin palace, a showboat, but something thats going to be my home, reliable, safe, fun, a boat that I want to live in full time, not uncomfortable to cruise and which I feel confident in putting my money into.

Your thoughts please