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robert sailor · 13-01-2014, 08:10

You know the old phrase about slowly dinking away from your boat as you slow down for a moment and look back at your boat and admire it.
How important are the looks of your boat to you?
The traditional boat owners always gather a crowd when they approach the marina tie down, especially when the bright work looks 6" deep.
New boats don't gather much of a notice as they all look very similar and they are what everyone associates with charter boats.
Not many Cats are all that pretty but some have been well designed and might command a second look.
Then there are the timeless designs like older Aldens,S&S Swans and others from the same design group as well as Hinkleys which if in decent shape are always show stoppers.
Why are some boats "timeless" while others are simply a new Chevy that will be forgotten next year.

**Cotemar** · 13-01-2014, 08:17

The lookers always have flowing lines and lots of wood. I just love to look at them also.

I would never buy one of those boats though as I like to sail a lot, while those lookers are at the dock being taped and coated.

I have no wood on the outside of my boat and that is just perfect. If it looks like a pig so be it, as it sails great and my kids love it. All is good.

**boatman61** · 13-01-2014, 08:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by robert sailor

You know the old phrase about slowly dinking away from your boat as you slow down for a moment and look back at your boat and admire it.
How important are the looks of your boat to you?
The traditional boat owners always gather a crowd when they approach the marina tie down, especially when the bright work looks 6" deep.
New boats don't gather much of a notice as they all look very similar and they are what everyone associates with charter boats.
Not many Cats are all that pretty but some have been well designed and might command a second look.
Then there are the timeless designs like older Aldens,S&S Swans and others from the same design group as well as Hinkleys which if in decent shape are always show stoppers.
Why are some boats "timeless" while others are simply a new Chevy that will be forgotten next year.

Bit of a J Lo vs Oprah question...
You only think of 1 when she's promoted...

NRosenthal · 13-01-2014, 08:47

New to the Forum: The trick is to look good and sail fast. Malaya has almost no outside brite work! Lots inside.

Tayana42 · 13-01-2014, 09:37

Life is too short to sail an ugly boat. That said, I love the look of nice bright work but I don't so much care to sand tape and varnish. Sweet lines and a beautiful look don't necessarily require wood though. It is a pleasure to view your own boat from the dinghy or shore and think, "she looks yar".

B'Shert

MarkJ · 13-01-2014, 09:41

Looks are totally irellevant.

The only time you see your boats 'lines' as as you say when you are in the dink going the other way. Not even at the dock do you see thrm unless you are at the other dock.
To admire your own boat for its 'lines' is, to me, just a masturbation.

You never see these 'lines' while you are doing what the boat is meant to be doing....Sailing! Or whilst you are living on it.

So buy a boat for function over irrelevant form.

Mark

robert sailor · 13-01-2014, 09:56

Steve Dashew used to say a large butt ugly dodger is sure pretty from the inside but many sailors just can't do without that row away factor. With many of today's designs there certainly is more practicability than good looks.

**Cotemar** · 13-01-2014, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkJ

To admire your own boat for its 'lines' is, to me, just a masturbation.

Put another way "Boaturbation"

kiper204 · 13-01-2014, 10:44

Having a boat with ridiculous amounts of wood ... I will say it is a love you must have to actually own one. They do require a lot of attention. I also want to add she doesn't sit in a slip either we cruise her 7 months out of the year. I'm glad we bought one and experienced it for the past 6 years, however we wish to now live aboard permanently and so we are going to cross over to a cat. Sail .... rinse ..... repeat

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RainDog · 13-01-2014, 10:59

Looks was pretty close to the top of my list when I was selecting a boat. Not at the top, be probably in the top 5. The odd thing is I never cared what my car looked like, or house, don't think much about clothes. But for the boat it is different.

appick · 13-01-2014, 11:13

Well for me it turned out that a "cheap"(yea right) boat in the fixer upper side happened to in my eye anyway have a certain amount of good looks to it as well. Sure it may be slow, narrow, cramped belowdecks, the bunks are 1" too short, and I have to tuck one knee up against the mast support when using the head! But hey I look good doing it right? (That is when I remember to bring in the fenders and the trailing dock lines)

Here's a few shots of the before and after Hull paint. I wish I'd taken a few of the topsides before painting too but ohwell. Also you'll note the various tarps and covers adding to the asthetic pleasure of the lines...

appick · 13-01-2014, 11:19

Also no hard knocks for the walker bay POS... it was free with the $1500 boat ok! I got rid of it for a nice cold molded cedar dink... Maybe I'm just still young enough yet to enjoy the job of laying a silky smooth layer of varnish and appreciating the look for the next 2 years (Varnish lasts alot longer when it's out of the sun for 7months out of a year... YAY Michigan) I enjoy varnishing and the coat if Interlux Perfection really made a big difference as far as how good the boat looks to me anyways! I wish I had an on the water pic with the new paint but the glare kept ruining all the pictures I took!

Another boat project complete makes me so....

Kenomac · 13-01-2014, 11:38

Sailors with ugly boats will tell you looks don't matter... sailors with attactive boats will say that looks are important. My wife and I enjoy looking back at our boat from the dinghy.

It's the same with people to some degree.