Boat Showcase

[David_Old_Jersey]

Andy R has a "Showcase" option on his profile page:-

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Profile: Andy R

Which opens this

Andy R's ShowCase :: S/V Sweet Melissa



- Come the Revolution we will all have these

- "But I don't want one"

- "Come the Revolution you will do as you're bl##dy well told"


(could be of course that I just can't find the option in my Control Panel )

[Andy R]

David found my secret project! I'll try to wrap up the boat showcase system soon and roll that out. It will allow members to add details about their vessels and then create a search-able database for us to find other similar boats. Stay tuned for more info...

[James S]

Good one Andy....

[zeehag]

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!!!

[Andy R]

Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, how about I get some feedback from you all to help me finish up configuring things. Here is what I have so far:



One thing I have been struggling with is the standard format for the length to be used. Some boats are in feet, some are in meters and obviously we can can convert as needed. Any suggestion on which to use? What is more common world wide when it comes to how length of a vessel is referenced?



when chatting with the team some thought sail information would be interesting to have. Right now it's setup to only show area but we could add information about the sails and rigging. Any thoughts on this?



It's setup to also capture some information about the engines and fuel capacity.

One area that I think we could add is information about navigation and electrical systems.

What other information do you think would be useful to capture?

[Mimsy]

A place for design pros/cons. Every boat is a mix of both and for those looking to research for possible purchase, this would be handy. No one knows their boats attributes and weaknesses better than an owner.

Also a place for customization notes would be great.

[RiverRat]

That looks like a great feature. Well done. Will all the fields you asked about above be searchable data or just informational and for reading purposes? Did that make sense?

[RiverRat]

In re: the length field. What about two fields? Length Feet: and Length Meters: then folks can fill out the one they know and the database can fill out the other with a conversion?

[Andy R]

Originally Posted by RiverRat

Will all the fields you asked about above be searchable data or just informational and for reading purposes?

Searchable and with time our hope is to have quick links to find discussions about the items such as the boat manufacturer, specific boat model, navigation instruments, engines, etc. So as you customize your boat information you will also be able to see a list of discussions that pertain to your specific boat. We have quite a while before we get that far but taking one small step at a time we will get there. Also slated is product reviews so if you have an item on your boat, it would be great to get you to review that item and thus over time have a large database of how products are working out for other sailors around the world.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Surprised this thread hasn't run - folks here usually not short of an opinion. or 3

Originally Posted by Andy R

One thing I have been struggling with is the standard format for the length to be used. Some boats are in feet, some are in meters and obviously we can can convert as needed. Any suggestion on which to use? What is more common world wide when it comes to how length of a vessel is referenced?

I think it has to cope with both. Some models are known in metres and others in feet - even in the same market

when chatting with the team some thought sail information would be interesting to have. Right now it's setup to only show area but we could add information about the sails and rigging. Any thoughts on this?

Would be useful, but have to factor in that on some models the answer will vary from the factory and some from owner modification. and the older the boat model the greater the scope for not having a single reliable source - because there isn't one

It's setup to also capture some information about the engines and fuel capacity.

Comments as above. Water tankage would be useful.

One area that I think we could add is information about navigation and electrical systems.

Not sure how useful that would really be - given the scope for variation.

What other information do you think would be useful to capture?

Years of production
variants on the same hull
name and address of builder / distributor
markets sold in
similar vessels (length / displacement / type)
no. of berths
no. of heads
keel type and draft
loa / lwl / beam
speed under power (max & cruising)
usual engine HP range / size / manufacturer
drive shaft
common options / extras (scope to commercialise by linking off to products / services)
Anchor locker stowage capacity
brief known usage (ie several have gone RTW / popular carribean liveaboard etc)
the european CE rating seems of interest to some
a ball park price range would be useful. even if only to the nearest 50k

I would also like to click a single button to find all those currently for sale on the internet

and to have reviews - not simply on the site alone, but from links to owner's blogs / websites. it's not simply about the boat itself, but the use made of them by real people is informative. I will come to your site (and back to it) not simply because it has useful info, but because I know it will also take me to other (genuinely) useful info.

Could maybe also have links onto a (tidied up?) boat model specific CF thread.

Would be nice if the above could standalone as a (useful) reference source for a boat model but would also form the basis for an owner & CF member adding their own boat's details (ie specifics to their vessel, including modifications and photos) - so folks can easily move between general and boat specific.

I still like this uk broker's approach:-

Bavaria 40 Ocean archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales

That should keep ya busy

[GordMay]

Sailboatdata has a pretty good format.
➥ MAHE 36 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com