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

[Scout 30]

I think the French have had a huge influence on boat design. I'm not a fan. Actually I think boats started getting ugly when they started being made in plastic instead of wood.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by brightontrader

Well I wanted a Choey Lee 55 or 63

1985 Cheoy Lee 63 Motorsailor Sail New and Used Boats for Sale

because they have pilot houses that you can sit out stormy weather in the dry and watch big ships run you down while sipping nerve juice, but mainly because, to me they are beautiful, for some other unknown reason.

However the ones on sale were too old and too big I decided and opted instead for a basic one off copy made in Holland in steel, pictured, indeed, very similar to my last boat, another copy in steel, of a 42 Nauticat Cutter Sloop, which I also found stunning......

There is something in the lines of a boat that gets to you, car designers know this well. for instance, bizarre but I find the Moody DS range stunning, I see a lot of people don't like them on here...

Brighton and Eastbourne both have ugly marinas, and are equidistance from my home, but Brighton is more beautiful than Eastbourne so I keep my boat there...

Whatayaknow! It appears we DO have some similar tastes.

For I too like the look of the Cheoy Lee 63 and 53 (63 being preferred) and I also like the looks of most of the Nauticat line, AND I also often admire the Dutch steel boats too.

Here is a photo of the Cheoy Lee 63 that I found appealing.

[bmz]

[QUOTE=weavis;1839770]LOL

You wont like Shannon yachts then....


??? Shannons are pretty much the diametric opposite of Amels. I'm pretty much with the OP-- and I love the classic lines of a Shannon. To me, beauty in a sailboat is a classic sweeping positive sheer and a true doghouse with many round ports. But then again I sail a 34 foot sailboat; I might feel differently if I were in the 50+ foot class.

[Matt Johnson]

I'm in the camp of thinking the Amels are not pretty too. The large reddish rub rail, fake teak deck, and sharp angled deadlights all make it homely to my eyes. Funny, I actually like the smaller, older Amels vs the 53.

But, I understand the function is much more important than the cosmetics. If it was a dock queen, then I would never own one, but cruising they seem awesome.

Matt

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by brightontrader

I know this is going to annoy Amel owners but IMHO, Amels are ugly...There is something missing in the lines.

Sure they are good sea boats, easy to handle, sail well, safe centre cockpits, built well, not cheap bla di bla, but where is the beauty, where is the love you must feel for your chariot home. (I also feel this about Prouts and Privileges, 60% of all other Cats and Westerlies built before 2000.)

Because I am bored and not going away on my newly acquired (beautiful) yacht this season, hence being on this forum, I am posting this in the full knowledge that:

I will have to register under a new name after this post or leave the board altogether if the abuse is too strong and my thin skin can handle it no more, but what the hell..

But maybe this post will deliver photos of what is beauty in a yacht and what is the back end of a bus and I will understand more.

I can think of plenty of boats much less pretty than an Amel.

Amels have a look for sure. I guess you either love them or hate them.

Now I did see an ugly ketch in berkeley marina last week hanging on the travellift straps overnight. I didnt take a pic but it sure was weird. Big square aft and it looked like the stern was low due to the sheer. Now that was weird.

Sent from my SM-N900T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[bcboomer]

Henri Amel was pretty blind. I don't think he cared too much about what his boats looked like. He was focused on making them as functional as possible for cruising.

[nimblemotors]

Ugly?

[SaltyMetals]

at a distance the Amel looks fantastic but once aboard it is like a wretched caravan. For the same length an Oyster 53 ticks all the boxes for me as a charming and serious boat. I shared an Oyster 53 (hull #44) with an Italian friend for several years. Sure, it costs a lot more than something like a Jeanneau DS but why go for an Amel? Might be easy to sail but so is a stickpot. So much plastic in your face!

[thinwater]

Without naming names, I see many yachts with design compromises made to please the eye that compromise sailing and living. Do you really want a trophy wife you can't live with? She could be a poor choice, and even a poor person.

* Catamarans with low bridge deck clearance.
* Any boat over 30' without headroom.
* Short bunks.
* Monohulls with poor companionway ladders.
* Any boat without 7-9" steps into the cockpit.
* Sloping deck surfaces.
* On cruising boats, no design provision for an integrated dodger.
* Twin bow rollers that can actuall fit twin anchors. Look very cool.
* No sail lockers to yield more inside space.
* No toe rail.
* No boarding ladder.
* No rub rails. Yes, I can dock without touching, but please, this makes no sense.
* And I'm sure there are many more....

I see a boat as a tool. Pretty matters only when it derives from function, like an athletic body on an active person, and even then it is over rated.

[thinwater]

For example, can you imagine going anywhere on deck, even the upper deck, in any seaway?

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Ugly?

[Cheechako]

Yes, Amels are not quite the most beautiful. Some things are designed for a purpose. If you are driving the Alcan Hiway... Maserati or Land Rover?
I look at the Gunboats people are raving about and think "how practical is that?" Kinda like the above boat... rounded deck edges , slippery slopes etc.

[Bill Seal]

Originally Posted by nimblemotors

Ugly?

Where is Luke Skywalker when you need him most.

[westsail374]

Looks like doodles I used to draw when bored in class. Sleek, pretty in a funky way, but totally impractical - except for picking up a clueless date.

[bobw100ton]

In the end, just as in aircraft, the beauty for many is in how form follows function. Most compromises are driven by a desire for too much interior space on a given water line. Through my 35 year career I continue to see higher aspect ratio rigs (increasing rig complexity and fragility) to accommodate beamier boats going to weather. Free board has gone way beyond sensible in an effort to create interior head room on a boat much to short to merit. This all makes for compromised performance to windward and far more drama under heavy weather conditions than would have been experienced on more conservative designs of decades past, but yes, when conditions are right some can still be called "performance cruisers".

[SaltyMetals]

Originally Posted by Bill Seal

Where is Luke Skywalker when you need him most.

Come on guys. Dont knock the design since that is what this thread is all about. if you had the money, a boat like this is sure to bring in plenty of gals if that is what you want. Even if you have already had too many girls in yr life , sure something like this at anchor or in a marina is going to set yr heart racing. great design (but would we set out across the ocean in something like this? I doubt it. )