The "perfect boat", does one exist?

[CharlieJ]

Thank you sir- the lady in the pic installed all of that interior trim, after she varnished it all. Here's a later shot showing that aft bulhead ALMOST as it is now- The duct tape is gone replaced by real trim.

[AdriftAtSea]

Thank you sir- the lady in the pic installed all of that interior trim, after she varnished it all. Here's a later shot showing that aft bulhead ALMOST as it is now- The duct tape is gone replaced by real trim.

I hope you married that woman...she does boat work and knows how to varnish...and I'm guessing likes boats and sailing.  If you didn't, I'd have to question your intelligence.  :D

[CharlieJ]

Bet your buns I married her!! Took me a half century of looking to find her.

She can run any tool in the woodshop, she can twirl wrenches , she can varnish and run a spray gun, she's a helluvan artist
www.griffithart.com

and is a trophy winning singlehand dinghy racer. Loves to sail and is completely capable of single handing our Meridian 25 either inshore of offshore.

And she's easy to look at too ;D 5foot 2, eyes of blue, and about 110 pounds of her..

[AdriftAtSea]

Charlie-

My only question—with qualifications like that...why'd she pick you.  LOL  ;)

[CharlieJ]

Cause I'm pretty???? ;D

Actually, I ask myself that often. I told her that if she came with me she'd never have any money and would never be bored. She claims I was true to my word. ;D

But we've sure had fun the last 14 years!!

[AdriftAtSea]

Charlie-  If you really think you're pretty, you need to get a better respirator mask or stop sniffing the styrene fumes from the fiberglass resin.  :D

[Frank]

   "Charlie wrote :She can run any tool in the woodshop, she can twirl wrenches , she can varnish and run a spray gun, she's a helluvan artist
www.griffithart.com"
Charlie...does she have a sister ??   I can't complain...Judy really likes heavy weather...honest !! She's not much on bottom paint though :(   Here's a pirated picture of Charlie out with his sweetie in the dingy    ONLY JOKING !!!!   funny pic tho

[AdriftAtSea]

Frank-

That pretty much matches the picture I have of Charlie in my head. LOL. ;)

[CharlieJ]

You wanna see a picture of a 65 year old guy?

Ok- I asked Laura which one I should post and she picked this one ;D

[AdriftAtSea]

That's scarier than I could ever imagine... you sure that's not a costume you put on for Halloween??

[Joe Pyrat]

Yes, it's nice to see that you saved her.  Good work.

[CapnK]

Frank - what a kewl lil boat! :) She'll be big fun when you get her done. I guess, since the Flicka was pretty much perfect, you needed something to do over the winter up there? :D

Or are you like CJ, making Judy do all the work while you run around taking pics and making Playgirl pictures? ;D

[Frank]

Judy has a great sence of adventure , so she likes sailing with me. She lacks my 'passion' for boats so also really lacks my passion for working on them. SOOooooo all grinder jobs etc. are strictly mine.She can't figure out what I see in these old boats.....to me they are 'art'....I could never figure out a 'picasso'....Guess I'm redneck

[AdriftAtSea]

Frank-

I don't think rednecks sail much... at least not according to anything by Jeff Foxworthy... They're usually in Bass Boats.

[Frank]

Getting back to 'the perfect boat'................Although those 'deck shots' are heart stopping :o (nice band aid ;D) ..Much has already been written here about the virtues of the TRITON...design,motion,relative speed,seaworthyness,looks,shallow draft(relative to it's capabilities)and low price.Adam's voyages link is already posted and shows his mods.I was cleaning out my 'saved pictures' and came across these of a CHERRY triton with a stock interior that is mint.The head is to port behind the door...hanging locker across.The owner has new cushions and a simple 'snap on' cover to the anchor locker....the rest is as delivered 42yrs ago.NICE boats !!!    ......did I mention it's an Alberg?? ;)

[AdriftAtSea]

Alberg...what's an Alberg??   ;D

[CharlieJ]

ya know- we kinda must be special down here. In my marina are tied up-

A Cape Dory 25
A Cape Dory 27
A Triton
An Alberg 30
and of course our Rhodes Meridian 25

How's THAT for classic plastic??

[Frank]

All boats mentioned (hats off to Rhodes) represent the obvious exquisite taste of their owners ::)

[AdriftAtSea]

Very nice...  Good selection..but do you know the vintages of the classics in question???

[Norm]

Hello All:
The perfect boat!  The perfect spouse?

By observation, I find that narrower/heavier boats with V-shaped cross sections are more comfortable than wide/light boats with U-shaped cross sections.  The conflict is that the good sea-boat is not so comfy at rest.  Since a lot of cruising is really about being in one place for long times... sea-keeping takes a back seat in the selection process.  Then... since sea going is uncomfortable, the sailors spend more time at anchor, etc.  Death-spiral vortex of doom. 

The long keel boats of Phil Rhodes, Carl Alberg, et al are well represented in this discussion and for good reason.  Let's not overlook the second-generation of fiberglass designs.  Many of the late 60s and early 70s designs by S&S, Mull, Bruce King, et all have fin keels and keg hung rudders.  They are also darn good cruising designs. 

Favorites of mine are the Tartan 30 and the Albin 30.  Both are easily found on the yachtworld.com site.  The advantage to the fin keel design is speed and weatherlyness under sail and maneuverability under power.  (Crashing the dock!)

I have sailed both long keel and fin keel boats.  It is a bit easier to get off the bottom with a long keel boat.  Fin keel designs are a bit more fun to sail.  Sturdy construction and a layout to match one's needs is really what matters.

Like spouses.  If we wait for the perfect one to show up... we'll spend our lives alone.

Get a boat and go sailing.

Best, Norman

PS:  The best small boat I ever sailed and cruised was a J-28.  I cruised it extensively between the Chesepeake and Maine for almost ten years.  Stunning sailor.  Delightful at rest.