Jack Haines and the Montecarlos other elephant in the room.

henryf

henryf

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We know Jack isn’t normal, "Mummy says I’m special……" Young in years but a lover of the Swift Trawler and a wearer of waistcoats. It can’t be healthy. When other lads his age are out there knocking back Jägerbombs and dreaming of the next Magaluf trip our Jack is studying deadrise angles and spray rails.

5 words into the second paragraph of his Montecarlo 6 review Jack rolls up his sleeves and “addresses the large elephant in the room”. Quality. No wait Jack I thought you meant the fact that it’s bloody ugly but nowhere in the ensuing 6 pages can I find reference to the main elephant which would preclude me from investing my daughter’s inheritance in anything from the MC range.

For the last 2 years there has been a Montecarlo 5 parked across from the bows of the mid range Princess fleet at the Southampton boat show. The first year I assumed it was an art school project based on a 1950’s washing machine but when it was there again the next year I popped on board. Carpet thinner than my wallet after Finnings have serviced the CAT C12s on our P50 was my abiding memory.

People might be put off buying the boat because it can’t make 30 knots according to JH. I think they’re more likely to be put off by pods and the fact everyone will laugh when you rock up somewhere.










In truth I love Jack’s work, I don’t always echo his views but where would the world be if we all agreed. I understand beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I am not necessarily the Paragon of good taste and fashion, although JFM did say my scatter cushions were great. Surely someone in MB&Y towers must have had the same chuckle as me when Montecarlo sent through the photos.

As ever a good read as far as I’ve got.


Henry :)
 
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I quite like the look of the boat.

Didn't like the dash but then I think all boat dashes are carp.

Incidentally, I was looking at a brochure for an i8 this morning and one of the interior designs is entitled "Carpo" - You really couldn't make it up.
 
Jack Haines said:
And I'm more of a Campari man myself...
Click to expand...

Which is why you like the Montecarlo range.

One day you will be sitting in some far flung corner of the world enjoying a dark & stormy with plenty of ice when suddenly you will realise the error of your ways. A good taste epiphany. By then of course the MC range will be a long forgotten cul de sac in boating history.

I'm not saying I'm right, but I ain't wrong :)

Keep smiling.

Henry
 
I don't think MC6 is ugly. Not to my taste, and the round window does it no favours inside or out, but I can see that people like the styling of them. Exactly the same as one of those Smeg fridges - a few retro features, modern twist, pale blue and lime green available = ok. Shoreditch hipsters would buy MC6s (leaving aside the financials). I do agree with henry that MC will ultimately be a cul de sac within the history of boats, but perfectly ok currently as one of the colours on the spectrum that boat buyers can choose from.
 
Another thing Jack. For a while, few months ago, you were nicely telling off boatbuilders for fitting touchscreens that are out of reach. But you seem to have stopped, and maybe decided they're ok (?). You praised MC6's dash, yet it is guilty of this

I see this as non negotiable. In general, the world loves touch devices, but it is fundamental that you have to be able to touch them. You wouldn't love your iPad if it were always the other side of the room, and you wouldn't buy a toothbrush that is longer than your arm. All these things that we interface with are like clothes: when we are cold we put a coat* on and when we go sailing we put a boat on - they have to fit the human body. Touchscreens that you can't touch don't fit.

*waistcoat :D
 
I wonder what would have been the talk if the MC range was made by one of the British trio.

Most probably Henry and others might be praising them for finally entering a slower economic boat, (since it does a slow 27 knots max) with the likes to compete with the Magellano and the rest.

Anyways interesting point of view, thank you for letting us know....
 
jfm said:
Another thing Jack. For a while, few months ago, you were nicely telling off boatbuilders for fitting touchscreens that are out of reach. But you seem to have stopped, and maybe decided they're ok (?). You praised MC6's dash, yet it is guilty of this

I see this as non negotiable. In general, the world loves touch devices, but it is fundamental that you have to be able to touch them. You wouldn't love your iPad if it were always the other side of the room, and you wouldn't buy a toothbrush that is longer than your arm. All these things that we interface with are like clothes: when we are cold we put a coat* on and when we go sailing we put a boat on - they have to fit the human body. Touchscreens that you can't touch don't fit.

*waistcoat :D
Click to expand...

Is it not compensated by the track ball, or is that for a SMARTCRAFT or ships gui?
But I guess not all 6's will have the Kirk chair....
 
Blimey, a lesson on style and beauty from a man who sells squashed beetles for a living;) Well as somebody who thinks that the current crop of flybridge cruisers from the mainstream builders are more than a bit same old same old, I applaud MC for attempting to produce something a bit different. Speaking personally, there's a lot I like about the styling of the MC6 and that certainly wouldn't put me off although the pods and small tank capacity would
 
Deleted User said:
Blimey, a lesson on style and beauty from a man who sells squashed beetles for a living;) Well as somebody who thinks that the current crop of flybridge cruisers from the mainstream builders are more than a bit same old same old, I applaud MC for attempting to produce something a bit different. Speaking personally, there's a lot I like about the styling of the MC6 and that certainly wouldn't put me off although the pods and small tank capacity would
Click to expand...

Just totting it up, then: there's the looks, the dash, the pods, the tankage, the round window and its no use outside Hoxton. Apart from all that the panel rather likes it, I think. :D

Oh and the no-touch screen...
 
Nigelpickin said:
Is it not compensated by the track ball, or is that for a SMARTCRAFT or ships gui?
But I guess not all 6's will have the Kirk chair....
Click to expand...
Kirk chair is option I think. It might be that the track ball drives the Simrad screen; I dunno. But touch is where it's at: if you had to use a trackball to drive your iPad because someone had constructed your desk so the iPad just had to be 2x arm lengths away, would you be ok with that? :D
 
benjenbav said:
Just totting it up, then: there's the looks, the dash, the pods, the tankage, the round window and its no use outside Hoxton. Apart from all that the panel rather likes it, I think. :D

Oh and the no-touch screen...
Click to expand...
:D:D:D What about the pop up and give you a black eye Quick deck lights?

In all fairness, and round window ignored, we are something like 6-1 in favour of the MC6's Smeg Fridge E1 6JE looks on this thread I think :D
 
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jfm said:
Kirk chair is option I think. It might be that the track ball drives the Simrad screen; I dunno. But touch is where it's at: if you had to use a trackball to drive your iPad because someone had constructed your desk so the iPad just had to be 2x arm lengths away, would you be ok with that? :D
Click to expand...

Pretty close to what my Iwatch/iphone are in reality! :)
Agree but having just been on a 6 week cruise along the south coast, (UK), ive turned to my Raytrack app on more than one occasion to enable smoother access.
The ergonomics, (is that right), of the touch screen at sea are perhaps not as kinetically rewarding as they seem in the showroom.
But I'd still rather have a hybrid than just buttons.....
 
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