Oyster 74.5

[ashtead]

Yes even on a Jongert the hydraulic main furling can fail but you might have the mizzen on a manual plus headsail on inner manual furler so all is not lost.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

Well I have had a few hoses go on my diggers & it makes one hell of a mess & everything stops working. Sod's law dictates that 75% of the time it is in the most inaccessible place. Always when you really need it to happen. Is it less likely to happen in a marine environment with corrosion high on the list?
Leaks do occur. A friend of mine had a hydraulic failure on his MOBO & lost steering. So these things can & do happen.

Different environment.

 

[Sybarite]

Ideal yacht size is probably around 70 feet well out at sea, maybe 35-45 feet in crowded waters such as the Solent where manoeuvrability is vital, maybe 20 feet LOA in the marina except below decks where a minimal 35 feet is needed for comfort for 2 people. I think that covers it.

Uffa Fox said that you should have a boat where the length in feet corresponds to your age.
(I'm in the superyacht market....)

 

[Supertramp]

Given the diversity of uses, the range of strength, mobility and crew numbers on board, and the relative ease with which modern construction technology can produce almost anything, I find it remarkable how broadly similar the majority of boats are. Or perhaps that is just a UK/Europe thing with our obsession with brand names and mass production?

It's as if you have to work out how far you can adapt to fit with a given design rather than have a design to suit your needs.

If I could afford a new Oyster, I would instead work out what I really needed and and have it built. It can be and is done, but not very often. Probably to do with cost and time.