Row away factor

[Wansworth]

I doubt Wansie will go out in anything above a F4 so handling the sails will only require physical effort rather than working on a pitching foredeck. However it seems very much a masochistic and retrograde step to me probably based on a rose tinted memory of past times.

None of that it’s that is whatthe boat comes equipped with with,certainly to furl the jib in a second would be great but I am not keen on furling gear used as reefing ,but as you point out not intending to sail in anything above force 4…..but the engine is the make or break as trying to adjust the outboard in confined area and juggle the tiller could be a pain………there is an identical boat,more expensive with an inboard engine and furler…….lots to see,but old inboard could be a money eater?

 

[ylop]

I doubt Wansie will go out in anything above a F4 so handling the sails will only require physical effort rather than working on a pitching foredeck. However it seems very much a masochistic and retrograde step to me probably based on a rose tinted memory of past times.

Or do you not bother putting the sails up at all. Perhaps I’m doing him a disservice and he’s more nimble than I’m picturing, or my assumptions about the contributions of Mrs W to a day afloat are wrong.

..but the engine is the make or break as trying to adjust the outboard in confined area and juggle the tiller could be a pain………there is an identical boat,more expensive with an inboard engine and furler…….lots to see,but old inboard could be a money eater?

Outboards are easier to swap when they die but they aren’t inherently more reliable.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

None of that it’s that is whatthe boat comes equipped with with,certainly to furl the jib in a second would be great but I am not keen on furling gear used as reefing ,but as you point out not intending to sail in anything above force 4…..but the engine is the make or break as trying to adjust the outboard in confined area and juggle the tiller could be a pain………there is an identical boat,more expensive with an inboard engine and furler…….lots to see,but old inboard could be a money eater?

Depends on the hours and state of the engine, if it starts and isn't an oily mess and there is evidence of servicing the inboard is a winner every time. Outboards are for dinghies

 

[Blueboatman]

I’m sure Wansey can procure a smaller hank on jib from somewhere for the afternoon return sailing
Or just sail on the main.
A main downhaul and clew reef led back to the cockpit on a couple of foot blocks would be worth having.
Other than that? Modern Outboards are brilliant at close quarters so long as you tighten up the turn friction screw a bit and then it’s not swivelling to one side all the time when you let go of the tiller- and it has a long enough tiller arm or clamp on tiller extension to reach comfortably.

Best of luck with a trial sail and happy missus
Don’t know if the French still say A Donf! ( Go for it )
Or Vamos in your neck of the rias

 

[JRCO26]

Ah yes, a few comments on this thread saying the old 'you can't see your own boat when you're on it' line - classic cope. By that logic, why not just buy the ugliest, boxiest tub you can find? Hell, weld some garden sheds together and call it a pilothouse. Who cares, right? You’ll never see it! Except when you dinghy out to her, look back from shore, or catch her reflection in calm water and feel your soul quietly die. Let’s be honest - if beauty didn’t matter, no one would be embarrassed pulling up next to a classic yacht at anchor looking like they sailed in on a refrigerator.

 

[ducked]

My next boat if it is the one that we have almost settled on has no redeeming features in the classic sense.Its French.Why have we chosen it .Well it’s within the budget and the marina costs and maintenance ought to be manageable.Its has the right accommodation layout non of that kitchen taking up half the saloon ,it has a porta loo so confirms to the black water regulations .The sail area is manageable without furling gear and point reefing on the main.Auxiliary power is a outboard and with some deft handie work I expect a sculling oar could be sorted.Whats not to like you may ask!?….The sheer line sweeping up to the bow .The sheer line is flat
Inthe event of us buying it we will have to get used to it ,being in a marina berth theres not much view anyway…….the only thing we can do is purchase some colorful scatter cushions for the saloon

Learn to scull your dinghy first (easier anyway) and you eliminate the row away factor. Row it on the way there, and Look Ma, No voila

 

[ylop]

Learn to scull your dinghy first (easier anyway) and you eliminate the row away factor. Row it on the way there, and Look Ma, No voila

I’ve seen recently a few people rowing “backwards” I assumed they were just trying to see where they were going, but perhaps it’s so the don’t see what they are leaving!

Let’s be honest - if beauty didn’t matter, no one would be embarrassed pulling up next to a classic yacht at anchor looking like they sailed in on a refrigerator.

I’ve never been embarrassed anchoring next to a classic yacht whilst sailing an AWB that many would consider not that attractive and driven by function over aesthetics. Nor have I ever looked at even uglier boats that arrive in the same anchorage and thought “must have quite a brass neck to go out on that”. I do see lots of “pretty” boats that rarely seem to go anywhere; I wonder if that because all the compromises made to achieve beauty actually make them hard to live on.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’ve seen recently a few people rowing “backwards” I assumed they were just trying to see where they were going, but perhaps it’s so the don’t see what they are leaving!

I’ve never been embarrassed anchoring next to a classic yacht whilst sailing an AWB that many would consider not that attractive and driven by function over aesthetics. Nor have I ever looked at even uglier boats that arrive in the same anchorage and thought “must have quite a brass neck to go out on that”. I do see lots of “pretty” boats that rarely seem to go anywhere; I wonder if that because all the compromises made to achieve beauty actually make them hard to live on.

Is thete anything wrong with function leading form? A design feature that is there for a good reason is rarely that ugly, IMHO. Modern AWBs may not have the sweeping lines of early 20th century classics, but a fair number of them are poetry in motion when it comes to actually sailing. It’s possible to admire both looks, or indeed admire a distinctly non average modern boat, say a TP52, or even SVR Lazartigue, where function has totally taken over! Getting line honours in a Fastnet race is certainly a beautiful thing. As for the classics parked up, I don’t think there’s a distinction there. Marinas are rammed with boats that rarely sail. There’s several on our pontoon that have not been out this year, and several that rarely seem to be at home! The important thing is to be able to admire your boat for the reasons that made you buy it. Ours is a matter of taste, we like her, others may not. But they’re gonna have to have a little respect when we storm past them.

 

[Blueboatman]

I’ve seen recently a few people rowing “backwards” I assumed they were just trying to see where they were going, but perhaps it’s so the don’t see what they are leaving!

I’ve never been embarrassed anchoring next to a classic yacht whilst sailing an AWB that many would consider not that attractive and driven by function over aesthetics. Nor have I ever looked at even uglier boats that arrive in the same anchorage and thought “must have quite a brass neck to go out on that”. I do see lots of “pretty” boats that rarely seem to go anywhere; I wonder if that because all the compromises made to achieve beauty actually make them hard to live on.

A long time ago on here a much missed contributor Tom E with a pretty Oyster Heritage managed to befriend the skipper of Mirabelle 5 ( which is simply enormous, a giant, modern classic) and get invited alongside for a drink.
Somewhere there is a photo of Toms moored daintily alongside M5 looking minute-but holding its elegant head up.

 

[Daydream believer]

It sounds perfect for what he wants to do.

As for "row-away factor" - who cares? You can't see it when you're on the boat and any which way you'll be having a helluva lot more fun than sitting on the sofa?

Sounds like he wants to turn it in to a sofa

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Sounds like he wants to turn it in to a sofa

We use ours as a beach sum lounger and swimming platform whenever we can.

 

[Daydream believer]

We use ours as a beach sum lounger and swimming platform whenever we can.

Probably best use for it

 

[Concerto]

A long time ago on here a much missed contributor Tom E with a pretty Oyster Heritage managed to befriend the skipper of Mirabelle 5 ( which is simply enormous, a giant, modern classic) and get invited alongside for a drink.
Somewhere there is a photo of Toms moored daintily alongside M5 looking minute-but holding its elegant head up.

This reminds me of a Twister that many decades ago sailed in to Monaco and tied up alongside a then super yacht. They were first questioned if they were allowed in the harbour and then invited onboard to have a look round and relax with some drinks.

 

[Concerto]

If Wansworth does not manage to buy this dream yacht, he could still buy the cushion.

Yacht At Sunset Cushion

 

[Wansworth]

If Wansworth does not manage to buy this dream yacht, he could still buy the cushion.

Yacht At Sunset Cushion

No my boat will have Rothko cushions

 

[Baggywrinkle]

Odd that, lusting after a boat that brings you happiness when you row away from it ......

 

[Blueboatman]

Odd that, lusting after a boat that brings you happiness when you row away from it ......

“ I’ll be back ”

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Probably best use for it

You’re really saying you don’t like to be overtaken by these new-fangled wide boats. Not s yacht at all, according to the NYYC, who at one time would not admit owners as members, even though one had a Nathaniel Herreschoff design. Amaryllis, she was called, and embarrassed the other members so much they banned her.

 

[Sea Change]

You’re really saying you don’t like to be overtaken by these new-fangled wide boats. Not s yacht at all, according to the NYYC, who at one time would not admit owners as members, even though one had a Nathaniel Herreschoff design. Amaryllis, she was called, and embarrassed the other members so much they banned her.

I saw Amaryllis II last week, hanging from the rafters in the Herreschoff museum. I can see why she was considered unusual at the time, when all the other gentleman's racing yachts were fully equipped cruising boats with mahogany interiors, Shipman stoves, and the other mod cons of the era.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

When I embarked on my first boat search many years ago, I had the words of my childhood ringing in my ears, learnt from my father and his sailing friends .... things like "row away factor" ... "classic" ... "ocean going" ... "seaworthy" ... and it was associated with the boats they lusted after ... Contessas, Rustlers, Nicholsons etc. ... so that's where I started looking.

Sorry to say they were all a monumental disappointment. As a family of five we had chartered a few times in modern boats, and had a great time in Scotland, Greece and Croatia ... but when I went to look at examples of these classics - chasing that nostalgic dream of yesteryear, I couldn't get my family to go near them. Small, cramped, smelly, old, worn, impractical .... and they were unfortunately right. In every practical sense, the chance of finding a concours winner was nil.

I then realised what row-away factor actually means ... the further you get from them, the better they look.

In the end we bought a 1999 Bavaria 36 and it was a fantastic boat, not too bad looking, and streets ahead of the classics for practicality. We had years of fun on her and she became part of the family.

Now I've moved on to another Bavaria ... and she doesn't look too bad either ... even close up. I love looking at older boats with all that nostalgia, and I admire the people who have the time and patience to keep them afloat, but I am happy not to own one.