I can cope with the forum banter, but not my own foolish whimsy that wansy might actually buy a boat this time
I was genuinely asking if you had owned or sailed a Bavaria because I'm interested in hearing why you don't like them. But that doesn't seem to be the conversation you want to have.
All good Sea Change - no, have not sailed a Bavaria and have no interest in ever sailing one. But, different strokes / different folks. Cheers.
I've never sailed one either. I'm just fairly open minded.
I was fairly convinced the Ben/Jen/Bav type boats weren’t what we wanted. Then I sailed a Beneteau and I realised some of the advantages of the concept. We still kept looking for more traditional boats, but everyone seemed to be a compromise internally. We chartered a Bav and my reservations about owning one really started to waiver. Then when sitting in a tired older boat discussing the sagging headlining the broker trying to flog it said he was about to put a Bav on the market which was in much better shape. We took a look, it was out of budget but having walked the length of the pontoon from tired, damp, crampt to comfortable and bright the course of the future was esssentially solidified - we stopped looking at 70s/80s classics and focussed on stuff that had actually been designed for exactly our type of use. Much of our original prejudice was based on the views of others who had never been on board one never mind sailed one. People who race, or want to sail across oceans or just have brand prejudices. In reality like a Ford Mondeo it’s a very practical offering which just works in many ordinary people’s settings.
And yet, as demonstrated in the thread, many classic enthusiast/owners have never set foot on a modern boat. I haven’t brought my own cruiser into the conversation as it’s irrelevant to most of you. Way too modern. It suits us and our usage pattern. It’s unsuited to ocean voyaging, but we don’t do that and never will. As for the strengths of classics, you mean their alleged seakeeping qualities? I sincerely doubt they’re any better than modern boats, and frequently have little design disasters waiting in a dark corner to catch you out. Badly. I own a traditionally constructed wooden boat, have sailed on many, race campaigned one for 3 seasons. I’ve done the same on a Sigma 33, and sailed on a number of ultra modern boats. My opinions are formed by experience, not rose coloured glasses for a past that was wet, cramped, uncomfortable, over strenuous and frequently dangerous.
Well, I was kinda sort taking the mick. Bit surprised I have to point that out but all good.
I think you are talking about seakindliness, which is not a word I have seen used for a long time. Of course, sheer slowness can contribute to this, and maybe a Hillyard would be a typical example. For myself, I favour a fine entry, and a Rival wouldn't satisfy this condition. Some modern boats have focused on this feature and from observation they often seem to have an easy motion going to windward, especially the more buoyant ones, rather than ploughing through the waves. My 34 is a '90s design and more moderate, and with a deeper forefoot than is fashionable comes form an era where the compromises have suited me, not having the desire to go on the plane offwind. I think the Rivals were fine in their way, if a bit staid and on the whole each decade's boats have had their points, though I think it is hard to make a case for the pseudo IOR boats of the '70s where both handling and accommodation were problematic.