Something about guns, a ghost fleet at anchor, and Peter Bergman 1939-2012...
"Big innovation lives right on the edge of ridiculous ideas"
- Brendan Boyle
The other day I had a conversation that went something like this...
Reader: I think you're unfair to the Rocna anchor. I have one and it's the best anchor I have ever had!This is a far too common scenario and, sadly, when out of control, it seriously distorts the fabric of reality... "Everybody says", is simply not good science.
BB: So, what did you have before the Rocna?
Reader: A Delta.
BB: How often did you drag with the delta? Have problems setting it?
Reader: Well, never. No.
BB: Have you dragged with the Rocna?
Reader: No
BB: So you're telling me the Rocna is better than the Delta even though the Delta always held you and performs pretty much the same because?
Reader: Well, everyone says the Rocna is better...
I just did a post where I mentioned that we were buying an electronic anti-fouling system and I've already received a few emails telling me to save my money because they are a waste of money, don't work, and a con or worse. The thing is none of those writing and holding those opinions have ever used electronic anti-fouling or even know anybody who have actually used electronic anti-fouling...
As it happens, we used electronic anti-fouling on our last boat "Loose Moose 2" and you know what? It worked just fine. So I have a little up close and personal experience with the subject which, in my mind, trumps the "everybody says" card.
As long as I'm ranting on the "everybody says" subject, I might as well add my other crazy making subject of unstayed masts... I've lost a stayed mast, quite a few people I know personally have lost stayed masts, and reading the yachting press I've read of even more folks losing stayed rigs... So it is a somewhat concrete fact that stayed rigs regularly fall down and go boom.
I also happen to know quite a few people with unstayed rigs, pay a lot of attention to boat designs that have unstayed rigs, and take note whenever one gets mentioned in the yachting press... So guess what? I've yet to come across someone with an unstayed mast having it fall down and go boom. Yet whenever the subject of unstayed rigs comes up you'll hear the old "but everybody says"...
The thing is, when everybody starts saying stuff won't work the pressure to conform is enormous. Even when you know something should work it's damn hard to swim upstream against popular opinion and the result is we wind up with bugger all progress/evolution which translates to boats and systems that are not as good as they can be.
Think about it...
Rant over.
Listening to Frank
So it goes...
