just another affordable sailboat...

A different orbit, music for flat earthers, and Badtux with the needful...

Pretty much everywhere I look there are boats in good condition selling for very little. This morning I came across a Newport 28 Mk 2 going for $2500. Admittedly the engine is not currently working  but as it's a Yanmar and not seized it's more than likely a repair rather than replace situation.

 

Practical Sailor had a pretty good review you might want to check out. 

Anyway, that's a lot of boat for not a lot of money.

Listening to Maverick City Music

So it goes...

a depressing state of affairs...

A book on AI I think I need to read, why the word "concerning" makes me nervous, and in the "It's about time to nail these these jerks to the wall" department...

I just noticed that RAKA has a newish website with higher prices. 

Yeah, prices on everything just keep going up and it's getting harder and harder to build a boat on a workingman's budget.

It's a depressing state of affairs.

Luckily, old classic and not so classic boats still abound while the cost of buying and refitting an elderly boat is still within the reach of someone on a very tight budget. Albeit, a task akin to swimming upstream against a strong current with your hands tied behind your back.

A $400 boat on CraigsList

What we could use is some real progress in the design and building of boats. Sadly, what passes these days for progress is more about bigger, more expensive, and fashion rather than simpler, sustainable, and affordable.

Things really do need to change.

Listening to an interesting cover

So it goes...

something regarding design...

An excellent interview with Werner Herzog, something on second class American citizens, and in the "Three years is not a lot of time" department...

So, it appears that the folks on Uma are sorta/kinda getting into the cruising boat design playground or something like it. Good for them. I'll be following what they conjure up with bated breath.

As for myself, I've never been into the idea of designing a boat for myself for a few reasons. One being that I feel my talent lies more in the building of boats rather than the design process. Which does not mean that I don't have a long list of input as to my druthers when working with a designer.

Of course, one big problematic issue where getting a designer to draw a boat I'd consider building these days is that most of my want list are not sellable to the current market. Most sane designers would not waste their time when they could be designing a condomaran or cookie cutter cruiser/racer for clients with deeper pockets than yours truly. 

Not that I think a tradical VolksCruiser would be a bad investment in time for a designer. There are a lot of folks out there that, if approached in the right way, could be sold on an easy to build, affordable, sustainable, and able performing design that fulfills an empty niche in the current market.

Of course, I'd welcome and love to review and post information on any boats that designers of the  tradical, easy to build, affordable, sustainable, and able performing design mindset might send my way.

Just sayin'

Listening to some Carole King coverage

So it goes...