Modern slavery on the high seas, a somewhat unsettling state of affairs, and in the "Hope vs despair" department...
I'll be honest and get out front on the fact that I really love looking at sailboat designs.Then again, I also really hate to look at sailboat designs because far too often I realize that the inherent beauty of a given design is going to be seriously fucked up when the boat gets outfitted for cruising.
I mean, seriously, it's not like designers are unaware of things like solar panels, wind generators, davits, and other bolt-on paraphernalia deemed de rigueur in these modern consumerist times.
Now, in the case of my current boat "So It Goes" designed by Bill Lapworth I currently find myself banging my head against a bulkhead trying to come up with a less-than-butt-ugly means of adding a more orientable means of mounting a couple of 100 watt solar panels.
I'll point out that Bill Lapworth designed the CAL 34 years before anyone even knew that solar panels were going to be a thing on cruising boats so I'm not blaming Mr Lapworth.
On the other hand, designers currently designing sailboats actually know about solar panels and the various other systems that are considered must haves for cruising and, just maybe, I'm naive but shouldn't a good design address all the needful systems that folks are inclined to stick on their boats?
So, yeah, it would really be nice to see solar panels, wind generation,dinghy stowage, dodger/Bimini, and other miscellaneous systems that are more than likely part of most folks wants/needs in a cruising boat.
Just sayin'
Listening to Rod Stewart
So it goes...
