The Nov. 1 issue of the best yet cheapest boat mag, “Messing About In Boats,” has a thought-provoking essay entitled “Is the Golden Age of Sailboats Over?”
Author Dan Rogers makes the case that the late 60’s and early 70’s were the heyday for quality cruising sailboats that were affordable. A 25-35 foot boat sold for about $5K. A regular bloke could scrape together the money to buy such a boat back then. Today these exact same boats still go for about that same price on the resale market.
The point of the essay is that comparable new boats sell for, what, $50-100K?
Today you can’t get an inflatable and motor (4-cyl) for under $20K.
The cruising scene now belongs the upper crust.
Thankfully a regular guy can still afford a canoe for flatwater or a sea-kayak for the wavey stuff. But the scope of our situation, ya have to admit, has been, ah, reduced.
He adds a twist to the piece with a reflection that keeping the early fiberglass cruisers which we can still afford afloat is no longer a matter of using sailmanship skills. There’s a whole new range of skills now needed—decks are softening by the legion and need fresh epoxy reinforcement. In short, to run a thrifty boat one needs to become a chemical carpenter.
Interesting stuff! —An a magazine that is ALWAYS charming and helpful. “MAIB” covers everything watery from the everyman’s POV. Can’t beat that! —It’s the only boat/water-world mag that does, isn’t it? Of course you have to go to the other mags to get the purty pictures…of the boats a regular bloke will never set foot on. Oh well!
https://www.messingaboutinboats.com/
