In article ,
"Roger Long" wrote:

The E32 was drawn to be a rather plain and straightforward boat. Ted
Irwin knew what he was doing, however. He wasn’t trying to make an
aesthetic statement but there is a straightforward integrity and
competence about her lines that I find very easy to nice at.

Still, I really didn’t like hearing that.

Pat and I knew we had an ugly boat in the beginning, but she grew on us
very early on. Fellow Tanzer owners described the 28 as a "school bus
with sails". We describe her as an ugly duckling, pregnant guppy, or our
"freighter with legs".

As we start our 14th season as Xan's caretakers, similar comments now
only garner snickers. She gives us just about everything we need,
outruns boats nearly twice her length, and we expect she'll outlast us
if we continue to be good caretakers.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

On Tue, 23 May 2006 05:54:56 GMT, in message

Jere Lull wrote:

Pat and I knew we had an ugly boat in the beginning, but she grew on us
very early on. Fellow Tanzer owners described the 28 as a "school bus
with sails". We describe her as an ugly duckling, pregnant guppy, or our
"freighter with legs".

When I owned a Tanzer 26 I consoled myself with the thoughts that a
Grampian 26 looks a lot more like a school bus, and that I was getting
the best view in the harbour ;-)

My current boat has lovely lines and looks elegant from a distance,
which is a step up, but she's still over 25.... Functional issues come
first, then surface beauty.

As we start our 14th season as Xan's caretakers, similar comments now
only garner snickers. She gives us just about everything we need,
outruns boats nearly twice her length, and we expect she'll outlast us
if we continue to be good caretakers.

They made those hulls very strong. I'm betting I can keep Dragon III
going for at least another 25 years unless I get seduced by something
sleeker and faster.

Ryk

Roger,
I've seen pics of your boat on your site and she fits my taste! My approach
is the same as yours, make it right first, then worry about pretty.
I had my boat in the yard next to our little blue collar yachtclub and had
many visitors, friends mostly, from the club and got lots of advice, little
of any worth when I remembered how much work the advisors put into thier own
boats.
IMHO, there is a world of difference between buying a bristol condition
yacht and waxing it once a year and getting hold of a well used boat and
turning it into a yacht!
I'd ignore the yardbirds opinions, unless it's about an issue they would be
well versed in like which store sells beer cheaper than the others. Around
here the yards generally have a big turnover (of people who just don't have
a clue of what they are doing) and the managers? Whew!
MMC

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I stopped in to ask the yard manager when they would get to replacing
my stern bearing because I don't want to find out a couple days before
launch that the shaft has to come out. The rudder modification on my
boat requires that the rudder come off first. He said he would check
with so and so and we each headed our respective ways.

I looked over a few steps into my walk to the boat and saw the stern
bearing puller so I tacked and decided I might as well hear what he
had to say. It was raining hard so we both under our parka hoods. I
heard the manager say from under his hood, "Say (stern bearing
puller), you know that job I spoke to you about, the stern bearing on
the ugly Endeavour.."

The stern bearing puller glanced over at me, the manager looked around
his hood and recovered quickly, continuing like nothing had happened.

Well, she is an ugly boat. The sheer stripe is worn and shows white
underneath the paint, the gold tape put on years ago in Florida is
chipped. The superstructure gel coat is chalky and all the varnished
teak is peeling and mottled with gray. There is also a little glitch
in the sheer line which usually isn't very noticeable but her position
in the yard is exactly right to make it jump right out at you.

I've spent most of my career around hard working boats so yachting
spit and polish doesn't do much for me. I expect the outside of a boat
to be pretty beat up. I hardly even looked at the outside when I
bought this boat except for the equipment and the layout. I bought her
because it was the hull shape I wanted, a heavily built boat with
slippery shape, and the nicest interior I've seen on any glass boat
under twice the price we paid. Still, I find myself looking at her a
little differently every time I walk up to her now. I guess it's like
when a parent overhears someone say for the first time, "Oh, what an
ugly baby."

Those of you who have seen the yacht designs on my web site

http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Boats.htm

know that I have some basis for claiming to know what makes a boat
look good. The tall ships were even designed after researching the
classic mathematical ratios used by designers of the period to make
every aspect of the rig and hull proportions harmonize around
proportions the eye expected to see. It's a little odd to be in love
with this boat, sort of like those few movie stars that are married to
rather plain looking women.

One thing I learned early in my brief yacht design career was that, if
you put a clipper bow on a boat, everyone would say, "Oh, how
beautiful!", even if it wasn't. A boat of rather plain configuration
can be proportioned properly and the lines of cabin and sheer blended
and harmonized. Something with all the attributes that say, "Elegance"
can be completely screwed up and few will notice.

The E32 was drawn to be a rather plain and straightforward boat. Ted
Irwin knew what he was doing, however. He wasn't trying to make an
aesthetic statement but there is a straightforward integrity and
competence about her lines that I find very easy to nice at.

Still, I really didn't like hearing that.

--
Roger Long

Thanks.

Read about my latest adventure with the manager he

Http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Strider0605.htm#Bearing

--

Roger Long



"MMC" wrote in message
.. .
Roger,
I've seen pics of your boat on your site and she fits my taste! My
approach
is the same as yours, make it right first, then worry about pretty.
I had my boat in the yard next to our little blue collar yachtclub
and had
many visitors, friends mostly, from the club and got lots of advice,
little
of any worth when I remembered how much work the advisors put into
thier own
boats.
IMHO, there is a world of difference between buying a bristol
condition
yacht and waxing it once a year and getting hold of a well used boat
and
turning it into a yacht!
I'd ignore the yardbirds opinions, unless it's about an issue they
would be
well versed in like which store sells beer cheaper than the others.
Around
here the yards generally have a big turnover (of people who just
don't have
a clue of what they are doing) and the managers? Whew!
MMC

Maybe the manager for our local yard has a brother? This guy is sharp as a
brick also.

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Thanks.

Read about my latest adventure with the manager he

Http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Strider0605.htm#Bearing

--

Roger Long



"MMC" wrote in message
.. .
Roger,
I've seen pics of your boat on your site and she fits my taste! My
approach
is the same as yours, make it right first, then worry about pretty.
I had my boat in the yard next to our little blue collar yachtclub
and had
many visitors, friends mostly, from the club and got lots of advice,
little
of any worth when I remembered how much work the advisors put into
thier own
boats.
IMHO, there is a world of difference between buying a bristol
condition
yacht and waxing it once a year and getting hold of a well used boat
and
turning it into a yacht!
I'd ignore the yardbirds opinions, unless it's about an issue they
would be
well versed in like which store sells beer cheaper than the others.
Around
here the yards generally have a big turnover (of people who just
don't have
a clue of what they are doing) and the managers? Whew!
MMC

Maybe the manager for our local yard has a brother? This guy is sharp as a
brick also.

Or as Foghorn Leghorn would say:
http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/butt.../foghorn04.wav

On Thu, 25 May 2006 21:54:35 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Read about my latest adventure with the manager he

Http://home.maine.rr.com/rlma/Strider0605.htm#Bearing

Roger, as an FYI, PB Blaster and Kroil are both significantly better
than Liquid Wrench for freeing frozen parts. PB Blaster is readily
available at most auto parts places. Kroil has to be ordered on the
web or scrounged from mechanic friends.

http://www.kanolabs.com/

I have met professional marine mechanics that swear by Kroil, and it
is very good in my experience. PB Blaster is easier to buy and seems
to be almost as good.