Boat-builders are a breed apart - the good ones that is.... These great men and women who strive to always achieve excellence. Building boats is art - with all artists being of similar mindsets - their opus are never finished - never that absolutely right - that final touch..... Having been involved myself, there back in my murky past - a basic truism applies here: "A great boat grows out of a great design and the loving hands of the artisan". Then follows, the most fundamental of all rules:: "If it looks great - it sails well". The difference in boats - built by these devoted artists - and those who dabble in building something for a few shillings are monumental. In these pages, over time, I shall attempt to explore these nuances, the pitfalls learnt at personal expense and with their own unwitting assistance, try to expose the baddies.

Boating for fun, as these pages are called - are an attempt to get a personal message across based on my own limited experience. And fun it is, most of the time - and... very, very relaxing! Tending to leave your woes of work and the daily tribulations behind - that is; if you are prepared to throw body and soul into just being on the water.

Is it Expensive? well, there is the sometimes initial outlay - if you're wanting a ship of your own - and please don't forget to include the maintenance into your scheduling. Not just the financial; but endless amount of time and greased elbows that goes with possession. A little like buying a custom car (or having a mistress - me being a bloke) you can go totally overboard in getting what you think you may want and find that the costs far outweighs the pleasure....

Make sure your partner - if there is one - shares your delight - or at least is willing to be cooperative and understanding with this business of getting about on the water. Mooring Queens are plentiful for a variety reasons - least not due to family constraints and demands. If your partner is less than amused with this idea of boats - you better either rent (a boat that is) when the urge takes you or change your partner - whichever is the least objectionable.

Or you are like me who needs the occasional fix and who think that small is actually beautiful - you'll figure soon enough that it's not the boat that limits your cruising distance - it's yourself - your ability as a skipper.

These pages are about sailing in the main, paddling, rowing and in general messing about on the water. Looking at the tools of the trade that interests me - their pro's and cons - who does a good job and who; in my personal opinion, do not.

If you are looking for comments on Beneteau's, Maxi's and their like - although these are fantastic boats - you won't find anything on those in here. One: they are not my kind of boat and two: I simply couldn't afford one even if I wanted one.

It's a philosophy thing - mine! Any sailing craft much larger than 30 foot LOA becomes a handful single-handed! At least it does to me! Far as I can see this tends to take the fun out of sailing for fun! As such it gets to be more like work and transportation; carrying your toilet and other conveniences around on the ocean blue - however nice this might be for wives and lady-friends - it's simply not where I'm at.

On the other end of the scale, I'm not overly fond of the Laser type (or any other sandwich type mould-up dinghies) as frankly, being too big and bulky, too old and too slow for those required kind of acrobatics. The last Dinghy I had a rewarding relationship with - and still in my mind do - is 'The Lark'. A roomy, great little boat which will plane if you wish - but is readily dressing down for you to become a comfy little Day-Sailer if needs be.

Sailing (as well as any other form of boating for pleasure and fun) should be - from my perspective - where you get yourself set up nicely and go from here to there and back again. As they say: "It's not the getting there - it's the voyage". The sea and the wind will deliver everything else you may want - and sometimes; what you don't!

OK - these views have not stopped me from kayaking - or rowing. Both, in my mind, are excellent ways of getting about on the water. Our 18 foot Klepper Kayak takes me into swamps and Sungais where no other craft could safely cross - where access is by water only. She also sails - on a small Gaff rig - plus a tiny Jib to give us that extra push when the winds allows. Higher up than around 65 degrees is a non-starter, but after all - she's only a Kayak with some detachable 'Lee Boards'. As a kid - in a brute of a Wood and Canvas Sea-Kayak, the owners told me I would soon learn that paddling is OK - but sailing it when the wind allows - is much better - and more fun. How true.....

Never mind - I shall get off my soap-box and let you go explore the rest of these pages.

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