OK, I have to admit that VolksCruiser services a certain, shall we say, niche group of folks somewhat outside what passes for the sailing and cruising mainstream…
But, who are you really?
More importantly, what would you like to see more of on VolksCruiser and why?
As they say comments are open…
I'm here because I've been on the road of minimalism for awhile. Started while living on land. I began cruising on a 35ft catamaran and have gotten tired with the time energy and cost of maintaining more boat than I need or want. In the process of selling that dream and plan on searching for a boat that works but doesn't bring the large marine expenses with it. So older sturdy boats without all the frills. I follow you to remind myself that I'm not alone in my new choice. I'm always looking for ideas on making a smaller or older boat a friendly cruiser. I love the idea of a cruising sailboat that is simply safe and functional. Outboards vs inboards, composting vs holding tanks and plumbing, alternative marine hardware. Simple and inexpensive vs complicated and expensive. Multifunction vs singular use, like tablets for navigation communication and entertainment or chartplotter, ssb/ham, etc….
Thanks for being a voice of reason
I'm here because I like a lot of adventure for little money. (having more time than money at my disposal) Also interested in homebuilt boats.
Very interested in shallow draft boats as it opens up a lot of ports the deeper drafts boats can't get into.
I'm a younger armchair sailor. I'm really into DIY, and dream of building a small (~26-30') boat someday, or even renovating something with good bones. Already have a kayak under my belt. Wife has some serious sea-sickness that meds don't really touch, so no lifelong cruiser here, but something to take a vacation on in the Great Lakes… I have no need nor desire for a yacht, so watching someone of a similar mindset post about whats good and bad about various boats is what I like. And cheap, good-enough approaches to what is needful and not "wantful" is something I can't find many other places.
I'm here because keeping the dream of one day living simply and joyfully enables me to go to my rat shit job.
I'm here because I build boats frugally and what you have to say makes a lot of sense to me.
I have a 39' scow/junk on the drawing board now and a serious campaign is underway to convince the treasurer that this is a good, no brilliant, plan
We've, my wife and I, been cruising summers for 40 something years, with and then without kids, with a year off trip to the Bahamas in 1990, all in a couple of wooden sloops. We've had jobs all along and do our own work on the boat and have been able to cruise cheaply. We now have a Presto sharpie in fiberglass.We're always interested in sustainable and cheap. It's the only way we can do it and it seems to increase the satisfaction and pleasure. Keep up the good work. Bro Dunn
I'm here cuz I like the way you roll! Practical, attainable, KISS ideas swept together in one, convenient heap.
I mean, where else we gonna go for this?
Dave Z
Dave's post just reminded me… another reason is for the links to other quality blogs along the same line… Triloboat, Quidnon, etc.
Keep on trucking…. enthusiatically read your blogs.
(Mostly) armchair sailor, beginner amateur boatbuilder, teaching myself boatdesign (on books), planning my next life on the water (just waiting for the kids to grow up and go on their own!).
I find your posts always entertaining, your reading suggestions often usefull and your links seldom uninteresting.
You are my window to the French-boat-web and, boats aside, your three tips on Boat Bits are great fuel for thoughts: an example is that my thursdays have become "the day of the Druid".
So please: more boats, more sarcastic wit and more unexpected cheap ways to do same old things.
We bought a tough but good 30 year old sloop sorted out what's important and what wasn't and sailed it from England to the Caribbean and back.
Since then mainstream yachts don't make a lot of sense if you really want to go cruising or indeed for anything apart from separating consumers from their cash.
Keep up the good work