All boats have limitations and are going to be a compromise to some extent, it’s just part of the gig… Why should sharpies be an exception? Sharpies have two big advantages: they’re inexpensive/fast to build and they are very shoal draft. I’m not sure about you but I find those pretty frelling big advantages. In …
“Once the departure is made from the true sharpie hull configuration and concept, one is beginning to gild the lily. Costs soar and the result is seldom an improvement.” – Tom Colvin In my mind, the only possible exception for a boat that just might pull off the VolkCruiser concept/budget that you can build yourself …
Dudley Dix has some excellent thoughts regarding the whole why it’s smart to build your own boat… I’d call it a must read. That said, I still think the most logical choice for a VolkCruiser budget is to rehab something cheap/free in reasonable shape but I’d much prefer to build from the keel up if …
Yesterday’s mailbag was sorta interesting so maybe a good time to set the record straight. First of all, I like multihulls. Sure, I’m somewhat critical of a lot of modern low bridgedeck multihulls fobbed off on an unsuspecting public but, on the whole, I think multihulls make all kinds of sense when they are designed …
Yeah, what about multihulls in the whole VolksCruiser universe? Problematic at best as multihulls are just silly expensive. I see old Piver and Jim Brown trimarans at reasonable prices that make sense from time to time, the odd Wharram or other cat home-built with issues, but, to be truthful, on a VolksCruiser budget, multihulls are …
So, what about building your own VolksCruiser? The thing is, I really like building boats but I have to hesitate when it comes to recommending that someone build a boat these days on a VolksCruiser budget. The truth of the matter is, I’m not sure it can actually be done in the current economic climate. …
So, where were we… I’m pretty sure we were describing how a cheap fixer upper can be a lot more expensive than a turnkey boat. That said, I’m a big fan of fixer upper boats. It’s just that a lot of people don’t do the math and, as a result, wind up unhappy campers. Happy …
Now that you have a couple of ways of comparing costs of boats, we can start talking about actually acquiring your VolksCruiser. I’ve noticed over the years that where the buying and selling of boats is concerned, the words “RIP OFF” are not as uncommon as they should be. More often than not, it’s the …
Now that you’re comfortable with the idea of thinking about what a boat costs per foot, it’s time to change it around and get you to think about a more important figure… Displacement. Displacement, when all is said and done, is a lot more important to someone cruising or living aboard than length. Which is …
So, what’s a VolksCruiser supposed to cost anyway? Part 2 Read More »
Face it, the whole thing about cruising, boat buying, and building budgets are pretty much a confusing mess. You often find one guy who thinks a $250,000 boat is “cheap” discussing budgets with someone who wishes he could afford a $25,000 boat… How exactly can you bridge that sort of gap? You can’t… It’s just …
So, what’s a VolksCruiser supposed to cost anyway? Read More »
