Without question, my most popular posts here on Waves are reviews I wrote 2 to 3 years ago. As they have aged, the articles seem to get ever more interest. Some of the favorites based on the number of comments I have received are the Brewer 44, Amel 46, and Hylas 44. The core of these articles form the basis of my most popular list of center cockpit sailboats.
I wrote these reviews in great admiration of John Kretschmer’s Sailing Magazine reviews. John’s two editions of the Used Boat Notebook
As a yacht broker, you learn quite a bit about the eclectic, never ending variation of boats that sail our shores. I seek to give back and make a lasting impact by sharing the knowledge I accumate in my career in yacht sales. And I encourage others to do the same. In long term I think this type of feedback adds to the sum of human knowledge and makes the world for future generations a better place.
So it is with personal disappointment I have neglected my review task for a good while. I am going to try to get back with the rodeo and produce a 2.0 edition of reviews in the upcoming months.
Over the years, my vision of the world has changed and so has the type of products I have easiest access to in Fort Lauderdale. My second edition of reviews will feature more catamarans and larger monohulls. There will be more sportfish, trawlers, and motoryachts in there as well.
Besides the topics, and somewhat the purpose of this post, is to firm up my new review sections. In the old reviews, I used Kretschmer’s Sailing Magazine format. I seek to break away and form my own identity by introducing a format that fits more naturally the way I examine a model. Below is an outline of the sections:
- In the Armchair: I start with what information I can gather from scuttlebutting with others, reading online, browsing my nautical library, and personal experience. The purpose of my review to bring fresh information to the internet, so I seek to minimize the impact of online sources.
- At the Design Board: I move onto to looking at the line drawings and layouts to explore the theory and options available at that stage.
- Dockside: Every yacht I review, I have seen, probably seatrialed, and in some cases have delivered offshore. My investigation starts at dock or from below on the hard of a recently previewed version to sum up fresh memories of the model.
- On Deck: Naturally I hop aboard and walk around deck likely from stem to stern.
- Down Below: After finishing on deck, I move through the companionway to look about the fit, finish, and layout below. Notes are taken throughout on construction details and areas of common concern.
- Underway: The last content section talks about performance in close quarters, at sea, and anchor. I report on the engine specifications.
So stay tuned if any that sounds interesting to you and you liked something I wrote in my 1.0 reviews. I understand that I will likely be seeding for the future though, so that hopefully in another two or three years my 2.0 reviews make an even better and bigger impact that what I have written so far.