{"id":47980,"date":"2019-10-15T14:09:19","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T19:09:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=47980"},"modified":"2019-10-17T11:07:22","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T16:07:22","slug":"doing-it-right-creating-the-best-possible-cruising-yacht-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/doing-it-right-creating-the-best-possible-cruising-yacht-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Doing It Right – Creating the Best Possible Cruising Yacht"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do you create the best possible cruising yacht? Read on and we’ll share our formula. <\/p>\n

We have retired from the business now, have a bit of time and are happy to share a few pointers about what has worked for us. This is the third and final post in this series. Part one, covering the early days through our last sailing yacht, the 78′ ketch Beowulf<\/em>, is here<\/a>. Part two on the FPB series is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We want to start by emphasizing that the comments which follow are personal, based on our experience in boat yards around the world and many thousand miles at sea. While the approach we have used has worked for us you should evaluate this in the context of your own experience, your own goals, and the skills of your build team. A large part of what drives us is a compulsion to minimize issues which impact our safety as well as the frustration that\u00a0 accompanies sub-optimal outcomes, and an extreme dislike for maintenance headaches and lack of reliability. The majority of what we do is based on lessons learned in the real world, most the hard way.<\/p>\n

It is in our nature to set the bar high and to push the design envelope. This is a Hobson’s choice: shooting for the best possible outcome forces us into a more difficult modes of execution. There is less room for error than would be the case if we backed off a bit. We do not recommend this all consuming approach to anyone. It is hard on family, coworkers, and on our bodies and psyches. If you leave a bit of performance on the table, and back off a notch on quality the process will be much easier. You may also have a better overall product as well.<\/p>\n

Whether you are on the build or ownership side of this game the very best thing you can do to prepare yourself is go cruising, cross a couple of oceans, live aboard for six months or a year. We guarantee this will change your outlook in ways you cannot imagine.<\/p>\n

Before we get into the nitty gritty we need to tell you that it is almost always better to buy an existing yacht than to go through the expense, frustration, quality problems, and late delivery that is the norm of building new.\u00a0If you are among those who simply have no choice and are compelled to involve yourself with the process of creating yachts lets start with a few comments about how the yachting design and construction industry normally works:<\/p>\n