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Old 04-27-2013, 12:05 PM   #180
deckofficer
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City: Northern California
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 409
The boating industry is very conservative. When visionaries like Bill Lapworth and Bill Lee first came on the scene most everyone thought their designs were unsafe and unproven. I bought a Bill Lapworth designed Cal 40 that at the time was almost 20 years old. On a solo cruise (buddy boating with others) from Long Beach to Muluge I out distanced the more conventional boats that upon reaching Cabo I had to wait 4 to 5 days for these boats to catch up. Since my almost 20 year old Cal 40 was new to me, my ego was really pumped up, as I had bought an old boat that was that much faster than new offerings. My ego was deflated in the Sea of Cortez when I did some day sailing with a family on their Santa Cruz 50, a Bill Lee design. It was faster on all points of sail.

This conservative nature in boat design dictated by the buyers is why in the multihull arena we in the States are so far behind SA, France, and Australia. This conservative nature spills over to not only hull design but means of propulsion. I have no doubt that when I'm able to cruise full time again, diesel will be $8~$10 per gallon. I have come across vessel usage statistics that prove the newer designs are used more per year than the conventional designs.

For the boater that is still a working stiff, whereas his time is limited, a design like the Buzzard's Bay is getting more usage for many reasons. First, sea state is no longer a limiting factor (within reason). On a day with 3' chop that creates a lot of pounding and motion where conventional designs would stay in port, a knife edged displacement cat will cruise at high speed in comfort, so added days of usage. Expanded weekend cruising grounds are another reason for more user usage. If you take Friday off to get to your destination anchorage and return on Sunday, your range at 8~10 kt would be 80 to 100 nm at best with a conventional design but could easily triple that with a boat like the Buzzard's Bay.

What Reuben has designed is so far ahead of its time in the mind's of the conservative boating public, it will fuel the nay sayers. But if you want to cruise far and wide in your retirement, don't want the hassles of a sailboat, and don't want to budget $50K per year in fuel, his design and others that are doing the same with advanced propulsion will be your ticket for cruising independence.

When will we learn that the sun provides all the energy we need to live a modern life, and at a slow, relaxed pace, will push our marine homes to all the destinations we dream of?
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Bob
USCG Unlimited Tonnage Open Ocean (CMA)
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