Decked Out

One can learn a lot about yacht design and construction by just walking the docks. Here are some features we admire, and a few others we dont.

0

At last falls boat shows we strolled the docks alongside hundreds of other sailors checking out the boats. Many are new designs, some tried and true and unchanged. Generally, older designs that have been refined over a period of time have fewer flaws, but not always. As famous architect Mees Van Der Rohe said, God is in the details.

Last time we did photo spreads of deck features in Practical Sailor (January 15, 1994, January 15, 1995), we admired the cap rail chafe guards on the Taswell 49 and dock line chocks countersunk in the Tartan Piper 31s toerail. On the other hand, we were surprised by the absence of end stops on the Gemini 3400s genoa tracks, unsightly caulking on smoked Euro-style wraparound windows on many imports as well as poor drainage on others.

Its amazing how few people at boat shows check out the decks; instead, they traipse below to ooh and ah over the joinerwork, size of the galley and plump cushions. All well and good, but on deck is where the action is and it shouldnt be given short shrift. This is where the boat is steered, where sails are hoisted and struck, where ground tackle is deployed and retrieved. Many important aspects of safety are centered on deck-lifelines, scuppers, standing and running rigging.

That said, heres a selection of features we found noteworthy.


Click here to view Page 1 of features.
Click here to view Page 2 of features.
Click here to view Page 3 of features.
Click here to view Page 4 of features.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.