Boats Built Right
Following up on the haunting story of the Beneteau First 47.7 from last week, we conincidentally received this affirmation from Sparkman and Stephens Swan Association . Full disclosure… we own and live aboard one of the beauties, but its nice to know we are not the only ones who think they are exceptional watercraft!
Did you know that last year, 51 S&S Swan yachts, (that are still turning heads and winning races all over the world), turned 50 years old?
And its definitely worth having a delve into the PDF entitled “Rod Stephens Ideas on Construction” which I have linked to below. Its long… but filled with wisdom! Keep it simple!
Rod Stephens Ideas on Construction
when sailing yachts were designed to sail.
Listening to many boatbuilders today, one might almost forget it.
We are living in an era in which prospective owners are told how essential it is for a sailing yacht to have the now apparently indispensable garage on board (even hearing the word "garage" used in connection with a sailing boat is enough to make us seasick) generous sunbathing areas on deck, cockpits designed to host eighteen people on a 50-foot boat, fridges in the cockpit, air conditioning in each cabin, microwave ovens… and all the rest of it. One also hears it suggested that sailing in a force 7 or 8 must be avoided, as boats are definetly not intended for that sort of weather.
All of this is often presented as progress. To us, it looks rather more like decline, because the object we are talking about is (or should be) a boat designed to sail, and to do so safely in every conditions.
Our thoughts therefore turn to (real) sailing boats: those conceived to sail well rather than simply to look attractive in a marina, unless, of course, one happens to prefer the current fashion for yachts with maximum beam carried well aft and rather less attention paid to graceful lines, or to take their owners from the berth to the beach a mile away (in a perfect weather day).
And whenever one reflects on what makes a true sailing yacht, it is impossible not to think of Rod Stephens and of the construction principles that were at the very foundation of Sparkman & Stephens and of the S&S Swans.
Rod Stephens expressed these principles with his usual practical wisdom. What follows is a reminder of the kind of thinking that shaped the original Sparkman & Stephens Swans, and that remains as relevant today as it was then.
“…above all, keep simplicity in mind when looking over a boat. The push-button temptations of our age are fine, but strength and craftsmanship are a far better investment for most sailors…”
— Rod Stephens