
We have all heard the following phrases on forums and any place sailors gather to talk boats:
I will never buy a boat with:
- Core in the hull.
- Core below the waterline.
- A spade rudder.
- A fin keel.
- …yada, yada, yada.
Let me translate: Add it all together and be dogmatic about even a few of these “nevers” and we often get:
I’m going to buy a boat that does not meet my actual needs very well, if at all.
So, rather than just saying “never”, we need to think about the risks associated with boat-design characteristics, while keeping firmly in mind that nothing in boats (or life) is risk free, and then weigh said risks against the benefits. And, yes, all of the above have benefits.
But just thinking about risk and benefits is not enough. The next step is to weigh those risks and benefits against the vital capabilities that we identified before we ever started looking for a boat…we did do that, right? If not, see Further Reading for how.