What brands from the 70s/80s would you resurrect?

[Crash]

Sadly until the middle class expands and gains a share of global wealth we won't see anything but rickity go fast sport boats and luxury yachts 40' or greater 

Boat builders stopped making affordable well built boats because the middle class could no longer afford to buy them...

First part is only sorta true...second sentence is true, but they all can afford a used boat and are choosing not to...

Combined with the "economic stagnation" of the middle class, is that fact that WE have made building boats way more expensive than it used to be.  The combination of increased environmental regulations, increased health and safety regulations on the job site, increased benefits and health care employers must provide, etc., have all combined to increase the cost of building a boat today.

Add to that the fact that we "enthusiast" sailors demand every more capable, high tech boats.  Heck, everytime a new J/boat (or almost any new racer/cruiser) comes out, most of the crowd here pans it for not being significantly faster than the boat its replacing - and given you can buy that used older J for less than half the price of a new one...

 

[Je Prefere]

First part is only sorta true...second sentence is true, but they all can afford a used boat and are choosing not to...

Combined with the "economic stagnation" of the middle class, is that fact that WE have made building boats way more expensive than it used to be.  The combination of increased environmental regulations, increased health and safety regulations on the job site, increased benefits and health care employers must provide, etc., have all combined to increase the cost of building a boat today.

Add to that the fact that we "enthusiast" sailors demand every more capable, high tech boats.  Heck, everytime a new J/boat (or almost any new racer/cruiser) comes out, most of the crowd here pans it for not being significantly faster than the boat its replacing - and given you can buy that used older J for less than half the price of a new one...

Afford has to include time and money for moorage and maintenance, even used boats are increasingly expensive per hour of use. Just tearing down and greasing 4 winches 2 x a year is more time than I spend directly on maintaining my car yearly, then add in everything else.

 

[Crash]

Afford has to include time and money for moorage and maintenance, even used boats are increasingly expensive per hour of use. Just tearing down and greasing 4 winches 2 x a year is more time than I spend directly on maintaining my car yearly, then add in everything else.

Maybe, but that's a new boat issue as well...still need to maintain, or pay someone else to do it for you.  And while yes, the cost of moorage and maintenance has also increased faster than the average middle class salary, that is also due to the reasons cited above, plus the fact that 99% of the population would rather have condo's on the water than a marina.

Its a whole social values shift - some good, some not as good.  Its too simplistic to try to blame it on only one cause (lack of middle class wage growth in this instance)

 

[Hukilau]

I bought the book when it came out, a great retrospective among several.

Lots of great info here.

 

[Hukilau]

Bring back O'Day!

 

[Je Prefere]

Maybe, but that's a new boat issue as well...still need to maintain, or pay someone else to do it for you.  And while yes, the cost of moorage and maintenance has also increased faster than the average middle class salary, that is also due to the reasons cited above, plus the fact that 99% of the population would rather have condo's on the water than a marina.

Its a whole social values shift - some good, some not as good.  Its too simplistic to try to blame it on only one cause (lack of middle class wage growth in this instance)

agreed.

 

[jimmy 2]

Romica bright yellow boots

 

[sledracr]

Romica bright yellow boots

Were those the big tall ones? 

Yeah, definitely a 70s fashion statement. 

 

[blurocketsmate]

 

[Somebody Else]

Ah, the Snug! Long gone!

Classic greasy-spoon breakfast in the back. Other meals... I'll pass.

Memories of the alkies lined up at 6:00 am, waiting for it to open.

 

[Squalamax]

Bring back O'Day!

Good, well built boats that do surprisingly well on the race course. The 34/35 and 39/40 can be giant killers if sailed well. 

 

[aloha27]

View attachment Aloha_Brochure_81.pdf

 

[MauiPunter]

View attachment 295414

Those are springy boats. 

 

[premiumunleaded]

  Hard Sails....good sails.  Genius advertising.  Also, Harken Magic Boxes....they were the bomb!

 

[Rasputin22]

 

[Training Wheels]

I always liked the Chris Craft centercockpit ketch. 

 

[overdraft]

Hmm... What boats did I own that I wish would come back... maybe modernized a bit...

Hotfoot 20! Oh wait, they did and it didn’t sell... 

Pocket Rocket 22! Oh wait, they did and it didn’t sell...

+1 on Line 7

wouldn't mind a memosail either just for kicks

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Hmm... What boats did I own that I wish would come back... maybe modernized a bit...

My friend's dad owned a Bertram 31. Absolutely awesome boat. That and the 28 are still so well-regarded that you can buy a zombie hull, spend a shitload of money, and sell it without getting hit by the usual "dime on the dollar" return on pouring money into an old boat.

Speaking of modernizing a bit... they were built on the Miami River using rail cars of resin. And the entire neighborhood smelled like rail cars of resin.

And people could actually afford the rail cars of resin required to build those CSY's as thick as they did.

Some things are not coming back and it's just as well.

 

[soling2003]

Or as we blue threadies used to call them "Sails by Twatts".  Seriously, lots of respect for Kenny and Fast and Loose Fast Eddy and the crew.

I still have a Watt’s sea bag.  No one knows about them any more when they see it.     

 

[Maxx Baqustae]

I still have a Watt’s sea bag.  No one knows about them any more when they see it.