what happened to "Ugliest Boat Contest"

[Dale R. Hamilton]

just tried to dial it up- kept getting message "you have requested a topic that does not exist"- still, it had 22 responses.

[mmd]

I deleted it. Several members thought I was unfairly making fun of other folks' efforts.

[John Bell]

I was going to post this one at nearly the same moment the original thread was deleted.

http://mistermoon.home.mindspring.com/pb27_2.jpg

Yes, it's mine... And I know it's ugly. But my wife likes it, and that's the most important consideration at the moment.

[brian.cunningham]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Kinda like trying to tell someone who to marry, to personal.

[Concordia..41]

Well, I thought the comments were tonngue in cheek (and funny) and the boat was ugly. Not a prize winner though. Too much competition out there ;)

- M

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by mmd:
"Several members thought I was unfairly making fun of other folks' efforts."

Oh the poor little dears ... oh their bullshit fragile sensitivities ... in the land of the brave of all places ... but they do always know what's best for us all ... harden up Mate. You are letting others edit your humour mmd.

Just when you think it is not possible that objects of such bad taste can be paraded as in the pulled thread, it should not ever be overlooked that there doesn't seem to be a shortage of people who display even less of a discriminating visual taste, that can usurp even them. I thought that the original thread was a good place to post my boat ... now my sensitivities have been really offended.

I nominate 85 dinghy Classes (excluding the Star, Sharpie and Contender) as being the ugliest boats on the planet, especially the Gwen 12, the Vee Ess, the Fireball, all Sparrows, 505s (truly butt ugly boats), all Laser types (the only boat that is continually referred to as an 'it' even by it's owners).

I hope this helps in supporting a marine cultural cringe.

Warren.

[ 12-03-2004, 05:27 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Keith Wilson]

You need only click on this link right here (http://www.bayliner.com/cruisers.asp) for several winners.

[ 12-03-2004, 04:45 PM: Message edited by: Keith Wilson ]

[Dale R. Hamilton]

Actually- I think you have to go to the UK for really ugly boats- Sorry Andrew, but you really have some monstrosites moored along the Thames. At least ours look like running shoes.

[John Bell]

The one good thing about owning an ugly boat is that you don't have to look at it when you're aboard! :D

Anyway, it's the doing that I'm after, not in the display. smile.gif

[Leon Steyns]

Originally posted by mmd:
I deleted it. Several members thought I was unfairly making fun of other folks' efforts.Just my opinion, but I believe those members are better served if they'd just post their opinions! Beauty as well as Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, right?
What happened to freedom of speech? :confused:

Greets, Leon Steyns.

[Hwyl]

Originally posted by Wild Wassa:
) as being the ugliest boats on the planet, especially the Fireball, 505s (truly butt ugly boats),
Warren.Warren. wash your mouth with soap and water this instant. It's a well known FACT that 505's are breath takingly wonderful. Fireball's ain't bad either.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid149/pb09fa51b8121091952a6a37c9cfaf8fd/f608401c.jpg

Let's see your Mirror do that.

Picture is from here http://www.505.ca/ .It's Richard Tew and Simon Hiscocks

[ 12-03-2004, 06:11 PM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[Victor]

Hey, you didn't say it wasn't lovingly built by a true craftsman, you just said it was ugly.

[maa. melee]

John Bell: where are you from and where does your boat make berth?

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Originally posted by mmd:
I deleted it. Several members thought I was unfairly making fun of other folks' efforts.I wasn't one of them Michael.
I thought it was a great thread that could have gone on for pages. :D

What some find as ugly, others see as beautiful.
I saw it as an an interesting topic. ;)

[John Bell]

Originally posted by maa. melee:
John Bell: where are you from and where does your boat make berth?Allatoona Lake, NW of Atlanta. Why?

[Bob Smalser]

Heck....I'll play.

Here's a prize-winning ugly boat...one even drawn by John Gardner:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2595357/30544686.jpg

Here's another Gardner ugly boat....but I'd speak quietly, as this one is rougher and tougher than frozen snot:

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2595357/29566094.jpg

[John Blazy]

Wow - Thats ugly Bob. Winner so far. I say that people should just re-post their favorite uglies.

How else are we all to perpetuate the beautiful boats if we don't know what ugly is? We humans do it all the time, although some trailer parks seem to do the opposite.

[Ian McColgin]

There were four types of ugly in the vying.

mmd's original boat was ugly from every point of view being coarsly made, asymetrical and of perhaps flawed design.

Some postings were ugly because of neglect.

Some, like the Bolger and the reverse shere migit ocean racer were ugly because they had a form remorselessly following function.

And lastly, there was frozen snot ugly like any Bayliner and that ilk which a friend, turing a boat show, calls AFC's - Another ------- Condominium.

I thought the side snears about elitism were stunningly misplaced. Had they been directed at me, I'd have let the thread stand to let folk who know me have a good chuckle from the right hand balcony, but Michael is a gentler man who would spare people making fools of themselves.

[ 12-04-2004, 08:29 AM: Message edited by: Ian McColgin ]

[Tom Lathrop]

Warren,

Go get your second cup of coffee, right now.

505, Laser, Fireball - ugly? Gotta remember where you live. You have been looking at them upside down maybe?

Now, a Bucaneer with the two rows of side ports. That's truly ugly. Macgregor 26X is a close contender too. A lot of people will disagree with the 26X but I am unrepentant.

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by Hwyl:
"It's a well known FACT that 505's are breath takingly wonderful. Fireball's ain't bad either."

Hwyl and Tom, I thought that we were talking visually ugly not the racing and handling qualities of the boats, they are fine to sail, generally. Tom you are right, I've see too much of the boats that I just mentioned.

I know the 505. I donated one to the Lake Ginninderra Sea Scouts (with 5 bags of 505 sails). No one is brave enough to sail her down at the Scouts or I should say 'learn to sail again' because that's what it takes to sail a 505 (there is one sailor who isn't phased by the aerodynamic lift, smile.gif ). Sailing a 505's is not like sailing a dinghy ... it is an exercise in calibration, crash tactics and adrenalin control rather than the gentle act of sailing ... they are a bit like a Hobbie 16 for the adrenalin rushing I find.

The Hobbie range is also ugly for genius designs. The banana shaped asymmetrical hulls leave a lot to be desired 'visually' ... so don't buy a yellow one. Even the Hobbie's sails look like the 4th of July wrapped around a Xmas tree. They are a wonderful concept though, of inward force and hydrodynamic lift. Into the wind thanks to the asymmetrical shape of the hulls, they lift well.

"Let's see your Mirror do that."

You won't see my Mirror do that because I don't have a Mirror nor have I ever owned one, nor will I ... unless I come across one and give her to the Sea Scouts, which is always on the cards because they are 'cheap as'. The Scouts have 3 International Mirrors.

I've only been in a Mirror three or four times (all Sea Scout boats) and I've restored a Mirror for the Scouts. I know ugly (I have a Seafly) and Mirrors are butt ugly. Mirrors are as slow as a wet week and not much fun to sail I find.They are too cramped with no real power from the tiny little sails (only 85 sq ft and their spinnakers are as big as a plastic shopping bag). They are a good training boat for a light weight crew and helm ... and that's where it stops.

Fireballs? These boats look like they were shoved through a slit in a fence and made to fit. There is nothing attractive about 'the bags of string called a Fireball' ... but they do go very well, when they have adequate wind. They are one of my favourite racing dinghies.

The International Moth will win the prize for truly ugly though in the dinghy classes and they'll win it hands down ... against all other uglies.

Warren.

[ 12-04-2004, 11:43 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Scott Rosen]

If beauty follows form, and form follows function, then the ugliest boats ought to be the ones with the ugliest functions. That makes it easy for me. All of the boats above are designed for simple pleasures on the water, a beautiful function if ever there was one.

You want uhgly?

http://www.carveryachts.com/models/506_run.jpg

[santone]

The 505 is definately not a candidate for the ugliest boat contest! Have you looked through this website for some of the fantastic restorations done by guys like Mark Angliss? http://505Denver.Homestead.Com
Regards,
Woodie

[Tom Lathrop]

Ah so, oh wild one,

You have taken a sip of the second cup. After you have finished it, you will be really mellow - well for you anyway. :D

If the 505 gives the willies, stay well away from the 49er. Luckily for me, I'm much to old to be tempted by that machine.

I see that Scott found one of the finalists of an earlier contest.

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by santone:
"The 505 is definitely not a candidate for the ugliest boat contest! Have you looked through this website for some of the fantastic restorations done by guys like Mark Angliss?"

No but I'm about to, thanks for the reference.

Have you seen a 505 from the transom looking back into the cockpit? ... all the long shots look good.

The boats look how a broken pelvis feels (you have a 'feel like you are falling apart feeling' without actually falling apart) well that's the way a 505 design looks to me ... and don't ever leave one out in the sun it could melt, slump and then spread even more. I think that the 505 looks disproportionately wide. I do understand the aerodynamics of the flare.

Get behind one and look back into the cockpit and then tell me that I'm wrong and that there aren't disproportionate design elements all throughout the boat ... from the curved buoyancy tanks to the flared gunwales.

I should have mentioned that the 505 that went to the Scouts, had a Deep Naples Yellow (closer to an orange) gel coat with Mission Brown trim and pin striping, the cockpit tones were a Taupe ... now close your eyes and picture that ... do you now feel sea sick?

Warren.

[ 12-04-2004, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Venchka]

GOOGLE: square boats

I appreciate and commend the skill and effort required to build them. I just don't get it and probably never will.

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[PeterSibley]

Scott Rosen ...please come to the office , you are tonight's winner :D :D

[Hwyl]

Warren, the flare is not there for aerodynamic reasons, as I'm sure you know. It a matter of putting the crew's weight further outboard.

I think we may be having our lighthearted discussion about "form versus function". Maybe 505's look good to me because I live in an area where 20 knots is considered really windy. Whereas you live in an area, where Southerly Busters (my favourite wind name) abound. If it was blowing 25 kts, a 505 would look scary to me.

Tom, I would love to sail a 49er. I see the crew tacks in front of the mast (very civilised).

[Tom Lathrop]

My son found out that if the skipper makes a misjudgement on tacking and sticks it, the crew tacks, not only in front of the mast, but in front of the forestay also. In my salad days, I managed that on a Dutchman once so It's not unique to 49er's.

[John B]

I did the forestay thing on a javelin. Boat hits wake of something similar to that pig Scott posted. crew continues at 10 kts.
I call it the cheescutter incident. More imagination than actuality though.

[captain's gig]

surely you can recall the flying (floating) neutrinos.

http://www.floatingneutrinos.com/images/vilma%20b/1%20out.jpg

[Wild Wassa]

Originally posted by Hwyl:
"Warren, the flare is not there for aerodynamic reasons, as I'm sure you know. It a matter of putting the crew's weight further outboard."

I think we may be having our lighthearted discussion about "form versus function". Maybe 505's look good to me because I live in an area where 20 knots is considered really windy. Whereas you live in an area, where Southerly Busters (my favourite wind name) abound. If it was blowing 25 kts, a 505 would look scary to me."

Hywl, You know I like 505's from my previous postings over the last few years ... but one day I might win, ;) . I'll go off and invert another reason not to like the super performance dinghy ... ... I've got a reason already.

I've not ever liked coming second in anything so with the 49er usurping the 505 as our premier class, I no longer like second class dinghies ... I find them pedestrian.

I don't know how often you guys see 49ers, I only see them in Sydney (I haven't seen one on the lakes here in Canberra yet but it is only a matter of time), when they scream up along side pedestrian dinghies with their unbelievable sails, especially the monsterous spinnaker flying, sucking air out of the atmosphere and then from your lungs because of the vacuum, these monsters will leave you totally breathless ... 68g's for one ($AU) will do that to you.

They, the 49ers and 505's are class A dinghies, I race in Class A in wooden second hand dinghies. I feel so superior in wood compared to anyone in an ugly plastic.

All dinghies are scary in winds of 25kts, only because things break and (the potential for) a CB stall can move you somewhat sidewards, except for Seaflys. When others are coming off the water (winds over 21kts for the Sea Scouts) Seaflys are only just getting going ... the uglier the better, just don't ever underestimate an ugly boat.

Warren.

[ 12-06-2004, 03:15 AM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Bill Fisher]

I don’t have a picture of my “ugly boat” contestant but that’s probably just as well.

Back when I was buoy racing my captain had a work boat that he loved to talk about. It was moored at a local boat club and I finally got a look at it when crewing for another captain. It was painted battle ship gray, glossy. It was all flat planes and right angles, looked a lot like a salvaged section of a floating dock. It had a large box in the middle where the small diesel was housed and a console, equipped with a wooden wheel, that looked like a fruit crate that had been upended and nailed in place.

Funny thing, that boat always started. And the club was always borrowing it when they needed to pull moorings or drive new piles. The deck was perfect for stacking lobster pots whenever he wanted some for dinner. And it was the only boat that road out the last Hurricane, it just bobbed on it’s mooring and laughed at all the other boats that broke loose or sank.

Turns out that boat was so ugly it was beautiful.

Bill

[ 12-06-2004, 04:22 PM: Message edited by: Bill Fisher ]

[Paul Scheuer]

That's "Theft Proofing" I had a truck like that once.

[Stu Fyfe]

OK you asked for it. The "ugliest boat I've ever seen!" Yes it's "Son of Town Hall" of the Flying Neutrinos fame. The Town of Provincetown almost made it a holiday the day they evicted them and they began their Trans-Atlantic journey.
http://www.floatingneutrinos.com/images/soth%20ireland.jpg

[ 12-06-2004, 07:37 PM: Message edited by: Stu Fyfe ]