What do people want in a boat?

[Bertram]

So whats in it, what is the perfect boat?

My Perfect boat would be trailerable and do anything other than long distance crusies.

[Poida]

Bertram me mate. A perfect boat has to have a barbie, a fridge for the grog and ya know those chics in bikinis that advertise boats in the glossy mags? well one of them should come with the boat. Auto pilot to take ya back to the marina when ur too pissed to to know where yer going. A wind sock so yer don't chuck against the wind and get it all over ya.

Finally a self aligning trailer so afta yer get back from a day on the turps it doesn't take yer 1/2 a bloody hour to back yer trailer down the ramp.

[Bertram]

You've got an awesome point they should put a barbie in as standard

[Raggi_Thor]

Here's my experience from our summer house where we share boats with aother family members:
We used to have a 16 feet, quite wide and heavy, sailing dingy with room (certified) for 8 adults. It had a small (4hp) outboard. Then I missed the comfort of an inboard and some cover for sudden rain squalls.
Then we bought a 20 feet "launch" (I think you call it) with a small Volvo Penta diesel (18hp?), and a "soft top" (wind shield + soft roof/canvas). See picture. This boat is close to my ideal, but it's to heavy, it's too slow and it should have a sailing rig.
Now I think it's foolish to travel at 5 knots while we make a lot of noise and smoke. I want a longer, slender boat,maybe 25 feet, very light, with electric saildrive and batteries to run for 2 hours at 6 knots and a small easily managed rig :-)

[OldYachtie]

An ultra light racing boat that will carry a hot-tub, washer, dryer, garbage compactor, refrigerator, freezer, microwave, television, dvd/vcr, sound system, and sleep several dozen in all private cabins, for under $10,000, is what the public wants. It should have lots of gleaming teak, chrome, brass, and velour, and require no maintanence. Also, it should be no more than 20' long, to keep slip fees down, be shoal draft, so it won't run aground, motor at 20 knots, to get there before sundown, and not heel, to keep the Mrs. comfy. Remember William Garden's Bayliner Bucaneer? I think it was designed to something like the above specs. Poor Bill.

[Finlander]

A sailboat with innovatively designed protected steering position.