In 10 years??

[tspeer]

"All technical evolution has a fundamental behavior pattern. First there is scentific discovery of a generalized principle, which occurs as a subjective realization by an experimentally probing individual. Next comes objective employment of that principle in a special case invention. Next the invention is reduced to practice. This gives humanity an increased technical advantage over the physical environment. If successful as a tool of society, the invention is used in bigger, swifter, and everyday ways. For example, it goes progressively from a little steamship to ever-bigger fleets of constantly swifter, higher-powered ocean giants.

"There comes a time, however, when we discover other ways of doing the same task more economically--as, for instance, when we discover that a 200-ton transoceanic jet airplane--considered on an annual round-trip-frequency basis--can outperform the passenger-carrying capability of the 85,000-ton Queen Mary.

"All the technical curves rise in tonnage and volumetric peak, after which progressive miniaturization sets in. After that, a new and more economical art takes over and then goes through the same cycle of doing progressively more with less..."

Buckminster Fuller, "Critical Path," 1981.


We recently bought a new mainsail for our F-24 from Storch Sails in Vancouver, BC. Small, one-sailmaker shop, assisted by wife & two employees. But you should see his numerically controlled HOMEBUILT CO2 gas laser cutter! Thanks to his laser cutter, he deals almost exclusively in advanced materials like Spectra these days, and (thanks also to the exchange rate) we were able to get a Spectra main for about what a Dacron main would have cost from one of the major sailmakers in the US. Service was great, too - he came to the boat in Seattle and spend quite a while with us, measuring the boat and discussing the pro's and con's of various options.

He uses commercially available software to layout the pieces on the bolt for minimum waste. Many of the reinforcement patches, etc. are all made to a standard size so they are interchangeable and he can gain some economies of scale by running off a whole batch of them at a time.

Definitely one of the mammals!

[Jeff]

Very well said Tom and Gary.

I'm glad you turned this thread around to a more positive perspective. I agree - while economic forces, consumer choices, and conglomeration may change the way boats are produced, it really can't be blamed on better software which does have a greater impact on the capabilities of the individual designer and builder.