I expect there to be a number of sightings of Gecko out sailing in the coming couple of weeks. New owner will be playing in the local waters for a while.

I seem to have my head down this week submitting as many USCG heavier passenger documents as I can.  Pontoon boats are to blame for all this, but thats for a later time. So for now, a nice tease. Spirit of Lauderdale (formerly Yellowbird).  A KHSD 48.
http://www.tropicalsailing.com/gallery.php#video

And in the winter, they have the Moondance Cat (KHSD55) which normally resides in Buffalo in the summer.  And some other cat I don’t recognize (ya hear, Roger?)

I just added comprehensive and collision insurance to my liability policy with Progressive. This as the new owner wants to take a test drive of a week on the Geko. Added cost, $100, until end of November. That seems pretty damned great to me.

Another picture of Simmo scaring the natives again with his KHSD 24 tri. As noted earlier, Simmo seems to thrive on conditions that terrify many sailors. Lets do the new amas and give it an even bigger ride.

Very important topic. Especially we with several hulls. I understand that I can become an outlaw just scrubbing slime. I can see it now…, “what are you in for?” “Scrubbing slime.”
http://www.proboatradio.com/2011/07/13/copper-bottom-paint-regulations-and-alternatives/
and Simo’s new pictures tomorrow. I’m deep into the USCG updates today.

This may be one of the best examples of why a trimaran needs big amas way out there. http://www.cowesonline.com/d/Round%20the%20Island%20Race%20Lge.mov
It could happen to anyone, but a properly built KHSD tri could not push an ama under like that. Long ago when I used to sail the Shaman like a maniac I learned that first hand. We used to watch a foot or so of board sticking out the bottom of the main hull. Big amas way out there are a requirement.
I notice it is not very reefed. Another case of not playing “what-if?” I always tell people to play “what-if” on design features. Don’t accept a famous design because it is Travertine 33 or whatever. Ask “what -if” about all the features. Same thing with sailing.  What if we have to round up for some reason? How do we want to be configured when we turn the corner?

Unless its Simo, then all bets off.

I get to philosophize about the biz once in a while here.
It was first brought to my attention years ago by boat guru Richard Elder that some of our customers are leaders in their fields. And by extension, they often believed that they could innately do multihull design as well as any unfamous designer. It went something like, after getting the lines, why bother to pay for what they could do as well or better just by who they were. A winner is a winner. When epoxy or the ocean proved them wrong, the bigger the ego, the happier they were to spend 10 times the amount of the skipped design fee to fix it with a sawsall. That does not happen as much anymore for a few reasons.
But a new, different and related phenomenon has begun happening more often. Several times this year already. Customers have chosen to skip paying a full design fee by hiring a kid with AutoCAD to finish the work. In every case I have seen, the results are luscious, but of course much of the work is wrong and won’t function properly. But it looks good!  Still, more often than not I end up with the shovel following the parade, cleaning up the mess.
Its not like my fees are excessive. Compared to a standard monohull design fee, or the multihull rock stars, they are low. Maybe it’s something to do with trying to help builders save money. I keep forgetting that means my design fee too? It’s a new paradigm that I have to sort out.