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The problem with the QE2 is it just doesn't
have enough storage space....
The quote may be apocryphal but I’ll swear I read it
attributed to the captain of the venerable Cunard liner, Queen Elizabeth
2. You don’t have to imagine a 70+-thousand ton luxury liner to
understand the problem. Most of us can certainly appreciate how the
amount of stuff on our desks is always directly related to how big the
desk is. That’s just the way the world works. Okay back to boats, there
is a natural tendency (financials notwithstanding) to “Biggie” size our
boats. There’s nothing wrong with that. The ocean is a big place, and
encapsulating yourself in a larger cocoon can make sense if you are
heading offshore or feel the need for more creature comforts.
Even as you consider upscaling, however, it’s good to remember that your
modest cruiser, luxury yacht or even Megayacht is still a small boat at
heart. I design boats from dozens of feet to a hundred or more. The most
successful ones have been closely matched to the size required to best
do the job. Unless egos demand, there is little reason to drive around
more real estate than you need. Still, boat size is less of an issue
than efficient use of the space. A seventy-footer doing basically the
same job as a sixty-footer can be jaw droppingly elegant and
comfortable. At the same time a big boat that’s just fitting in more
stuff can simply feel like a whole bunch of small boats knitted
together.
I don’t think about prestige when I design a big boat. I also don’t
think about frugality when I design more modest ones. If you go to the
heart of the matter, I suspect the best boat for any of us would be much
like the one that the “Three Bears” would probably have picked: The one
that was just right.
But that’s just my opinion.
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