Hi CARL.
WHATS SNOW? We sail 12 months of the year over here, the only difference between the two is a jumper (sweater) in the winter, and the winds are more constant then!
G'day BERNY. yes I know exactly what your saying, I went through it all in the 60's and then again in the 70's when "glass" started to take over from marine ply.There is always a "cultural" shock (money for sailors) immediately after an extended lull in the "new" boat market. It takes a while for sailors to adjust to the fact that to buy a new boat, when the second hand price has been so low for so long, that for all the time that the second hand market remained at the $1000 to $2000 mark for some 10 to 15 years, the costs of producing a new boat has been governed by the steadily increasing prices of material and labour. If you were to say to them that they could have the new boat for 1985 prices if they would work for 1985 wages they would think that you were stupid! Luckily I am not too disadvantaged by the "whims" of the average sailor when it comes to pricing. I have never treated the design and manufacture of cats as my "core" means of income, (GOD if any one did that they would have to be very very wealthy or crazy, or both), and as such I can afford to persevere and just keep plugging away until such time as the average sailor comes around to the realisation that "to get the thrills, they have to pay the price"
I have held back on the production and release of these cats now for over 6 years, for exactly those reasons - the market was recessive and there wasn't enough "disposable income" around to support an new cat/class, but as I said before, I feel that that has started to turn around. (historically when ever there has been a housing boom there has followed a boom in off the beach sailing) Keep that in mind Berny, and be prepared to try again with your 430 as a production if it looks like the market can accomadate it, you could be pleasantly surprised.
Darryl J Barrett