Talk:Buccaneer 18

Tone of Article
As it was before I edited it, the article reads more like a marketing effort than an encyclopedia entry.
 * No need to say planing in it is exhilarating
 * 500 lbs is not particularly light for two man dinghy. For comparison, the Fireball less than half as heavy, capable of being transported on a car roof rack and launched on a dolly.
 * "self-rescuing" is not really a feature of note in a dinghy. I'm not aware of any dinghy that can't be righted by the crew after capsizing.
 * I'm not sure that this is the place to give Portsmouth Yardstick comparisons, but I left the section for now. This section needs to be put in a better format if it is kept.Paulgush 22:01, 12 September 2006 (UTC)


 * I agree with your comments here, made more than 14 years ago. The article was written a "breathless fanboi" tone, with no refs and full of spammy, promotional language. I have re-written it from scratch to address all these issues, retaining just the images, which, by the way have all been renamed and reorganized on Commons. - Ahunt (talk) 18:03, 7 October 2020 (UTC)

Why I Prefer the Buccaneer 18
By Harry Sindle, former Buccaneer builder, champion sailor, and Olympic sailor

I first sailed the Buccaneer in 1984 when Gloucester Yachts, a company I was managing at the time, purchased the Buccaneer molds from Wellcraft (Starwind). I had long admired the boat over the years, so when we got the chance to make them, I was very pleased.

A few years later, when I was no longer with Gloucester Yachts, I thought enough of the Bucc to buy the molds so I could continue my association with the boat and the class. I have sailed, raced, built, or owned most of the similar sized boats that are being sailed today. Therefore my opinion regarding the Bucc may have merit.

Some of the more popular monohulls in the 14’–20’ range with which I have had personal sailing experience include the Albacore, Comet, Thistle, Lightening, Flying Dutchman, Mobjack, Hampton, Finn, Jet 14, Mutineer, Windmill, Highlander, International 14, Snipe, Laser, and 505.

Of all the boats I’ve sailed, the Buccaneer represents the best and most sensible design which is suitable for both day sailing and racing. While not a beginner’s boat, it is forgiving enough so that one quickly becomes comfortable with it. At the same time it is a good enough performer so one doesn’t tire of it.

It is a fine daysailer, with its comfortable cockpit arrangement and roller furling jib. It is also easy to race by two people with its spinnaker launcher, sensible-size jib, and well designed hull.

Finally, it is a very attractive design, with its contemporary styling, rakish bow, and well balanced sailplan. And who wants a boat that is not pretty to look at.

DESIGN HISTORY:
The Buccaneer 18 was designed in 1966 and introduced to the sailing world 1967 at Yachting Magazine's "One of a Kind" Regatta, where it placed second behind a Thistle.

Why I like the Buccaneer 18

I joined the Buccaneer class in 1992 after purchasing a used Buccaneer 18 number 608 built by Chrysler in 1974. I refitted the boat, repainted it and updated some of the rigging. I am a self taught sailor and had only been sailing a couple of years in a Tanzer 17 and crewing for a few friendss on larger boats. I began racing the Buccaneer shortly after completing the refit and was immediately successful. I started a Buccaneer 18 fleet in Guntersville Alabama in 1993-94 and it was also an immediate hit with the sailors in the area. Within two years we had 12 boats in our fleet and hosted the 1996 BNAC regatta at Guntersville. I was transferred out of the area and continued racing my Buccaneer for a couple of years after that. I sold that Buccaneer and purchased a newer model of the boat and raced it until I sold it in 1998. In comparison to many boats, it is not sluggish, balanced well and handles beautifully. It is not for the begining sailor who is unsure of him or herself as it can be overhandled.

I met Harry Sindle a couple of times and he is one of the legends in sailing. I agree totally with everything he has said.

Rick Johnston

PRODUCTION HISTORY:
Chrysler Corporation - 1968 thru 1980, hull #1 thru approx. #4050. (Just over 4000 boats built). Texas Marine International (TMI) - 1981 thru 1982, hull approx. #4051 thru approx. #4750. (Around 700 boats built). Wellcraft Marine Corporation, Starwind Division - 1982 thru 1984, hull approx. #4751 thru approx. #5000. (Approx. 250 boats built). Gloucester Yachts - 1985 thru 1986, hull #5001 thru #5059. (59 boats built). Cardinal Yachts - 1987 thru 2003, hull #5060 thru #5065, #5100 thru #5106 and #5200 thru #5215. (29 boats built). Nickels Boat Works – 2003 thru present, hull #5216 thru ? Still going strong!

Portsmouth Comparisons
For a boat being talked about as a day-sailer, the Portsmouth Yardstick numbers are really a pretty technical racing aspect. If it is going to be kept in the page, a link should be made to the wiki page for the Yardstick explanation. AdmiralKit 12:15, 3 February 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Bucklogo.GIF
Image:Bucklogo.GIF is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

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BetacommandBot (talk) 19:02, 13 February 2008 (UTC)