<<But for boats which have to be easy to store, move around and put the mast up, in a more or less idiot proof fashion, the BL system is hard to beat.>>

  Agreed. 

  Scissor beams would represent extra weight, cost, and complexity, with no upside for the BL application.  Bucket List may be close to the perfect boat for what it's designed for.  It would be hard to touch it in terms of price or performance.

  The only thing I'd change about BL is that I'd want to raise the WW hull 18-24" in order to build in a mini-cockpit.  Sit on the hull with a backrest and let your legs drape down onto the tramps.

  But I just added cost, weight, windage, and build complexity, and created a structure that gets in the way of the surface-mounted beams.

  Perhaps some sort of bolt-on or strap-on cockpit/seatback that wraps around from one beam to the other, spanning between the two?  There might be enough room for one person on each side of the hatch.  That would add some comfort, safety, and weather protection.


<<The Cat 2 Fold system is excellent.  Far better than the Bucket List one for most applications. >>
 
  If you don't have the manpower or the space to assemble and disassemble the fixed beams, it's pretty well designed.

  I'd have to add a second mast socket for a stub mast in order to lift the main mast into place, but that doesn't have to be done on the water.  With a folding system I'd be able to haul the boat, move it to an empty area in the parking lot, and then take my time with the mast while the boat is on the trailer.

  Not sure about making the boat narrower for a marina -- it would be on a mooring -- but it's nice to think about having the option.

  I particularly like that it's tested and has been in use for a number of years now, with all the little details thought through.  I'm hoping to experiment on the plywood dory I'm building, not on the folding system for the future proa.

        - Mike

 

The Cat 2 Fold system is excellent.  Far better than the Bucket List one for most applications.     But for boats which have to be easy to store, move around and put the mast up, in a more or less idiot proof fashion, the BL system is hard to beat.

rob

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