More Powerboats!
Dear WoodenBoat,
Two weeks ago on a damp late-winter Saturday, a friend and I went up to Tumblehome Boatshop in Warrensburg, New York. On the way, a conversation led its way to your magazine, and I told him I probably would not be renewing my subscription because the focus always seems to be on sailboats. I am a lifetime powerboater. I enjoy sailing…on other people’s boats.
I was shocked, then, to see a flying-bridge cruiser on the cover of the May/June 2025 issue (WB No. 304)—so shocked, I stood in the road, at my mailbox, taking it in. Not only did the issue include an article on classic Rybovich sportfisherman restorations, but it also told the story of the current iteration of the Rybovich company, Michael Rybovich & Sons. I could not put the issue down and read both stories with great interest. The fact that modern Ryboviches are still primarily made of wood is amazing. Thank you for powerboat coverage. Please do more.
Gary Grentzer
Stillwater, New York
Genius or Innovator?
Dear WoodenBoat,
I really liked the article on Rybovich boats. One thing in particular struck me, because it’s the opposite of one of my peeves: the Ryboviches were described as innovators, and not geniuses. My peeve is that most articles on noted designers too often refer to their subjects with too many superlatives. Great designers, in any field, are essentially innovators, making changes (some small, some big) to what others have done before them. Holding them too high in our estimation makes folks wonder where today’s geniuses are and can especially hold back youngsters thinking of making a career in the field. What mortal person wants to work where only geniuses are remembered?
Further to my point, I didn’t get the Joseph Conrad article (“Joseph Conrad, Sailor…and the origins of the yawl NELLIE,” WB No. 304). Was NELLIE a famous boat? Did her particulars shape Heart of Darkness? I’d sum it up like this: writer of excellent books (not a genius!), messed around with boats like a lot of people of his era. His boating experiences were not extraordinary, just typical. His experience helped him write an evocative intro to said excellent book.
Mike Schrempp
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Joseph Conrad
Hello Matt…
I enjoyed the article on Joseph Conrad in the May/June 2025 issue, and in particular how you published his Polish birth name. As a longtime Conrad fan, I’ve noted in the past how few people realize that English was not his native language. What is also interesting is that I believe he started his seafaring career before he even learned English, and yet he did most of his writing in English. The fact that he could write so eloquently in his non-native language, translating all the terminology and nuance from years at sea, is quite a testament to his literary skills. What a blast it would have been to spend time in a cockpit with him!
Rick Murray
Scituate, Massachusetts
