The idea of long term open ended cruising has waned. That idea also drove many new sailboat buyers: 'Globe girdlers' that graced the cover of Cruising World for instance. New boat buyers were lured to those boats even though the owners never had a prayer of girdling anything. Like many of us, we had high dreams with our first cruising boat, new or old. I wish I had a dollar for everyone I've met that was going to sail around the world.

I don't think that idea is as popular today, even with those of high means. There's a lot of ways to get your excitement today without the long term commitment. Popular travel,j work-study opportunities, exotic destinations a day away, extreme sports, charters, you can do them all and still keep your job.

The obvious fall out from the life style change, I think, is that some boat builders kept building the globe girdlers long after the demand disappeared.