Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin

Phil Herring

Alien
Mar 25, 1997
4,918
- - Bainbridge Island
How long have you owned your current boat?

Are you new to the hobby, or new to your vessel? Or are you still sailing that choice Alberg 35 you bought new in 1969?

Tell us a little about your history with the boat you own now.

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May 1, 2011
4,189
Pearson 37 Lusby MD
In my twelfth season with Marguerite. Learned how to sail in Annapolis in 1974. Got my offshore skipper D while teaching in Annapolis from 1992-1995.

Had to do a lot to make the boat safe enough to take Scouts on an inside-the-bay cruise in 2009, and three DELMARVAs after that.
 
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DougM

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Jul 24, 2005
2,242
Beneteau 323 Manistee, MI
This is my 14th season with my Beneteau 323, which means its only been in the water a total of about 4-1/2 years here. It was a transition from scows I had owned and raced during the 80s
and 90s when my sons were growing up.For the most part, it has only been used as a day sailer.
I am at the crossroads where its time to make a decision about parting with what is really a good boat for me. Its not the age of the boat, but the age of the owner that is becoming a factor. I still do most of my own maintenance, and enjoy doing it, but the body is complaining more each year.
 
Oct 7, 2016
68
Hunter 356 Little Creek, Norfolk VA
Sailed dingies when i younger. Started sailing again about 5 years a ago with a buccaneer 18 dingy. Bought a c27 and sailed it 2 or 3 years on the Chesapeake. Heaved to in it all the time for convenience. Just bought h356 and started sailing itbin feb. Still getting to know the boat. Roller furling main and jib.

My youtube channel for sailing

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbURtmgkQtGGfl2lYUweusw
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,081
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Its not the age of the boat, but the age of the owner that is becoming a factor. I still do most of my own maintenance, and enjoy doing it, but the body is complaining more each year.
I hear ya Doug. Exercising and eating a whole-food plant-based diet has made a huge difference to me in postponing the inevitable. The diet thing can't be understated (cholesterol went down to 130 from around 200). No statins or other meds and no aches or pains (if I take a break from core-exercise my back aches return). If you have an injury (of course) all bets are off and you may be limited on the exercise. Otherwise no excuses "getting old" is not a disease it's only a factor, but there's no pill the doctor can prescribe it's all in our hands: Eat the standard American diet of meats/dairy and processed foods high in fat/sweet/salt or overindulge in alcohol and you kill yourself slowly, and yet the doctor will say you're "just getting old". But your condition is reversible. Coronary artery disease, and autoimmune diseases, (Type 2 diabetes can be reversed in 2 weeks, Rheumatoid Arthritis, IBS, "acid reflux"and more) many types of cancers can be prevented or reversed. The way I see it, we're in training for the rest of our lives. You can make a decision. Do nothing and the inevitable comes sooner.
For anyone who thinks this is wishful BS there is a mountain of scientific evidence to back this up. Watch FORKS OVER KNIVES on Netflix or Amazon Prime. And go to https://nutritionfacts.org/
 
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DArcy

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Feb 11, 2017
1,690
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
Islay Mist has owned my for 21 years. I've sailed so many boats over the years I can't begin to remember them all but this is the only boat I've owned.
I don't go as far as @Captain Larry-DH but I understand the sentiment about diet affecting health. I'm more of an "All things in moderation" guy. I just ate a sausage of unspecified origin at a company BBQ but most of my meals are fairly healthy. Most meat on it's own isn't bad for you, the preparation and quantity can be. Then again, I know vegetarians that are not particularly healthy.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
@Captain Larry-DH your words make all sorts of sense, but have you ever tasted @LeslieTroyer ’s pastrami? Oh... it is almost like having sex... Sorry.. It is almost as good as I remember having......

I guess I am just destined to die. I like my salad with a filet of Salmon or a a few slices of steak.
 
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Jan 14, 2014
225
Newport Newport 28 Fair Haven, NY
I kept my first boat for three years. It was enough to get me back into the swing of things, learn more and then I passed it along and upgraded by a couple feet to a larger cabin, double the displacement, and more projects. I'm on my second year with this one, which should last me through next year. At which point I'm hoping to move into a longer-term one. Baby steps for me.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,992
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
My S/V Hadley and I met in January 2015. She was a bit shoddy and rough around the edges. In need of some serious care. But on the day we met I fell in love with her. She had good bones, and the design had promise for fun on the waters of the PacificNW where I planned to sail.

So I took her home and have been resolving years of neglect a little at a time. On her part she has given me all sorts of interesting adventures. There was the time a fishing boat came out of the fog and aimed to sink her and kill me. But she fended it off. Then there was the time my wife, while on deck watching the helm drifted toward the 3 ft shoals. I think she was upset that I left my wife on deck while I dealt with a fuel issue. Then there was the time that we were sailing and a grey whale surfaced some 50 feet off my port. Hadley, me and the whale cruised together for 30 minutes while I sailed and the whale surfaced and dove feeding on the Puget Sound shrimp.

No idea how long we are destined to be together, but I hope it is along time as we have many bays / inlets to explore, and adventures to take.
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Here are my stories beginning with my Spring Cruise 2019, with several more to watch.
 
Aug 22, 2018
59
Hunter 33 Prinyers Cove, PE County, ON
I started sailing 3 seasons ago. I bought a Contessa 26 because primarily the price was right and I could take over the slip that it was in. The Marina is Prinyers Cove on Lake Ontario and I could not think of a better place to keep a sail boat at least this part of the world. I took a basic course with my wife and spent 2 seasons trying to figure out how to sail and weather or not we would even enjoy sailing as a long term hobby. Turns out that we loved it but found the Contessa to be too cramped and uncomfortable. We have now upgraded to a 2007 Hunter 33 which so far we love. The sailing experience is far different. We are now comfortable, go faster and we have a decent motor for times when we want it or need it. I used to at times solo sail the Contessa , I was unsure about solo sailing the Hunter but 2 weeks ago I thought screw it I'm going (wife was working). It was fantastic, very easy to solo sail and would hesitate to go again. Since buying the Hunter I have installed a windlass, a wash down pump and replaced the batteries. I didn't realize how much hard work those items would be but now that they are complete I have the rest of the season and the seasons ahead to enjoy my fiftieth birthday present to myself!
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Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
Since you mentioned it, what did Steve Miller mean by "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future". How does time do that?
The admiral and I are still amazed at how long we owned the Mac26S. Over 10 years! Finally got the wherewithall to own a big keelboat back in 2015.
 
Feb 17, 2006
5,274
Lancer 27PS MCB Camp Pendleton KF6BL
14 years with Takara. Wasn't until 10 years after getting out of the Marines that I had the where-with-all to buy a boat. Took sailing lessons in 1984 but could not afford a boat back then. Looked at some Macgregors, but no car to tow them. LOL

Takara is my first and only boat. Maybe one day I will win the lottery and get a bigger boat. But by then I will too old to sail it. LOL
 
Dec 25, 2000
5,702
Hunter Passage 42 Shelter Bay, WA
Adding to my above post, bought our first, a Hunter 28 in 1999 two years after retirement to see whether we liked it; and did. Decided a bigger boat would make extended cruising more comfortable, so went on the prowl for a H40.5. Found a rough live aboard with all the goodies in Lake Union, so the admiral and I went to check her out. While there, a P42 sister boat was a couple of slips over and just coming out of charter. After checking her interior, the admiral said if we're going bigger, this is the one I want. Of course dear.

Awhile later the broker called to let us know a 1991 P42 had just come on the market from Semi-ah-moo. John Lund and I drove up to check her out. More than we wanted to spend, but very nice, lightly used and fully equipped with Genset, heat pumps, etc. Before we could get serious the seller took the boat off the market; this was late 2001. Did more searching, but no P42s in the region.

During our searches we attended boat shows, looked at several different boat brands, visited numerous marinas to check out boats, but kept coming back to the Hunter brand. Well built, attention to detail, strong and roomy.

By chance I called the broker in early 2002 to see whether the seller had changed their mind, they had and highly motivated due to a medical situation. Made an offer, worked through the details and took possession in March 2002. Since then we have cruised Belle-Vie thousands of miles all over PNW waters year around with many two plus month cruises under her belt. Fast, stiff and very comfortable. Made a few alterations to make solo sailing possible/easier, but all in all no regrets.
 
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Oct 26, 2008
6,044
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
We've had our Starwind 27, Thunderbird, since 2004 when we brought her to Lake Hopatcong from Sea Bright, New Jersey. We don't know her exact origins except that she was built by Wellcraft in 1984 and she was formerly named SARA from Spring, Texas. Somehow, she came to New Jersey. I always wonder if somebody sailed her here via the ICW.

We knew nothing about a small pocket cruiser, but, I was experienced sailing smaller boats. Despite her flaws, she has been a good boat and I've lavished some nice improvements and upgrades on her. She might not even be all that recognizable as a Starwind 27 anymore. I painted the formerly black spars bright white, the black pedestal is now burgundy. I've replaced the black plastic portlights and made them aluminum framed. I added a 4th pair of port lights at the forward end of the cabin to provide ventilation in the v-berth and increased the size of the original port lights. I re-powered to put in a modern 2-cylinder diesel for more power. I anticipated that we would use the boat in the ocean and I did not want to have a questionable auxiliary power plant. Besides, I also added a water system and upgraded electrics and electronics. The hardware improvements are too numerous to mention, but there is always an ever-expanding list. We pampered the bottom just a few years ago. We purchased new sails as soon as we bought her and it is about time to do so again!

We moved her to Barnegat Bay at the end of the 2015 season and have enjoyed a different sailing experience. Now, we've started to race our Starwind so the improvement list will surely grow. The biggest problem is that the boat is a very nice size for us to day sail or for me to overnight alone. But it is too small for Sue and I together. Sue has come to that conclusion and has been vacillating for about a year between shopping for a larger boat and just saying no to cruising. In the meantime, she joins me on occasion for overnights and complains about discomfort.

She has seen a boat that she wants, and now that it may apparently be under contract, she says it was an opportunity missed. She seems to be ready to shop now and we find that a 32' boat approximately 20 to 25 years age could be in our budget. We're most attracted to a Catalina or Beneteau that meets our criteria for comfort, performance and budget - and no necessary projects. In the meantime, I need to find a way to control my spending on Thunderbird and make her ready to show.
 
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Mar 1, 2012
2,182
1961 Rhodes Meridian 25 Texas coast
Well, I have two boats. Many have seen pics of the Meridian, but in 1985 I sold my 35 Cross tri, and the purchaser made up part of the price with Lindsey 21 Now named Necessity

Hauled her to east Texas where she resided in a barn or several years. My then wife turned out to be a real sailor, so we brought the boat down to Port Lavaca, and did a full on rebuild

Acquired Tehani (the 25) and so when she was sail able, sold the Lindsey.
When that wife and I split, she got Tehani and I bought Necessity back
She broke the boat (Tehani), and was going to sell it cheap, so I bought her back and sold Necessity to some friends. They bought a much larger boat and put Necessity on the market. Bought her back again Sold to another friend, and after Hurricane Harvey she pretty much gave the boat back, with damage. So ii now I own her again. A friend in Florida calls Necesity my "boomerang" boat :)

Now repaired and on a trailer at my house, while Tehani lives in the marina./ I think I'll keep her this time :) In fact, just returned from a trip to Florida last week, for an event called the BEER Cruise

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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
We are new, only a few years now and on our 2nd boat. The "plan" was the old O'Day 25 was suppose to be a 5 year boat then move up or move on. It worked well for a year, but the compromises began to show. Comfort was perfect with 2, not too bad with 4 and 6+ was just too much stress on me. We casually looked, but lake boats here are more often in terrible shape. We stopped and then bumped into our new C310 by chance. The deal was good enough and the condition was great. My wife liked it and we did it. 3 months in still happy, just need to get better at docking so we look less like an accident waiting to happen.
 
Nov 30, 2015
1,336
Hunter 1978 H30 Cherubini, Treman Marina, Ithaca, NY
Otherwise no excuses "getting old" is not a disease it's only a factor, but there's no pill the doctor can prescribe it's all in our hands:
I’m with ya pal! Just don’t be a Debbie Downer... I’m trying hard not to be that, but the aches and pains associated with spinal stenosis don’t out weigh my need for steak and eggs.

 
Jan 22, 2008
763
Hunter 340 Baytown TX
I don't know if I should be posting on this thread, or the "I May Have A Problem" thread. I've had the current boat I sail for 9 years and 10 months. I've had the other boat in my driveway for 22 years. My garage is full of sails, lines, and boat parts, my "to do" lists are all boat chores, my internet favorites list are almost all sailing sites, I'm constantly checking wind forecasts whether I'm sailing or not..., sound familiar.
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