Hello from new boot

[themadscientist]

Hello everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself. I have no boat, I can't swim, I know like three knots barely capable of securing a sneaker to a foot, I'm terrible at math and I'm a pasty white guy who burns instantly in the sun. Sounds like the making of a fine sailor by my estimation!

I have always loved the ocean, from the shore. Maybe it's a midlife crisis, maybe it's the irony of living on an island for years and not playing in the water at all; whatever it is, I have decided I want to try sailing. I am a hands-on person and the idea of handling a boat appeals to my individualism and desire for challenge and adventure.

I plan to enroll in a sailing course so I can rent a local marina's 18 footers and give it a go. I think I will enjoy it and I hope it leads to a life-long hobby and form of fun and relaxation.
I have fallen in love with the Catalina boats, but being in Japan, I see a lot of the Yamaha vessels and they are very nice as well. The owners seem to love their boats despite them being discontinued and that is advertising you can't buy. I doubt I could afford much but even if it's just a little boardboat, I know I must own my own if I take to the pastime.

I'm completely clueless about this thing, though, so I shall be combing the forum looking for good info to help me along. I just wanted to say hi and not be a creepy lurker.

Good day all.

 

[Rick D]

Well, hello and welcome! I loved the Yamaha IOR designs and found them very space-efficient. Not many in the states. Of course, Catalina is a good brand and a survivor of many a market downturn, a big asset. Using a club's boats for sailing and instruction is a great way to get started. I would urge you not to try too much at once in terms of buying a big boat. Just one step at a time is better on your mind and pocketbook.

 

[Ray Bowles]

Welcome friend!

Looks like you'll fit right in. Read books about how to sail, learn the name and use of all the parts and controls and take lessons. You will have the time of your life and will be hooked for life.
Ray

 

[sailingdog]

Welcome aboard...

 

[dscribner]

Pasty clueless white guys unite!

Madman,

October 2008, I asked my boy what he'd like to do because he and I didnt' spend a lot of father-son time together. He was 16. "I'd like to sail, becuse when I went with Grampy (3 hour charter) it was sic." So, we looked for a boat on Criagslist for a month or so, then I grew a pair and decided to break the news to Mom. "That sounds great!" she said. (pinch me, or send Meg Ryan into this dream). So . . . we looked for a boat for a month and found one in Mass. Now . . . we didn't know anything about sailboats, we didn't have a trailer to put the boat on, we didn't have a truck to haul it with and we didn't know how to sail. Oh, and I'm a pasty faced white guy who suffers from Harryhausen Syndrome. But, sitting on the boat, before we signed the check, we talked about all this. We brought our 25' Lancer home on a trailer that I modified (only missed by an inch) using a borrowed Dakota in early December. After a class on sailing and seamanship from the Coast Guard Auxilliary, we sailed last year in dead air to 30 knots winds and had a blast. We anchored overnight a few times. It has been a blast.

Thi year, she needs a paint job and I've already started upgrading some of the equipment and features but she's . . . . wick'd fun!

So . . . you go Man! Jump in with both feet! Buy an auto-inflate PFD and get out there!

Don

 

[Brian D]

I learned to sail on a Catalina 22 at a military base in California in 1984. Never owned a boat until 2005. But the best sailing I remember was on a Sun Fish in North Carolina. That little boat is a blast. Can easily get two on it. She is flat bottomed and faster as heck. It is so much fun to capsize the boat and right her back up.

Anyway... Concur with everyone above. Just do it. You will not regret it. And with the economy as it is, there are a lot of boats available at a good price. Just make sure you survey the boat before putting down your hard earned cash. No need spending good money on a lemon.

A used Catalina 22 or Macgregor 25 is always a sure thing.

Welcome aboard.

 

[RECESS]

When I was 14 years old my mom's friend took me out on a Hobie 16. I was hooked. I was asked the other day how long I have been sailing? It was sad that it has been 30 years. Life goes by so fast and even though I am just 44, I have got here too fast. As Lucky Jack Aubry says "There is no time to waste"! Get a boat and get out there. The art of going places very slow is very addicting.

 

[dscribner]

Where are you located? There is a wick'd good deal in Saco Maine right now. If I had I had a slip or a mooring, I'd plunk down $11,000 tomorrow and pick her up. She's an early 80's (I think) Catalina 27 footer, all the fixin's on a trailah. (This being Maine and all). I've also seen many 22-24 footers on trailers for around $4000. You can pick up a well preserved Hunter 25 for around 10.

 

[RECESS]

He is in Japan.

 

[dscribner]

Oh . . . . I guess Saco isn't convenient. I re-read and caught it this time. Shouldn't skim. My bad. Still, it's a wick'd goo deal.

 

[themadscientist]

I'm down in Okinawa Japan.

What I have seen of the used boat market here scares me. The condition of the boats that I can find, and there aren't many, is so bad even a dry-footed guy like me can see trouble. The good news is they are pretty cheap comparably and I am a crafty dude. I'm a long-time car guy so I realize the true cost of a "fixxer upper" is not the purchase price but what it will take to get it up and safe to operate. I'll drive just about anything but setting sail in a scow is a different matter.

I'm in no hurry, I have an available source of rentals to get on the water, but I will likely have to wait until July to take the class. In the meantime I can use the wait to learn the basics of the boat, terminology and find a reliable PFD!

 

[dscribner]

Are you military? I spent time (did time?) in Korea. Beautiful country. I'd go back in a heartbeat. If you are stationed there, how will you get it back?

 

[RECESS]

. I'm a long-time car guy so I realize the true cost of a "fixxer upper" is not the purchase price but what it will take to get it up and safe to operate. I'll drive just about anything but setting sail in a scow is a different matter.

I am another one that used to spend a lot of time restoring cars. My last project was a 74 Corvette and it made me rethink how much time I was spending as well as all the trips to Ecklers for parts. That back ground will serve you well. Finding a boat with solid bones that just needs some work can really pay off. When I found my O'Day, she had great bones, solid with one small spider crack on the whole boat. She had been well taken care but was in need of some TLC.

After 8 months of grinding out old repairs and getting her back to all glass instead of filler spots she got looking great again.

I just wish I had known there was a soft spot in the transom wood as I spent this winter picking out the transom wood and replacing it and a new paint job on the stern. After repairing the transom my wife was happy that there is nothing on the boat I cannot repair.... I just wish I did not NEED to be in every nook and cranny of the boat so far.

I got away from messing with cars and the sailboat has filled that void better than when I enjoyed wrenching on cars. You are going to love doing restoration work on a sailboat. They have more personality than cars IMO.

 

[themadscientist]

Are you military? I spent time (did time?) in Korea. Beautiful country. I'd go back in a heartbeat. If you are stationed there, how will you get it back?

I was a Marine. They brought me here, I liked it, I came back. Ironically I work on the same Camp as i used to back in the green days.

Fate is a cruel (explicative) I have a dubious sort of luck it seems. I find great deals all the time and almost without fail the timing is just terrible. I have stumbled over a Yamaha 25 that I can afford but will need reassembly. The price is great, and the owner tuns out to be a guy I have know for years that I trust completely so no worries there. Any learned Yamaha gurus please swing by that forum and drop some knowledge on me; I need it.

I actually hope the guy sells it because I am weak, so weak, and I know I can't be counted on to walk away if it turns out to be solid.

 

[themadscientist]

From Amazon with love. The first books in my sailing library.

Chapman is a behemoth, I could stop a .357 with this tome!

 

[RECESS]

John Rousmaniere made a video serious of The Annapolis Book of Seamanship. It is by far the best video series I have watched. I get a lot from the videos as I am better at watching someone do something better than reading a description. It is available through Netflix, but I doubt you have access to that service where you are at. Volumes 1 and 3 are on instant streaming.

When do you find out about the auction results for the American 14.6?

 

[FastOlson]

This thread seems to focus on a comparison question of Yamaha vs Catalina.
Both are decent enough boats. Most of the Yamaha's on the US west coast were sold in the late 70's and into the early 80's when the dollar was strong against the yen. By late '85 the yen was gaining strength fast and they became too expensive for us. I remember watching the price on a new Honda car jump $500. in a couple months at that point.

I have done a long coastal delivery on a Y-33. The quality of the glass work and gel coat finish is astoundingly better than any Catalina or similar production boat. All the fittings, from the deck cleats upwards, are spec'd out for offshore duty. The boat has both speed and strength.
It's not that it's better for all purposes, it was just built for a *different* market - an offshore racing and cruising market.

Depending on intended use, either boat make will suffice, but any comparison is strictly "apples to oranges."

Opinions rendered cheerfully, deposit .02 please!

L

 

[themadscientist]

John Rousmaniere made a video serious of The Annapolis Book of Seamanship. It is by far the best video series I have watched. I get a lot from the videos as I am better at watching someone do something better than reading a description. It is available through Netflix, but I doubt you have access to that service where you are at. Volumes 1 and 3 are on instant streaming.

When do you find out about the auction results for the American 14.6?

I have just flipped through them briefly, but I am already very enthusiastic about them. The Chapman was recommended to me by a boat pilot friend, and I see why he sings its praises. The Annapolis, if it's good enough for midshipmen, I in. The navigation one seems like he has written at my level. I'm not scared yet.

The auction is sealed bid and I will know at the end of June. I honestly don't think they are going to get very many, if any bids. The locals seem to favor powerboats.

I did some running around talking to the licensing schools, the Coast Guard, and the government office. If I don't put a motor on it and wear my PFD, I don't need an operators permit. This is great news as getting a permit is going to be hard and I want to get out there and work the boat to learn and it seems I can do that legally. I would like a motor but I guess I will be putting some oarlocks on the gunwales and hoping for wind.

 

[themadscientist]

This thread seems to focus on a comparison question of Yamaha vs Catalina.
Both are decent enough boats. Most of the Yamaha's on the US west coast were sold in the late 70's and into the early 80's when the dollar was strong against the yen. By late '85 the yen was gaining strength fast and they became too expensive for us. I remember watching the price on a new Honda car jump $500. in a couple months at that point.

I have done a long coastal delivery on a Y-33. The quality of the glass work and gel coat finish is astoundingly better than any Catalina or similar production boat. All the fittings, from the deck cleats upwards, are spec'd out for offshore duty. The boat has both speed and strength.
It's not that it's better for all purposes, it was just built for a *different* market - an offshore racing and cruising market.

Depending on intended use, either boat make will suffice, but any comparison is strictly "apples to oranges."

Opinions rendered cheerfully, deposit .02 please!

L

This is good info. I love the look of the Yamahas but if they are not up to blue water duty they will not meet my long-term goals. I have not given up the dream. I think I can score a solid boat that needs work in the 5-8k range when I am ready.
I'm in Japan so I may have access to models not available stateside. The 26S and 26C look great but I might need something bigger for the big blue which is my ultimate goal.:dance:

In the short-term though, I am excited about this modest 14' starter to get me out there on the water. I learn quickest by doing but I have a lot of studying ahead before possibly getting my first boat!