New sailor

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J

Joe

Info reply

I love my O'Day 222 and it's big enough for an Ole' guy who's pushing 65 and his dog, but the O'Days have rudder blade issues. The break after a while. I did get to try out a 2002 Mac 26 with wheel steering last year and I was very impressed with how well it sailed. I'm not a big MacGregor fan, but my friend Walter took us out in the bay with it and this boat performed well. It was very roomy with an enclosed head, water ballast, 50 hp Honda, and a centerboard, rather than a dagger board. The only thing that turned me off about the boat is the high free board very similar to the O'Day 25s. Getting on and off at the dock is a problem requiring a step, but if you don't mind that, it's a pretty good boat for a guy and his wife with two pets. Take your time and make your choice. They're all good once you remove the bugs.
Joe
 
G

George

First Sailboat

By well, sell well

This probably won't be your only sailboat. I'd look at the Catalina 22 because there have been almost 15,000 produced and it has a great user network out there. Also when it's time to move up you won't have a problem selling it.
 
H

Hawk

Im very interested in talking to you.

HI ..If you still have the H23 contact me...mark<><
 
R

Recess

When you say trailer

Will you keep the boat in the water or will you tow it and raise the mast every time you sail? I would say that would be a serious consideration in size of the boat. I raised the mast everytime on my Prindle 19 and it was never a task. It in no way had the rigging that my O'Day 25 has. People on this iste warned me that I should find a dock or slip for a 25 as it will be a PITA to raise that mast everytime I sail. Like I said, that was easy on my 19.

I think how much you will actually trailer will help with the size consideration. I agree that learning would have been more forgiving on a larger boat and also agree that learning the feel of the wind was probably better on my Hobie 16. If was a family man that enjoys weekend trips, I would definitley want a doable cabin and skip the small daysailer boat.
 
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RED DRAGON

Another C22 owner

Even though my C22 is has a trailor I keep it in the water. I learned early on in boating that if you want to get the most out of your boat you need to get a dock. Especially for a sailboat of any size. I did not want trailor and launch a motorboat let alone gigging up a large sailboat. Try it and I think you'll agree. (On "Chips Ahoy's" web site, found through a link here, he goes through his launching process of his C22. Reading it could provide you with some insite). Of course, I agree that the C22 is a great little boat. I got it this year. The only bad thing, the trade off for trailoring, is that the swing keel is a bit light for heavier winds. It is comparitively inexpensive and appears to be well made. I am surprised that some people have recommended MacGregors. These boats are cheap and appear to be cheaply made. I inspectected one at a boat show a few years ago and the whole thing seemed to be made of a thin plastic composite (although, I'm sure it was some sort of fiberglass lay-up). And, the cabin was bare. I don't like the idea of water ballast either, esp. if you decide to keep it the water. Most people do have to start off in something small like a Lazer. I did too. If your first boat is a 22 footer then by get a 14 footer for learnings sake?
 
O

oldiesrocker2001

Dry sailing or dock...

I agree with recess on this point for sure. If you are planning to tow the boat to any body of water any time you use it you want a smaller boat. I had an O'day type 17 that I could rig from the road in about 20 minutes. I usually kept it "dry sailed" on it's trailer at a lake, though. My V21 is a real problem to step the mast and rig and takes a long time. I keep it dry sailed like the smaller one was but the times I went a distance(like Lake George or both coasts of Florida) and could keep it at a dock for any period of time longer than a day or two it was great to simply grab a cooler and push off from the dock and this offset the time spent to set it up from the road.
 
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JerryA

Don't forget Precisions

Don't rule out a Precision 21 or 23 as a choice. Usually a bit more pricey than a Catalina or O-day of the same age, but a nice boat. I agree that setting up and taking down gets old fast on a boat this size. I keep mine in a slip during the sailing season. I don't think you could go wrong buying anyone of the three, and you would definitely have fun.

JerryA
 
D

Deucer

What to buy

phdoc,

Gee, what a quandry, eh? Everybody has an opinion because everybody has their own experience. So..here's mine. The wife and I got interested in wanting to learn to sail about five years ago. So, we started looking for a boat to buy. My business means I move a lot and spend a great deal of time in the Great Plains. So, we have no choice but to be trailer trash..lol. While looking at larger boats (22-25 feet) we were a little intimidated by the size. I learned a little sailing in the Boy Scouts (Sunfish size) and thought we might want to start small. However, the salesman said one thing that stuck with us. With a small boat...like a dinghy, you spend a lot of time in the water. If you're a teenager, no big deal, but being middle aged, that didn't sound like too much fun. He said you learn to concentrate on sailing on a bigger boat instead of concentrating on staying dry.

Well, luck would have it we found ourselfs in California where we took lessons from the Santa Barbara Sailing School. They teach on J-24s and a Catalina 320. You know...the salesman was right. We stayed dry and learned to work the boat. My recommendation to you is to list out all the qualities you want in a boat, then see what boats fit your needs.

We did exactly that and ended up with a Hunter 260. A pretty big boat to put on a trailer, but we love it. Once we get it in the water, it does everything we want. Lots of cockpit room (enough for six adults), an enclosed head, plenty of storage. Having learned to sail larger boats means we're pretty comfortable sailing this one. Bottomline, if you're going to take the admiral out and she's not a outdoors fanatic, go with the larger boat.

Deucer
 
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