The GRAND Plan. Good or Bad idea

[mdsdurango]

I’ve been actively searching for a trailer “able” sailboat for over a year. I scope out as many web sites as I can with boats for sale. My plan was (yes I said was) to purchase a boat within a comfortable radius of my home in Durango Colorado, move it here and sail on a local lake until I make a planned retirement move to the southern west coast of California (or even Mexico) in about five years.
I found a boat that I like a lot, is reasonably close to home and, according to what I see available on the for sale sites, is up for sale at a fair price. The boat is the O’Day 272LE that I have mentioned in other threads.
Now the problem starts. Over the weekend I took a visit to the only lake close enough to make a comfortable commute for a sailboat of this size and it is so low that the moorings are grounded. The lake is still sailable but not without many tacks. There is now a waiting list for slips and moorings assuming the lake will rise.
This lake could take years to recover. It is down 60 feet! It’s not likely to recover this year as there was less than average snow pack in the watersheds. So I see that I have these options; 1) skip the boat entirely, miss this sale and do no sailing or buy a much smaller day sailor (16 – 18) that is easily launched and trailered and wait till I move to purchase a bigger boat. 2) go ahead and purchase the boat and store it till I move. This however, brings up a host of questions; how well do boats store in a hot and cold climate? What happens to bottom paint? What about rodents? Etc. etc. 3) Buy the boat and move it to a dry storage in CA and take as many trips as I can afford (twice a year maybe), put the boat in the water and enjoy a few days aboard before heading home again.
I keep telling myself that there will always be a good boat for sale and I should best just wait. For some reason I have been captured by this particular 272LE and seem to think I should not let this one slip by.

Any psychologists in this forum who can settle my anxiety?
What problems am I looking at with the above scenarios?

As always, thanks in advance.
Mike

 

[Rob2435]

I am no psychologist but if you love sailing buy what you can and what your conditions allow you to sail - on a lake a smaller boat may be best but on the coast you may want something bigger for sailing weekends/trips. As you said, you are 5 years away from retirement...things can change a lot in 5 years. I would get what works for you now and then when you finally retire, reevaluate what you want/can afford.

good luck.

Disclaimer: My life is not perfect and I've given a lot of bad advice to myself over the years.

 

[c_witch]

Hi,

You didn't mention what sailing experience you have. I think both 2 and 3 options would just plain be silly and a waste. Go with the smaller boat and learn and have fun. In 5 years you'll still be able to fine a suitable boat.

c_witch

 

[CalebD]

Owning a boat for 5 years and only being able to use it two times a year will quickly get old as storage fees mount up in a place like So. Cal.
Smaller boats are easier to care for and much less expensive to own. Smaller boats should also be easier to resell.
Smaller boats are also easier to just take out for a sail.
Smaller boats usually get used more than their larger counterparts.

There will be plenty of boats to choose from when the time comes.

Boats I'd consider given your information:
Sunfish
Laser
Lightning, Flying Scot
Snipe
etc etc

 

[mdsdurango]

C_, Appreciate greatly your honesty! My sailing experiance is long but limited to inland lakes. I've owned three sailboats the largest a 22'. I took the basic keel boat and coastal cruising courses this spring. Planning on taking the Bareboat and Navigation classes this fall. I LOVED ocean sailing. Lake sailing on smaller lakes is fun but not the same experiance as the big water.

love your disclaimer rob. I give myself bad advice all the time. I think I am doing that now!

Caleb, I want a dry launch. A boat that lunch can be had on. A boat that can carry four adults. Speed is great fun but I'm much more into socializing and having a glass of wine with crackers than leaning out and getting wet. Other suggestions?

 

[onecoolair]

It will should fit in the garage

I’ve been actively searching for a trailer “able” sailboat for over a year. I scope out as many web sites as I can with boats for sale. My plan was (yes I said was) to purchase a boat within a comfortable radius of my home in Durango Colorado, move it here and sail on a local lake until I make a planned retirement move to the southern west coast of California (or even Mexico) in about five years.
I found a boat that I like a lot, is reasonably close to home and, according to what I see available on the for sale sites, is up for sale at a fair price. The boat is the O’Day 272LE that I have mentioned in other threads.
Now the problem starts. Over the weekend I took a visit to the only lake close enough to make a comfortable commute for a sailboat of this size and it is so low that the moorings are grounded. The lake is still sailable but not without many tacks. There is now a waiting list for slips and moorings assuming the lake will rise.
This lake could take years to recover. It is down 60 feet! It’s not likely to recover this year as there was less than average snow pack in the watersheds. So I see that I have these options; 1) skip the boat entirely, miss this sale and do no sailing or buy a much smaller day sailor (16 – 18) that is easily launched and trailered and wait till I move to purchase a bigger boat. 2) go ahead and purchase the boat and store it till I move. This however, brings up a host of questions; how well do boats store in a hot and cold climate? What happens to bottom paint? What about rodents? Etc. etc. 3) Buy the boat and move it to a dry storage in CA and take as many trips as I can afford (twice a year maybe), put the boat in the water and enjoy a few days aboard before heading home again.
I keep telling myself that there will always be a good boat for sale and I should best just wait. For some reason I have been captured by this particular 272LE and seem to think I should not let this one slip by.

Any psychologists in this forum who can settle my anxiety?
What problems am I looking at with the above scenarios?

As always, thanks in advance.
Mike

Mike...
1st... Buy the simpler smaller day sailor..It will should fit in the garage.
2nd ...Start a boat fund.. ...Invest say in precious gold and silver..
3rd....Vacations....Charter or rent different type boats by traveling to different locations.
4nd...Be a boat bum...Make friends with people who already own a sailboat ... Con or bribe them into letting you come go sailing with them.
By doing this your experience and knowledge will grow , along with your bank account. Then when you are ready to make the move...Just do it!
BTW....I have some boat neighbors who have done just that... They are very,very close to retirement and have already sold the house in Dallas and purchased a passages 42 . She moved aboard and now keeps busy working here while he commutes down on the weekends. I have had a few other neighbors who have commuted from as far away as Colorado.

 

[Merlin Clark]

I agree on the smaller usable boat now.
Storing one at home means maintenance, insurance, etc on something you can't use and one that's 100s of miles away will also deteriorate without normal upkeep. Boats don't do well when they're unattended. Plus you'd need a trustworthy soul to handle immediate issues like a bilge alarm sounding. Might be a fault in the alarm or might be the bilge is full and the boat is sinking.
Our club requires out of area owners to have a local point of contact for these issues. I've been lucky when traveling, only once did anyone other than old friends have access over my boat and that guy not only stole stuff off the boat (and out of my storage unit) but also caused my boat to be destroyed in a hurricane.
With the trailerable you can use it when you want, where you want AND charter a larger boat for those times you want to play offshore.
When you're ready to retire and move to the coast you can sell the trailerable and move up.
Just my 2c.

 

[mdsdurango]

I agree on the smaller usable boat now.
Storing one at home means maintenance, insurance, etc on something you can't use and one that's 100s of miles away will also deteriorate without normal upkeep. Boats don't do well when they're unattended. Plus you'd need a trustworthy soul to handle immediate issues like a bilge alarm sounding. Might be a fault in the alarm or might be the bilge is full and the boat is sinking.
Our club requires out of area owners to have a local point of contact for these issues. I've been lucky when traveling, only once did anyone other than old friends have access over my boat and that guy not only stole stuff off the boat (and out of my storage unit) but also caused my boat to be destroyed in a hurricane.
With the trailerable you can use it when you want, where you want AND charter a larger boat for those times you want to play offshore.
When you're ready to retire and move to the coast you can sell the trailerable and move up.
Just my 2c.

Sometimes two cents worth of advice is priceless.

 

[shemandr]

Yeah, don't buy a boat you're not going to use.

 

[Indysailor]

I'd second (or third or fourth...) the advice on a boat you will use. My wife grew up sailing a Flying Scot with her family and she says there's not a better boat for either a thrilling and fast ride or a leisurely sail with friends. I think you can put six in the cockpit.

Honestly, I think I'd shrivel up and die it I didn't have a way to sail on a regular basis. Go with the plan that suits the conditions.

 

[mdsdurango]

"Be a boat bum...Make friends with people who already own a sailboat ... Con or bribe them into letting you come go sailing with them."

Now THAT is some good advice!

OK - skipping on a big purchase for now..
Thanks to all.

 

[CalebD]

OK, other suggestions?

C/B or keel

Rhodes/Mariner 19'
O'Day 25' or 23'
Tanzer 22'
Catalina 22' or 25'
Hunter boats of this size also worth looking at.

I'm not sure what choices of boats you get in CO.
I'm just suggesting trailer able boats - I think.

 

[Sumner]

Which lake are you referring to? Navajo Res.?

A boat like our Mac is very easy to tow and you would have a number of lakes in the Mountain west you could tow to or down into AZ or to CA and the ocean or the Sea of Cortez. It is large enough to take extended cruises with and they move pretty quickly on the market so if you wanted to move to another boat in 4-5 years it would be pretty easy to do.

The boat you are looking at looks nice, but heavy to tow and the 9 foot beam would also create permit situations towing it.

As you....

...can see the Mac is easy to launch even in situations where there might not be a ramp like above at Lake Powell when the lake there was too low to use some ramps.

We are (relatively) close to you if you wanted to look at the Mac when we get home,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[mdsdurango]

Love too.

Thanks Sum

 

[watercolors II]

Small boat investment

A small boat on a trailer is like an investment dollar wise on the larger boat. A small boat sailed for many years and taken care of to the point in which it is a little better condition than when you bought it will be worth every bit of what you paid for it. That larger boat for ocean cruising is where you’re going to lose your ass.

 

[jepomer]

What size boat to start?

We started as trailer sailors first with a Hobie 14 (trampoline not comfortable for 50-something bodies, "toilet" needed).

We then got an O'Day 19. We could take it almost anywhere, rig/launch in less than 30 minutes. The cuddy cabin was big enough for sleeping (camping style) and gave privacy for a port-a-potty.

When we moved up to a Capri 22 with a fixed wing keel, rigging and launching were more time consuming and needed a bit more strength raising the mast (I use a gin-pole system now). The trailer needs an extension to get the boat deep enough to float off. We have used it on a mooring and a slip for the past three years. We go sailing much more often. It is easy to take out of the water for winter storage (or hurricanes).

We have a Cape Dory 25 that is almost ready to get into the water. This one requires even more effort and won't be trailer sailed. But it is still small enough to take back home for winter storage.

One side of me would like to get the next size larger for full standing room and sleeping for weekend and some week long trips. But for all practical purposes, the O'Day 19 and the Capri 22 have been the best boats for us and have had the most use. We are at least an hour from Boston Harbor and Portsmouth Harbor. We like to sail in Lake Champlain, too.

Recently, I moved the other direction and got a Laser. It was like getting on a motorcycle verses a car. It is fun. And I noticed how inexpensive the parts are!

Choosing a boat between 19 and 22 feet is a good size to start. It is large enough to be comfortable, yet small enough to be manageable on the water and in your driveway. More importantly, you will sail much more frequently...

 

[Eric Root]

Over decades, involving multiple boats and multiple sorts of uses, I have found that there is an inverse relationship between the size of a boat and the fun/use it gets. The lower bound for the rule is about 12', but boats in the mid-teens will do most of what I want, easier and cheaper than boats twice their size. So they get used, while the bigger boat sits on its mooring. I keep selling the bigger boats, then buying another, so I guess hope and visions are triumphing over experience. If you are only going to own one boat on a trailer, buy the smallest boat you think you will enjoy.