Why Did You Buy Your Boat?
- Thread starter Warren Milberg
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Our original sailboat was an older Catalina 30 with curved floors and a forward head. After 10 years with this boat we wanted flat floors, an aft head, a user friendlier owners berth and a walk through transom. Our Catalina 400 has has all of these and it sails well.
Oh, YES. A place to lie back, read a book, have a brew, listen to some tunes.
My place.
I purchased my 28 O'day to escape on the weekends from Manhattan. The dealer helped me to select this boat I was very pleased with the purchase for many years. It is now time for as larger newer boat and aver going to the boat show in Boston enjoyed seeing the new Sabre, and Bennetae, and Tartan 40's..Selling ones boat is another story.
We started with an older 31 footer because we didn't know if we would enjoy sailing all that much. After making this decision, I took two ASA courses and, armed with this knowledge, i enjoyed it very much. We tended to spend each weekend sailing and the 31 footer lacked certain creature comforts for spending three nights a week on her. The next boat would have to have the following and our new 386 has these features that are important to a homemaker/sailor.
Built in microwave, real queen sized aft berth with real innerspring mattress, salon table with drop leaf to serve 8 people, electric head, room to shower and a dry vanity separate from the shower, pleated window shades, lots of light with overhead windows, 3 closets, neutral colors. Most importantly, cockpit seating for 10 people. On our old boat, only 5 people max could enjoy a day on the bay. In mast furling because my husband hates to reef when we start out. Stern rail seating and last but not least, it was a clean boat and didn't stink!
A few things I would like but will never have would be forward facing nav station and an easier to climb companionway step system for the greyhound who has only managed to jump the 5 foot expanse twice without chickening out. We have to hoist her 65 pounds up the ladder. I would also like a bed we could walk around. These features would require a 40+ foot boat and we like having a boat that will fit into a guest slip at other marinas. We are very lucky to have our new boat and I am not complaining.
Thing
Built in microwave, real queen sized aft berth with real innerspring mattress, salon table with drop leaf to serve 8 people, electric head, room to shower and a dry vanity separate from the shower, pleated window shades, lots of light with overhead windows, 3 closets, neutral colors. Most importantly, cockpit seating for 10 people. On our old boat, only 5 people max could enjoy a day on the bay. In mast furling because my husband hates to reef when we start out. Stern rail seating and last but not least, it was a clean boat and didn't stink!
A few things I would like but will never have would be forward facing nav station and an easier to climb companionway step system for the greyhound who has only managed to jump the 5 foot expanse twice without chickening out. We have to hoist her 65 pounds up the ladder. I would also like a bed we could walk around. These features would require a 40+ foot boat and we like having a boat that will fit into a guest slip at other marinas. We are very lucky to have our new boat and I am not complaining.
Thing
Our first boat was a Dawson 26, a center cockpit with swing keel. She was not what we were looking for (30 feet, inboard diesel, wheel steering) but we fell in love at first sight. Good thing, too. That swing keel and retractable rudder got lots of workout in our early days and we also had the diesel (8 HP one cylinder) and wheel steering. But after ten years she got a little cramped so we went looking for an O'Day 32, also a CC boat. Then we saw the O'Day 37 CC, which looked like the Dawson's mommy, and bought her. The 32 has a chopped off look to her while the 37 is well proportioned. Never looked back. Marvelous boat.
Projects
I bought this boat from the bank. I was actually going to get out of boating for a while after I sold my Oday 28. My banker asked me to go look at a boat he aquired to make a list of any problems. I returned the list and then he said "make an offer" so I did and I was back in boating. It needed a lot of work as it had been sitting in salt water for about 2 years without any maintenance. I was thinking of selling it once I restored it but now I may keep it for a while.
Looked at 8 different boats when we were looking to step up a bit from out Catalina 30. The Oday was in spectacular condition, and just felt right. Big enough to lounge comfortably, easy enough to single hand. And, the Admiral said she liked it. Oh, and I almost forgot, the fridge fits a 3 gallon keg of homebrew!
1988 Catalina 25:
Small enough to store on a trailer in my yard.
Shoal draft wing keel to gunk hole on Lake Superior and moor in front of my house.
Easily single handed
Better built than Hunters - my opinion at the time.
Price allowed easy 5-year pay-off in time for retirement from the army
Small enough to store on a trailer in my yard.
Shoal draft wing keel to gunk hole on Lake Superior and moor in front of my house.
Easily single handed
Better built than Hunters - my opinion at the time.
Price allowed easy 5-year pay-off in time for retirement from the army
Around 1990 we were enthusiastic scuba divers when we got tired of the typical "cattle boat" mentality on most scuba charters, so we started looking for our own dive platform. Running in and out of a Hunter Legend 43 and a Catalina 40 that happened to be sitting side by side in Havre de Grace, my wife firmly decided on the Legend 43.
After cold-water diving and sailing a couple of years along the California coast we made a 2- month trip to the Sea of Cortez in 1993, including the infamous 900 mile Baja slog back to San Diego. Since we enjoyed the occasional leg out of sight of land better than the often nerve-wracking coastal legs, we decided to make a Hawaii passage the following year but did not yet have quite enough savings to afford a more expensive "blue-water" brand so had to make a ton of upgrades instead (e.g. following the Corenman's Westmarine Cup manual) before making our first passage to Hawaii (and back) in 1994.
After another (2-season) expedition to the sea of Cortez we wanted to sail to Australia (via Hawaii) and started going to various US sailboat shows to pick our second boat. Believe it or not, my wife kept picking various larger Hunter models!! By then, these all had even tinier anchor lockers (especially compared to the one we already had completely rebuilt on our Legend 43), highly impractical (e.g. round) cockpits, no more toerails, no seaberth, etc. etc. So I told her it would be easier to keep rebuilding our Legend 43, especially since it had proven itself so well.
Rivendel II (aka Lucky Rivendell) ended up bringing us safely to Mexcico (2x), Hawaii (2x), Tuvalu, Australia (2x), Fiji (2x) and Vanuatu (9 seasons; doing a medical assistance project) without tearing a sail or breaking anything of significance (not counting electronics and engine). After some 50,000 NM of criscrossing the NE and SW Pacific in December 2008 Rivendel II was sold in Brisbane (for about the same dollar amount we paid for her in 1991!).
We sure do miss her, but are now starting our new adventures in a rural mountain area of Idaho, with a superb view of Palisades Lake. If the light is just right and we shield our eyes a bit, we can almost believe we are still on the Pacific ocean.....
Flying Dutchman
After cold-water diving and sailing a couple of years along the California coast we made a 2- month trip to the Sea of Cortez in 1993, including the infamous 900 mile Baja slog back to San Diego. Since we enjoyed the occasional leg out of sight of land better than the often nerve-wracking coastal legs, we decided to make a Hawaii passage the following year but did not yet have quite enough savings to afford a more expensive "blue-water" brand so had to make a ton of upgrades instead (e.g. following the Corenman's Westmarine Cup manual) before making our first passage to Hawaii (and back) in 1994.
After another (2-season) expedition to the sea of Cortez we wanted to sail to Australia (via Hawaii) and started going to various US sailboat shows to pick our second boat. Believe it or not, my wife kept picking various larger Hunter models!! By then, these all had even tinier anchor lockers (especially compared to the one we already had completely rebuilt on our Legend 43), highly impractical (e.g. round) cockpits, no more toerails, no seaberth, etc. etc. So I told her it would be easier to keep rebuilding our Legend 43, especially since it had proven itself so well.
Rivendel II (aka Lucky Rivendell) ended up bringing us safely to Mexcico (2x), Hawaii (2x), Tuvalu, Australia (2x), Fiji (2x) and Vanuatu (9 seasons; doing a medical assistance project) without tearing a sail or breaking anything of significance (not counting electronics and engine). After some 50,000 NM of criscrossing the NE and SW Pacific in December 2008 Rivendel II was sold in Brisbane (for about the same dollar amount we paid for her in 1991!).
We sure do miss her, but are now starting our new adventures in a rural mountain area of Idaho, with a superb view of Palisades Lake. If the light is just right and we shield our eyes a bit, we can almost believe we are still on the Pacific ocean.....
Flying Dutchman
Wanted a boat that:
a) I could spend the summer sailing instead of working on boat projects (travel a lot).
b) easy to singlehand
c) could handle pretty much anything Lake Michigan could throw at it
d) we could make extended cruises and spend every weekend living aboard
e) most importantly - the admiral LOVES this boat.
a) I could spend the summer sailing instead of working on boat projects (travel a lot).
b) easy to singlehand
c) could handle pretty much anything Lake Michigan could throw at it
d) we could make extended cruises and spend every weekend living aboard
e) most importantly - the admiral LOVES this boat.
Oh exactly!!! How right you are! Really, we do that every single time too! Sounds like a description of love.
Our route was similar to a few other posts, though much was based on affordability as well.
boat 1: 11ft Snark-rigged like a sunfish but slower -also only a bit more than $100.
boat 2 : Wife wanted to be higher and drier - 17ft O'day style sloop about $500, but put addtl 500 into it - sold for $800 10 years later.
boat 3: Wife wanted a 'real' cabin - Venture 21 $1400 - put addtl 1400 into it. will still have until we retire and move to a 26 as our final boat.
boat 4: Wanted a smaller boat - quick to rig/launch/beach for when the state drains our lake=15 ft chrysler. Took a lot of effort and time to keep my self from being inconvenienced by the powers-that-be bit will eventually be worth the extra effort.
boat 1: 11ft Snark-rigged like a sunfish but slower -also only a bit more than $100.
boat 2 : Wife wanted to be higher and drier - 17ft O'day style sloop about $500, but put addtl 500 into it - sold for $800 10 years later.
boat 3: Wife wanted a 'real' cabin - Venture 21 $1400 - put addtl 1400 into it. will still have until we retire and move to a 26 as our final boat.
boat 4: Wanted a smaller boat - quick to rig/launch/beach for when the state drains our lake=15 ft chrysler. Took a lot of effort and time to keep my self from being inconvenienced by the powers-that-be bit will eventually be worth the extra effort.
Well, after a couple of decades off of sailboats, I decided to get back in. Wife wasn't too sure about it so I kept costs down. Looked and looked, Ebay, Craigslist and finally found my own "first boat". 1977 Catalina C-22. nice shape, on the trailer, for under 2K. Enjoyed her last summer and can't wait for this summer. Bonus, my grand-daughters love her. Of course I sensed a little jealousy from my daughter when I named her after the grand-daughters. But what the hell.
I bought my first sailboat 2 years ago, 79 MacGregor 22 and looking forward to the 3rd season with it. I was brand new to sailing (still new now) I didn't know anyone who sailed, and basically thought if i am going to sink, capsize, ground, or other means of destruction due to my inexperieince i'll get something cheap and trailorable that I could store in my garage. That's how I ended up with my present boat. I set my price at $2000 and started looking. For $1800 I ended up with the 79 Mac, with trailor, 6hp yatchtwin and started teaching myself to sail, with the help of a coast gaurd safety course and a few how to sail books.
So far so good, maybe in a few years I will upgrade to something larger. But I am still learning, not just about sailing, but about sailboats in general. Thankfully, the biggest problem I had with the purchase was finding a second person to go out sailing with me!
So far so good, maybe in a few years I will upgrade to something larger. But I am still learning, not just about sailing, but about sailboats in general. Thankfully, the biggest problem I had with the purchase was finding a second person to go out sailing with me!
Sailed various small boats as a kid and moved up to a Starwind 19 when I was newly married and 24 y/o or so. Had a lot of fun on that boat and took her everywhere. Learned coastal navigation on several trips to the Keys. Bareboated an O'Day 34 and Tartan 37 to the Bahamas. Divorce saw my Starwind liquidated.
On the single income couldn't really afford another boat so started motorcycling. Quarter of a million miles, 6 bikes later and almost every state covered I made my dream trip to Alaska. Made it there but in the mountains of British Columbia I hit a deer head on. Barely survived Canadian medical care for 2 weeks and was airlifted back home where they fixed the botched surgery done in Canada. Spent 4 months out of work recovering. On one of my first trips away from the house we got burglarized. Many computers and other electronics were taken.
Insurance (USAA..great company to deal with) covered that loss. Wife said, "No way" to another bike. Had never stopped looking at sailboat ads and came across a Starwind 223 at a fair price. Felt comfortable with the design and since my computers and bike were taken without my leave I decided to change tacks. Besides hitting a deer sailing should be less traumatic. But I will be aiming for them..lol.
On the single income couldn't really afford another boat so started motorcycling. Quarter of a million miles, 6 bikes later and almost every state covered I made my dream trip to Alaska. Made it there but in the mountains of British Columbia I hit a deer head on. Barely survived Canadian medical care for 2 weeks and was airlifted back home where they fixed the botched surgery done in Canada. Spent 4 months out of work recovering. On one of my first trips away from the house we got burglarized. Many computers and other electronics were taken.
Insurance (USAA..great company to deal with) covered that loss. Wife said, "No way" to another bike. Had never stopped looking at sailboat ads and came across a Starwind 223 at a fair price. Felt comfortable with the design and since my computers and bike were taken without my leave I decided to change tacks. Besides hitting a deer sailing should be less traumatic. But I will be aiming for them..lol.
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