Break Out Another Thousand

Awlrighty guys. I'm sorely tempted by this beautiful classic "hole in the water into which you throw money."

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/197...2526793/Newberg/OR/United-States#.U2q1W8fGU3I

It's a sailboat, obviously.

It's about 19 feet long, weighs about 2000 lbs, and can be trailered behind my 4 cyl tacoma. I'd probably have to upgrade the trailer to have brakes; doesn't look like it currently has any.

I could sail it on SF Bay, Monterey Bay, and Lake Tahoe.

I already know how to sail; in fact, I'm pretty good at it.

Currently, I have a laser, which is 14 feet long, weighs about 130lbs, is sailed wearing a wetsuit, and is "only slightly wetter than swimming." Lasers exist to be raced, and I'm gradually losing my interest in sailboat *racing.* But I still love being on the water.

Before that, I had a J/24 which I actively raced on SF Bay.

Downsides - more maintenance chores. Boats exist to be maintained. See all that lovely brightwork? It either needs two new coats of varnish a year - or somehow for the boat to be stored on its trailer indoors away from the abusive effects of the sun.

If you keep a boat like this one on the trailer - raising the mast, and launching a fixed keel boat from a trailer is kind of a pain. They make newer boats on which these jobs are much easier. This boat probably needs 90 minutes from the time you pull into the launch ramp parking lot until you sail it away from the dock - if you're working quickly and efficiently and not wasting any time. Same thing on the pulling-out end.

So, help talk me into it - or out of it.

 

Boats that are always in the water are more subject to blistering than trailer sailed boats. Yeah, I'd give it a good going over - and having had to recore some balsa deck - I know how to find soft core by tapping and listening.

The price may be a little high. Condition counts for a lot - more so than with old-but-not-classic cars. But still.

 

A more modern alternative would be something like this - which is a modern design implementing a "classic look"

http://www.com-pacyachts.com/trailerable-catboats/sun-cat.html