Sailboat thread
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I've only built them, never owned one. I like friends that have boats instead.
johneh
Minister of Fire
The best 2 days of a boaters life
1)The day he gets a boat
2) The day he sells that boat
been there done that glad to be done with it
1)The day he gets a boat
2) The day he sells that boat
been there done that glad to be done with it
Yup. It's a hole in the water you pour money into. That said, sailing is wonderful. I wouldn't say no for a chance to crew and get out. Unfortunately this has gotten rare in the past several years.
I have a friend with a Chrysler Sidewinder he's offering me (free). Not sure I want another "thing," but I sure miss sailing. Previous boats: Chrysler Man-O-War (smaller version of the sidewinder), C-Scow, Laser, Mirror Dinghy, Cape Cod Frosty (built two with my kids).
I was lucky enough to summer on Cape Cod. That led to the sailboat dream. Finally fulfilled in the '80s, with the chevy of sail, Catalina 22,27,30'! Great affordable craft. Biggest memory, honest, first Cape Cod Canal transit after 30+ years of crossing the canal bridges. Miss sailing to this day, nothing like having a movable beach house.
That’s for power boats! Been there, done that, although water skiing was a lot of fun. Breaking down on the water, esp with a tropical storm rolling in, was no fun.
I have one old wood racing boat, built 1959 and last restored (third restoration?) in 2009. In the middle of buying a small training dinghy for the kids, which is what got me thinking about boats again. I can’t think of a better way to spend time with family, than out on the water!
True, powerboats are even worse. Cost can be low for a small freshwater day sailer. iI one can haul the boat out after sailing, only does freshwater sailing, and has no motor or bright work to keep up then it's much more affordable, though like serious wood heating there are all the toys that go along with the boat that add to the cost and maintenance. In the least one needs a boat trailer.
Last boat we built was a saltwater sailer built for warm FL waters. The owner did almost zero maintenance himself. It cost the owner between $5-10,000 a year for maintenance. And that doesn't include moorage.
https://www.sailo.com/calculator
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sportbikerider78
Minister of Fire
The biggest expense with a boat is the bottomless pit of a cooler that just keeps emptying itself every 3 or 4 hrs. 
Yeah, mine are both fresh water dry sailed. Stored on trailers in a dry barn, and washed out real well after saltwater race events. One is strictly for racing, not really what one would call a “pleasurable” boat to sail (but very exciting), the other is a racing trainer for the kids. My total maintenance cost, after the initial rebuild on my boat (which took me more than two years), is one shot of grease into each trailer bearing once per year and checking the tire pressure.
I’ll need to dig out some photos of mine, but since they’re both one-design classes, here’s what they look like.
Parents:
View attachment 228782
Kids:
View attachment 228781
The kids’ boat actually has a jib, but that guy isn’t flying it in the stock photo.
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Just found some photos of my own boat on my phone. Note bottom cover, which is always installed for trailering, makes ramp launching real fun. :rolleyes
You should post some photos of the boats you’ve worked on, begreen. I’ve seen them, and they’re nice!
You should post some photos of the boats you’ve worked on, begreen. I’ve seen them, and they’re nice!
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Very pretty boats. You are smart keeping it simple. How often does all that brightwork need refinishing? Not sure if I have a good shot digitized of the first boat we made. That was back in the slide film days. The second boat's previous owner did a lot of documentation, that is why I have those pics.
semipro
Minister of Fire
Damn! Your lawn is nice!
I recall you discussing it in other posts.
I like the boat too.
I used to spend a lot of time with friends on their Hobie Cat - what a blast.
Had a ski boat -- learned my lesson there.
Just have a canoe now - high fun to cost/maintenance ratio.
The folks that make the varnish say every year, but that's on the assumption it's topside work out in the weather all day. By keeping it indoors, dry sailing it, and ensuring there's nothing aboard that can scratch varnish (eg. I switched my spinnaker pole from aluminum to carbon fiber, etc.), I'm at year 10, and it still looks like the day I finished applying it. I did 16 coats, thinned and sprayed with a gravity fed HVLP gun.
Hah... you were supposed to be looking at the boat! The lawn is very low-maintenance, just a matter of applying the right products at the right time a few times per year, and a yearly soil test to keep track of pH and nutrient levels. I can post the schedule in another thread, if you're interested, although I think I already posted it somewhere in the DIY forum last year.
REALLY nice! If you ever need a crew...
I've raced a fair number of dinghies in my day, but I'm a bit far away for a Sunday race series.
Now I'm thinking maybe I should take my buddy's Sidewinder after all. Not a racing boat (at least not around here), but still lots of fun.
Thanks! That boat was built in Ohio, and spent a number of years there, your neighborhood.
Picking up the new RS Zest on Monday, and have several days of sailing planned. Looking forward to it!
My thoughts exactly. Light hull (150 lb), so it rocks more than my son would like, when I shift my weight (170 lb) around. But with the hard-chined hull, it seems it only rocks to a point, it won’t tip all that easy. Would also be a blast to single-hand it, should I ever get free time (not likely) alone with it.
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You should try a Flying Dutchman some time.I used to crew on a few in my teens. Nothing like hiking out on a trapeze, feet on the gunwales totally outside the hull. I had one of the first lazers made, also sailed lightnings, comets, 420s and of course the ever popular Sunfish & sailfish. Had a macgregor 22 a few years ago but ended up selling it since I didn't have time to sail. I do miss it though.
Yeah, the Dutchman is fast. My mom used to crew on one, but I've not had the pleasure. I seriously considered them, but went with the Thistle for several good reasons, and I can't imagine going back now. Maybe I need both. ;-)
Here's the Dutchman, for folks who haven't seen one:
Lots of Lasers around, maybe the best all-around single-handed racer ever made. Lightnings are slow.
Did a bunch of Sunfish sailing with my son this summer, before getting the Zest. The Sunfish is a lot of fun with two kids, but not so much with one 175 lb. adult and a 60 lb. kid. Keeping the boat balanced in shifty conditions was a challenge.
His favorite boat so far is the Hobie Wave, but I really don't feel like hauling and storing a cat. Anyone tried that new inflatable cats? They look real nice from a storage and hauling perspective, if you don't mind the extra time in the parking lot to assemble it, before sailing. Ideal for folks that want to travel (RV?) with a boat.
http://www.minicatamaran.eu/
Here's the Dutchman, for folks who haven't seen one:
Lots of Lasers around, maybe the best all-around single-handed racer ever made. Lightnings are slow.
Did a bunch of Sunfish sailing with my son this summer, before getting the Zest. The Sunfish is a lot of fun with two kids, but not so much with one 175 lb. adult and a 60 lb. kid. Keeping the boat balanced in shifty conditions was a challenge.
His favorite boat so far is the Hobie Wave, but I really don't feel like hauling and storing a cat. Anyone tried that new inflatable cats? They look real nice from a storage and hauling perspective, if you don't mind the extra time in the parking lot to assemble it, before sailing. Ideal for folks that want to travel (RV?) with a boat.
http://www.minicatamaran.eu/
I had forgotten how wet you get doing that. Never got into the cats at all. Lightnings are classified as "Daysailers" not designed to be fast.
Now if you want FAST try an ice boat sometime. We had a year in the early 70s when the lake I grew up on stayed clear of snow. the neighbor had 2. The DN ice boat will do about 3 times the wind speed, in a 30 mph wind that is fast!
Now if you want FAST try an ice boat sometime. We had a year in the early 70s when the lake I grew up on stayed clear of snow. the neighbor had 2. The DN ice boat will do about 3 times the wind speed, in a 30 mph wind that is fast!
firefighterjake
Minister of Fire
My wife and I went out on a schooner on Labor Day . . . does this count as sailing.
Incidentally she is very fair skinned and forgot to put on the sunblock. Her face is still peeling. She also forgot to wear sunglasses and I think burned her eyes as she said they felt like sand was in them and kept watering non-stop for a few days.
Incidentally she is very fair skinned and forgot to put on the sunblock. Her face is still peeling. She also forgot to wear sunglasses and I think burned her eyes as she said they felt like sand was in them and kept watering non-stop for a few days.
Only if they shut the motor off! Some of those “sailboat” tours put up a sail for show, but keep moving along under motor power.
I went on a real nice one in Newport, a big two-masted schooner. It was a day with great steady wind, over 20 knots. When they threw up the sails the boat healed over hard, and I thought, “great, here we go!” But it was a little too frightening for the old ladies aboard, so they hauled the sails back down as quickly as they had put them up. Bummer.
A rainy weekend, here. I’d be up for sailing in it, you get wet anyway, but no way my wife would let me take the kid out in stormy weather. So, it’s chores around the house, today.
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