land locked wrote:

Anyone have experience with the Schock Santana 21?

Yes. It's quite a nice boat and sails well.


I've found a 1972 hull
in Maryland for a good price,

What's a "good price"? From the pic, it looks like "free" would be good unless
there is a lot of gear with the boat that is not shown.


haven't seen it yet, but the yard reports it
to be in good condition, small "hair line crack in hull". (photo attached)
Depending on the location I guess it could be a killer.

Actually, repairing cracks in fiberglass is not a big deal. Even if it is in a
structural area, the materials would not cost that much and *if* you have the
skills, not difficult. Check the local library and see if they have any
references to tell you what you'll be looking at doing.

IMHO a much more important question is "How complete is the boat's rigging &
gear?" It's almost guaranteed that it will need new sails and new running
rigging (ropes) and this will cost several thousand dollars. If major parts of
the rigging are missing or damaged or simply old & shot, then you will not only
need to buy replacements (and you'll be shocked how expensive sailboat rigging
parts can be) you will need to find somebody to help put it together.


I've read the
center board can be a problem due to the hinge/cable/crank set-up.

Possibly, but again it is not an insurmountable problem.


This
would be my first boat and since I have limited funds a project is all I can
afford. This or building a similar sized Sharpie in ply. Also any advise
on the type of trailer required to move this type of hull would be great
too.

I'd suggest going to the local sailing club and crewing for some other people on
a variety of different types of boats. It is a way to gain experience and also a
chance to check out different types of boats and see what you like.

If you want a small trailerable racer-cruiser, then there are lots of them in
workable condition on the market; you should not have to buy a 'project' which
will result in a lot of hidden costs and not sailing for a year or more.

Hope this helps.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King