thanks again capt. input much appreciated.

yes , i have been off off the coast. been to catalina a few times, in good
weather. all but once on a power boat. the one time i sailed was with a
friend on his flicka. nice easy ride. used to go fishing quite a bit out of
oxnard on my bosses 20 power boat. it can get nasty there pretty quickly.
but no, never by myself in a sailboat. i have been on lake mead when it was
20+ miles an hour. had a few pant filling moments, but made it to the bay
ok. thats one of the reasons im looking for a smallish boat. small sails,
less weight to handle etc.

im going down to look at it again later this morning. give it a good hard
look and maybe make an offer. the owner is a really nice guy that doesnt
want to sell it, but hes in his 70s and his knees arent what they used to
be. cant really sail it any more. still goes and putzes around with the boat
all the time. appreciate the advice skipper. many thanks. best regards, j.d.