On Thu, 1 May 2008 22:55:57 +0200, "Steve Lusardi"
wrote:

Dan
Old doesn't mean less good than new designs. There are classic designs that
perform every bit as well as new designs and quite often better. . This is
especially true with sail designs. After all the only real improvement made
over the years is not the basic design, but in material performance. My
comment wasn't made to be a smart ass, but a 13' ft boat is a perfect size
to get your feet wet in the hobby and as you already have the boat, the real
cost of building is gone. (the cost of outfitting) You have all the parts!
Don't be so ready to quit! Join us.
If you need advise along the way, we are here.
Steve
Thanks Steve.
I paid $125.00 for the boat. Last year I repaired the huge crack, 3'
long and wide enough to put your hand through. It was great lesson in
fiberglass and boat repair.
I also repaired some of the big cracks and painted the
epoxy/fiberglass with primer to keep the UV off of it for now.
So the boat has very bad red paint on it, some huge spots sanded
through to the orange gelcoat and then, white primer on that. I
painted the numbers on the side with a stencil and a spray can. This
boat looked terrible. I hauled it to the lake on a tandem axle flat
bed trailer behind the custom van. We looked like the Clampett's goin
sail'n. But I didn't care I wanted to go sailing. I only had one day
last year.

I have completed ASA 101 and 103.
So I took the little boat out with my wife. She has no idea how to
sail. We had life jackets on and weren't far from shore at all.
If you really want to know I'll tell you the story, but suffice it to
say we had more fun together that day then we had in many years. We
laughed so hard we had tears in our eyes. That little boat was out of
control. The wind piped up and that boat was flying.
I think having fun is the idea. I also love to learn and believe doing
it is the only way to really learn.
Problem is, this boat's performance is so bad compared to today's new
rockets it has no value anymore. The new boats look like large
surfboards with huge sails.
I had to build a trailer for this boat. So right now I have almost
$900.00 into this boat and it isn't worth anything. But I've learned a
ton, I'm and have a blast with it.
It sits in the shop and gets worked on almost every day. I just wish
it wasn't so destroyed before I got it. My wife bough it for me.
I also own a Catalina C25 that is undergoing major re-furb and has
been for a long time. I have worked on sealing the deck penetrations,
re-installed the motor, re-built the motor, repaired gelcoat, new
electrical system, new teak, sanded topsides completely and on and on
and on…..
I just screw with the little boat until I get the C25 done.