"Edgar" wrote in message
...

"mmc" wrote in message
g.com...

"jlrogers±³©" wrote in message
...
Former sailboat owners tell why they switched to powerboats and how much
they enjoy them.
http://www.motorboating.com/articleH...?ID=1000065935
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jlrogers±³©



I know it's true, a motor boating magaizine told me so!
I know a few people that made the swap and their reasons were that they
had gotten too old for the activities required to sail. Their words not
mine.


It is not a question of age -it is a question of how strong and fit they
have succeeded in remaining.
Anyway, the article does not prove anything except that Florida is a
retirement area and also not sailboat friendly.
I think a big part of that is that a decent sailboat draws too much water.
I imported a very fine sailboat from Florida which was a good deal for me
because the guy bought it up north and immediately spent a lot of money on
it before discovering that 7' draft rather limits his options in Florida..
They even ran her aground during the survey while going to the shipyard to
haul her out for me.
7' draft is no problem at all in Norway and I do not need to worry about
meeting heavy weather with over 3 tonnes of lead down there

I guess the definition of "decent sailboat" would vary depending on the
sailor and his use for the boat. I had a 17 Boston Whaler "Supercat", a lot
like a Nacra catamaran that drew about 4 inches with the rudders up and was
great for sailing the Indian River Lagoon. Then a 21' Catalina that was also
great in the river. After, a couple (1963, then 1973) 35' Chris Craft
sailboats that were much better ocean than river sailors with each having a
4'2" draft. But I could do the river if the wind was right.
In my 20 years living and sailing in Florida, I've found that Florida is
very sailboat friendly. Maybe not for the kind of keel needed for the North
Atlantic though!