On 11/6/09 5:44 PM, nom=de=plume wrote:
"H the wrote in message
m...
On 11/6/09 5:19 PM, nom=de=plume wrote:
I was thinking about getting something to sail on the small lake near the
property. It would need to be small enough that I deal with, yet big
enough
to take two adults or me and two kids... when the Spring comes or we get
a
stretch of decent weather...

I saw this ad ... don't know anything about Banshee sailboats, but it
seems
pretty simple to operate. Comments/opinions? Is that a decent price?

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/1448183101.html



As long as you and passengers wear life jackets at all times, and are
prepared for the boat to capsize, and you learn how to rightside it and
climb back aboard...

Those aren't necessarily negatives, btw, but just part of learning to sail
on that sort of boat. These are the sorts of boats that really make you
learn how to sail and how to understand the wind, current, and the physics
of sailing.

I learned on an Alcort sunfish, a bit smaller, slightly different
configuraton, and I spent most of the first weeks sailing it tipping it
over.

I can't comment on the price. If you are interested, drag along someone
who knows small sailboats and can help you examine the boat for leaks and
for problems with the mast or rigging. Don White here can offer some
advice.

Cute boat.

I know how to sail boats that size... not afraid of that certainly. The lake
water is typically very cold... snow runoff, so lifejackets and some warm
liquid is standard. The wind is typically very light, and I wouldn't leave
the dock if there was much of a chance of high winds. It's usually pretty
predictable.

I was just wondering if anyone has experience with this kind of boat. It
_does_ look cute, which is a prime consideration of course!

I borrowed a neighbor friend's dinghy last summer... I think I mentioned
that in a recent storm it flooded and was sitting in the muck. Anyway, I had
to practically tie the kids into it to keep them in the boat. Finally I gave
up and they went swimming. Brrr... too cold for me probably even in a
wetsuit, but they went in without any of that. Of course they were blue in a
1/2 hour. Sis did _not_ appreciate it, but I'm still the favorite aunt.



Cold water indeed. The first time my wife and I traveled to S.F. for a
vacation, we took a bunch of side trips, including, of course, Muir
Woods, and the woods, trails and beaches at near Point Reyes. It was
July or August, pretty warm, and I put on my swimming trunks and went
for a dip. Holy ice cubes!

I imagine a lake in your area is as cold.

We're planning a trip to S.F. between now and January, just for a week.
I'm collecting restaurant names...good local restaurants, seafood,
italian, california, et cetera...and yes, that's a request.