Frank Maier wrote:

Stephen Trapani wrote:

Okay, after getting advice here, I'm the guy who wouldn't go $8500 for a
'68 Newport 30,' and after seeing the Piver and hearing the warnings,
ran

...snip...

Is this too good to be true?


Stephen,

You seem like a smart guy and you're a fellow Northwesterner, so I
hate to rain on your parade. We get enough of that here as it is.
But...

Remember the old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it is."

Obviously I have zero personal knowledge about any of the specifics
you're looking at. It's possible you could get the deal of the
century. IMO, it's more likely you're gonna get an education in
economics.

I don't remember if you gave any history in your original post. Have
you considered simply chartering?

I've got a few good reasons to get a boat, one is that I grew up with a
Blanchard 33' in HI, done various types of sailing/boating on that boat
and a little on a few others, so it's not like I don't know if I'll like
sailing/cruising. I know exactly what sort of boating I don't like and
what type I do. I want to explore, for example, not just sail back and
forth in a channel. Racing might be fun. Also this is prime family
activity time with my two sons right now at their age.

Chartering will cost eight hundred a shot or more, right? Won't that add
up fast?

We can't get too small a boat. There's a limit to how small a space a
family can live in comfortaby for any length of time more than a day or
so, so I can't go small. *Maybe* we could handle something the size of a
Catalina 27' in a pinch, but it sure would be easier if it were bigger.
Any of you with families probably know what I mean. Plus, I'm the type
of person who would rather take a little more risk with a bigger upside
than to take the safe, lesser fun/payoff route. Maybe not a good idea
with boats?

Another reason it particularly makes sense for me to own a boat is that
I happen to have property and free moorage on Puget Sound that I can use
whenever I want and it makes huge sense when you live on this good of a
body of water to take advantage of the water side of the equation.

Another reason is that I do often enjoy fixing up my things and making
them more valuable, or at least, um maintaining some of their value. So
I don't mind doing that type of work. I'll squeeze an hour or two in
after tying up somewhere, right before beer time!

Stephen