Scott Vernon wrote:
"Jim Cate" wrote


Regarding the initial question, I notice that there weren't very many
responses assuring me that most boat owners sail frequently and
therefore get their money's worth from their boats. Is this a sensitive
subject that most sailors don't want to talk about?


No, quite frankly Jim, it's a stupid question. What does it matter how much
time other people spend on their boat? Are you a sheep? A buddy who had a
power boat used to keep track of what he spent and how much time he used it.
He sold it after 2 years claiming, ''it just isn't worth it''.

Sailing, for most of us, is a passion, not a business. What price do you put
on that perfect sunny, breezy day out on the water, or a moonlit night sail,
or that secluded quiet anchorage watching the sun set?
Sensitive subject? Hell yes!


Scott Vernon
Plowville PA __/)__/)__


It may be a stupid question in your opinion, but in my opinion, it's a
very logical, sensible, and relevant question. According to your
"logic", if I spend $30K to $40K on a boat and it turns out that I can
only sail the boat two or three times a year, but if on one of those
trips I see a moonlit night, or experience a sunny breeze on the water,
it's all worth it? Maybe, but I can charter a number of different boats
of various sizes for a few hundred dollars and see all the moonlit
nights and sunny days and secluded anchorage's I want to.

Incidentally, please don't quote me as saying what I didn't say. What I
said was: IF NEARLY ALL owners of such boats find that they don't
continue to sail their boats as often as they thought when they bought
them, and IF, in fact, they are only able to get out very infrequently,
perhaps I should take this into consider as ONE FACTOR, among OTHERS,
when looking at boats. Please note: ONE FACTOR AMONG OTHERS. You may
think that I have a problem in making a decision and going ahead with
it. Not at all. But in this case, I have only been looking at boats for
about two weeks. Also, I will probably need my wife's participation, so
the boat has to be appealing to her as well.

In other words, before committing $30-$40K, plus future maintenance,
dock fees, insurance, etc., to this interest (which in my case is one of
many interests), it seems only reasonable to consider the experience of
others when going down the same path. I'm not questioning chasing a
dream and looking for those sunny days or moonlit nights, but that
doesn't mean that I should make precipitous decisions or spend this
kind of money irrationally (if, in fact, it's probably the case that I
won't get what I expect to get from the boat) that could otherwise go to
a number of other worthwhile purposes. - Like, as one example, helping
children who would otherwise starve to death or die of dysentery, etc.

Jim