Jim Cate wrote:
It may be a stupid question in your opinion, but in my opinion, it's a
very logical, sensible, and relevant question.

Well, in that case, you should NOT buy a boat. It is an inherently
illogical thing to do, and will lead to irrecoverable expenditures of money.

The ONLY reason to buy a boat is that one enjoys sailing (or some other
on-water pastime) so much that the expense is worth it. Once you get
over this hurdle, that is the time to start thinking about which
particular boat to buy. However you are still fiddling around in the
starting gate, not sure if you want to run or not...


... Also, I will probably need my wife's participation, so
the boat has to be appealing to her as well.

In that case, the odds against you are astronomical. Very very few women
enjoy sailing... and a big reason for that is the way most men act on
boats. If your wife has not liked sailing up to now, expecting her to
change is downright stupid.

I married a woman who not only loved to sail, but owned a boat herself.
However, I'm a very lucky man.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

DSK wrote:

Jim Cate wrote:

It may be a stupid question in your opinion, but in my opinion, it's a
very logical, sensible, and relevant question.


Well, in that case, you should NOT buy a boat. It is an inherently
illogical thing to do, and will lead to irrecoverable expenditures of
money.

The ONLY reason to buy a boat is that one enjoys sailing (or some other
on-water pastime) so much that the expense is worth it. Once you get
over this hurdle, that is the time to start thinking about which
particular boat to buy. However you are still fiddling around in the
starting gate, not sure if you want to run or not...


Perhaps. But I've only been looking for a few weeks.

... Also, I will probably need my wife's participation, so the boat
has to be appealing to her as well.


In that case, the odds against you are astronomical. Very very few women
enjoy sailing... and a big reason for that is the way most men act on
boats. If your wife has not liked sailing up to now, expecting her to
change is downright stupid.


So, if I get a boat, I should get one with autohelm and lines led aft?


I married a woman who not only loved to sail, but owned a boat herself.
However, I'm a very lucky man.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Jim Cate wrote:
So, if I get a boat, I should get one with autohelm and lines led aft?

Autopilot definitely. Just don't use it inappropriately. Lines led aft
is a matter of taste. I know a lot of single- and short-handed cruisers
who hate them. It does clutter up the cabin top.

Personally, I like lines led to the cockpit, when the arrangement is
clear and all leads are fair & workable. I think the objections arise
from either 1- set-ups with a lot of drag, or at least one line that
cannot be led fair to a winch, or 2- set-ups with at least one critical
line NOT led aft, so you have to go to the mast anyway... some times
multiple trips... now that is really dumb, but I've seen it a few times.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King