Let's face facts: You choose a boat for the type of sailing you plan to
do TODAY...not years down the road. Have a look at poor Joe, forced to
buy a smaller fun boat to get his real sailing fix. Or Jeff, forced to
buy a Catamaran and also sail small boats to get some real sailing fun.
Then there's perhaps the saddest member here in Doug, who cashed in his
sailing chips for a powerboat. And yet he still hangs around like a
Hell's Angel on a Vespa. It's truly pathetic.

For anyone seeking a boat, find the vessel that suits your dreams NOW.
Joe has Dead Cloud, a crismson barge more house than boat. He bought it
with "plans" to go cruising, but he posts here almost every day. He
cruises less than we do. So why not buy the right boat...something fast
and fun that doesn't require a second boat purchase? Why spend so much
energy outfitting a boat over a period of years...watching initial
installations turn brittle with age? Joe claims he knows how to outfit
a boat, but folks we meet who cruise long range seem to get their boats
ready in a few weeks. What is this "outfitting" dance Joe uses to keep
his brittle dreams aloft?

Be warned: Joe's dream and failure are commonplace. I sell boats, such
as a Irwin 37 for sale next week, that are proof of such poor
philosophy. The poor guy bought a 25K boat and proceeded to install 20K
worth of "outfitting." Like Joe's, the boat sat and sat. Slow, a dull
design with a lot of space, the liveaboard lifestyle ended without any
realization of the dream. He now owns a Cal 29 and sails two or three
times per week and is planning on a cruise to Florida. He finally has
the right boat.

So, use Joe's sad story as a bright beacon...avoid at all costs for the
costs will be high.

Capt. Robert B....Sailing the dream NOW
35s5
NY