Why O why did you go with inferior fiberglass when you bought your own
vessel?

You could have found a nice steel boat if you looked long enough, or
even buildt one.

Seems to me you lowered your standards, on yourself. What gives?

Joe

wrote:
Why O why did you go with inferior fiberglass when you bought your own
vessel?

Too bad I took the boat search and purchase story off my web site or I could
have just responded with a link. However, you have caught me in a loquacious
mood, stuck home with a sick kid and no pressing deadlines.

The short story:

Money.

The long version:

I had no intention of getting involved with boats again after 15 years of
their being in the strictly professional part of my life. I was happy flying
and taking care of airplanes and all of my non-family discretionary time and
money was taken up with boring holes in the sky.

It was my wife's idea to buy a boat that would get us farther out on the
water than our kayaks and she detested everything about aviation. It seemed
like one of those times in a marriage to jump up, tail wagging, and say,
"YES!".

The idea started as a 16 foot outboard or small daysailer but we quickly
realized that the boys had reached the age where a boat wasn't going to get
much use unless we could take friends along. We expanded the budget to
$15,000 which was pretty grand for our level of commitment and interest at
the time. We were just thinking about day sails and overnights then.

The boat arrived and a lot of things became apparent in the next few months:

The two boys can't be cooped up on a boat together without making everyone
miserable.

I couldn't constructively engage and instruct them while my wife
simultaneously was instructing me in how to teach them as I was trying to
re-learn myself. Everyone just went crazy. One son vowed after a few sails
never to go on the boat again. The other will go as long as it is just him
and me. My wife isn't isn't interested unless it's a family affair.

I realized that sailing and cruising are at the heart of my soul and I had
really been flying because I didn't have the time while the boys were young
to sail. It's a lot easier to fit in an hour plane flight than a weekend
sail and I get about equal charge from both. That doesn't mean that flying
is better, just that the time scale is different.

I have to rebuild and improve anything I own so, by the beginning of the
second season (last summer) I had about $40,000 in labor and materials sunk
into my fiberglass hole in the water. Even if I could afford to buy the
steel boat or aluminum boat I would like to have, it would be hard to walk
away from that. In today's depressed market, I would be hard put to get
twenty grand for her.

Meanwhile, I've discovered that this particular boat was an excellent
choice. If the powerboat next door were to blow himself and her up with his
gas engines, I would try to buy another immediately. It is the driest boat
for its size and speed that I have ever sailed. She is remarkably
comfortable in rough water and I love the handling characteristics. It would
be nice sometimes if she wasn't so quick on the helm but the windvane and
autopilot going in this spring will help a lot with that. I like to gunkhole
and work into tight spaces so her nimbleness is a joy. Given her inherent
rough water comfort, the size is perfect for me. Sail handling, deck work,
and docking are all easy. Maintenance is not overwhelming. I can stand up
and have enough room to be comfortable on board for long periods. I pretty
much lived on the boat last summer so I've given that aspect a good try out.

Last summer, sailing became, like aviation (which I gave up a year ago due
to insurance costs and wanting to work on the boat instead of the airplane),
just dad's thing. I took an old friend cruising for a week who discovered
that it is as wonderful as we all know it to be. We are now planning some
extensive trips, thus the windvane.

This is a very solid boat for a glass hull. I have no concerns about the
structure. Lightning is my biggest reason for wishing she were metal but my
interests lie to the north and lightning isn't much of a concern even here
in southern Maine.

I'm just in love with this boat now, worn and faded though she is on the
outside. I can imagine sailing in something else like a wooden schooner but
I can't imagine taking care of it, let alone paying the upkeep. At my age,
keeping the physical strains and financial outflow low are the key to the
freedom of being able to make some long cruises such as around Newfoundland
and up to Labrador. If we're still having fun after that, we might even try
to get over to Scotland and Europe. Although it would be more comfortable on
the rough days, a 45 foot metal boat would use us up physically and
financially long before we could get that far.

--
Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
snip..
I'm just in love with this boat now, worn and faded though she is on the
outside. I can imagine sailing in something else like a wooden schooner
but I can't imagine taking care of it, let alone paying the upkeep. At my
age, keeping the physical strains and financial outflow low are the key to
the freedom of being able to make some long cruises such as around
Newfoundland and up to Labrador. If we're still having fun after that, we
might even try to get over to Scotland and Europe. Although it would be
more comfortable on the rough days, a 45 foot metal boat would use us up
physically and financially long before we could get that far.

--
Roger Long


If you're looking for a challange while sailing up this way.....
http://www.marbleheadtohalifax.com/

You know, it's kind of amazing for someone who has spent as much of their
life around boats as I have but, since being Co-captain of my high school
sailing team in 1969, I have not been in a single boat race of any kind. I
have no plans to start now.

For some reason, racing just doesn't interest me.

--
Roger Long

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
You know, it's kind of amazing for someone who has spent as much of their
life around boats as I have but, since being Co-captain of my high school
sailing team in 1969, I have not been in a single boat race of any kind.
I have no plans to start now.

For some reason, racing just doesn't interest me.

--
Roger Long


Well..if nothing else, you'd have lots of company crossing the Gulf of
maine. ;-)

On Wed, 4 Apr 2007 16:56:59 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

For some reason, racing just doesn't interest me.

It's a good excuse to be "out there", and sailing with a good crew is
a lot of fun.