Howdy...

"WaIIy" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 03:14:14 GMT, "Skip Gundlach"
.due.to.spam wrote:

Howdy...

I'm in the next stage of our boat search, with very encouraging results.
We've found several boats which work for us; the next step is to continue
with the trip(s) to the rest of the close to 200 candidates identified in
this last research. I'll expand on that in a separate post.

Your stories are certainly interesting, but are you *sure* you are going
to buy a boat?

That's an entirely valid question, given the amount of exposure this group
has had to the process. Of course, most of the readers here can't
adequately relate without having come off a boat with head bleeding (as
happened on this last trip), because the search process is immeasurably (OK,
someone could probably quantify it!) more difficult when the universe of
boats on which I can fit is so small, and despite all the hoo-ha of the
advertising, the info presented is wrong more often than it's right. Case
in point is the Morgan I drove several hours to see, fighting car troubles
all the way, which had stated that the walk-through was 6-4. I made the
irrational assumption that if the walk-through was that tall, likely the
rest of it was similar or better.

Imagine my irritation, since that was the *only* boat in that market, and I
could have been 5 hours closer to home by not coming there, as it was the
last boat on that trip, when the walk-through proved to be 6-1 at the tall
end and 6-0 at the short end. The stern cabin was appropriately sized to
the walk-through, which is to say that I walked right off again, having
proved it to be a "bonk boat" - my name for the rejects due to height.

Now that I'm finished with my excuses, you'll be thrilled to know that I put
up a 2-digit number of boatbux as the deposit on a boat 8 days ago, which
offer was immediately accepted. The fact that we rejected the boat after
the offer was accepted (details privately if of any interest to any here),
and the monies about to be refunded isn't germane to your question.

So, the answer is yes. But I refuse to go into a high 5 or low 6 figure
investment which I intend to live on for the rest of my days (which is
likely to be a very long time) without being satisfied that I'll not only
enjoy it, but that it will be a good investment should I have to leave, for
whatever reason.

Stay tuned. We've now got more than one candidate, and my next trip has
another dozen or so potentials we've not yet been aboard (see above for
expectations of truth in advertising, however!), of boats which work, under
40 feet, and several which also work in the low 40s.

Just doing my due diligence. If you think it inappropriate, I've got a
business I'd like to sell you... :{))

And just in case you haven't been paying attention, that's the second boat
on which we've offered. The first was rejected, this was accepted...

Yes, we're going to buy a boat...

L8R

Skip