Boat Search update
 

"Skip Gundlach"
.due.to.spam wrote in
message ink.net...

big snip

I don't know how to sort my entries (being 4 lines,
including a blank separator between entries) in Excel, so I did my sorting
in Word (the file was far too large for notepad, where I originally
started
the construction!). I still kept the largest first, but went to each
market

There are several ways to do this. The easiest is to number each dataset in
column A (so that you'd have four lines numbered 1, then four numbered 2,
etc.) then in column B, the individual lines numbered 1,2,3,4. Then put the
different sort keys on all four rows of each dataset in columns C,D,E... as
required. So, column C could have the length in all four rows, column D the
location, and so forth. This means you have a little redundant data, but
you can use the Excel sort or data functions easily. For example, to get a
list in location order, sort on D,A,B which first sorts location, then puts
all of boat number ten together, then sorts the four lines of each boat into
order.

Refinements would include using a decimal number (boat number sixteen would
have in its four rows in column A: 16.1,16.2,16.3 and 16.4, which would
allow you to have only one column for the number.
Then, if A was the number, B the length, and C the location, sorting C.B,A
would give you a listed sorted by location, then length.

Another way, is to have two worksheets (in the same workbook). On the first
(call it "Main"), have all the data for each boat on one line -- this may be
unreadable, but it's easy to sort. On the second (call it "LookHere"),
organize the lines in a readable fashion. However many lines per boat you
want. When you re-sort "Main", the "LookHere" references are to the same
cell as before the sort, so that "LookHere" shows the data in the new order.
(a cell in LookHere that has +Main!A1 in it, will always show the column A
data for the first row in Main) Although this is a little harder to set up,
it has the advantage that you can sort on any column.


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


..

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

I'll probably use Access anyway, so the info here is what I was looking for.
As for the actual data, I doubt many of the boats you find available now
will still be around next spring, I don't have the height requirement you do
(5'9"), and have only one opinion to contend with, so I don't think it would
apply.

Thanks again, and good luck.

Padeen

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

I'll probably use Access anyway, so the info here is what I was looking for.
As for the actual data, I doubt many of the boats you find available now
will still be around next spring, I don't have the height requirement you do
(5'9"), and have only one opinion to contend with, so I don't think it would
apply.

Thanks again, and good luck.

Padeen

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

Hi, Padeen,

"padeen" wrote in message
...
I'll probably use Access anyway, so the info here is what I was looking
for.
As for the actual data, I doubt many of the boats you find available now
will still be around next spring,

I don't know about that. The vast bulk of what I looked at in my first
trip, in early May, is still there. Of course, I've got the spreadsheet,
still, and in some cases, where I wasn't sure of the facts of a boat we'd
originally rejected (since we'd modified our requirements to accommodate the
reality that we couldn't have them, and were considering boats which now
might fit), went back to review.

Of course, some of those didn't work. But most of them were still
available, and the first boat we offered on is still available, too. The
boat we made our offer on, which was accepted in a flash, has been on the
market for just under 3 years. One of the other boats in which we had a
serious interest, but eventually passed on, had been on the market for more
than 3 years when we saw it (it sold recently at a further reduced price).
The boat which accepted was at a price nearly 1/3 less than the asking price
only a few months ago - and I speculate that it was reduced from something
higher at that, as the price which was accepted was on the order of 60% of
other like boats' asking price.

So, with some exceptions, I'd not be concerned about ones you're interested
in (as a class - an individual boat might be gone) evaporating,
necessarily...

I don't have the height requirement you do
(5'9"), and have only one opinion to contend with, so I don't think it
would
apply.

Thanks again, and good luck.

My pleasure. Let me know if there's any of my research which may be of use.

L8R

Skip (and Lydia)

Padeen

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

Hi, Padeen,

"padeen" wrote in message
...
I'll probably use Access anyway, so the info here is what I was looking
for.
As for the actual data, I doubt many of the boats you find available now
will still be around next spring,

I don't know about that. The vast bulk of what I looked at in my first
trip, in early May, is still there. Of course, I've got the spreadsheet,
still, and in some cases, where I wasn't sure of the facts of a boat we'd
originally rejected (since we'd modified our requirements to accommodate the
reality that we couldn't have them, and were considering boats which now
might fit), went back to review.

Of course, some of those didn't work. But most of them were still
available, and the first boat we offered on is still available, too. The
boat we made our offer on, which was accepted in a flash, has been on the
market for just under 3 years. One of the other boats in which we had a
serious interest, but eventually passed on, had been on the market for more
than 3 years when we saw it (it sold recently at a further reduced price).
The boat which accepted was at a price nearly 1/3 less than the asking price
only a few months ago - and I speculate that it was reduced from something
higher at that, as the price which was accepted was on the order of 60% of
other like boats' asking price.

So, with some exceptions, I'd not be concerned about ones you're interested
in (as a class - an individual boat might be gone) evaporating,
necessarily...

I don't have the height requirement you do
(5'9"), and have only one opinion to contend with, so I don't think it
would
apply.

Thanks again, and good luck.

My pleasure. Let me know if there's any of my research which may be of use.

L8R

Skip (and Lydia)

Padeen

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

Great fun. g

One thing I discovered is that the same type of boat can have
significant differences between each boat. In my case, I initially ruled
out WS32's because I didn't have headroom. Then just out of chance
boredom (because I was finished looking at the boats I had lined up) I
stopped to see a WS32 - and I fit into the main salon with 1-1/2" to
spare! So make sure you do the "hands on" with anything that matters to
you before making commitments.

Rufus

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

Great fun. g

One thing I discovered is that the same type of boat can have
significant differences between each boat. In my case, I initially ruled
out WS32's because I didn't have headroom. Then just out of chance
boredom (because I was finished looking at the boats I had lined up) I
stopped to see a WS32 - and I fit into the main salon with 1-1/2" to
spare! So make sure you do the "hands on" with anything that matters to
you before making commitments.

Rufus

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

Hi, again :{))

"Rufus" wrote in message
...
Great fun. g

One thing I discovered is that the same type of boat can have
significant differences between each boat. In my case, I initially ruled
out WS32's because I didn't have headroom. Then just out of chance
boredom (because I was finished looking at the boats I had lined up) I
stopped to see a WS32 - and I fit into the main salon with 1-1/2" to
spare! So make sure you do the "hands on" with anything that matters to
you before making commitments.

Indeed. We are doing that, except our expectations have been upset in the
other direction (I hit where we've been led to believe that I won't).
Usually I don't have any hard (excuse the expression!) information about
headroom - just an inference or scuttlebutt. Case in point is the Hans
Christian 33 - we'd been on one, before we even considered, much less
organized, our search. So, we didn't really pay attention - and made the
assumption that it might be close, but wouldn't work. In addition, and in
this case the real reason for not having at least tried one on, they were
well above our original budget, so we didn't give them a thought.

This trip, I got aboard one, just to see. Sure enough, I hit my head - but
just a bit. Took off my docksiders (as I would normally be anywhere we'd
sail, anyway) and found that I only brushed, and could not 'hit' anywhere
other than in the shower, including the bunk. So, they're on our list,
though further down, due to the exterior teak (see commentary about value
ratings/appraisal comparables).

As others have lamented, I *think* I'm being thorough and not throwing any
babies out with the bathwater :{))

L8R

Skip (and Lydia, vicariously)

Answered in Spades! Thanks, Skip
 

Hi, again :{))

"Rufus" wrote in message
...
Great fun. g

One thing I discovered is that the same type of boat can have
significant differences between each boat. In my case, I initially ruled
out WS32's because I didn't have headroom. Then just out of chance
boredom (because I was finished looking at the boats I had lined up) I
stopped to see a WS32 - and I fit into the main salon with 1-1/2" to
spare! So make sure you do the "hands on" with anything that matters to
you before making commitments.

Indeed. We are doing that, except our expectations have been upset in the
other direction (I hit where we've been led to believe that I won't).
Usually I don't have any hard (excuse the expression!) information about
headroom - just an inference or scuttlebutt. Case in point is the Hans
Christian 33 - we'd been on one, before we even considered, much less
organized, our search. So, we didn't really pay attention - and made the
assumption that it might be close, but wouldn't work. In addition, and in
this case the real reason for not having at least tried one on, they were
well above our original budget, so we didn't give them a thought.

This trip, I got aboard one, just to see. Sure enough, I hit my head - but
just a bit. Took off my docksiders (as I would normally be anywhere we'd
sail, anyway) and found that I only brushed, and could not 'hit' anywhere
other than in the shower, including the bunk. So, they're on our list,
though further down, due to the exterior teak (see commentary about value
ratings/appraisal comparables).

As others have lamented, I *think* I'm being thorough and not throwing any
babies out with the bathwater :{))

L8R

Skip (and Lydia, vicariously)