On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 17:52:09 GMT, "RichG"
wrote:

~~ snippage ~~

Big is beautiful; size does matter...but if you've never owned a boat, you
would be a rarity to know what you want the first time through. Hell, I'm in
my mid 60's; have owned 20 or more boats; and still change a boat out every
few years for something bigger; smaller; faster; slower; easier to tow,,,
etc. etc... I own two flats boats right now, both are little more than half
of the size of the 27 Catalina. My needs and desires have changed.

As an adult, I have always had boats in the 20/25 foot range - mostly
Aquasports and Makos and all center consoles. A couple of years ago,
I decided to bite the bullet so to speak and looked around for
something that would get me offshore comfortably. I'm 58 now and I've
been around boats since I can remember, my first boat at age 10 (a
Townclass sailboat) so I was pretty comfortable with the concept of a
boat thirty or more feet in length.

After looking and hemming/hawing and genrally procrastinating, I
bought a Contender 31 Center Console and I was amazed at how much the
twin FICHTS, the extra 6 feet LOA and the extra foot in beam made
when getting the boat in and out of a slip. Took me a week to get
used to the extra length and width. :)

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
-----------
"Do fishermen eat avocados? This is a question
that no one ever thinks to ask."

Russel Chatham, "Dark Waters" (1988)