"Ian" wrote...
We are just itching to get it out on the water! Waiting for a small
motor to get us down the narrow, very rocky channel to the boat ramp.

If a 1.5-2 hour cruise limit works for you, an electric trolling motor works
fine for short, quiet power needs. Otherwise, the 2 HP 4-stroke Honda should be
plenty.

Congrats on the new 195.

Come pay a visit to www.trailersailor.com in the Precision forum.

I've not sailed the 185 (I have a 18 with the "cozy, waterfront cabin" and
the big piece 'o lead on the bottom.

But it is a highly regarded boat.

Do think about a masthead float. This is in essence a dingy, and as a prior
sailor of larger boats you will soon discover that 1) dinghies can capsize
if you try hard enough (all reports of capsizing tehe 185 had a fair amount
of crew contribution to the event), and like any broad, flat boat, they can
turn turtle This is mostly due to the fact that the centerboard can get up
into the trunk (I have read) when the boat's on its side, preventing the
typical get on the centerboard and pull recovery maneuver.



"Ian" wrote in message
oups.com...
I sure wish we could, we tried hard to do just that, but here in the
central south (north alabama) sailing is an oddity, so there are no
boats to be tried without driving 4-6 hrs. But tis all moot point now,
as we went with a monohull. New owners of a Precision 185. Thanks all
for your input.

I actually found the trailersailer forums yesterday. Some really good
conversations and people from what I can tell. I will be a regular
reader for sure.

Ive read alot about the turteling possibility, and I certainly will
make a mistake at some point in time, so I am going to look for a mast
float. How do these things connect to the mast? Do you think I could
affix a hobbie float with relative ease? If it does turtle, can I get
it righted again?

Ian,
At the risk of offending some, I offer the traditional -
May the Lord bless this vessel and all that set forth upon her.
Fair Wind and Following Sea
Matt Colie
Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner and Perpetual Sailor


Ian wrote:

I sure wish we could, we tried hard to do just that, but here in the
central south (north alabama) sailing is an oddity, so there are no
boats to be tried without driving 4-6 hrs. But tis all moot point now,
as we went with a monohull. New owners of a Precision 185. Thanks all
for your input.

No offense taken here! Thanks for the blessing!

For most woman it's a mater of dry or wet. Small mono like the old
lightning are dry sail with a whisper of wind and can easily hold cooler
kicker. They can be picked up fairly cheep as well.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hey all. My wife and i are considering getting something to sail in
one of the local lakes around here. We have been looking at the Hobie
16,17 and the Hunter 170 as alternatives. My major concern is
performance in light winds, as winds on the tennessee river system are
sporadic during the summer months at best. I dont think we will do any
racing, but we might take a couple of kids or adults and a cooler along
with us. My wife is partial to the "closed" look/feel of the monohull
and i like the open trampoline feel of the cat. We are intermediate
sailers of large (40ft) monohulls. Neither of us has sailed anthing
this small. Anyone have any opinions to share with us?

Thanks,

Ian and Leslie.