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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

I'll take my crow well done, please

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Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/24/2013 : 05:16:55

That's what ya get for taking a friends word for something without personally checking into it.

I must say, I am less than thrilled to discover the information I learned by doing a little research on my own AFTER jumping in with both feet and building big dreams of sailing Lake Michigan.

I told you all in an earlier post, of which I seem to be post heavy the past week or so, that aside from the actual cost associated with a larger boat it was going to be cheaper for us to sail L. Michigan than it was for us to stay local... according to the friend we sail with. Not so. What I have discovered is that it's going to pretty much break even. She wanted the C-30 and I wanted to be able to justify the extra initial expense with annual savings. Ya, right. Hand it to another newbie who thinks he's got it all figured out. I mentioned it to her last night and the periodic sailing discussions have halted for now. lol

*** maybe THAT'S why she has been telling me to slow down lately ***

Bad news - L. Michigan may be on hold.
Good news - I may be asking C-25 specific questions again!
Bad news - I may be sticking around with C-25 specific questions!

We'll see how today goes.

Awetmore, you may very well be onto something with your yacht club suggestion.

Kyle
'86 SR/SK/Dinette #5284 "Anodyne"
In the barn where we found her...

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2013 : 08:21:09

The vast majority of Yacht Clubs and Sailing Associations are full of very average people who love sailing and enjoy the company of other sailors. Membership often provides a much cheaper way to keep a boat. I would not have a sailboat if it were not for my club and the people there. Probably off topic but that seldom stops me... I often wonder about questions asked on this forum, they can reflect a complete lack of exposure to local knowledge. Go to a local club and walk the docks. Fall in love with the lines of boats. I enjoy standing at the bow of a design and grasping the feel of the hull shape, where the beam is, how the deck is designed, etc. I also study the hardware solutions well maintained boats are implementing. Everything from running rigging to how they stow a bimini. Then complement people on the docks on their club and boats. Most sailors love their own boat and at least half a dozen other boats at the club. When people are walking our docks "kicking fiberglass" they often have no idea what is a good design for our lake, (we are a shallow mud hole).

Recently I met with a fellow who found me through this forum who thought he wanted a Catalina 25. He was about 6'4" married to a plus size woman and with two teenage daughters, this was to be their first sailboat. A Catalina 25 was the wrong boat for that much humanity especially when half of it is brooding teenagers. They bought an S 2 with standing headroom and enough space for the daughters to "have their own space".

Find where you want to sail, meet people there, learn from them and go sailing with them. One of sailing's great secrets is nearly every boat owner is happy to take complete strangers for a sail anytime.

Edited by - pastmember on 03/24/2013 08:25:16

WesAllen
Navigator

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USA
222 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2013 : 09:19:40

I have to agree with Frank. Especially about sailing with strangers. I have went sailing with people in Florida after talking for a short time at the dock. You can learn alot about the sailing in a specific area that way. I now bring my C25 down to Florida with me.

Wes Allen

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9081 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2013 : 09:41:38

"Total cost of ownership" of a boat has lots of components that generally add up to more than most new owners anticipate or long-time owners want to think too hard about.

Another option, especially for L. Mich., could be to rent or charter a boat now and then. No big initial outlay, no loan, no storage, no relentless maintenance, no replacements, no worrying about storms when you're not there, no annual insurance,... and you're not stuck in one location or with one choice of boat. Just pick what you want to try, sail away, sail back (maybe a week later), and go home. The price might look high at first glance, but dividing your "total costs of ownership" by your number of uses for a boat that's a few hundred miles away........

You might find you can afford two weeks on a chartered 30+footer for less than a season's slip fees for that boat, and another week for less than the winter storage! And that's just a part of the "TCO". (Don't hold me to those numbers.)

Then you could keep a nice little day-sailer (or C-22) on your local lake, for learning on and for just enjoying the wind and water.

Just another example of the alternatives out there.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 03/24/2013 09:53:39

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2013 : 10:57:30

We do have a yacht club here but I never gave much thought into checking it out. Partly because I figured it was just one more thing to spend money on and partly because their website didn't show much activity. I will look into it.

Thanks again for not quitting on me as I go several different directions.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2013 : 14:08:15

A good yacht club it like this forum, nice people who understand boat maintenance and ownership issues for their area. Bottom paint is a classic issue, the locals know what works. Several of our club's members first sailed with me as my guests on moonlit nights with the lake alive with the running lights of sailboats following the set of their sails. Go check out the local club.

Edited by - pastmember on 03/24/2013 14:09:07

Kper
Captain

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USA
417 Posts

Response Posted - 03/24/2013 : 14:18:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by pastmember
 .... Go check out the local club.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Thanks, Frank, I'll do that.

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 03/25/2013 : 08:41:42

Last September I spent a week at a Cape Cod cottage on Little Pleasant Bay that came with a Sunfish, the same boat I first sailed on years ago. I had forgotten about the thrill of handling gusts on a little boat like that, which accelerates from 2 knots to 10 knots in a few seconds and skims the wavetops!

Daysailers are fun!

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The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.