From: jeffh@nonsuch.EBay.Sun.COM (Jeff Huntington)
Newsgroups: rec.boats
Subject: Re: Beginner
Date: 27 Aug 1992 20:06:01 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: jeffh@nonsuch.EBay.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: nonsuch.ebay.sun.com

In article 4739@porthos.cc.bellcore.com, dtp1@donner.uucp (80733-patricia) writes:
> Hi,
> This is my first post to this news
> group and, as you will soon discover,
> I am totally new to boating.  

> I would like to purchase my first boat
> and I would just like to have reactions from
> any of you experienced people out there to 
> this:


Wow!  What a tough order to fill!  Volumes have been written on the subject, but I 
will offer my OPINION, and try to do it briefly..

> So now I am seriously considering a sailboat for
> use on large lakes and in bays in the northeast.  
> I won't have more than two people to crew it, but
> I would like to be able to sleep on board if necessary.
> Also, it would need to be trailerable.  Is this what
> is known as a daysailer?  Or is that what I would be
> known as (in addition to other things). 

Could be a daysailer, but more likely what you want is an overnighter or weekender.
What you call it is not nearly as important as finding something you think will do
what you want it to do.

Finding a boat that suits you is a lot like finding a husband or wife.  You can
figure out what qualities you are looking for, and people can give you their 
opinion on what you should be looking for.  However, in the end it is up to you
to know which one is right for you.  In buying a boat, like marriage, it helps to
rationally figure out what you want, before the emotions take over.  But, like 
love, buying a boat is an emotional experience.
   
> 
> I have been told that the two happiest days of a boat
> owners life are the day he buys his boat and the day
> he sells it.  Is this really true? 

A lot of truth to it.

> Is boating just
> one long maintenance schedule interspersed with 
> moments of joy on the water?  

Depends on a lot of things.  I would say it is absolutely true with an old wood
boat.

>  Is it really something
> you love to do and is maintaining the boat just part of
> it? 

For me it is.  I enjoy going to the boat for a weekend and cleaning, waxing, 
repairing, or adding some new doo-dad almost as much as I enjoy sailing - better if
the weather is not so good.

> Or is it something you love to do and maitaining the
> boat is just a time/money consuming drag?  

Can be a lot like a car or house in this regard.  Some require a lot more attention
than others, and some people like to maintain theirs at a higher level than others.
You get to make some choices in this area.

 
> Any advice or comments out there (other than stay off the
> water when you're around).

My main advice.  Take your time to figure out what you are really going to use the
boat for, and then take your time to find the boat that will satisfy that use well.
It is a whole lot easier (and cheaper) to buy the right boat the first time than
it is to go throught the process every year or two.  There are a whole lot of boats
out there (both new and used), it is highly unlikey that the first boat you see
will be the best one for you.

Oh, one more thing.  Making the decision on whether to buy a sailboat or power boat
based on how well they are made or how much maintenance they require seems to me to
be flawed thinking.  There are well made and cheaply made products in both categories.
And, both require their own brand of maintenance.  Sailing and motorboating are
fundamentally very different activities.  You should take the time to figure out
which you like to do best before you invest in a boat.

Good luck - and have fun,

Jeff Huntington
 




Newsgroups: rec.boats