Newbie sailor - suggestions on first boat?

[thruska]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Hi, there schmidla,

Well now, what i think you might need is a lesson in reading boat ads. I'm going to comment in blue to the blurb, but what you need to see first should be in red. The boat has a balsa cored deck. Now, this need not necessarily be a problem, but if any deck fittings have not been properly sealed when installed, there is the possibility of the dreaded deck balsa rot. You'll find threads on fixing this condition here on CF, use the CF Custom Google Search function.

Now, "1972 Ericson E-27 sailboat. 27ft LOA. This is an outboard model. Includes good running Nissan 9.9hp long shaft. Dual batteries, roller furling head sail, 6'2" head room in cabin, sleeps 4-5 people, shore power connection. What condition?

Interior cushions have no rips or tears or funky stains. Oh, how nice! are we next to history?

I didn't have all of the cushions onboard when pics taken. What condition? Mainsail with 2 reef points, 135 furling headsail, spinnaker and spinnaker pole. Sails are older but still serviceable. This is the opinion of the seller, and may be open to question. UV cover on headsail has a small area that needs to be restitched. No holes or tears in any of the sails.

Running and standing rigging is fine. What on earth does that mean,
original?

Solid decks, fresh bottom paint. It is an older boat that needs some TLC, what TLC,
exactly? might it have something to do with balsa rot? but it is a solid boat that sails fine. Ready to sail as is. Whose lives are at stake here?Cradle included. Clear Wisconsin title. Winter storage and spring launch paid for. $2500 OBO. Selling due to purchase of a larger sailboat.

The unamended ad sounds pretty good, but it did bring some questions to mind for me, anyway.

What it is, I think, is that sellers want to make the boat sound attractive, and, well, perhaps, truth is smudged.....

Just my opinion. I haven't seen the boat, and I merely point out some ideas that arose, reading the ad. And to be perfectly clear, I think it likely the sails are only minimally "serviceable". "Serviceable" depends on how much you care about how well the boat sails. You should expect to replace at least one headsail and the main. Otherwise, the ad would say when they were new, because it's a selling point.

Ann

To OP, I saw this ad as I was looking for a looper boat. I inquired on it.
TLC means some port lights leak( that means they all do). Hull finish is chalky. (Needs compounding and wax job.) Crunchy spot on one of the cockpit seats. Soft spot on bow tip. ( ??? ) elecrtronics don't work.( knot meter , wind speed)
New depth sounder / transducer not installed. VHF and regular radio work.
This after first round of questions.
My observations, no lifelines at stern. I see no engine controls in cockpit. If the portlights leak, so likely do the stanchions and cleats and chain plates. Rigging is likely original which is not saying it's bad, but...it's original.no mention of ground tackle, or condition or age of lines. No mention of pressure water, or stove. My question of coast guard ready to sail was not answered.( flares, extinguisher, mob float, pfd's, etc)
My guess if new boat was purchased, they wouldn't give him squat as trade-in and likely the cradle won't fit the ' new'one. So he needs to cover the bottom job and poking/looking for change from his dollar. Ad does say obo so you will pay less than 2500. Looks like an 80's outboard, I paid 295$ for last 9.9 I bought.
So plenty of food for thought.
I have a trailer in Wisconsin that the cradle might fit on, so I'm going to fire a few more questions to the guy. He doesn't volunteer info too much. You gotta ask lots of questions and pump for info. I might go so far as ask for his bottom dollar or lowball him right off the bat at this point.
OP, where are you on the Lake Michigan?

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Oreopenguin536

I'm sorry it is a long post but I promise it's good

IMHO First things first. A boat is a hole in the water in which you throw money, the bigger the hole, the bigger the pocket book. I say use the club boats for a bit until you know what you like, either that or start with a 22ft or even a 26ft if you want one in the 20s but don't forget about the sunfish, lasers and cats! . The only reason I suggest looking into smaller boats is because it gives you an out if need be. Though I haven't seen it with sailing, in motocross I've seen too many people to count spend thousands of dollars on bikes and gear and then found out a few months later that it either wasn't for them or they regret not getting a different bike. Same thing applies here. Before you go gung-ho maybe think about starting smaller.

If you buy a smaller boat like laser for example it will give you a chance to really focus on techniques, maneuvers, and understanding how boats in general will react to things plus it give you time to really hone in stuff like reading the water or the sails. Every boat is different but with that they are all the same. I can hop on a Ranger 22 I'm restoring and sail it. Is it the same as the CS 36 my grandpa had? Hell no, they both act differently and have different personalities, but the basic principles still apply with both of them and with that they are the same. It isn't about what boat you buy or how big it is, it is about you having fun, being comfortable and knowing your boat That right there is the joy of sailing, or building cars or bikes or whatever! Every boat has its own personality, quirks and weird little things that it does, the fun part is getting to know your boat in the process of sailing it. The more you sail the more you'll know what you want and the more you'll know what you are looking for in a boat. If it's a boat thats a small type (under 20 feet or so) Get used to capsizing, have fun with it, do it on purpose, push yourself to see where you are comfortable at and how aggressive of a boat you want.

The questions you have to ask yourself though are, are you soloing it mainly or will you have a second hand onboard? Do you need cabin space for weekend sleepover trips on it while on the lake or just a daysailer with no space other than that for shoes and lunch?
What do you define cruising? Are you like me where cruising is being aggressive, hiking out, going fast and having the occasional "Oh S***" moment? Or are you more of a mellow bird that wants to just hang out, fly straight and not get to crazy with everything?


Again, this is all my opinion and I am a very very competitive guy and have that type demeanor and lifestyle, so I can be overly precise on what I pick whether its shooting or sailing or motocross. You may not be like that and maybe you just want to sail and not worry about the particulars which is totally fine! But the 2 things I've learned in my life thus far is

1: Don't buy things right away just because you can or you might think you need to. If you have boats at your disposal to use then save some money, have fun with someone else's boat and learn on it, even write down what you like and dislike about them so when you buy your own boat you will know what you want. The last thing you want is to buy a boat to big and not have a fun time because it is too much boat for you to handle by yourself while learning, the same thing goes with a boat too small

2: Which i stated above. A boat is a hole in the water in which you throw money. The bigger the hole, the bigger the pocket book.

I hope this all helped!

Loved your post.

I'd like to rephrase #1 above more simply: If step one is to spend a lot of money, rethink step one. This applies to more than just sailing.

Second, sailing is a big word. It encompasses so many different sports and boats, racing and cruising, lasers to tall ships. They are all great.

Sailing is a fun sport to share. On a bigger boat you can take out your friends and family and share the fun. Yes, owning a "yacht" will make you more popular. Personally, I used my boat as the family cottage with my kids. Instead of a 3 hour commute on a busy highway, we would sail a couple hours to our favourite anchorage almost every weekend. It was comfortable. It was safe. It was familiar. And most importantly, it was cheap.

And last, I want to agree with you further, its not about the boat, its about the sailing. You don't have to be the owner of the boat to have fun on it. And you can have fun on just about any sailboat...all you have to do is try!

Great post Oreopenguin, thanks for sharing.

[Oreopenguin536]

Thanks for the rephrase haha I tried to have it all make sense😂

To OP just remember if you arent having fun you arent doing it right😉

[silversailor]

If you are going to sail on Lake Michigan I strongly recommend 25' as a minimum. You will get much more use out of it and have the capability of cruising from port to port and, most important, handle varying weather conditions. The Ericson 27 is a great starter boat for the big lake. Take an experienced sailor with you when you look at the boat. In advance, read everything you can about buying a used boat (check out Practical Sailor's guide) and make a check list of everything you want to look out and questions to ask. Go for it!