Possible Santana 22 Purchase

[dofthesea]

Hello all. I might be purchasing a Santana 22. Any thoughts on these? I'll be sailing it in the SF bay and it will be my learning boat. So I would like to stay in this size range. It doesn't come with a motor, but has a full compliment of sails. Boat is in good shape and does not need any major work.

Thoughts,opinions and concerns are appreciated.

Pura Vida

[imagine2frolic]

I raced, and also it was one of my first lesson boats when I took lessons on S.F. Bay. Get an outboard if you don't have the experience to sail in & out of your slip. It will cost less than damaging some one elses boat. Not to mention to help you with currents on the bay. You will find yourself sailing backwards at times if you do not take them into consideration.........i2f

[Bash]

Great little boats! I've placed in the Santana 22 Nationals several times, and have won the Santanarama.

Early models had trouble with compression under the mast tabernacle. On my boat we would use a hydraulic jack to function as a compression post.

Another weakness on older models can be the keel boats. A few boats have dropped their keels because of excessive corrosion. Be aware that the keels are made of iron on a Tuna--as we call them--and give the keels bolt a good look before proceeding with a purchase. Ideally, purchase a boat that has had its bolts replaced.

The cockpit drains are poorly designed and can risk the boat sinking. Consider replacing the lines and thru-hulls the minute you buy your boat. You'll sleep better when your boat is in the water.

Be aware that water can enter through the cockpit hatches. I've shipped maybe 50 gallons during a race. Had to pump it all out by hand. It was a good lesson to make certain those hatches had new seals.