Well, you let me in here.

[Sea Sick Sailor]

So, I found this forum while researching a boat purchase. This is where I'm coming from. I did the online ASA intro to sailing course. I know enough now to get tangled in the rigging. What to do from here? Well I buy a boat with way to many things to fix and get disgusted, run out of money and patience and give up. The boat sits for years unfinished and I finally drag it off to a sad end.

Wait, why did I come here? Oh yeah. Because you guys have the knowledge and experience that I lack. I'm not young and I'm not claiming to want to sail around the world. I want to tackle Lake Memphremagog and, or Lake Champlain in Vermont. After that maybe the great lakes if I stick with it.

I want to take it slow, but not crawl. I want to get a boat and work on it while I learn, and make friends to lend a hand and do things right. I am thinking about a sailing course, but I'm not sure when, where, or how. I have limited experience on the water. Kayak, canoe and rowboats. A little power boat time. Does time on a ferry count?

I want to take it easy and not have to row or paddle to get to go fishing, but I hate spending money on gas. The least amount of money the better which is why I'm thinking about a trailerable boat. It's worth a little extra time to keep my boat at home under my control. If I don't sail her for a week or a year I'm not wasting money on storage.

Maybe, if I catch the bug, I'll sail off into the sunrise, or sunset, and get eaten by cannibals. Well, I'll probably fall off the boat first, but you know what I mean.

I'm here. I don't know how long I'll stay, but a boat might help me stick around.

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard Sea Sick. I see a fun, fast little trailer sailer in your future to zip around that lake. Once you get a taste of just hanging on to a piece of cloth, shaping it into a nice wing and feel the boat take off, I suspect you'll be hooked. Then you'll be ready for the 50 footer with all the goodies

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, SS Sailor.

[SVRocinante]

Welcome aboard!

For what it’s worth, I’d say you’re on the right track; perhaps a nice little pocket cruiser?
Trailerable but large enough to hang out in over a long weekend at the lake!

Whichever path you take; enjoy!

[maxingout]

We had a Chrysler 22 trailer sailer that we pulled from Kentucky to Maine and back. We Kept it in the backyard when not in use. Perfect small sailboat for inland waters.

[letsgetsailing3]

Looks like a good plan.


Go for it.

[nesscapade]

Welcome fellow sailor!

I had a Catalina 22 that I think fits your bill. I stored it by my house, on a trailer and sailed it in Lake Erie for 6 summers. I found a cheap (dumpy facilities but safe and good docks) slip for the summer.

I loved that boat because:
1. It was easy to do the work myself.
2. There are 1000s of them in the world with lots of online/offline help, used parts and documentation. catalinadirect.com forums etc. were a huge help
3. It was very seaworthy. We sailed it through the night in 6' waves in Lake Erie.
4. I was already a pretty seasoned sailor so I don't know if it's good for learning but it sure was nice and simple - and forgiving.
5. It's light enough you don't need much of a motor at all (if affordable, you can use a Torqedo electric), and you can trailer it with an SUV.
5. The market is big enough you can always sell it if sailing isn't your thing.
6. They are inexpensive. Depending on how much work you're willing to do, you can get one for < $5k. Craigslist, yachtworld.com are a good resource. If you've never bought a boat before, ask someone who has to come with you to inspect it.

Good luck!

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by nesscapade

Welcome fellow sailor!

I had a Catalina 22 that I think fits your bill. I stored it by my house, on a trailer and sailed it in Lake Erie for 6 summers. I found a cheap (dumpy facilities but safe and good docks) slip for the summer.

I loved that boat because:
1. It was easy to do the work myself.
2. There are 1000s of them in the world with lots of online/offline help, used parts and documentation. catalinadirect.com forums etc. were a huge help
3. It was very seaworthy. We sailed it through the night in 6' waves in Lake Erie.
4. I was already a pretty seasoned sailor so I don't know if it's good for learning but it sure was nice and simple - and forgiving.
5. It's light enough you don't need much of a motor at all (if affordable, you can use a Torqedo electric), and you can trailer it with an SUV.
5. The market is big enough you can always sell it if sailing isn't your thing.
6. They are inexpensive. Depending on how much work you're willing to do, you can get one for < $5k. Craigslist, yachtworld.com are a good resource. If you've never bought a boat before, ask someone who has to come with you to inspect it.

Good luck!

This.


Best way into sailing. Small enough to handle, big enough to sleep overnight, roomy enough to hide below when weather is poor.

[redhead]

Welcome to CF!

Two points:

With that criteria you should be able to find the right boat. The smaller boats teach you sailing much faster - quicker to see the mistakes and quicker to correct them.

And if all your posts are as witty, you'll be one of the superstars in no time flat

[Stu Jackson]

This, too.


Many of us started out this way. I know, from reading and contributing here for many, many years. We had a C22 for 5 years, moved up to a C25 for 13 and bought our current boat in 1998. Sailed SF Bay until 2016.


The C22 is a great starter boat. Takes a lickin' and can have as many bells & whistles as you want to add to it, but sails with basic stuff just fine.


We spent weekends and long weekends on Clear Lake in California during the summer with the boat in the water, trailered it back home for wintewr trailer sailing on SF Bay.


From your description, right up your alley.


Good luck.

Originally Posted by nesscapade

Welcome fellow sailor!

I had a Catalina 22 that I think fits your bill. I stored it by my house, on a trailer and sailed it in Lake Erie for 6 summers. I found a cheap (dumpy facilities but safe and good docks) slip for the summer.

I loved that boat because:
1. It was easy to do the work myself.
2. There are 1000s of them in the world with lots of online/offline help, used parts and documentation. catalinadirect.com forums etc. were a huge help
3. It was very seaworthy. We sailed it through the night in 6' waves in Lake Erie.
4. I was already a pretty seasoned sailor so I don't know if it's good for learning but it sure was nice and simple - and forgiving.
5. It's light enough you don't need much of a motor at all (if affordable, you can use a Torqedo electric), and you can trailer it with an SUV.
5. The market is big enough you can always sell it if sailing isn't your thing.
6. They are inexpensive. Depending on how much work you're willing to do, you can get one for < $5k. Craigslist, yachtworld.com are a good resource. If you've never bought a boat before, ask someone who has to come with you to inspect it.

Good luck!

[skipmac]

Hi SSS and welcome to the forum.

Do be careful. Sailing can be quite addictive.

One suggestion, a trailer sailor has a number of great advantages:

- free storage (assuming you have a place to park the trailer)
- potential to expand your horizons. Trailer to any lake or bay where you find a boat ramp.
- can keep it close to home so easy to work on the boat (you do know that these things sometimes need a bit of TLC? )

BUT, if you can find a place nearby to keep it in the water at times it makes it a LOT easier to drive up, jump in the boat and go sailing. No towing, launching, rigging, mast raising, etc. just five minutes to park the car and carry on a cooler full of whatever it is you want to bring.

[Sea Sick Sailor]

Thanks for the welcome guys.

I've been watching CL since a free 19 foot with trailer was listed in December. I always check the free section. Well, since I missed that boat I did a search in the upper three states, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. I've had a lot of boats show up for sale in my email.

There's one O'day 23 for $500.00 in New Hampshire with trailer. A Buccaneer 20 for $700.00 that the owner thinks is a 22, maybe he measures the motor mount as well? Also in New Hampshire. There is a free 1971 Venture 21 in Vermont that looks like a sweet boat on a boat data website . Of course that is the one that sounds like a real wreck, he describes it as a project that needs lots of work. I did send an email on the free boat since it has a trailer with it. Last week I decided to try a JY 15 that came up for $200.00 that I think was part of a sailing training program, so it should have been well maintained, but I missed that by seconds.

This is just a sample of the boats and prices. I know that lots of the cheap boats are just someone else's problem and probably it hasn't been in the water in over a decade, unless they have proof that it has of course. Then there are boats close to $1000.00 that the owner admits have been on the hard for many years and need TLC. I think it should probably need a lot less TLC than a $500.00 project, but I don't know what to look for on a sailboat. I have a FG power boat in my yard that needs a new cockpit floor, a new transom, but no hull work. How much does a sailboat differ?

For months I have been watching sailboat videos on YouTube and the project boats seem to present things that were unexpected. I'm not sure how many became personal preference issues and how many were absolutely needed. I don't think a small sailboat should have many issues that can't be ignored if you really want to get it into the water, but I'm open to correction.

So, the plan may have a donor carcass soon, or I may have to keep looking. It won't hurt me if I have to spend more time looking. I do like the fractional sloops, but like I said the Venture is a cutter, and it seems to be a nice boat.

I'll try to keep everyone updated, and find the right section to write this down in. Probably the section for whatever boat I get right?

[Nautica96]

Better to give it a go rather than never try! Best of luck to you in your journey. Welcome to the forums.