As much has already been said, and as you well know, everyone who sits behind a keyboard is an expert (ex = has been & spert = drip under pressure)! With that as a premise, I would like to just give you some personal observations. Having owned a
Columbia,
Hunter, O'day,
Pearson, Tartan, and my present Robinhood (Cape Dory)36, and having 30 years sailing the
Great Lakes both cruising and
racing and 20 years sailing and
racing on the Atlantic seaboard, including many years in
florida, I naturally have some opinions. Knowing opinions are like certain body
parts, we all get one, here goes!
The
Cape Dory hull will give you a softer and smoother ride than the others above. The quality of construction is superior to all with the possible exception of the Tartan. The character of the boat will make it a standout in most harbors, as long as the
teak is maintained. When the "shtf" you will be very glad you are in the
Cape Dory with its quality of ride, construction, and variation in sail plans available, (cutter rig).
Don't be concerned about your lack of ocean sailing experience, you will very quickly find out that the ocean is much easier to sail on than any of the
Great Lakes, especially Lake Erie. Also, because the season up north is so short, you have likely sailed in
weather that the typical ocean sailor would have stayed in port for.
The boat you are looking at looks to be in pretty good shape, and upgraded fairly well, as much as you can see from photographs. Take a look, do your
research on value and price, make a decision, and get sailing. Whatever you pay, when you amortize it over 10 years and then include the resale value and demand, the cost becomes much less significant. Life is only so long, and time wasted ashore does not increase your life span.
Good Luck!
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