Dingy-sailor wants to cruise

[boatman61]

If you can understand a workshop manual and have some basic tools an engine is no big deal..
Change oil and fuel filters is pretty straight forward and with practice can be done in minutes..
water pump">Raw water pump impeller is 8 screws on the face pull out the old push in the new screw face back on..
There's also tricks if your fuel fails, blockage/whatever that will have your engine running again in 10 minutes on fresh fuel.. a 10 litre jerry can and some hose direct to your fuel pump for an emergency.
These are all things one learns on the go..
I started enginless, then outboards and did not have a diesel till my 7th boat.. my first one over 25ft.
The reality is much less daunting than you imagine unless your all thumbs and two left hands.

[Adelie]

Welcome.
You might consider putting your location in your profile, some answers are location dependant and having it in your profile saves answering that question repeatedly.

Georgia, right?

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Welcome.
You might consider putting your location in your profile, some answers are location defendant and having it in you profiles saves answering that question repeatedly.

Georgia, right?

While I agree that filling out the profile is a good thing, he did identify as a SF Bay area resident in the OP.

Jim

[Adelie]

It was in post #7, not the original post and he indicated "... there do appear to be a lot of sailboats for sale in the bay area." which we can infer he lives near and which we can infer is the SF bay area but it could also be the Tampa bay or Chesapeake bay areas.

I'd like Terpstra to indicate that clearly.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by terpstra

Sure, a diesel engine is "only" auxiliary, a backup. In my opinion, the backup is more important than the primary system.

In this case you are shopping for a power boat not a sailboat.


And you are driving a car, not sailing a boat.


b.

[terpstra]

Originally Posted by Adelie

It was in post #7, not the original post

Actually, it was the last sentence of the first paragraph I posted.
Nevertheless, thank you for the profile suggestion. I have amended my settings.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by terpstra

Actually, it was the last sentence of the first paragraph I posted.
Nevertheless, thank you for the profile suggestion. I have amended my settings.

Bob, as he says, this was the sentence in question:

" I now live in the SF bay area."

A very good place to find boats with at least decent sailing characteristics, being that the normal summer winds tend to be 20+ kts, often more, so that inadequate boats don't last long in the area.

And OP... good luck. I think you are on track.

Jim