[Rhodes22-list] New Member

[Mary Lou Troy]

Hi Lee, welcome aboard.

My husband Fred and I sail a recycled 1991 R22 out of Rock Hall. We bought 
the boat recycled from Stan in 1998. We didn't buy the boat with the idea 
of ever buying a new boat and so thought long and hard about what we 
wanted. We figured we would be mostly overnighting (we live outside of 
Philadelphia) and that governed our choices, most of which have held up 
pretty well. We keep the boat in a slip in Rock Hall and only trailer a 
couple of times a year taking her to and from our house where she spends 
the winter in the "backyard boatyard."

Here's my thoughts on your questions. I expect Fred will chime in if he has 
a different take on things.

>Question #1:  I don't have any problem paying someone else to work on a 
>used boat to get it in good condition, but I'm not that interested in 
>paying for the peace-of-mind for a two year warranty.  From what I can 
>tell, a recycled 1986 may be about twice the price of a used one in "good" 
>condition.  Do you think most of that cost is justified in labor and 
>parts, or justified by the two year warranty?  I'm sure I'll get a better 
>idea of recycling costs during the factory tour.

What you are really paying for is sailing time and knowledge. Sure you 
could find a used boat (or maybe even buy one unrecycled from Stan - I 
don't know if he does that) and do your own repairs and outfitting but 
you'd be spending a lot of time looking for the boat and then here asking 
questions. You'd probably end up buying parts from Stan anyway because he's 
got them. Stan knows the boats, knows how everything should go and knows 
what fixes are needed and what fixes work. The paint job Stan gives these 
boats makes them look like new and ours has held up very well. That two 
year warranty is nice but the reality is that it is a limited lifetime 
warranty. Stan is still willing to take the time to sit down with us and 
discuss an issue with our boat 8 years later.

>Question #2:  Any recommendations for owner upgrades?  Stan knows I'm 
>cheap and has advised me accordingly.  The Rhodes22.org FAQ has been a 
>tremendous help.  I'm considering the following:
>--Used 9.9 Merc outboard (I told Stan I wanted something strong enough for 
>the Kent Narrows current.  After reading today's posts, I think this might 
>be overkill.  The used is about half the price of new, but I'm also 
>interested in reliability.  Would new and smaller be a better value?)

We take Fretless through Kent Narrows regularly with a 1998 Honda 8. It's 
plenty. Most of the time it's overkill. Coming back from Annapolis in 20 
knots and 3 foot waves we were happy to have it. I know nothing about 
Mercs. I'm very interested in reliability in the places we sail and the 
Honda, while it's had a few minor maintenance issues has been very 
reliable. The 1998 Honda 8s at 82 lbs were not as heavy as the current 
Honda 8s. Weight counts for a lot. I do think the boat would sail better 
with less weight on the stern.

>--2nd coat of bottom paint (Cheap and I can tell when it's time to repaint 
>if it's in a different color than the 1st coat.)

Will you be keeping the boat in the water? If so, you'll want the second 
coat. If not it won't make as much difference.

>--Replace front opening ports with fixed ports (To minimize the chance for 
>leaks.)

I wouldn't do it. We have more leaks from our fixed ports than from our 
opening ports. Rebedding fixed ports is routine maintenance. The opening 
ports are really nice in the Chesapeake summer, as is the single cabin-top 
hatch we had Stan install. We spend a lot of nights on board from April 
through November. In July and August every bit of ventilation counts.

>--One solar panel (Two would look better, but I assume the increase in 
>charging capability normally wouldn't be worth it.)

We're in a slip and have shore power but no solar. We charge off of shore 
power. If we were going to be on a mooring I'd get solar. If we were going 
to be doing a lot of cruising away from marinas for more than 3 nights at a 
time I'd get solar. We haven't missed it.

>--Cockpit cushions (Hopefully Stan can find me some used ones that are 
>acceptable.)

We love our cockpit cushions. We probably have the most comfortable cockpit 
in Swan Creek Marina. The cushions are closed cell foam, (don't absorb 
water) and covered with a very durable mesh material that is easy to clean, 
doesn't hold water, cool to the touch even after sitting in the hot sun and 
is comfortable to sit on. Ours were used. I don't know how old they were 
but only now, after 7 1/2 years of constant use are they showing a little wear.

>--Replace interior cushions (The only thing my wife insisted upon after 
>viewing the photos of the boat.  I have no clue how much it'll cost.)

I think ours were new or very lightly used. Well worth it. We spend a lot 
of time on the boat and sleep on the cushions almost very weekend from 
April through November.

>--Bimini (I think I will hate it when I don't need it and love it when I do.)

Yes. Essential on the Chesapeake, I think. Also helpful in the slip or at 
anchor in the rain.

>--Upgrade electrical system (It comes with a 12V/3 circuit system and one 
>battery.  I primarily plan on using the boat as a daysailer but have no 
>idea how much juice is typically used for an overnighter.  Two batteries 
>worth it?  Shore power?  Don't they make something that converts 12V to 
>110 if I need it?)

We have a single AGM. On an overnight we run cabin lights, anchor light, 
Fishfinder (depth), boombox, low draw fan, cell phone charger and VHF and 
have plenty power. We could probably do that for 3 to 5 nights if we 
started with a fully charged battery. We do not have an electric start 
motor. If we did or we were running a lot more gear, I would think about 2 
batteries. Yes they make inverters that will convert but then you have more 
charging requirements. As I said before we rely on shore power for 
charging. We also use it in the slip for an extra light, more heavy duty 
fans, an electric tea pot and a small electric heater for those 39 degree 
overnights in April and October.

>Question #3:  Do you have any advice in general that's not found on either 
>website, or that's so important it's worth repeating?  Anything really 
>important that you know now and didn't know then?

We bought new sails with our boat and thought it a good investment. We did 
not buy the mast raising system initially but after trying to do it 
ourselves and then paying the marina to do it (and watching them do it 
badly) we bought the system and are really pleased with it. Are you buying 
a trailer? Do you plan to do much trailering? If so the condition of the 
trailer may matter to you.

Someone mentioned the pop-top enclosure. We bought one used and think it 
essential for overnights in the slip. It's also really nice at anchor in 
the rain or when it gets buggy - we added screens to the door.

Hope some of this is helpful. I remember how hard it was to wade through 
all the options when we were buying the boat. We were fortunate in that we 
had a very clear idea of how we were going to use the boat. Our use has 
changed over the years (from drysailing and overnights to keeping the boat 
in the slip with overnights and longer cruises) but fortunately the boat is 
really well suited to the new use as well.

Mary Lou
1991 R22  Fretless
Swan Creek, MD / Ft. Washington, PA