[Rhodes22-list] Recycled Boat Advice

[bwmcky]

Hi Ted,

I've been there, done that.  After a couple years of investigating boats
that met certain restrictions I had for size, weight, trailerability and
solo sailing, I settled on the Rhodes.  Then I started dealing with Stan.

I found the process somewhat like religion.  On any large purchase, I kinda
want to know exactly what I'm getting into, and especially, what are my
options when spending that kind of money.  With Stan, that was difficult to
achieve.  I probably drove him nuts with questions, but I could not get very
much information from him that I expected -- like a list of boats that were
available and what the options on each were, etc., like I would if I was
buying a car, so I could pick one out and buy it.  He would simply say "for
this amount of money, you can have this one -- add what you want on it."

In other words, he gives you a recommendation, and you say "yea" or "nay."

I finally "got religion" and on faith said "yea."

And I'm very happy.

Stan originally recommended a boat and started work on it.  However, he soon
advised that he found the boat structurally unsound and wouldn't sell it to
me.  So he recommended an alternative.

I only wanted a daysailer, and the newly recommended boat did not have the
marine toilet, which was a benefit to me.  I specified new sails on my
belief that it was the best investment I could make in terms of options for
an old boat.  I equate them to hooves on a horse -- bad hooves, you have no
horse.  On Stan's recommendation, I got the electric motor lift.  After
that, my budget was done.

Stan finished the boat two seasons ago, I drove to the plant and picked it
up, and drove it home on the trailer Stan supplied.  The boat's an '88, and
you can't tell it from new.

I had only one problem with the boat as delivered.  The tiller broke in
half.  There was no way to know from it's appearance that it had rotted
inside.  Stan promptly sent a free replacement.

I also pranged the rudder backing the boat over uneven ground.  Stan
promptly sent a replacement (not for free, of course) with the suggestion
that I probably wouldn't make that mistake again.

The purchase process is an odd way to buy something so expensive, especially
used, (in my experience) but it worked.  You just have to trust Stan.

Other advice:  

I bought a Suzuki 9.9 hp outboard (new.)  It's gawdawful heavy, so the
electric motor lift was a blessing.  Also, I don't think it runs right.  It
starts fine, but it wants to stall on acceleration, and it won't stay in
"flat out" running position -- it backs off a bit.  Once it's going, it's
okay.  I had a mechanic tear it down and he put in a larger valve of some
kind, but it's not improved much.   I think there must be better choices,
but I don't have much experience with outboards.

The outboard does have a "tilt up" tiller with the controls on it.  I wanted
to get the controls on the boat's tiller, but couldn't find the apparatus
needed for that.  Without one of the two systems, I don't know how you could
control the boat for docking without crew.

One last bit of advice:  spend time learning what all the sail controls are
for on the boat, and then experimenting with them.  I had a daysailer before
the Rhodes, and never so much as learned what the traveler was for.  The
Rhodes has got 16 ways to Sunday to shape the sails, and that gives you way
more options for more sailing time almost no matter what the conditions are.

Bottom line:  Make your best deal, but trust Stan to give you a great boat. 
He delivers.

Hope that helps.

Bruce





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