If You Snooze . . . (or, 1973 Ericson 25 vs 1984 Catalina 25)

[JimGo]

Thanks guys! Basically, all the boats in my price range have had outboards, but it's good to know the advantages. I hadn't thought about the weight issue.

[xymotic]

Originally Posted by zeehag

shipping lanes are freeways near nyc and lost angeles and other huge city places. need to monitor vhf. need to watch with your eyes. be safe and have smooth sailing.

Um, Sorry but this is simply not so. Well I mean yes, you do need to wtch, and a VHF is not a bad idea... but.

Seriously if you can't avoid a freighter in daylight you got some serious issues. I've spent a lot of time sailing in and out of Long Beach, one of the busiest harbors in the world. It also has very tight entrances through the breakwater that's shared with ships. I've also made LOTS of long diagonal passes through the lanes while going to and fro Catalina Island.

Tons and tons of time sailing in Seattle Tacoma as well. Which is *much8 more restricted space wise. and seriously, shipping lanes are not... ** remotely** like a freeway.

Originally Posted by JimGo

Xymotic, you clearly don't share my luck. I'd wind up picking the three hour window during which every freighter in the Northern Hemisphere decided it needed to go into/out of NYC. Either that, or I'd wind up on a path that took me too close to some place President Obama was visiting, and I'd be boarded by the USCG. Actually, that might not be so bad...maybe they could tow me or airlift me to my destination!

And, Don't jump to conclusions. I am pretty sure I was Hitler in a previous life. I have luck you would not believe!!!!

[JimGo]

Originally Posted by xymotic

Seriously if you can't avoid a freighter in daylight you got some serious issues.

A few important points:
1) I'm still green;
2) I don't have issues, I have subscriptions;
3) again, I refer you to my comment about my luck.

Honestly, the shipping lanes are a concern, but I agree, I could probably dodge the ships. The bigger concern was the distance between the slip where the boat was kept (Babylon, NY) and the first place along the NJ coast where I could hole up for the night. Remember, I'm green (did I mention that?) so I was not looking to anchor; I needed a marina. And getting there couldn't take me TOO far out of the way. So, for example, Atlantic Highlands was not a viable option. As far as I could tell, it was easily 60+ miles between Babylon and the first marina that wasn't out of the way. At a conservative average speed of 5 kts, that's a 12 hour power/sail. This time of year, I'd be pretty lucky to have 12 hours of sunlight while actually underway (giving time to get going, and time at the end so I can actually SEE what I'm doing). THAT was, actually, the biggest consideration for me. The shipping lanes are/were a concern, but not nearly as big as the other logistics, including what would happen to my car, whether I'd try to do the entire sail/power in one big trip, or split it up into multiple trips (made more sense in some ways, but the logistics were interesting there, too). In the end, the trailer really seemed the best way.

[JimGo]

I visited the Ericson, the Catalina, an RK2 22', and a 24' Seafarer. The Ericson's owner couldn't meet me (turned out he was in a car accident last night, thankfully he's OK). She's certainly showing her age, though she's not terrible by any stretch. The cockpit was surprisingly small, though. To the point where I wasn't sure that all 4 of us would fit. The KR2 is a no. She's in crappy shape. The Seafarer is in good shape. Doesn't need any "real" work, just cosmetics to work for my family (i.e., cushions, curtains, etc. - nothing REALLY major). The Catalina is just about turn-key. So, I've made an offer on the Catalina. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

[zeehag]

port of lost angeles was so much fun to enter and exit with the many ships in and out every day. long beach is nothing next to port of lost angels. btdt , both.

[coyfish9906]

Originally Posted by JimGo

What's the advantage of an inboard over an outboard? I can understand that the prop can be located lower under the water, thus avoiding cavitation, but that's about it. I also typically see mostly fairly puny (1-2HP) inboards on some fairly large boats. In the areas I'm considering, a 4-6kt tidal current isn't all that unusual. It's great if you're riding the current, but fighting it could be a problem, and I fear a low HP inboard just wouldn't be able to cut it. Thus, I haven't been that worried about the fact that most of the boats have outboards (easier to winterize, can be taken off/locked away, easier repair, etc.). Am I missing something?

BTW, thanks for the link! She doesn't come with a trailer, and that's going to make things tough. I'll have to go over the listing in more detail...

Most inboards are a lil more complex then an outboard plus u can take her off with realative ease to service her....

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by JimGo

I visited the Ericson, the Catalina, an RK2 22', and a 24' Seafarer. The Ericson's owner couldn't meet me (turned out he was in a car accident last night, thankfully he's OK). She's certainly showing her age, though she's not terrible by any stretch. The cockpit was surprisingly small, though. To the point where I wasn't sure that all 4 of us would fit. The KR2 is a no. She's in crappy shape. The Seafarer is in good shape. Doesn't need any "real" work, just cosmetics to work for my family (i.e., cushions, curtains, etc. - nothing REALLY major). The Catalina is just about turn-key. So, I've made an offer on the Catalina. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Cool! You'll probably be glad you did, Probably the most resellable and there's plenty to do on a boat even if it's in good shape when you buy!

[JimGo]

Holy ____, the Catalina owner took my offer! Well, sort of. My offer was low, and I know that. He had someone else who came out on Saturday to look at the boat, and he said he'll take my offer contingent on the other guy not making an offer (or a better offer). He said he'd let me know by the end of the week, and I asked that he do it by Thursday so I'll be able to get a cashier's check/money order on Friday. So, I'm still sitting on pins and needles, and will be for several more days, but it's a good start!

[Cheechako]

Good. A lot of lookers never even show these days so hopefully you'll be lucky. We dont know what he was asking or what you offerred so I cant offer any advise what to do other than wait, but with winter coming... you've got about 6 months to find a boat! If he contacts you and is still dilly dallying, tell him you might be making an offer on another boat yourself and you'll let him know! That'll get him thinking! "Bird in hand vs 2 in bush" On the other hand, he's likely going to use your offer to "work" the other guy if that guy makes an offer... so you're not in a great position if someone really tries to buy it... arghhh!

[JimGo]

He did agree to let me know by Thursday. If he goes with the other offer, I'll certainly be disappointed, but I haven't started picking out new cushion fabrics or anything, so I'll get over it. If you knew me better, though, you'd understand...the suspence is going to kill me. I think that, for now, I'm going to assume the other guy will buy the boat and just keep looking. The other two that I saw (Ericson and Seafarer) are nice, too. And someone with a mid-70's Grampian, on a trailer, just told me that the owner has dropped her price to be more in my range. Wow, it's nice to finally have options! But I'm still leaning heavily toward the Catalina,a nd hope it goes through. My wife does, too...she's tired of hearing me argue the relative merits of the various boats, where to keep them, etc.

[ADMPRTR]

Originally Posted by JimGo

Holy ____, the Catalina owner took my offer! Well, sort of.

Congratulations, well sort off...

Did you make your offer contingent on getting a survey?

[Cheechako]

For Reference: There's a Grampian 26 up here for $3000, $4500 with trailer. I bet you could get the trailer for a lot less though with the boat.

[JimGo]

Thanks Cheechako!

In case anyone would like to weigh in, I posted a navigation-related question over http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post784081