Realistic Expectations

[JimGo]

Hi! I'm a prospective new boat owner. As I mentioned in my other post, I'm looking at a Rhodes 22. It seems to be in decent shape for the price, which is all I can really ask.

So, now the next issue is figuring out how often I'll actually use the boat, and whether I'm better off expecting to keep her docked or if a trailer will likely be OK. I live about an hour from any body of water deep/wide enough for a 22' sailboat. There are a few in that range (Delaware River, Lake Nockamixon, Green Lane, and a few others), and the NJ/DE beaches and bays are about 2-3 hours away. The beach/bay is, realistically, too far for a quick sail, thus I'm inclined to keep the boat closer to home, and take it to the bay when I can get away for a weekend.

In the mean time, as I said before, I'm struggling with where/how to keep the boat, and one of my big questions is how long it takes to rig the boat from it's fully trailered state to being able to "throw" her in the water. I've seen estimates that, once you've done it a few times, it should only take 10-15 minutes. Is that reasonable, especially on the Rhodes? Or are my expectations too high, and it will really take me 45-60 minutes? How about on the back-end, when I'm bringing the boat back onto the trailer? My thought was that that would be in the 30 minute range, but am I way off base?

Any info/feedback is GREATLY appreciated!

[Unicorn Dreams]

22'
Keep it on the trailer, it's easy enough to launch and rig. Plus, you won't have to paint the bottom.

[daddle]

On a trailer is way better. Sometimes you can find storage near the ramp or hoist where you can leave the rig up. But on a 22' boat you should be able to step the rig in less than an hour, certainly.

[Starbuck]

Esp. if you have that kind of commute to the water, keep it on the trailer.

You could practice stepping/unstepping the mast, if you make sure you're away from power lines and anything the mast might hit when it gets away from you and comes down in a direction of its choice. Once you've done it a few times, you'll save time at the ramp.

I imagine stepping the mast is a two-person job. It was on my 22-footer.

Good Luck,
Jeff