SF Boat Owners?

[Cavalier]

I received a 24 foot Bayliner from my father; nothing special, he used it to hang around the islands near Marblehead out in Lake Erie. I am thinking about bringing it to Cleveland, but am probably better off selling it ......

With this economy, none of my friends can really afford to help with any of the costs associated with having a boat out on the water-- and I see no need to support such an endeavor when I have to keep my best interest in mind... 401K tanked 40% in less then a year.

I'd like to purchase a J-24 sailboat in a few years when I have a decent income and some more mature friends willing to assist in some costs/take learning to sail seriously. My father had a very beautifully constructed J-24 when I was a kid and it was a remarkably fun and fast boat.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by Cavalier

I received a 24 foot Bayliner from my father; nothing special, he used it to hang around the islands near Marblehead out in Lake Erie. I am thinking about bringing it to Cleveland, but am probably better off selling it ......

With this economy, none of my friends can really afford to help with any of the costs associated with having a boat out on the water-- and I see no need to support such an endeavor when I have to keep my best interest in mind... 401K tanked 40% in less then a year.

I'd like to purchase a J-24 sailboat in a few years when I have a decent income and some more mature friends willing to assist in some costs/take learning to sail seriously. My father had a very beautifully constructed J-24 when I was a kid and it was a remarkably fun and fast boat.

I learned to sail on a J-24. Nearly killed my wife with an accidental jibe early on.

 

[kwilkinson]

Our boat just got delivered from the marina. It's no yacht or sailboat, but it's nice enough.

I learned how to sail on a catamaran

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

I learned to sail on a J-24. Nearly killed my wife with an accidental jibe early on.

So you say. At least, she bought it.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by Manton

So you say. At least, she bought it.

Well, she nearly bought it.

Actually I think it scared me more than it did her because I saw how close the boom came to her head. She was looking down and missed the whole thing.

 

[otc]

J24 is a nice boat although I am partial to the J22

2 feet shorter but a much more nimble boat

 

[Mark from Plano]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Our boat just got delivered from the marina. It's no yacht or sailboat, but it's nice enough.

I learned how to sail on a catamaran

What kind of boat kwilk?

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Do you do the work yourself or do you have it done? I'm not handy so I have most of mine done. We can float ours year-round, but have to winterize all the waterbearing systems. Just had the de-winterization done (by the marina). Now just need to pick a weekend to get up there to work out the bugs and make sure she's ready for the season. Have to work all weekend this weekend, then have my parents' 50th anniversary the next weekend. Maybe the weekend after that.
Some I have the yard do, some I do myself. I can be "particular" on some things and it works out better to just DIY. I tend to do stuff myself unless I'm really not set up for it ( Awlgripping the masts, for example). Winterizing I have down to half a day, and spring maint. is usually 3 days (sand and paint mostly), brightwork is an additional day and and a half done later. I slot one "big " project a year - this year it's all mast work. Strip, sand, Awlgrip ( yard) and rewire (me).

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

What kind of boat kwilk?

Just an 09 Bennington pontoon/deck boat. It's nice for fishing/going out on the lake with some bottles of wine and just chilling. We also have a nice little ski nautique for wakeboarding. But I'll get out of this thread before you sailors kick ******

 

[Mark from Plano]

Got word today that our lake levels have gotten so high that they're shutting down the power to my dock.

Last time they did that was in 2007 when we basically lost the whole year. Hopefully that won't happen this year. In '07 it started raining in February and didn't quit until the 4th of July. The lake topped the spillway for only the third time since the lake was built in the 1930's. There was so much debris and what not that the Corps of Engineers discouraged people from being on the lake. Additionally, while our docks float, the ramps to get onto the docks were underwater and you needed a boat to get to your boat (most of the marina's were running water taxis for people). It destroyed a lot of property along the waterfront. One of the restaurants just reopened a few weeks ago.

The water didn't recede enough that year that we could get to our boat until Labor Day weekend. Between not wanting to use it because of the rain in May and June, then the hazards to navigation in July and August, we only got to use the boat a few times in September and October that year. Since the businesses around there survive on the lake activity between Memorial Day and Labor Day, lots of the businesses (stores, restaurants, etc.) around there wound up going out of business after that year.

Hopefully it won't rain that much this summer, but the weather's been pretty nasty so far this year.

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by Mark from Plano

Got word today that our lake levels have gotten so high that they're shutting down the power to my dock.
Nutz! I remember seeing pics of last years flooding down there ( Maybe from you). We have fixed docks but the Lake has been so low in recent years that we need a ladder to get down to the boat. Well, got the wiring done and everything works. They should have the masts stepped by Wednesday. (Mebbe I should x-post on Manly Things thread.) I should have taken pics of what I pulled out- 18 ga. cables, no strain relief ( it's 60' straight up!) and the bundle held together with rigging wire.

Get to the varnishing by the end of the month and I'm done until fall.

 

[Beta]

Originally Posted by yachtie

Nutz! I remember seeing pics of last years flooding down there ( Maybe from you). We have fixed docks but the Lake has been so low in recent years that we need a ladder to get down to the boat.

Well, got the wiring done and everything works. They should have the masts stepped by Wednesday. (Mebbe I should x-post on Manly Things thread.) I should have taken pics of what I pulled out- 18 ga. cables, no strain relief ( it's 60' straight up!) and the bundle held together with rigging wire.

Get to the varnishing by the end of the month and I'm done until fall.

dude, you should see the prewiring (that my guys remove and do correctly) that comes into our shop from C. America.... i have photo upon photo of absolute disasters that i have to fix. we are talking masking tape instead of actual wire connectors...

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by Beta

dude, you should see the prewiring (that my guys remove and do correctly) that comes into our shop from C. America.... i have photo upon photo of absolute disasters that i have to fix. we are talking masking tape instead of actual wire connectors...
This really wasn't much better. ( done by a "prestigeous East Coast yard" too

- which shall remain nameless)

 

[MHH89]

My brother and I have just begun to plan the purchase of a late 1980's 21 foot Montauk. Any ideas on what year would be best.

 

[Mark from Plano]

Guys,

I'd like to upgrade the stereo on my boat this year. I'm not a hardcore audiophile and don't need the latest and greatest. The system that's in the boat is the original one from when it was built in 1999. There are certain things I'd like to get:

1. The main stereo is a car CD Player/Stereo system mounted on the main electronics panel at the nav station in the main cabin. That's as good a location as any and is away from most of the wet areas, so I don't think I am limited to just marine systems...any car system should work. I'd like to be able to hook my iPod/iPhone directly into the system. Can't do that with my existing system. I'd also like to be able to upgrade to Sat Radio at some point since our reception on the lake is sketchy.

2. I'd like to upgrade the speakers. Inside the cabin area I believe that there are about 4 speakers. Two in the main cabin and one each in the sleeping cabins. Each cabin also has a volume control so that you can turn the speakers down if you wish. Outside in the cabin are two small speakers with a volume control These are the ones that really need help. I'd like these to be really high quality.

3. Should I take this opportunity to upgrade the wiring as well? What are the advances in audio wiring in the last 10 years? Is it worth replacing it all or am I likely to be OK with what I have?

Any other thoughts? I'm not that handy, but it seems like something I should be able to pretty much handle myself...or am I asking for trouble? Any big issues I should be worried about given that it will be a DC system? Should I just get professional help or can I handle this?

Any particular systems you like or things I should be thinking about?