End of sailboat shopping

My sailboat shopping has come to an end. My lovely wife and I bought one.

We'd been discussing the pros and cons of a lot of different boats. We decided on a 1983 Oday 19. After some serious thought about what kind of sailing we expected to be doing, the Oday came closest to fitting the bill.

It tows well. Should be easy to launch. The swing keel allows it to go into shallow water. Sails and rigging are good. One person can handle everything. Another couple could join us for a day sail, or the wife and I could live on it for a couple days. The cabin is big enough for the two of us to lie down comfortably. There's room for a porta-potty. One thing it doesn't have is a galley. On a boat this size, that's just as well. We can manage.

The previous owner offered a choice of motors. We picked a nice little 6 hp. Should do the job. Instead of a second hand porta-potty, we chose a VHF radio. Of all the things to buy second hand, a porta-potty is low on my list.

There are a few things I definitely want to change or upgrade. Wiring will be completely stripped out and replaced. That way I won't be trying to figure out someone else's handiwork when the lights go out. Not happy with how the swim ladder was mounted. That should be rehung. It needs a new new deep cycle battery. I don't mess around with cheap batteries. The tires on the trailer got us home, but I don't trust them as they've some sun cracking. The lone anchor that came with the boat is fine for a backup, but not really my idea of a primary anchor.

The old truck had no difficulty hauling it. We came back home through blowing snow in the White Mountains. Leave it to me to buy a sailboat when it's snowing.

Here's the funny thing, most of my sailing knowledge is theoretical. My wife's background is in powerboats. Fortunately, a good friend of mine in Florida is an experience sailor and is willing to show me the ropes. After that, it'll just be a matter of doing it. My lovely wife is already planning some trips.

Life is about having new experiences. We never were the type of people to settle in a rut. We had a few extra bucks and we blew it on boat. Some people would save for their declining years. What kind of fun is that? I never really got the hang of money. Rather exchange some lifeless green paper things for something real. For me, there's nothing more real than new experiences.

-Sixbears