Gonna pass on this one

I looked at a MacGregor sailboat the other day. I heard that maybe it could be had for very little money.

It was amazing, but not in a good way. The hull was black with mold. It had never been covered and there were weeds growing in the cockpit. From a distance, it was clear the rigging needed repair. Parts were obviously broken. The halyards looked sunbaked and were flaking apart.

I did not want to get any closer as the boat and trailer were sitting in the middle of a huge patch of hogweed. Hogweed is an invasion poisonous plant. I was as close to this horrible weed as I cared to get. For me, the hogweed was the deal killer.

Another deal killer would have been if the sails were in bad shape. Sails are expensive. Hulls can be cleaned. Woodwork can be repaired or replaced. Rigging can be redone. Sail makers have specialized skills. It might be possible find good used sails for a reasonable price, but don’t count on it.

While that deal turned out to be a bust, it was worth checking out. This is the time of year to look for boat deals in New England. Unlike this guy, most people do something for winter storage. It can be an expensive hassle. Boats have to be pulled from the water, winterized and stored. A quick sale avoids all that. That’s how I got the boat I have now.

I’d be looking for a boat with a trailer good enough to make the trip to Florida. Once down to sunny Florida, repairs would be much easier. Ever try to do fiberglass repair in a snowstorm? It also doesn’t help that sailboats are pretty rare around here. Nobody stocks anything for them.

There are plenty of good deals right now, but I’m not really in the market for a good deal. An exceptionally good deal would grab my attention -as long as it’s not surrounded by nasty poisonous plants.

-Sixbears