Calling all skippers with Pearson 323 or Sea Sprite who'd like to take me for a ride. From MA to Chesapeake.

[Suky]

Hi all, I have a lead on what looks to be a possible contender for my cruiser/live aboard. This is happening a year too early but..... ----Well equipped, Pearson 1981 323 Sloop - only problem is she's in Dominican Republic. So I'd love to sail one soon closer to home. Though I find I'm very intrigued about a fractional rig with a tiller, I haven't had much luck finding one of those. The Sea Sprite, another make I also have never sailed, is also inviting - has the fractional rig but not the tiller. The Columbia 8.7 sails great with a tiller but masthead rigging... I love the B&R rigging on the Hunters but don't really like the Hunter hull as an option. I had a Hunter 33, that was fun but the make just isn't sexy enough (for me) anymore, tends to heel too much with terrible weather helm.
A well balanced helm is super important to me and how the boat moves through the water at 15 to 20 to 25.

[Peter Kafer]

Excessive heel slows a boat down. Additionally, comfort is important.

[Peter Kafer]

Yeah, I know it's a pain to reef at 12. However, I usually keep a reef in and shake it out when I know that wind is going to be light. Actually, when the winds are over 12, the boat sails faster with a reef than without. Although, I am not a speed freak.

[Suky]

Hey Thanks for the pic and comments Peter... .a beautiful anchorage and a pretty site....Kinda of a pain reefing at 12... but comfortable otherwise...hmmm... I'm hoping to sail one soon up north.

[Peter Kafer]

Suky, My boat, Now or Never! is a 323. We find her to be a very comfortable cruising boat. We've spent 4 months at a time on her and have never been uncomfortable.

We've spent as much as two weeks at a time with a guest aboard, but we were good friends. The 323 is a bit tender and likes a reef in the main whenever the wind gets over 12 knots. We were told that we could never bury the rail, but my wife, who doesn't like to heel excessively succeeded in burying the rail. Also, she's a bear to back, but that's not so unusual. She does turn quickly--a very tight 360.

[Terri]

On prices coming down...one's that sit for too long I've found come down..but the only ones i've ever seen that have been good ones..were sold days or hours before I was to go look at them. (about five of them). My rule of thumb is if it's been on the listing for a while...overpriced or something wrong with it. Have to walk around lots of boatyards too...if u see one u really like and not for sale, look into who owns it..never know. Also yacht club bullentin boards...two birds w/ one stone opportunity there also..hehe

[Terri]

When I went for a boat/ocean fix today saw a nice looking 35' for sale...12,000. Don't know what she look's like on the inside ..but sure looks like a fast one.. got the number too...LOL....

[Terri]

I've found boat shopping worse than computer dating..LOL. Having looked for about 2 years before finding Twizzled I too drove 80miles, 100 miles each way to look at a boat. Have found that most pictures were taken the day they bought the boat years before. Have had a few "Oh No's" sitting in the car in front of said boat...learned to ask "when were this pictures taken?" A friend of mine who is also a surveyor said people are keeping the "good" family boats. Prices not going down on them really. Maybe on a higher price boat where there's a loan involved and must sell quickly. I was on Yachtworld checking around the clock like a lunatic. Found my boat when listed first day..after giving up..and not looking for 3 days...something told me one morning...go check... thank you Spirit Guide! :-) Gave up on the finding a sailor I think....got my own boat now...love sailing!

[Suky]

Hi Kate,
It's a shame that there's so little truth in advertising boats for sales.
Yet I'm really laughing because shopping for a sailboat is indeed like computer dating or just dating period. Terri and I were just talking this morning that it might be more effective to shift focus to the dating sites.
I have just begun this process and so far have spent most of my time arm chair surfing. The boat I want is out of my price range so now I'm keeping firm to my budget and beginning to arrange to sail on as many of the possibilities as possible - Pearson, Sabre, Contessa 32, Sea Sprite. I've sailed plenty of Catalinas and they are good steady boats. I just want to sail the boats I haven't that might be good ones for me. I'm using the listings to explore and compile my list of essentials.... sounds like you've already done this piece.
So next on my list is sailing - 'dating' some of the candidates. This means networking with user groups, chartering with friends - found a great place in Jersey with Pearsons and Sabres.
It might be good to start developing a network of worthy brokers.....lol... or boat scouts...

[Kate]

Hi Suky ~ Isn't boat shopping like computer dating?! I've been looking for 1 1/2 years and it seems most of the boats I find on-line are misrepresented. The photo's are out of date and when I go to see a boat in person they turn out to be extremely over priced "projects". What's up with that? And when did it become O.K. to just neglect something so beautiful, useful, and precious? When did "pride of ownership" lose popularity? I'm not that old but I must be old fashioned as I so appreciate a well maintained, loved boat.

It's been frustrating because I'll have hopped ferries, crossed a country boarder and driven many miles to see a boat, after having talked to the owner or a broker only to find a disaster! One boat had a lot of warped teak, wet cushions and a leaking hatch and it's centerboard had mysteriously gone missing since I'd talked to the broker the week before. Another had so much leafy mould on the interior that one could scrape it up with a putty knife. Wow, did that smell toxic. That broker told me the boat was in "mint" condition. I've also not seen many published prices come down at least on yachtworld. Have you had similar luck?

[Suky]

Hi Terri.. Late last night, I saw the listing on another site as sold around 29K and sitting in DR about a year ago. So either that listing is out of date or up for sale again. Thanks for all your help. Suky