Best-Worst

[Bristol14]

As I await for warmer weather so I can start my boat prep for the upcoming season, I've decided to add a small outboard to my dinghy and move from beach to dinghy dock storage (I'm fortunate to live in a Buzzards Bay development that has a dinghy dock).

My search for a cheap, lightweight outboard got me to thinking: what's the best (and worst) sailboat or parts deal I've ever experienced?

My best: my '87 Com-Pac 23-2 that I bought from a non-profit Association that sells donated boats and returns the $ to several boating museums & schools. Price was very reasonable, money went to a good cause, the boat was/is in fantastic shape and sails like a charm.

My worst: a nearly new mushroom mooring anchor and chain that was reasonably priced, but had to be moved a few hundred yards from its location. I was unable to move it myself and spent more money to have it pulled from the mud than what I paid for it. Second worst was the trailer I bought for the sailboat I had before my Com-Pac. The seller told me that it would fit with minor modifications, but the modifications plus what I paid for the trailer added up to about what I could have paid for a new trailer.

How about others?

[Neil D]

My best sailboat related purchase so far was a 1985 Montgomery 15 that I only paid $3,500 sometime around 2010 or so, for  boat, motor and trailer, all in very serviceable condition, and I only had to drive 3 hours to get it. I'd still have that boat if it wasn't for the fact that after about 5 years of ownership, many great adventures and great friendships made, I had to move in a very short period of time across country and I felt that my best option was to sell it.  I sold at a loss but was thankful to be able to sell it in a short period of time to friends that I know will continue to take good care of it and enjoy it for years to come.

My worst was, back in the late 1970s, having purchased a very forlorn Wesco Super Satellite that was sitting in someones back yard looking forlorn and weathered.  The owner wanted -only- $200 for it, and I was encouraged by a friend at the time to grab it.  The trailer was questionable but OK.  It was missing its centerboard, but the friend assured me that he could make me another one out of wood.  Well, come to find out that the original CB was actually made from forged aluminum. The CB housing was much too narrow to accommodate any "skinny" wood centerboard that wouldn't snap and break  under stress. Not only that, but there was much elbow grease involved in brightening up the boat, and some glasswork near the base of the mast that needed to be done. Luckily I found out where the foundry was for the CB, and even more fortunate, they still had the mold.  So for another couple hundred, I had a complete but old boat with a blown out sail. All in, I probably had $800 or more  and 6 months work into the boat and for about $1,000 or 1,200 at the time I probably could have purchased a ready-to-sail Holder / Vagabond 14 or a Lido 14.  Big lesson learned from that experience, to be sure.

My next boat, on order and almost ready to ship, will be a new Compac Legacy. So far my experience in working with both dealer and manufacturer has been excellent, and I expect to derive much pleasure from the new boat...especially after having sailing withdrawals for over a year!

[Mas]

Well i guess our best sailboat related purchase was our first sailboat a CP16Mk1 hull number 1270. We took her all over our little section of the bay from Colonial Beach to Mobjack Bay under sail and other points beyond by trailer with most of her time in Deltaville and the surrounding waters. We sure missed her when we stopped sailing 26 years ago (buying small farm, careers, family, yada yada), and still keep an eye out for her. We returned to sailing last year with the purchase of a CP23d Mk3. I loved her but she was the wrong boat for us at this time in our lives, both too small and too large, so i guess this was the worst purchase as far as her costing us much treasure, and yet she was probably the second best purchase because she got us back into sailing. She now is awaiting new adventures with a family from up in New England. We now have two boats, another CP16, a Mk2 along with the boat of our dreams that had just been introduced about the time we had stopped sailing. Frankly, it's hard to find things that are worse purchases with our boats, just some that cost more than others. It clearly isn't just the money or none of us would own boats!