a project worth checking out...

Way back when I was living on a peniche just outside of Paris, I seriously considered building George Buehler's Hager design. I still think it would have been a great boat to cruise with.

With a 28-foot LOD it's a small boat of the Pardey mindset but shippy as all hell and more than able to take you just about anywhere you'd care to go..

As it happens, there's a project Hager for sale up in Port Townsend that looks doable and selling for a fraction of the materials invested. What pictures are available on Craigslist makes me think that someone with the right motivation could finish it up in a timely manner without dumping a ton of money.

Full plans are included in George's "Buehler's Backyard Boatbuilding"  (last century edition) which is all the information anyone would need to build or finish the boat.

Just sayin'

Somebody making sense...

There's a really good post over on Sailing Anarchy dealing with sorting out an Alajuela 38 for voyaging that makes all kinds of sense which you should check out.

That said, it's a forum and like all forum threads there 's some push back as well as Monday morning quarterbacking but I'm sure you can separate the good from the bad...

You're still here?

a quick thought or two...

Apparently, there are so many old boats out there that it's affecting new boat sales. Think about that for a moment.

What does the longevity of classic plastic say about how well these boats were made so that in spite of abuse and neglect they're still floating and right side up?

Just sayin'...

and in the "Still a boat I'd choose" department...

There was a time in my life when the idea of sailing across an ocean and living aboard full time had me looking at a used Philippe Harlé designed Jeanneau Fantasia and thinking it was just about the perfect boat to do it in.

It checked off all our needs as it sailed well, had a comfortable interior, a surprising amount of room for such a small envelope, and it was, more or less, affordable.

Now, forty years later, I still find the Fantasia a great boat and more than able for a couple to cruise and live on.

Better yet, a used one in good shape is even more affordable than it was back in 1982.

Something from Latitude 38...

A really good article on why a small and simple Catalina makes a lot of sense. 

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on the subject of wasted time...

As someone who follows the used boat market fairly closely I'll point out a few things I've learned about buying and selling boats...

"No time wasters!"

Nothing makes me want to avoid looking at a boat for sale than an ad that has the "No Time Wasters" text somewhere within the ad. In my experience people only use that phrase when folks come, look at the boat, and then leave without buying. A process that, when habitual, tells me there is something wrong with the boat on some level. Could be the condition, a too high price, or just the fact that the seller gets up the potential buyers nose.

As someone who's traveled far to look at a boat that is in not as advertised condition more times than I can count and confronted with sulky sellers who act insulted when you ask to turn on the engine or let you look in the bilge and never even bothered to do something about a weeks worth of dirty dishes moldering in the sink it's my time that's being wasted.

Sellers with poor math skills.

There's a certain situation you'll find in a lot of ads where the current owner brags about all the money he's poured into the boat but the math just doesn't make sense. A recent ad for a boat that caught my eye was that the owner had paid $15K for the boat, put in another $25K, and was selling the boat for $12.5K now, anyone with basic math skills can do that math in about a second and it just does not make sense. Either the owner is trying scam you or he/she is an idiot. Either way it's best to be very very careful as there is almost always something extremely nasty laying in wait on such a boat.

Clutter and dirt.

If I want to sell a boat the easiest way to do it is to have a clean, clutter free boat for potential buyers to look at. Even better is to take decent photos that are date stamped showing a clean uncluttered vessel with visible horizontal surfaces to attract potential buyers to the boat.

Knowing what a boat is worth.

It's just as important for the buyer and seller to know what the general value of a boat is. For instance, since I have a CAL 34 I'm pretty in tune with what the boat is actually worth and know that you can find a good condition CAL 34 for around $15K and for other boats I always do a bit of research to come up with a sort of average boat price. So, when confronted with someone selling a CAL 34 for $37K and told by a seller that old CALS sell for up to $50K I know that's some serious bullshit and best avoided. A little homework is a big help whether you're selling or a buying a boat.

Dominance games

Sadly, there are a lot of real assholes selling boats. Most assholes I come across have serious self-image issues and feel the need to play mind games. I've also noticed that a lot of the assholes who sell boats know very little about the boat they're selling and fill their knowledge void with a heavy helping of BS. A good way of keeping the BS in check is to do your homework about the boat (Sailboatdata.com is easy) So when the seller tells you the CAL 34 was designed by Bill Tripp you know you'll need hip boots.

Anyway, obviously none of us like to waste time and energy in the pursuit of selling or buying boats

on the subject of downsizing...

I just read a post that really stopped me in my tracks where the whole subject of downsizing is concerned.

Around boats the term downsizing gets a lot of use. Especially when the discussion turns to cruising boats and sailing off into the sunset. The problem I have with downsizing is that it means different things to different people.

For me, the idea of downsizing is about simplifying and getting rid on needless clutter in one’s life. For some, it is simply an opportunity or excuse to buy a lot of stuff to fill their new smaller space.

The question is, is it really downsizing if you’re spending a significant amount of time making lists of things to buy or spend money on? At what point is downsizing just an excuse to feed your consumerist habit?

So many people buy boats and then gut them of perfectly adequate systems. Systems they’ll replace with something new that does the same thing.

I get the fact that we all want to make a new place our own. While buying a new sink, chart plotter, or new stove seems like it’s needful if you’re replacing stuff that works it’s a step backward. Or to put it another way, it’s just an expensive way of pissing on the boundaries of your new boat.

Maybe a small framed print on a bulkhead instead?

depends on where you put the decimal point...

So, since I've pointed out that the Newport 28 s a pretty good potential VolksCruiser, I've had no shortage of emails asking me why they should consider one vs some more expensive reasonable facsimile.

Over in Washington state there's a Newport 28 for $3.5K with an engine (though whether it works or not is not stated), what appears to be a reasonable sail wardrobe, and a decent dinghy. Oh yeah, it even has a wood stove!

The thing is, a 28-foot boat, whether it costs $3.5K or $35K, is going to allow you to do the same things, go about the same speed, and allow for a similar level of comfort.

And yes, Dear Reader, the $3.5K Newport 28 is going to require some money and sweat equity as it's a boat. That said a $35K boat will have it's share of issues and required work as well which is something you really need to consider.

As it happens, my morning perusal of craigslist via Search Tempest today seemed to have a plethora of very interesting boats at that $3.5k price point.

a boat worth checking out...

Sometimes it's important to know some history where boats are concerned. Take the Kelt 8.50 for instance. 

Designed by the team of Gilles Vaton and Patrick Roseo for Kelt it's a pretty good example of what was hip in the early to mid eighties. Combining good performance with a very livable interior for a fairly reasonable price tag.

For me the shoal swing keel version is the one that's more interesting with a draft of just a kiss over two feet lets you get into places most can't.

The interior works just fine for a couple without a lot of baggage. The forepeak berth is doable for kids but mostly should be considered a storage area for real world use..

The Kelt 8.50 is also known as the Kelt 28, Kelt 29, and the FEELING 29.

The various names and the fact that Kelt was never real popular in the US of A makes the design fairly inexpensive on the used market simply because no one really knows what a great boat it happens to be.

Which makes it an excellent VolksCruiser to add to your search list in the 30-foot and under sailboat bracket.

Something I found very interesting...