Plastic Classic Forum

Here we are, just past mid March and still no closer to launch day. Loads of small stuff to complete such as electrical and plumbing, as well as some carpentry and paint work. I believe I can still accomplish this by July and launch the boat for some late summer sailing. Unfortunately, I find I spend too much time perusing the classifieds and I see boats I think are well worth buying.

The latest to catch my attention is a 22' open day-sailer. It's a C&C Viking 22 in good condition but, needing a little tlc. I've been in touch with the owner who is between a rock and a hard spot. His last buyer backed out of the deal leaving him in a fix due to his imminent move to another part of the country. He is willing to let her go for a very attractive price. She's currently in the water at a local marina in the big city.

I've had a quick look from a distance and she looks pretty good to me. Her specs are; LOA 22' 4" - LWL 17' 6" - Beam 7' 0" - Displacement 1700 lbs. - Ballast 900 lbs. with a Sail Area of 201 Sq.Ft. - Did I mention she too is a fractional rig? - - - I would need a trailer to enable me to dry-sail her, as opposed to keeping her in a slip at the marina. My son will build one for me as he's in the steel cutting business.

I'm attracted to this boat because it is so very much like the first boat I ever owned, that being, a Cygnus 20 fractional rig daysailer, designed by the late George Hinterhoeller of C&C fame. I learned to sail on this boat and kept her a number of years before moving on to another of Hinterhoeller's fractional rig designs, that being his famous Shark 24, also built by C&C Yachts.

My thoughts are that I would use this strictly for daysailing, that being the purpose for which it was originally designed. Many other 22 footers have been designed as small family cruising yachts but are more often than not, sailed as a day-sailer. The Viking 22 makes no such pretentions and is a pretty bare boat with simple accomodations allowing for sleeping arrangement for two under a cuddy and boom tent, bringing it down to a basic sailing boat.

My wife thinks I'm nuts but what the heck? I mean why not? The price is right and I could maybe train some of my grand-children to handle her. If they take a liking to sailing, it would become theirs. If not, I believe it would sell again for much more than it is being offered to me.

I believe this to be a good deal and I think I could make money on a re-sale if all does not pan out. But once again, maybe my wife is right (she often is) and I should just get on with the outstanding jobs remaining on the Passage 24.

I once bought a Flying Junior because I had loved racing them as a kid. Sailed the boat once and sold it.

My boat is languishing in MA, and transportation is too expensive for me right now so I can't work on her. But I'm going to buy something to sail here so I don't go crazy over the summer. It's counter intuitive to buy another boat when you aren't able to finish the one you have but if you buy something with a decent resale value then it's definitely doable. I'm favoring something fast I can trailer, Lightnings, Lasers, Thistles etc.

I purchased a sunfish on impulse and it ends up getting sailed more than any other boat. My son loves it. I have a car-top rack for it, so its easy to launch. I was a project boat, so it did interfere with getting other work done.
David

Meh! I thought about it some more and concluded the answer to my original question was in the affirmative and so, i walked away from it. It sure was an attractive price but then, I would need a road trailer, and I would have to rely on one of my sons to haul it around as needed.

Ok, back to the project at hand ... complete the Passage 24. The sun is supposed to make an apperance today, so I just might get some of the outdoor spring chores done that will allow me to get back to working on the boat. Bob T.

I think you made the right move Bob! But I also have a sunfish handy for the moments when I am unwilling to solo my Soverel 28, and looking forward to this summer I MIGHT do projects rather than sailing. Never have done that before, but it might be time. I will let you know how that goes!

Keep up the work on the Passage 24--it will be worth it. But at night when the work is done, troll the list of craig for something small that you can take for a ride!

Hi Richard. Yes, that was my idea to have something just for day-sailing.

Other thoughts crossing my mind are the ever increasing costs of marina berths - ie: about $400 - $600 per month for my Passage 24 (30ft OAL) plus insurance, plus hydro, plus water. And, the real possibility of vandalism is a factor not to be ignored either. Lax liberal penalties from the courts are responsible for this sad state of affairs.

As well, the fact the bottom has fallen out of the market when it comes to valuation of older design boats. I see what I can only describe as fantastic deals on used boats recently. ie: Alberg 30's in top shape, with everything required to go cruising NOW, for less than $20,000 as well, I see other terrific deals almost daily on Craig's list and by local brokers.

All this is having an effect on my decision to pour more money into my project. I keep thinking it would be great to return to basics. A smaller, trailerable boat, that can be day-sailed, yet large enough to go coastal cruising or gunkholing. The Viking 22 would fill the bill on that thought.

Ah, if only money was no object!!!