Plastic Classic Forum

I was just curious how often and in what ways people on this forum use their beloved plastic classics.

I might be a bit of an odd duck--I don't really care to sail just for the sake of sailing. I raced just part of one season as a teenager aboard my parents' Hunter 25 in Florida, but quickly discovered I didn't like racing. My fondest memories are from the cruising we did along the Gulf Coast and the Florida Keys.

During the last seven years, I've probably only averaged about four weekends a year on the boat, and perhaps half a dozen day sails each year. I spent two weeks aboard the Dove with my dad on a cruise from Annapolis to Norfolk and back. And, just two months ago, I spent a week discovering the Mobjack and the four rivers that empty into it.

What I love about sailing is pointing the bow at the horizon and knowing that in eight hours or two days or two weeks, I'll be dropping the hook in a place I've never been. I like being at sea.

What I love about my plastic classic is that some day she will take me around the world--something I've wanted to do since I was 10.

You don't really have an answer similar to my case. I daysail and after work sail a ton. I do a few weekends and one extended cruise.

It is our river house really.

Almost every weekend we spend a night or two on it. Usually not far from home base.

We don't cruise as much as we'd like to because we like our marina so much!!!

A tiny bit of racing...got that out of my system a long time ago.

A fair amount of day sailing, the rappahanock is so good for that.

Nothing like listening to the water hiss by on a close reach, tiller extension in hand, down on the lee side of the boat, inches from the water while the kids drag their feet in the water....

The cruising horizon is slowly expanding though. I am sure next year we will get farther up the bay...maybe one day bermuda.

No aspirations of around the world...but nice to know I could if I got the urge...

I put my vote for mostly short cruises, but really it should read: as much daysailing as possible (3-7 times/week during the season) and one main cruise, as long as possible (2-4 weeks), with a few weekend cruises added as possible. No organized racing at all.

We do a rare daysail, usually with a visitor from out of town. Normally when the boat leaves the dock, we'll be gone for at least one day, if not more. We have small boats for daysailing. A pair of Dolphin Sr's for single handing and an 18 foot sharpie that takes us both to sail.

No racing in our lives anymore. we used to race our Prindle 18 regularly til racing those sort of faded from our area. My wife at one time was #2 in the Dolphin Sr's nationals and #2 in our yacht club monthly series ( #1 one year), but she's lost interest.

We spend nearly every weekend aboard Quetzal, from mid May to mid October. I will have spent nearly every weekend aboard, before launch, in April and early May doing the tasks of the year.

A perfect weekend, for us, is a Friday afternoon escape from Philly, on our mooring for a dinner aboard in the gloaming, breakfast aboard or in the local dive, a daysail and a nap, drinks and friends aboard, dinner aboard, another peaceful night, breakfast in the dive, and a Sunday at home working on the Flying Dutchman, the house or the garden. If the weather is particularly conducive, then we'll do an overnight, Sat out, Sun return, to any of the several good places to anchor out: Corsica, Langford, St Michaels, Annapolis, Claiborne, Gibson Island. If the weather and a 3-day weekend coincide then a longer cruise is taken. And we'll try for two 9-10 day cruises aboard each year, too.

This years' tasks include the rudder rebuild (at home), steering gear troubleshoot and service, the last two throughhull-seacocks (in the head), replumb the head, repair the head bulkhead tabbing, service the mast, mast step and rig, restep. We'll be lucky to be sailing before mid June.

Our season in western Lake Ontario is basically from mid-May till early October. During that period, I try to race my boat at least one evening a week, sometimes twice a week. I daysail her about once a week sometimes with friends but most often single-handed.

Mostly due to our growing family. Living within walking distance of the boat has changed our use as well.

For the last few years, we'll get onboard for nearly a dozen weekends a year. We're still exploring the coast of Maine. We haven't really worn out our home waters of Penobscot Bay yet after nearly 10 seasons.

Every year we take at least 2 weeks off as well and sail coastal Maine and Southern New England occasionally.

Having the boat nearby has seen us use it for more daysailing as well.

In the future, we plan to use it a bit more as we rent our house out in season here on the coast. It's always changing.

Last season we spent a few days anchored in the Head of The Harbor on Nantucket Island.



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