While looking over Craigslist, I decided to take a look at a Catalina 27 for sale. I have interest in a Catalina 27, but it's not my dream boat. It will be an improvement over my current ride in regards to family sailing, but I know there are other, better boats out there.
So, I go down to the marina to take a look; the boat is nice enough and certainly a good value for the price. But since the boat won't come with the upwind Berkeley slip, I think I'll probably pass. Still, a bit uncertain, I head for home. A notice on the bulletin board outside of M dock catches my eye. A lien sale? Hmm, let's see what kind of boats have been abandoned. Right down at the bottom of the list, a 30 foot Cape Dory.
It's probably a complete beater, but for the chance at finding my dream 30 footer for cheap on the West Coast? Worth giving up on a so-so Catalina 27, I'll tell you what. Serendipity, indeed.
2 comments:
Ed....just got back from a glorious day of Cape Dory sailing on my buddy Bruno's boat. Fantastic. He has a 28 footer that is set up really nicely for gunkholing and messing around, and it is a beater in that Bruno has not been too dilligent in taking care of the aesthetics of his vessel. Still extremely stout and reliable though.
-Eli
I'm sure a 30 foot Cape Dory is worth more sitting on the bottom of the San Francisco Bay than whatever piddly lien they have on it. If it floats and has a stick, I say go for it! Unless you're 5' tall, the vee berth on the catalina 27 will prove to be most uncomfortable. Moving around the cabin to get to the bow is also a pain, as the deck is very narrow, and cluttered with stuff. It also slopes outboard. Just my $.02 worth, but I bought one, sailed it for about three months and got rid of it as fast as I could!
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