Rhodes 22....Opinions?

[ckgreenman]

Lately I've been doing a lot of research (mostly poking around) at various boats that are currently on the market looking for something that would be the perfect starter boat for my wife and I. Basically here's some of what I'm looking for:

• 16-24 ft
• easy to learn (for me and my wife)
• easy to single hand
• does reasonably well in light air
• possible overnighter/weekender
• trailerable
• easy to launch/retrieve (possibly by one person)
• easy to rig (possibly by one person)

From what I've seen the Rhodes 22 comes pretty close to meeting all the requirements but what I'd like to hear is real life opinions from people who have owned or sailed one of these.

So if you have an opinion on the Rhodes 22, I'd love to hear it. Good or Bad.

Thanks

[bubb2]

The Rhodes 22 is a great little boat. I know of a few in my area that were bought as "starter boat" and the owners kept them for years. attached is a link, if you have not seen it you may find it informative.
Report On The Rhodes Twenty Two

[danielgoldberg]

It was the first boat we every owned. We bought a used one refurbished from the factory. It's a great boat, and has a very loyal following. It's a bit of a gimmick boat, but not in a bad way. Stan and Elton Spitzer, the builders and owners of "General Boats" (a pun on General Motors), are good guys. They try to cram the amenities of larger boats into a 22 foot trailerable, so they have some pretty innovative things.

Having a roller furling mainsail on a boat that small is unusual to say the least. But, as a first boat, it makes learning that much easier. Likewise, many of the boats come with a 175% genny. That means you will have PLENTY of sail area in light air to make up for the hollow roach of the main, but it also means that you may be saiing pretty often with a partially furled jib in anything but light air, which means performance may suffer a bit. But again, it's not a performance boat, and if you're just learning how to be a boat owner, it's not the biggest deal. Others will disagree I'm sure, as they will say the best way to learn to sail is to have a boat that you can trim properly all the time, which is a fair comment.

The boat launches very easily, it definitely can be rigged by one person (particularly if you get the crane option).

The also has a little bit of a stub keel, so you can sail with the board all the way up. You won't be screaming to weather with the board up, but you can make way in the thinnest of waters.

The pop top is a very cool feature of the boat. And with the tiller extension, you literally can sail the boat while standing under to pop top to give you some sun protection. I'm not aware of another 22' boat that has something comparable.

It's got an innovative outboard motor lift, which makes lifting and dropping the motor into the water very easy.

And she's a Philip Rhodes design, so she has some pedigree (though she doesn't look anything like his other designs).

All in all, it's a great boat and I would not hesitate to recommend it, or dealing with Stan and Elton. They're stand-up guys. Native New Yorkers who transplanted themselves to Edenton, North Carolina to build these boats.

OK, I'm off to court soon, but will check in later if you have some specific questions.

[ckgreenman]

Cool. Thanks for the info. I've read the "Report on the Rhodes 22" and it does look impressive. As far as Sailing is concerned, I'm ok with constant trim fiddling but for my Wife's sake, the less hassle involved, the more likely she'll want to do it.

[bubb2]

Originally Posted by ckgreenman

As far as Sailing is concerned, I'm ok with constant trim fiddling but for my Wife's sake, the less hassle involved, the more likely she'll want to do it.

Chris, Trim is not something I would worry about at this time. Any time you get a boat new to you there is a new learning curve. Once you learn the boat you will be able to dial her in for the conditions your sailing in and find the "sweet spot" with out constant fiddling.

[Jotun]

They're nice but expensive for a 22. You could find a Catalina 22 for a quarter of the price and have the same amount of fun.

[WouldaShoulda]

Originally Posted by danielgoldberg

It's got an innovative outboard motor lift, which makes lifting and dropping the motor into the water very easy.

That and other features make it a good choice for those with more limited physical abilities.

[mstern]

I love the Rhodes 22; it has lots of extra features that make it like the Lexus of trailerable boats. The pop top, the enclosed head, the innovate galley layout, the proprietary outboard bracket, the storage under the cockpit seats (specifically designed to fit standard large tupperware bins), the removable cockpit table; these and probably a dozen other little things make the Rhodes 22 a really unique and high quality boat.

That being said, you do pay for these features, and how many people really need a "luxury" trailerable? Even a used Rhodes 22 will be signficantly more money than a comparable Catalina 22 or Oday 22 or 23. If your goal is to buy a boat in order to learn to sail, you can definitely get much more for your money with a Catalina 22 (which I think will hold its value at least as well as a Rhodes 22) or an Oday 23. My humble advice: if you know you want to cruise and you know that you want a trailerable sailboat, then you can't buy a more comfortable, better designed boat than a Rhodes 22. However, if you want to learn to sail on a trailerable boat, then go for something less expensive that will hold its value; as you gain experience, figure out what is important to you and your family in terms of boat features, and make your next boat purchase accordingly. You may find out that no one likes cruising; in that case, you can keep your little boat or even move down to a true daysailer. Or, you will find you all love cruising, but have determined that you really need more space and amenities than any 22 foot boat can provide. The Rhodes 22 is a real niche boat, and you may find you paid for features that are not important to you.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

[ckgreenman]

Originally Posted by Jotun

They're nice but expensive for a 22. You could find a Catalina 22 for a quarter of the price and have the same amount of fun.

I did notice that. New I think they run somewhere around $45K. I'm actually looking at a 1983 which is currently listed for $3500 with trailer. Very clean but needs bottom paint.

[mstern]

Originally Posted by ckgreenman

I did notice that. New I think they run somewhere around $45K. I'm actually looking at a 1983 which is currently listed for $3500 with trailer. Very clean but needs bottom paint.

Wow, that is outright cheap for a Rhodes 22; and with a trailer!?! I'd be checking that boat (and the trailer) for serious defects. If the deck is ok, the bulkhead and the rudder (including the gudgeon attachments at the transom) is sound, and the mast is ok, it sounds like a great deal. Check for hull blisters, although I have not heard that was ever a problem with the Rhodes 22. Bottom paint is not a big deal; that's a sweat equity issue, not money. It will take less than a gallon to cover the bottom.