"I Hate My Boat"

[Editorneal]

Working on it. I'll post again when I have something positive to add. Thanks, all.

[RaptorAT]

Editorneal- Yes we woudl all love to own pretty sailboats. Personally I can not afford one yet which is why I sail OPB and CB.
OPB- Other peoples boats!! There are tons of folks out there that have boats they can not sail single handed and nobody to go out sailing with. This is sad and well mildly incomprehensible but true. This is true of both racing and cruising and even random daysailing. Figure out where your local sailors hang out and go there. You will meet folks who are always looking for crew. You said you were in norfolk,va try attending this event http://www.schoonerrace.org/pdfs/100...boxbenefit.pdf I know some of the organizers and many are always looking for crew. I have been on some of the most lovely boats doing the OPB thing. Oysters to fireboats.

CB- CLub boats. I belong to a club that allows me to take their boats whenever I feel like it. I know other cities have this as well. I am not sure what the name of the norfolk one is but there is liekly a club where you can take boats out after proving you are safe. These can be great deals in terms of meeting folks that sail as well as meeting folks who own boats too.

[SW329xl]

Originally Posted by Claudia1002

If you're in Norfolk like your location says, here ya go:

Richmond craigslist under $5K

Find a boat and go sailing.

Whoa. An MX Ray for $1,400. That is one heck of a fun to cost ratio. Plus with that boat, you could cancel your gym membership. I have seen those running in the 3k - 4k range for the most part. Definitely a buyers market.

[agrainofsand]

I love my boat. It will soon be my home, my life as I leave California for the South Pacific and never return. Lookout world here I come.

[daydreamer92]

Editorneal, go check out boatyards. Look in the corner at the uncovered, weathered old boats. See if they are yard owned boats for sail and go from there. Sometimes they are just really dirty. Sometimes they are really dirty and need a few things fixed.

If I can walk out in February and stumble on a Tartan 27 and get it for a quarter of what was listed as "minimum bid" by March, you can find your gem, too. This was just one small yard, too.

Google "boat yard" or "marina" or "yacht yard" for where you live, zoom in on the map and check out the little markers. Look at websites links of any of them, check their for sale sections, maybe they have a cheap ol' boat for sale. Or call. Or go wander through some of them since they are probably open now.

There are soooo many boats out there sitting, there is bound to be one for every one who wants one, even people on a shoestring budget.

Don't lose heart and good luck to you.