The Escape

[mark107]

What do you think of these boats?

Boating all my life. Sailed but only few times. Can I get one of the bigger models and enjoy?

Concerned about something too small to be comfortable but too cumbersome to handle.

Thanks,

Mark

[Jeff_H]

I think of the Escapes as being gimicky little boats aimed at new sailors. I seriously question the hull construction, which is comparatively short lived and hard to repair when something big goes wrong. I really think these are boats that will quickly be outgrown as they are aimed at a limited type of use and do not have the kind of flexibilty of use that gave some of the more venerable daysailors their popularity.
Good luck
Jeff

[mark107]

Thanks for the reply.

Any suggestions for a "novice" boat?

Mark M

[Jeff_H]

Sure, but first tell me more about how you plan to use the boat. Where do you plan to sail? Do you plan to trailer the boat? How many people do you expect to sail with? Do you see this as a boat that you will own for number of years or as a trainer that you will trade up from? Do you have a budget in mind?

I''ll try to get back to you once I know more about your needs.
Jeff

[mark107]

I''d be sailing in Barnegat Bay. Would like to be able to haul the boat out by hand over bulkhead. Recreational sailing with my 14yo and 12yo kids. 2 or 3 people at a time. A boat we could enjoy for awhile but not looking to trade up necessarily.

That was appeal of escape. I thought it would be light enough for two to launch/haul out. No maintenance per se. I think I''d rather have a boat a little too technical than a bath tub that''s no fun after a few trips across the bay.

Thanks Again
Mark

[Jeff_H]

I sailed on Barnegat Bay as a teenager. We used to rent a little house at Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island during the summers. I am not sure that there really is a boat out there that you can actually "haul the boat out by hand over bulkhead" that can carry three people and not get damaged hauling it out of the water. There is not such thing as "No maintenance per se" and my fear with the Escape is that when something need repair the construction will make that imposible.

My initial suggestion for a boat that can be sailed by three and will still have reasonable performance and which can carry an outboard for those times when the wind completely dies out as oft it does on Barnegat is to find an older Oday Javilin or Daysailer or a Sailstar Explorer. These are older boats but they have a small cutty that you can store gear in. With a boom tent they can be camp cruised and are the bees knees in the kind of shallow sailing environment that you are talking about.

Good Luck
Jeff