Okay it's a longshot... Anyone want to sell their Rhodes 22?

sealover · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2010

Have been admiring them for a long time. I have bent Stan Spitzer's ear at the Annapolis show for 2 years now. Have read that giant 55 page packet cover to cover multiple times. Have sold myself and the redhead on a Rhodes. Now I just have to find the right one at the right price.

A bit about where I'm coming from: (so this doesn't come across as a want-ad)

Enjoy my Venture 17 but would like a bit more comfort below deck and space in the cockpit, but still be able to rig, launch, sail, and retrieve single-handed. And weekend with the Mrs. Maybe the dogs too. And tow it with a small but capable 6 cylinder pickup. Was looking at MacGregor 22's. Found some nice ones for under $1000. Fit the bill, but if someone listed an underpriced Rhodes in the local newspaper I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat and sell the Macgregor quickly. I've spent the last 2 years putting teak and gear and a GPS in my 17. Did it for myself, but it's not likely I'll get ten cents on the dollar back out of it. I don't want to buy a MacGregor or a Catalina or an O'Day and make it "suit" me only to send it down the line as soon as a Rhodes comes up. So I've resigned myself to enjoying my 17 until a Rhodes appears. But to hurry that along I'm bringing it up here.

I'm an "old Mercedes" guy. I really enjoy the engineering and craftsmanship that went into Mercedes (pre-96, at least) and feel that for someone mechanically inclined, a well-maintained old Mercedes is the best combination of safety, reliability, longevity, and appearance to be had in a $5000 car. I see the Rhodes 22 in the exact same light.

Unfortunately I can't justify the price of a recycled. I think they're a screaming bargain at $20K but at this stage of my life that's a big chunk of money to spend on a recreational object. My spending limit is less than half of that. A quarter of that would be ideal.

Fortunately I'm not real concerned with appearance and more than happy to put elbow grease into it.

Any suggestions or advice for me? Anything to look out for on certain years or certain options?

littlejohnw · #2 (**permalink**) 05-01-2011

I don't know if you've found your boat yet, but I too was searching for a Rhodes, the Rhodes Meridian and finally found it. I searched every Craigslist along the East coast. Perchance you may have the same luck: especially right now, it seems that every boat in the world is for sale..... good luck!

sealover · #3 (**permalink**) 05-02-2011

I found a $2500 one and went to look at it. Sitting there next to my pickup it looked a lot bigger than the ones at the boat show. Definitely not something I could rig and launch single-handed in 10 minutes. If I had a slip or a spot next to the ramp I'd get an R22. But it's too big to fit in my garage.