Seduced by the Nearly Free Boat

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Venture 21

A Seldén gennaker furler gives a boost to a Catalina 355 sailing near Annapolis

Our review of the trailblazing trailer-sailer, the Venture 21, brought to mind a recent phone conversation with my friend Andrew regarding a similar boat.

I just got myself a free sailboat, he announced cheerily. Well, almost free. Husband, father, and the owner of a new business, Andrew had no time for a boat. But hed sailed as a boy in England and, by jove, he wanted to start again.

Uh-oh, I said.

What was that?

Thats terrific, Andrew.

Isnt it? I can’t wait to sail her.

What kind of boat? (It couldnt be that bad.)

Remember Robs little San Juan?

It was that bad. Robs San Juan 21 was the proverbial hole in the water. Rob (not his real name) was a fine captain, but boat ownership did not suit his lifestyle. He ran other peoples yachts. Mega-megayachts. Hot tubs, helicopter pads, summers in St. Tropez, winters on Antigua-those kind of yachts. Once in a blue moon, hed get a break, fly home for a couple weeks, and take the family yachting in their tiny, beloved, but sorely neglected San Juan. The irony of this arrangement was not lost on Rob.

Because the San Juan saw little use, the familys outings usually involved some mechanical malfunction. But Rob was an Aussie; so for him, life was an adventure. A snapped centerboard cable was all part of the fun, mate.

When Rob and his family relocated to Sydney, their banged-up San Juan needed a new home. Andrew was delighted to buy it for next to nothing.

Ive got it anchored behind my house, he said. Even over the phone, the excitement in his voice was contagious. I began to get worried.

I was sure that Id warned Andrew about bargain boats. Abandoned in boatyards, lurking on used car lots, posing on the side of the road, these seductive creatures promise all the pleasures of sailing-and none of the financial pain. How many sailors have been lured to their doom by the Siren-song of Craigslist?

A week later, another call from Andrew confirmed my fears.

I got a bit of a problem, he said.

I told you. . . I stopped myself.

I thought youd say that. Well, it doesn’t matter anyway, its too late. I think.

Too late for what?

Shes got a big hole in her. Ive winched her onto the flat behind my house. He sounded crushed.

This was the saddest, shortest tale of boat ownership Id ever heard. A norther blew up, and the anchor rode parted. Submerged pilings pierced the hull. Pounding seas folded the mast. He had sailed her just once.

In typical Brit fashion, Andrew was undaunted. He began grinding and fiberglassing the hull, working two days straight at low tide. He might have saved her, too, were it not for a second storm. In the end, two salvage pumps kept the poor San Juan afloat as it was towed to the nearest boat ramp and put onto a trailer.

Andrew listed the boat on Craigs-list, and a wide-eyed prospector soon appeared. A deal was struck and the battered San Juan 21 rolled away. She was just a shell of a boat, but her Siren song still piped at full volume.

Two months later, I got another call from Andrew. The excitement in his voice was contagious.

Apparently, there is no cure for this disease.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.