SmallCraftAdvisor.com

Which way are you headed, sailor? Moorage and other prices have you thinking about something even smaller and simpler, or do all of these inexpensive used boats have you thinking about something a little bigger?

I grew up in a part of Michigan (Port Huron) which is dominated by Lake Huron, and has very few smaller "inland" lakes. I honestly didn't know that sailboats came less than 30 feet in length.

When I bought my Hunter 170 my goal was to learn to sail, so that I could buy a bigger boat and sail on Lake Huron. In the ten years since, I have discovered the benefits of small. I am now living about as far from a great lake as you can live and be in Michigan. Here we measure lakes in acres, and my 400lb sailboat is perfect. If I had a bigger boat I would have to drive over an hour to get to it, cost of ownership would be higher, and I would sail less.

Still, Lake Huron calls to me. Something about having grown up in Port Huron. It sounds corny I know, but it's like my soul is connected to those waters. Lake Huron and the St. Clair River and the Blue Water Bridge are a part of me.

I may yet "go big" some day, I would really love to go where my boat can't safely take me. For now, my little boat has never stopped being fun, and I have discovered that there are many small lakes and bays that are worth exploring.

Sometimes I think "going big" will just mean a small boat with just a little bit more ballast, sometimes I imagine a 27 footer with standing head room. Both have their advantages, and it costs nothing to dream.

I like where I'm at. I have a Compac 19/II and a 15'r for daysails. I would, however like to build John Welsford's Navigator for solo camp cruises.

Carl

Did the keel boat thing on the great lakes for 10 yrs. in a C&C Wave 26, now I've just acquired a Siren 17 for less than I spent on many of the upgrades on the 26 and my cruising range has expanded to virtually the entire continent, go figure??

Quite likely I will go smaller.

Right now I have a 1968 Pearson Wanderer. 30-foot FRP boat. 3,800 lbs. of lead in the keel, about 9,800 lbs. displacement, with an Atomic 4 engine.

Having to pay for the slip, plus all the maintenance (and "renovation" work I've been doing) is really adding up.

I like to keep it simple. I keep thinking a trailerable small camp cruiser would be pretty nice - then instead of paying nearly $2,000 per year for a slip, I could store the boat on a trailer in a self-storage yard for much less. Plus, the boat would be closer to home and much easier to work on - if needed, I could drag it home and work on it in the driveway. As it is now, my boat is 85 miles away, so when I want or need to work on her (which I've been doing an awful lot this year), I have to plan well in advance, load up the truck with everything I'm going to need, and drive 90 minutes each way.

Ultimately, my plan is to build something - not sure what yet; there are just so many really sweet-looking designs out there! But it probably will be about 20-22 feet with a small cabin so I can do some weekending or multiple-day cruises around Chesapeake Bay.