Sale of the Famed Enterprise Sea

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

I'm sure you will be better off with a competent delivery pilot!

Ok fine...lest my comments be misinterpreted, you should never foolishly exceed your own skill levels, however a boat is a boat and there is not much difference in operation between a 26 footer and a 35 footer....forward, reverse, port, starboard...and your diesel will have a preheat button (which you hold down for 10 or 20 seconds prior to starting) but other than that, I think its easier to drive than a Mac without all those boards. Sails go up the same way but with bigger winches (you don't need to know how to use the macerator or the water heater yet). Its not quite the same as going from a single engine Cessna to a pressurized jet airplane in terms of operational complexity. If you had the skills (and local knowledge) to take your Mac out the Gate, you could probably handle the bigger boat just as well, in fact, it should be a much nicer ride in the bigger heavier boat...easier, not harder.

But it certainly never hurts to have some more experience on board. Instead of paying someone 800 bucks though, maybe make some friends on a Pearson or SF Bay web site and find someone who will make the trip with you for some food and beer instead.

All comments made for entertainment value only and should not be taken as advice

[richandlori]

But it certainly never hurts to have some more experience on board. Instead of paying someone 800 bucks though, maybe make some friends on a Pearson or SF Bay web site and find someone who will make the trip with you for some food and beer instead.

All comments made for entertainment value only and should not be taken as advice

$400/day may sound like a lot, but at $380 a month to keep it in it's current slip in Santa Cruz while I gain the local knowladge...that adds up too! Not to mention that Santa Cruz is 4 hrs away from Bakersfield. I think it could just be better to pay the "man" and get the boat into my home waters where storage is just $360/YR!

[jetta01]

Rich,

When Molly's dad bought the 44' Hunter, we had a captain go with us from Ventura > Catalina > San Diego. It was a huge help since he does many blue water crossings. We didn't end up sailing a lot due to the lack of wind those couple of days, but what we learned by just listening to the stories was worth all the money. He was $350 a day, and expected you to pay for all his meals and drinks.

[zuma hans 1]

I heartily and respectfully disagree. A blue water trip is NOT where you want to learn where the dang doohickey goes.

And we are not talking about sailing to Catalina or Key West here. The waters from SC to Avila bays are cold, stormy and in places shallow. There are but 4 decent shelters on the way. Point Sur is a yacht graveyards. You can flip a boat at Morro Bay in seconds. Port San Luis has seen commercial fishingboats turtle at their moorings when a south swell comes.

Read Latitude 38 regularly and you will see report after report about yachtsmen who underestimate this passage, and the difficulties of sailing it.

And stories of captains delivering their new ships - only to run into disaster - are legion. Just last year, a vessel worth seven figures was abandoned to the seas when the the Coast Guard had to winch up the new owner and his seasick, dehydrated crew 400 miles west of Fort Bragg. They were delivering their new boat from Portland to the Bay.

Rich, if you decide to do this, at least spend some days sailing in and out of the bay, and practice overnight sailing.

To paraphrase Sgt. Schultz: Sailing a Mac out of Oxnard is nothing, and I mean nothing, compared to the voyage ahead of you.

[richandlori]

Zuma...thanks for your concern and I am not taking this lightly. Even WHEN we do hire a delivery captain, I will still spend lots of time and $ to make damn sure the boat and her crew are ready!

Once I have the boat, I will make a new Post...something like "...the delivery of .....", so those interested can follow. I have already been in contact with two different captains and they are in the process of sending me their resumes.

I want to have this boat for quite a long time...not smashed on the rocks some where along the way!

[Terry Chiccino]

Rich, congradulations on your decision to step up to a bigger boat! I'm confused as to where your boat is? You're talking about repairs and maintenance in Sausalito but the Pearson is currently in Santa Cruz? The Gate (as in Golden) is 55 nautical miles north of Santa Cruz, why would you not make repairs and get your service in Santa Cruz? Once the work is completed, I would think you could prove your new jewel in Monterey Bay. We have some great whale watching going on in Monterey Bay right now. Santa Cruz to Monterey is 22.5 nautical miles and there are beautiful facilities when you check into the Monterey Harbour you actually get a slip (not an end tie) Once you become comfortable enough to run to make the run south, it's a wonderful trip to make as opposed to beating the way back north. At the very least if you decided to hire a captain to pilot the boat down south, a lot will be absorbed if you crew for the ride! Terry

[richandlori]

Terry...sorry for the confussion! It steamed from me first making an offer on a Pearson in Sausilito (which was rejected) and the current Pearson 365 located in Santa Cruz, which I will know by maybe Wed if I have the boat (pending a survey of boat and mechanical as well as sea trial).

So, I'm talking about Santa Cruz to Avila Bay now, which takes me away from the SF BAY.

Here a link to the boat:
http://www.fastisfun.com/listings/Pearson/index.html

[aya16]

Ok Rich a a case of beer due at the time of pickup and Ill sail you down the coast. You wont find a better deal.

Just ask around up there Im sure there is some folks making the trip and tag along.

Me I would keep the boat there for a couple weeks and get to know it. then decide. After all you do have some sailing experiance. That boat your buying is a big boat with a good rep. Stay away from thin water and other objects you should be fine.

[Frank C]

Jack, a close friend of mine, and his wife, living near Tampa, had learned sailing on a friends Hunter 29. It was new, very little-used, always available. They enjoyed it so much that they started shopping the boat shows, and gradually up-sized their appetite to the H38, but the price of a new H38 was an impediment. Finally they found a brand-new, 2-year-old model near Boston. Flew up there, liked the boat, liked the price, decided to buy it, ~$150k or so.

It took another 3 months to iron out all the wrinkles, and he finally flew to Boston around 1-Oct to take it on his self-delivery cruise. I strongly suggested he should hire a certified Capt to help with delivery, but I recall it's about a 2-week trip, so pretty expensive ... Jack chose to go it alone.

No disaster to report. Jack was cautious with their gleaming new baby, and sailed only in daylight. In fact, he never sailed it at all, he motored the entire trip (1200 miles?), taking about 6 weeks. Once in Tampa, he discovered that there were only a couple of marinas that could float that six-foot draft on a slip, and those were too expensive. He & wife also discovered that sailing that H38 was lots more effort than the H29 they learned on. Within a year they had the H38 sitting on jacks in dry storage, under a "For Sale" sign. That all happened in 1998, and the boat is still sitting, for sale ... and they're still making payments on that big loan.

A couple of times each year they overnight in that big owners' cabin, the beautiful aft stateroom that sucked them into the purchase. But they climb a step ladder to reach the transom. Sad story.

[Mark Prouty]

Once in Tampa, he discovered that there were only a couple of marinas that could float that six-foot draft on a slip, and those were too expensive.

Woa!!

The Pearson has a draft of 4'6". When does a draft get too deep for the average marina?

[They Theirs]

Frank

Frightful recalling such a difficult situation. I can only feel sorry for the overly enthusiastic family. Ill recall this one for some friends thinking of going big.

[RandyMoon]

So here is a serious question for the knowledgable salts. All of us have dreams of moving up to the bigger boat with a blue hull, sailing between the islands in style.

I have seen past comments that some guys would not want a general family-market Hunter or Catalina, rather wanting a "classic" boat that is designed more specifically for one characteristic or the other. You can equate this argument to cars, airplanes, boats, motorcycles, women, etc.

In Rich's case of buying an older Pearson, what are the pros and cons for buying a boat like a Pearson (sailing capability) vs buying a newer Hunter or Catalina with some more modern bells and whistles. Figuring price is relative (have to put money in an old boat to bring it up to modern spec), are there reasons that you would want to buy an older (used to be real expensive) boat instead of a newer boat with bells and whistles?

I am curious as I am sure lots of people run these options in their mind. I have yet to find a book that quantifies exactly what you ought to be factoring into a sailboat investment. If you were looking for the perfect sailboat, what would your strategy be?

And I am with Scott, if I were moving up in size, I would seriously be looking a Tri design.

[Scott]

Yeah Randy, But this is what I want



This is what the wife wants


Permanently moored

This is why!!



As frank was saying, the Aft stateroom has her sold!!!

[Frank C]

Actually, I think Jack bought a Hunter 386 back then.
Following is the current model, probably very similar.

Hunter 38 Master Stateroom

[Scott]

Yeah Frank, Thats basically what Jennifer saw. First on a smaller boat at a boat show, then on a Beneteau 393 sitting on the water at Stockton being prepared for delivery and all of a sudden that was the "Greatest Boat ever" The size of the head, standup hot water shower, main salon and galley with all the wood, stainless and brass didnt help my cause.

She wants a pretty boat with all the amenities. I want a fast boat with no wood or brass.