Friday, February 22, 2008

The new Speakeasy

The winter hunt for a new boat can be all encompassing, taking all of your time and thought. Boats are dreams with physical form and weight. One can fall in love with the form, but not like certain details. Then, there is the cost of a boat. A new boat was out of the question from the start, but even decade-old boats seemed too expensive. I did see boats in various price ranges that could fit my dream for both form and weight.

The goal of this particular boat was to be safe and comfortable for a month-long sail from harbor-to-harbor in Lake Michigan. My partner and I decided it must be at least 30 feet, have solid electronics, able to be sailed by a single person, and be safe. We looked at Pearsons, Tartans, and Catalinas. Eventually, we bought a Catalina 320. It was in great condition and was priced fairly. It didn't have some of the form I saw in the Tartans, but it had better weight. That is, it was in better condition and would require less maintenance. We thought we'd have more time to enjoy sailing the boat rather than keeping it up. The old boat named Speakeasy is now named Maria after the owner's grandmother. Welcome, the new Speakeasy.