At the end of Her (and my) 6th season finally I have pictures of us on our home water.
In spite of my frequent sailing, I had never had any idea of how we looked to other people, it's beautiful!
These photos transmit a feeling of grace, peace and serenity.
Nothing of the mess inside the cabin, or of the rot that afflict every year more parts. She is beautiful as she was new!
I was quite convinced to dismantle her at the and of the year, because of the long list of reparations to do and the few free time I have.
Now this decision become harder!
Anyway She's been my fellow for a long part of my recent years. I choose Her, I built Her day after day, I launched Her and I learn sailing on Her.
She gave me a lot.
We spent together beautiful moments even if my original plan to explore and to wander together new fascinating places has never been realized, because I discovered that a trailer and a car hook costed me much more than Her. Hence we enjoyed at home. No long journeys, no overnights, no anchors mooring. Only short, but frequent sessions on my lake. Mainly alone, sometime with the family to see night fireworks from the lake side instead of packed in the crowd on the ground.
Now probably this important part of my life ends, as happened with my university, with my military service, with some (but never enough) girlfriends, jobs, homes... but She'll never leave my heart.
Gianluigi
wow, what a nice spot! at least you had a beautiful place to sail . no feeling in the world like moving along the water in something you made with your own hands!
thanks for posting the pics, she's a beautiful boat
No don't dismantle :o :o
:-[ :'( I paid 800 dollars for a complete deralick lawn ornament. Poured my heart and wallet into it, and now I love it and happy I made the move.someone will buy that boat. Here are a before and after of my boat
If you have a place to do the work, I recommend that you take the winter to do an overhaul of your boat. My boat is about as old as yours and I spent a very pleasant winter with her in my shop fixing the little things that could otherwise spell her doom. The result of which is she won her class at the wooden boat show this year. If you do not have a place to carry out repairs, give someone else a chance to do so. Sell her. To my way of thinking, she would have to be ready to collapse before I took out the chainsaw.
From time to time people will ask me how much I think my home built boat is worth. I always answer by saying " whatever my widow can get for her". From what you write it seems that you will miss the serenity that you have found out on the water with her. That is too high a price to pay in my eyes.Â
Al
I agree with Al. I fix and repair boats all the time and it's just an approach and get it done thing. You pretty much know what's going on, so you have a hand up on my stuff, as I usually have to hunt and peck around for a while, just to figure out what needs what. Hack at it a little at a time and if you don't get it done by next season, well you can wait until the season after. This is boat ownership and it's not going to change, regardless of what you sail.
Yah, in a sense you are right. It isn't any of our business what a guy wants to do with his boat. I was just hoping to stimulate a second thought in a comrade. He seemed kinda sad.
Al
thanks to all for you solidarity and for your appreciations,
all yours remarks are correct.
At the moment I don't have a place to work. In My Marina there is an open area for maintenance, but noisy and dirty works are forbidden from 1st June to 31 August September (because a crowded beach and a camping are aside). Furthermore I can't trust on the weather because in the Spring and Autumn nights can be too cool for epoxy.
Sell Her to someone who can repair it is not possible. Used boats market changed a lot since I decided to build my Weekender. Because of the economic crisis and of the aging of italian population, are now available a lot of cheap yachts of any dimension. Someone gives them free in order to save the annual docking fees of the marinas. I'm meaning small yachts of 6-7 metres long 15÷20 years old, with outboard, a double set of sails and jib furling system.
Her life is in line with specification, it was said that a exterior grade plywood could last more than 10 year if dry parked. I did it for the first 3 seasons, but now are 3 seasons that She is docked (the first year I demanded a docking, but there was a waiting list for over 100 people, for about 150 places in the marina, this Summer instead 3÷4 places remained free). Then wind and chop condition are here severe and this shortened Her life. By the way the first year a couple of Catamarans landed on Her after a small tornado. I think that this caused a hidden delamination in the side panel who soaked water and caused the rod I'm now mainly worried about.
I also remember that I used Her a lot, 40 times till now this year and 60 times last year, in any season in spite of winter breeze and ice inside.
Anyway I have not definitely decided. Probably I make a temporary (and bad) reparation in order to use her until December and then I decide.
Gianluigi
to Timo:Â this Lake of Garda, photos have been taken in front of my town Riva del Garda that not appear because up-wind. Garda is another town on the same lake, about 40 km from me.
Gianluigi, I have enjoyed your posts over the years. Asides from the boat you have many friends here. Please reconsider and find a way to keep your boat.
Gianluigi, this is a tough one and a decision I've had to make several times in my life. It's difficult, but sometimes it's the lesser of two evils. Make you decision in your own time, then don't look back - just forward to the next opportunity to build another boat. It's a illness and it's in your blood now, so you'll build again. Maybe you'll fix a few up in between, but trust me, you'll build again. Hell, I'm an old man and I'm still building them. You'd think I learn, but noooo . . .