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The thief one day prior to the incident…
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That’s probably correct, but in my mind it’s much more excusable for the folks who keep their toys parked in a driveway at home and who have to go through a big hassle to trailer their boat out, launch it, etc. to get use out of it. If your boat is just sitting there in the water racking up maintenance costs and hefty slip fees (which are easily thousands of dollars a month for a boat this size) then using it less than two days a month is just a sad, sad waste of resources and prime waterfront real estate.
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I remember my father buying a 21’ powerboat, insisting he’d use it for fishing and so on, and only using it a couple of times a year. I swear he got more emotional utility out of scraping off barnacles, painting, varnishing, oiling, and tinkering with the 150hp engine than he ever did out of the few pathetic flounder and bluefish we actually caught. Then he upgraded to a 350 hp engine, and I admit he used it more – but when I was allowed to use the boat so long as I filled the tank back up when was done, and I realized why he didn’t take it out more - sure, the thing was fast, but I could go through a 40 gallon tank in about 3 hours if I was taking my friends out for a speed run across the Sound to the nightclubs of Long Island, and they were understandably reluctant to chip in for gas when we were were all short on pocket cash. And of course the thing only drank premium, with copious amounts of 2-stroke oil added in as it was a 2-stroke.
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Clearly there was no end game or purpose beside mischief for the thief. I can’t imagine that they would be hoping to re-sell it along with all the usual stolen items that you find on marketplace: laundry detergent, toiletries, meat, baby formula, yacht.
That’s why I went with a cheap little sailboat FTW! It cost me zero dollars to fuel the boat last weekend, and only $15 for the launch fee including a full day of parking. Plus, for me personally, sailing is a lot more fun and challenging than just pointing a boat in the direction I want it to go and hitting the throttle. But to each their own.
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Russian Oligarchs Flee to LA Ports Without Bringing Their Crews
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Newport Beach?
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Good clip but the Queen Mary is up the coast a bit in Long Beach.
Newport does have some famous frozen banana establishments though. In fact there are two rival ones that both claim to be “The Original.”
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This is also why I prefer a canoe. The only cost to operate it is the toll it takes on my body (mostly my back these days). In fact, three of the four boats I have are human powered (one is more very sturdy inner tube with a seat than it is a boat, though).
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Same here. Canoe is my favorite and also the thing I’m most comfortable with. I was looking into small wind-sailing vessels a couple years ago, but didn’t come across anything that I wouldn’t need a trailer for so kind of gave up.
If anyone has any tips, hit me up!
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I’m pretty familiar with the boat industry, not super yachts but the 16’ - 60’ market.
A 42’ boat can easily cost over 1 million.
A 23’ sport boat can easily cost 125 - 150 grand.
The used market is over priced right now because there is very little new inventory out there due to supply chain issues.
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What about a sail for your canoe? We had a CL 14 sail boat years ago that was a lot of fun, but it definitely required a trailer.
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I looked for something like that, and for a sailing kayak, but didn’t find anything that got good reviews.
Maybe I gave up too soon?
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My tips are:
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Depending on how often you’re doing it, renting is a great option. The boat will already be in the water with the sails rigged so you get to skip the hassle of towing, launch and setup.
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If you’ve got a place to store it, don’t worry about getting a little sailboat that needs a trailer. Mine is light and small enough that I tow it with a Honda Fit with no issues.
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I’ve never really looked into them, but quickly looking around, there are some pretty elaborate setups. I would have expected basically a kite you hold on, but there seem to be full on conversion kits out there.
This is a great idea! Is there a sailing club in your area?
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When I’m in San Diego I rent from these guys. Sailboat rental is way cheaper than motorboat rental:
When I was first learning to sail I took a lesson from this school in Newport, who have a fleet of the same type of boat I eventually bought:
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It’s an hour drive to the closest sailing club, but there’s a beautiful river a quarter mile away that I canoe and kayak on, and a large lake about 2 miles away. I was trying to find something that I could just toddle down there with, for quick excursions, versus a long-ish round trip drive, you know?
ETA: @Otherbrother - one of the things that’s nicer about living in an urban area! I took sailing lessons when I lived in D.C. and then could ride my bike to the marina on weekends and rent a boat for almost nothing. It was sweet!
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Yup. I get that.
Is there something you could toss on top of your car? Maybe a sunfish or a Laser?
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