Sports Gear Advisor Tips

Buying Your First Sailboat Douglas Malat Unlike power boating, sailing gives you a completely different experience, making you feel united with your environment as you move through the wind. There are many types of sailboats out there which include cruisers, racers, cruiser-racers, center cockpits and pilothouses. If you are a first timer, there is no better time to jump into one. Prices are down and deals are for the making! You have to look at the different types available (going to a boat show is the best place to start) and find what makes you feel comfortable. How it looks, how the cockpit feels and the cabin below will influence your decision. The cruiser type sailboat ranging between 25- 30 feet is a common first sailboat, because they are easier to handle for the inexperienced sailor. Once you become more experienced, your choice of boat will, too, just like buying a second car. When you have experience under your belt, you may find you like cruising and opt for a larger model giving you more speed and comfort. For the more adventurous, racing is an incredible sport the whole family can enjoy. Joining a club can be helpful in learning sail handling. Throughout the year, they offer cookouts and activities. The racing machine sailboat offers a sparser interior and less weight, but far more speed. Year after year, a new line of sailboats has been improving in quality and performance, called the racer-cruiser. On a center cockpit sailboat, the deck is both forward and aft, and cockpit is placed in the center of the boat. This design allows you and your guests to relax in the stern area of your sailboat rather than everyone being in the cockpit. The stern railing usually has built in seating and some also have deck mats to layout and get a tan. Below there is your cabin made up of your salon (living room), forward stateroom (bedroom), with a head (bathroom), and to the rear of the salon there is another stateroom with an ensuite head. This area is usually large and enticing, depending how large the sailboat is. But, best of all, I find it great after a long cruise to just go back there, close the door and relax in peace. The pilothouse is a nice change. This type of sailboat features an aft cockpit with steering and, if the weather gets bad or if it is raining, you can duck in to the cabin ahead, which is usually raised and also contains a cockpit. That becomes your salon with another cabin area further ahead and below. Sleeping accommodations are in the salon like all sailboats and also up forward. The pilothouse gives you great visibility and everything can be handled out of the weather. There are so many different options you can add to your boat and that’s a great part of the fun. When you’re ready to buy, boat dealers and yacht brokers can help you find the best boat to fit your need. They want your repeat business, so you can be assured they are on your side. 5. In the drill holes, (after hardening) get any loose material out with a small screwdriver or pick, and clean with acetone on a clean rag. Make a thickened mixture of resin by adding micro fiber balls or strands. These additives can be found in many marine stores. You want it in a consistency of softened butter, but not quite drippy. Add this mixture to each drill hole. Use a syringe applicator or just push it in with a screwdriver. (Tape around each drill hole to cut down on any mess). In either case, push down and around with a thin screwdriver to fill any voids you might have left. Fill drill holes just below the surface and let harden. 6. If you have a diamond-shaped non-skid, you can get this pattern from the manufacturer of the boat or a marine supply store. This would go over the repair, forming the gel coat to the same pattern. You would wax the pattern first, (any liquid wax is fine) then put it over the non-skid, feeling it lock-in on your diamond-shaped pattern. Take it off after the gel coat hardens. You can tell this if you had left overs and put it in the area where the repair is. If that hardens, your repair did. You might have to touch up with a light sand and cut out the grooves in between the diamond shapes better with a hack saw blade…it works! To stipple, use a soft (dry) sponge (or other implement), and pull up on the hardening gel coat. Don’t be aggressive at first, just touch and pick up on the gel coat to match the pattern around it. If no pattern for the diamond shape (or your particular pattern) can be found from the manufacturer or Marine supply, you can put the gel coat on anyway without it, (even with or a bit higher with the surrounding area). When the gel coat hardens, use the hack saw blade to cut out the grooves, (do it slowly) to match what you have. If you do something wrong, rough the area up a bit and add additional gel coat. Let that harden and try again. This is easy and kind of fun. The more you do this, the faster and easier it will get. Plus the finished product will get better and better! Web directories Directory submission