Boat Forum / Cruising / May 2004

It seems to get down to individual boats. Some of the same model, same
year, hav incredible variations in what went into their guys. I used to
race a Schock 35 which by most accounts is a pretty well built boat. The
one I sailed on most had very good structural details... then for one
regatta I sailed on another guy's, same year (the hull numbers differed
by 3), which looked like most of the structure was built up of paper
maschee and it could not be tuned properly because the hull flexed like
a wet noodle (for example, when the backstay was tightened, the
companionway slide jammed in place). It also leaked prodigiously. Some
years later the spinnaker sheet winch came off that boat, and peeled up
a few feet of deck with it.

My wife and I were looking very seriously at buying a Santana 2023 back
when they first came out. For looks & performance it's the best of the
water ballast trailersailers. The one we saw at the boat show was nicely
done... a little raggedy around some of the hidden spots, but basically
sound. The one we saw on a dealers lot looked like dried toothpaste over
tack rags, and the wiring was a jumble of twist-n-tape lamp cord.

So not to make a long song and dance out of this, what I'm saying is...
look carefully at the individual boat you're considering. Not that you
wouldn't do that anyway  ;)

Fresh Breezes- Doug King