Tick Tock, Splendid will leave the country soon. I’m working as much as I can to stash money in the kitty. I’m working for a really nice guy bedding hatches, working aloft, whatever. He’ll be heading South about the same time we will. In fact I have a bunch of friends heading south at the end of hurricane season. My buddy Ken who I bought Namaste from, my buddy Chuck and his family, Crag and family, and a few others. It will be a flotilla. Darrin might be a little behind. I think he is upgrading to a bigger boat (Alberg 30), we’ll know soon. I know he is going to have to find a new diesel engine and tranny. If anyone has a line on a cheap (needs rebuilding) 25-30 hp marinized diesel motor, let me know.
I’m going to fly up to Philly on Friday or Saturday. I’m joanzin to see Sam! We are going to the Annapolis sailboat show on Saturday or Sunday, I’m excited. I hope I don’t spend all my money there :) After that we’ll have a few days together before I start my delivery on the 15th from Norfolk to the Keys, I’m thinking that will take 10 days or so. I’m hoping to have good weather.
I LOVE THE ENGEL. It’s really nice to have a fridge. If it took more power I wouldn’t want it but it really is perfect for us.
I also got a Coopers home brewing kit today. I was going to make it before I took off thinking it would take 3-4 weeks to ferment like the wine. It works in 4-7 days depending on temperature, how cool is that? I’m really looking forward to making some beer!!!
If your going to be at the boat show look for the scraggly looking guy with the two beautiful blonds. One will be on the short side, say hi!
Cheers everyone.
Sail far and live slowly.
– Alex
Published in Alex Dorsey
What is Darren doing with his old boat? My girl and I are planning our move from Portland, or. to Fla. (December) and we are looking for a small boat we can move onto, save money, and cut our teeth on. We Don’t want to get into an apt./lease situation if we can help it. Mooring/hook living is way cheaper than rent!
-Le
-Le,
I’ll ask him. How much are you looking to spend? I know of a bunch of good boats around.
10K or less. We just want enough to get out of our apt, save up some $$ and get some experience. Once we’ve done that we are looking for something 35’+. The monthly rent is just killing us. Throwing money away with nothing to show for it. Size isn’t important to us right now as we’ve already had the garage sale and gotten rid of 80% of our useless ‘land lubber’ crap and still need to get our chops down.
We’ve been looking for an owner financed boat, but as everyone here knows, that’s a pipe dream, so we figure that getting into anything we can own has got to be cheaper than lease after lease in this stinkin’ apt..
I grew up on Clearwater Beach, so my thoughts are we have a better chance of finding something in Fla. than here in Oregon. Not to mention the unemployment rate here is astronomic and it’s impossible to get ahead.
I am certainly open to suggestions.
-Le
AAAhhhhhh, MMMMMmmmmm homebrew !!!! Half the cost and twice the flavor !!!!!
Pitch that yeast!! Dean
I can’t wait to hear how the Beer brewing works out as I would like to try it myself.
joanie and i were planning to go to Jersey on Sat to see the girls—-cant seem to reach Samantha by phone just left message
The weather if frigg’n killing me. Winds out of the wrong direction or just blowing a gale. I am trying to get down that way as quick as I can.
Cheers,
Eric
s/v Larissa
P.S. Save me some brews.
Eric,
Where are you leaving from? I’ll be sailing out of Norfolk on the 15th heading south for the keys. It would be great to meet up with you.
Cheers.
Alex,
Congrats on the new boat. Enjoy reading about your adventures, it keeps the dream alive.
Stuck up here in the great white north for 3 more years before we can cut the lines ans head south.
Have a great trip and stay safe. fair winds..
Rocky
S/V Euphoria
there’s an ad in the local dream catalog called the Carolina Bargain Trader for an engine.
the ad reads:
6cyl. fordlayman diesel engine – transmission – shaft – and prop. out of 40 boat. you remove. $300. (252) 241 7798.
Ohh yeah…3 days till I move board PRETTY LUCKY. I’m about to go crazy trying to remember what I am forgetting!
Alex, (and everyone else) forgot to say if you get chance, I’ll be in Reedville V.a. at Jennings boatyard. if yall pass by there, stop in to say “HI”.
wait…. sam’s in philly?
i thought she came back with you. i know nothing, it seems.
are you going to do the hole in the wall, or the tongue?
-Le
I’m not sure what will be left on Alas once i move all of my stuff over to the new boat. It will likely be pretty barren, as i will need pretty much everything i’ve been hoarding for the last couple years in anticipation of this step up.
there are tons of boats around right now, and Alas is pretty small. Two people on her better get along in small spaces pretty well. Two’s a bit of a squeeze.
-hearsejr
thanks for the heads up, but the engine compartment on an alberg 30 really will only allow somewhere between a 15 and 20hp diesel, unless i wanted to rip the main cabin apart. (plus, i’m cheap and want a really small fuel efficient engine hahahah)
i guess it’s my turn for the boat project…… *sigh*
Darrin,
Sam’s visiting her parents until I finish my next delivery. I’m flying up on Friday or Saturday. It’s been weird around here lately. Good for her to visit while we are still in the states.
Peace
Alex- I am currently trapped in the Long Island Sound. I have been slogging my way to the West so I could go South. I would love to hook-up but I have to work next week. So I will be heading down a little later.
–E
PS – Sent you my Spot Link to your GMail Account.
Hey Darrin…It comes with tranny, shaft, and prop…and I can get my hands on a good running chain saw..lol. if I find something I’ll give you heads up on it. there’s a guy near my house building a V.W. diesle for his boat. looks very simple from what I have seen. just a thought if you cann’t find anything else.
hearsejr:
awesome. if it comes down to it, who knows what manner of crazy things i might do.
i think as of now, my tentative plan is to get a little diesel, marinise it and slap it in there.
if i can get a few years out of a cheap little used number, i’ll go for it.
a friend of mine took a small yanmar out of a glorified lawn mower, put a homemade heat exchanger on it, and called it a day. i’m not opposed to this kind of macguiver-ing! actually.. i thrive on it.
A:
she’s visiting her dad-dad, or her bio-dad? haw haw. her family is so confusing!
Darren,
She is staying with her Dad, but visiting with Tommy, her Biological father. We are actually going to the boat show on Sunday with him. We all had dinner a few weeks ago, he is a really cool guy, likes deep sea fishing. The funny thing is. When Tommy was young he and some friends bought a sailboat to go cruising on. The plans fell apart after his friends got side tracked, but he has always been interested in this life style. I hope to get him to come sailing with us sometimes.
Do a search for golf cart motors in sailboats. It is a cheap way to go totally green. If you did that with an outboard on the back we would all pay homage to you. it would be a nice setup.Electric is the new diesel, and you could charge it with a small honda if you wanted. If Splendid’s motor was crap I’d go electric with a kicker and small genny.
I know you don’t like the “look” of an outboard on the back, or my advice, but it is very practical and I think you would be happy with it.
On my last job the diesel quit 400 feet from the slip. The owner and I got stuck in the middle of a small channel with ferry boats zooming by in the dark at 20 knots. We were drifting into the rocks in no wind an I had to throw the hook out to keep us off the rocks. We launched the dink, put on the outboard, and lashed it to the starbord side for propulsion. A long 5 minutes. It was a stressful and potentially dangerous moment. It would have been nice to have a kicker. Be practical.
Darren,
Remember I told you about my buddy Jamie? He just finished his circumnavigation on a boat smaller and lighter then Alas and went around all 3 capes. he only had an outboard and it often didn’t work. I aspire to be more like Jamie, he is a great sailor!To see a picture of him and his boat go to the members tab, friends and guests, and scroll to the bottom of the page. He is one of the only guys I knew that was broker than me.
I understand you want a bigger boat but the fun part is the sailing. I really want to see you get out this season and enjoy it and learn.I’m actually going to look at a derelict Tayana 37 for him. He is coming to buy a boat from Australia. Upgrade after you go sailing, or upgrade and split. There are diesel motors all over the world, and cheaper.
Cheers
Darren: Check out this site:
http://www.oarclub.org/
Totally engine-less sailing, quite a few articles on there. Go this route and put the engine later.
–Eric
alright alright, sounds like a hoot!!!! we just came back from annapolis what a trip!! just to let you know i have been using coopers for about as long as i have been following you 05?!! came by both of you in the same mag. o yeah it is good stuff works greeeaaat on a boat. well have fun.
Darren –
Will you write me @ my email so we could discuss Alas and whatnot?
-Le
There is a 1974 Cal Cruising 35 for $7,000. It has a new motor and transmission, and a fresh bottom job!
No sails and the interior needs work, but it’s still a bargain at that price. If I hadn’t already bought one of these I’d be calling on that one.
BTW, I’m being owner-financed: $12,500 for the boat at $200 per month. I never pay less than $250, and usually $500. The kid financing me also took the idea of owner-financing and used it to sell his other boat (a Contessa 26). The deals are out there, you just have to keep looking and keep making calls / sending e-mails.
Use Search Tempest to search multiple Craigslists at once. Eventually, there are some killer deals on there. With patience and persistence you can find just about anything you need or want. I found Starquest that way, and my dinghy, and a sailing rig for my dinghy, and plenty of small marine diesel engines that Darrin could use…
nice Cal 35! just wondering, is that a swing keel inside the fixed keel? I’ve seen a boat that looked about like this one, with a swing keel inside the fixed keel that at sea you would have like 8′ draft with keel down and 4.5 with it up.
thanks,
Bill
P.S. 2 days till I become a live a board.
Bill, then the hangover will be saturday, enjoy it!!!!!!
Dean
Thanks Dean, I might not stop the party till Monday. lololol No, Ihave too much work to do, Saturday and Sunday. It might take me till Monday before I slow down.
-Alex
Yeah. I have been seriously considering going with an electric motor, as i briefly mentioned in my blog. If i go this route, i will likely get a little diesel generator… well.. more like MAKE a diesel generator. a friend of mine said he would mail me a heat exchanger for the cost of shipping so i can marinise a little john deere or something. he has a steel boat, so he cools his freshwater via the skeg. the guys pretty handy, it seems.
i want to make an easily removable outboard bracket like the one i had on my little cape dory 19.
i will also need a mainsail track and a boom. but those will be easier to come by than a little diesel. i fabricated an aluminum hub for my wind generator, so i can now use the KISS blades on the hamilton ferris 20amp generator, so that will help with the charging too..
-L
i’ll shoot ya an email.
gah. i have to get working…
oh, and thanks for the oarclub link, Eric. :)
To everyone –
Thank you all so much. I have received a ton of emails, listings and good advice. The cruising community is by far the coolest ‘club’ I have ever belonged to, even though I am at this point still boatless.
I have a line a very very nice Triton located in St. Augustine that I am waiting to hear back from. They are open to owner financing and hopefully I will be the new skipper of this fine vessel soon. I could use some prayers, chants, or whatever it is you are into.
Should the owners see their way into letting me become her new owner, I will have cold PBRs for everyone here who bothers to show up, or when we should ever meet.
Alex – Sorry for thread jacking.
-Le