SIZE REALLY DOES MATTER...
...size, not of the boat, but of the FUN associated with using the boat; and to be sure, the moneybag left over after you buy and outfit your pride and joy.
Sailboat builders spout, "bigger'n'better means more fun". As I think about it though, a big boat, taking huge sums of money to store, maintain and operate, isn't exactly what I imagined when I first yearned for the thrill of the tiller way back when. Well, the verdict is in. No matter how ya cuts it, ain't no doubt, big boats require big money and big repair time commitments. Whoa...that can't be fun!
But, it seems no matter which pier I hangout at, the skippers tout the same line. "Gonna move UP next year... yup... two footitis ya know [laughter]" What? ... Up? Can't they hear the gods of fun snickering?
Haven't these skippers figured it out yet? Big boats are TMT (too much trouble). Complaints of not enough sailing time, high mooring fees and soaring repair bills... that really can't be the plan, can it?... 'cause eventually, at those same piers, that's what comes next. "Do you know how much that new <!#^**!!!> thingie for my larger boat cost me? !!!" ... happens all the time. Almost makes ya wanna run out and invest in marina or chandlery stocks (if there were such a thing), doesn't it?
A small sailboat, however, with commensurately low operational costs, offers up more time and more coppers for the coffer.... to use for, you guessed it....SAILING. I don't know about you, but I think that the fun of sailing gets eroded by the loom of repair bills. I want a boat boasting quality of build. So, mine is a Sandpiper 565 sloop, NOAH'S GEM ... top quality all round... from hull lay-up to brightwork and fittings. Translation: "...if it ain't broke, don't [hafta] fix it". Good on ya!
And that, I like. Keeping my overhead and operational costs small, means I sail BIG and I sail RICH. More time, more money, more relaxation. Adds up to BIG FUN in my books. Throw in the Sandpiper 565's ease of trailering; couple it with a freedom to choose different sailing venues on a whim... now you're REALLY talkin' sailing fun ...BIG time! Whose the richer for that?
Not only does the Sandpiper trailer and launch effortlessly; it rigs in a snap. I have always thought that in sailing, simplicity and freedom should be bed partners. In the 565, the marriage is made in heaven.
But wait. It gets better. Adding to the fun gleaned from changing geographic venues; new acquaintences become part of the bargain....sailors all. The love of sun, sand and surf, and boats of course, provides the common ground to have even more fun with more people. What's richer than that? If you've ever 'been there, done that', you know what I mean.
To own a Sandpiper sailboat is to love it. And with a Sandpiper, you join an enthusiastic bunch of owners as well. People whose middle name is FUN. Just ask 'em next time you see 'em. Don't worry, you' ll recognize them.... hangin' out dockside, joking, laughing and having...well, FUN.
So, the moral? Follow the Piper crowd in findin' your own road. Sail rich, sail small (BIG)... sail a Sandpiper. Who luvs ya baby?
See you on the water... FUN's awaitin'!
- laugh a little, follow the pied piper
