spindrift

[capnjack]

I have not sailed in several years and now that I am retired I want a good, but inexpensive daysailer. I have found a Spindrift, 1981 DS I, online for an asking price of $1500. The pics and description look good. However, it is located 200 miles from me and I can't decide if this is worth the drive.
Is there anyone who could assist me with my decision?
Thanks, Jack (capnjack)
Nashville, TN

[ChrisB]

Capnjack,

Based on what I've seen recently, $1500 sounds like a decent price assuming the boat and sails are in reasonably good condition. There are a few for sale on this site you can use for comparison. You can search Craigslist nationwide using www.searchtempest.com to give yourself an idea of what kind of boat you can expect for a given price.

[Jett]

I owned a Spindrift, '83, for several years recently and liked the boat. For daysailing, I found it to be a great all-around sailer. It's well built. It has a feature of construction that should be pointed out though...the balsa core. The sandwiched hull design provides a solid floor, not needing floorboards, and it makes the boat quite stiff. Really a solid design.

But that same feature is potentially a problem if water gets in the core to any great extent. I had to do some repairs around the Elvstrom bailer, because it leaked and seeped water into the core between the fiberglass layers, and a drain hole in the transom also had to be repaired, because of leaks into the wood core there. The boat can be tilted and drained,, but I believe this is one issue that has to be recognized. I'm not entirely sure I ever got my boat completely dry and always wondered what would happen over time. I wound up selling it so I could move to a ComPac 16 and do a bit of overnighting in it, but the Spindrift proved to be a great daysailer.

For $1500, subject to the previous comments about sails condition, etc., and my comments about the core, that boat might be worth a drive to check out.

Jett