a good starter boat

[klrgreen]

thanks agaian for all the good info! still waiting to see how low he will go on that boat.
rob

[klrgreen]

what is the advantage of a ds 1 vs. a ds 2?

[hriehl1]

For our casual sailing, we prefer the DS II because there is no transom deck... seating goes right to the very aft... and that transom accepts an outboard easily (no bracket required).

The DS II cuddy also can be enclosed with boards and locked (though it would not dissuade a determined thief). The DS I is totally open (though that is probably more convenient for accessing gear while under sail).

The DS II centerboard-pulley system is not an arrangement I particularly like, but it is a supposed "improvement" over the DS I.

I don't think there is enough difference to be fixated on one or the other... if you come across a good speciman of either design at a good price, I'd say go for it.

One piece of advice from one who has had several trailered boats... do not ignore a marginal trailer or marginal sails... both can be costly to fix and are essential to your enjoyment. I'll take the boat that looks a bit weathered with good sails and trailer every time over the shiney boat with poor trailer or sails.

Did your earlier posts indicate what price your seller is asking... and what its condition is?

Good Luck.

[klrgreen]

well i think the price is too high the boat is old but sailable. from what i have seen on this site and other places on the net i think it is a 5-800 dollar boat....1 sail is bad, and the trailer is old n rusty! the boat is sailable bu tneeds work to be nice and reliable.....where are you located btw?

[hriehl1]

I'm in southeastern New Hampshire near Boston. There are probably 6 or 8 DS's for sale within 2 hours of me... as I said earlier, most asking $1500 - $2000 though probably willing to take $300 (or more) less.

When I bought, seller was asking $1600 and took my $1200 offer. I've put maybe $500 more (and a little re-furb work) into it to get boat and trailer into very good shape.

Look in places others don't. My boat was listed only in a local paper's classifieds and seller was getting no interest. It took me a couple hours to build an internet-favorites list of local paper classifieds within a couple hous of my house, but once I did I could scan them quickly and within a month I found it. Those sellers trying to sell more aggressively with listings everywhere (Craigslist, Boat-sites, WantAdvertiser, etc.) may be getting more interest and be less flexible with price.

In most cases though, you can assume sellers are anxious to sell and will give serious consideration to an offer, even if a lowball. If you make that offer in-person and show them the cash, chances are better yet.

I may be selling mine next spring... we've bought a Paceship P20 and once we're sure that will be our primary boat, we may sell the DS.

Good Luck.