[Rhodes22-list] Right from the get go

[Roger Pihlaja]

Hi Alice!

Check out the following links:

1) Photos of Rhodes boats <http://www.rhodes22.org/rhodes/index.html>
2) Frequently Asked Questions <http://www.geocities.com/blew_skies/>
3) Documentation Library <http://www.rhodes22.org/doclib/>

Welcome aboard.  The options you will want to order depend upon what you
plan to do with your R-22.

For example, do you plan to trailer the boat to distant waters or will you
keep it in the water someplace local?  If you plan to trailer allot, then
get the Unimatic trailer.  If not, then have your local marina provide you
with a storage cradle.

How much sailing experience do you have?  It sounds like this may be your
1st sailboat.  Are you performance or convenience oriented?  If you are
inclined towards racing or just getting the most speed out of your boat,
then get the standard mainsail.  On the other hand, if your inclinations are
more towards painless sailing with no hassles or if the thought of leaving
the cockpit to go to the mast to handle the mainsail scares you a little,
then get the IMF mainsail.

Most R-22's come with some sort of auxiliary engine.  The required size
depends upon the waters in which you will use the boat.  The minimum engine
size is about 2 hp & that will only be large enough to maneuver the boat
around a dock or launch ramp when there is virtually no wind or current, in
other words in very sheltered protected water under almost ideal conditions.
If you plan to use your R-22 in bigger waves, wind, or current, think you
may need to use the engine sometimes to get somewhere, &/or would like to
have an alternator to recharge your batteries while the engine is running;
then you should upgrade to at least 6 hp.  I use an 8 hp outboard on the
Great Lakes & lots of R-22 owners use a 9.9 hp outboard.  Whatever size
outboard you choose, get at least a "long shaft" version so that the prop
will reach the water.  Some outboards offer the option of an "extra long
shaft" version which will submerge the prop an extra couple of inches.  This
extra immersion depth is a good deal if you plan on being able to motor the
boat in waves larger than about 3 feet.  If you plan on using the boat only
in protected water where the waves don't normally get that big, then don't
bother with the extra expense & weight of the extra long shaft option.
Whatever size & make of outboard you choose, the GBI outboard motor mount is
a good deal.  Outboard motors come in two types of engines these days,
2-cycle & 4-cycle.  2-cycle engines are initially cheaper & lighter & have
no internal crankcase oil to leak out if you set them down wrong.  But,
2-cycle engines require you to mix oil with your gasoline, get about half
the fuel economy, are noisier, & emit about 10X more pollution & smoke than
the 4-cycle engines.   4-cycle engines are quieter, burn straight gasoline,
emit no smoke & much less pollution, & get about twice as many miles per
gallon.  Electric start or manual-only (pull cord) start?  How strong are
you?  The larger the engine, the harder it will be to pull start & 4-cycle
engines tend to be harder to pull start than 2-cycle engines.  But, getting
electric start also requires you to have a starting battery, which adds
weight & extra cost.  Do you want remote cockpit or tiller mounted engine
controls?  Well, I have them & I love them.  They make pulling up to a dock
much easier & they just make the boat seem more "yachtlike".  However, they
do add cost & you can get by using only the engine controls mounted on the
outboard engine.  If you are going to have any sort of on-board electrical
system on your R-22, then you will have at least one or perhaps two
batteries.  How will you recharge that battery?  One option is to have a
built-in alternator on the outboard engine.  Another possibility is the GBI
solar cell option.  For the record, my R-22 has an 8 hp Honda 4-cycle
outboard with remote cockpit engine controls, an alternator, extra long
shaft engine, & no electric start.

Do you sunburn easily or live in an area where the afternoon sun beats down
mercilessly?  If so, then the bimini top provides welcome shade in the
cockpit.

If you plan to just simply daysail the boat, then you can get by with a very
lightly optioned boat.  If you plan to cruise & stay overnight on the boat,
then you will need the galley, pop top enclosure, head, shore power, etc.
Do you plan to sail out of sight of land or in unfamiliar waters?  If so,
then instruments like compass, knotlog, depthsounder, & GPS are pretty
important things to have on board.  Wherever you plan to sail, get a good
pair of waterproof 7 X 50mm binoculars.

If you are planning to stay overnight on the boat with more than a couple of
people, then the boom room enclosure is a good deal.  It's an expensive
option, but much cheaper than a bigger boat!

It's pretty much impossible to raise & lower the mast by yourself without
some sort of mechanical aid.  Will you always have help when you raise &
lower the mast?  If not, then the GBI single-handed mast raising option is a
good deal.

Lifelines, or stainless steel railings, or nothing at all?  How coordinated
are you?  Will you be sailing with young children?  Will you be sailing
alone?  Will you be sailing on "blue water" or in a small protected cove?
My R-22 has a custom set of stainless steel railings that I built myself.
But, this was before the factory started offering their stainless railing
option.  I'd have probably bought the factory railing option if it had been
available.  In my opinion, the lifelines are a pretty useless, even
dangerous option.  They are too low to be useful at keeping you aboard,
might even cause you to go over backwards by tripping right behind the
knees, tend to snag sails & lines, & tend to make boarding & unboarding from
a dock more difficult.  But, the stainless steel railings are an expensive
option & lots of R-22's have nothing at all.

I would recommend you check out the FAQ & photo pages listed above.  Then,
if you have any specific questions, ask away & the list will try to help.

Roger Pihlaja
S/V Dynamic Equilibrium

----- Original Message -----
From: <AMICW@aol.com>
To: <rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org>
Sent: Friday, November 08, 2002 11:16 PM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Right from the get go


> Hi Rhodes owners!  I will be purchasing a "recycled" rhodes and would like
to
>  inquire as to which "optional" features you find most needed/useful.
Thanks
> for the help.
> Alice
> _________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list@rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>