[Rhodes22-list] Rhodes 22

[Nell]

Dear Al,
I too researched sailboats before I decided on the Rhodes.
To put it bluntly, the Rhodes is over-engineered.
That's a good thing! No, that's a great thing!
The other boats you mentioned are what they are with very little room to
improve without buying the next size bigger and more $$$!
That is what the sailboat manufacturers want. They want you to get bored
with the limitations of the particular model you have so they make the next
size up fancier with more of the things you wanted in the first place.
The Rhodes 22 is the only model there is for the Rhodes line so Stan, with
all of his engineering experience and innovation, puts every thing in the
Rhodes.
To make it more interesting, he will customize the boat to your
specifications.
He had a man who wanted the Rhodes 22 but his wife wouldn't hear of it
unless there was an oven (imagine baking while on a sailboat). So Stan
rearranged the galley to accommodate an oven.
He had a buyer whose wife was a bit broader in the beam than the standard
"head" could comfortably accommodate so he rearranged the cabin to
accommodate a bigger "head".
If you read much of the goings on in the Rhodes list you will hear the folks
exchanging ideas on how they made their Rhodes perfect for them! (They too
seem to enjoy the engineering stuff).
I am working on a refrigerator that chills from shore current then defrosts
while out for the sail. The current arrangement is to have a cooler that
holds ice which when it melts, becomes the drinking water. I will have to
incorporate the ice and collection method in my refrigerator idea.
There are choices of sail sizes, cabin / galley configurations and the
technology for in-mast furling, centerboard raising and lowering, rigging so
one never has to leave the swivel captain's chairs mounted on the stern,
solar panels to collect energy to recharge the battery, varieties of ways to
empty the head - on shore, in the driveway, overboard, and on and on.
No other boat has all the excellence of engineering and the real comforts of
cushions placed in the cockpit so 2-4 adults can stretch out for a night's
sleep under the stars. It can come with a sunroof (bimini) for the sun-shy,
a cabin enclosure for bad weather, and other types of covers.
I needed a boat that I could launch, sail, and reload onto the trailer by
myself. I can even raise and lower the mast single-handedly.
My plan is to bring the boat home during hurricane season, and store it in
my garage. That way, if the hurricane damages my house and the boat, the
boat is covered under my home-owner's insurance. (Be sure to have boating
insurance too).
Stan will disavow any knowledge of "blue water sailing". But I live on
coastal North Carolina and will sail the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds and
take short treks out in to the Atlantic.
I used to live in New Jersey and the coast there isn't particularly rough.
No offense, but I have seen enough flotsam and jetsam in the water that one
might be able to walk home rather than sail.
I wanted to be sure that the boat was everything I thought it would be so
Stan invited me out for a sail in his Rhodes 22.
Believe me, it's all of what I have said and more.
All in all, I don't think there is a better boat made than the Rhodes 22 and
to prove it I signed my contract for a brand, spanking new Rhodes due to be
born March, 2005. I believe I am to receive the first "new hull type" off
the line.
I am so excited I can't wait.
If your looking for a status symbol, a gasp-evoking brand name (like
Beneteau), Rhodes is not for you.
If you are looking for a boat that can run aground then float off again
without waiting for the tide, a boat that can do every thing that a sailing
family could want to do, crab, sail, fish, race,..., not cost you a fortune
in marina fees, then get the Rhodes. You will be delighted.

Happy Sailing.
nellwolfe

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org]On Behalf Of albert caiola
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 2:05 PM
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Rhodes 22


Hello,
I have been seriously considering the purchase of my first sailboat.  After
some intense research I narrowed the choice down to two boats, the Catalina
250 Water Ballast and the Macgregor 26M also a Water ballast boat.  I
thought my search was over until I found the Rhodes 22 website.  This boat
seems to have it all.

I live in coastal New Jersey and plan to sail along the coast and in a
number of surrounding bays, shallow rivers and estuaries.  I also plan to
trailer the boat to other locations and keep it in my driveway when not in
use, ( there is a public boat launch less than 1/2 mile away).

I have a few questions that I hope someone will be able to shed light on,

1. Is this the right boat for the type of sailing I would like to do and the
for the area in which I plan to sail in?

2. Can the cabin accommodate 4 adults and a child or two comfortably for a
weekend or does it get claustrophobic?

3. Is the boat easy to set-up, launch, sail and remove single handed?

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Al from NJ









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