[Rhodes22-list] Potential 'Rowdy'

[Mary Lou Troy]

Timothy,
Some comments (below).

At 03:43 PM 10/26/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>My wife and I are looking for a trailer-able boat to sail and sometimes
>weekend on with our 2 sons.  They are currently 7, but growing everyday!!
>
>So, our initial question is -- Would the Rhodes be roomy enough for a 2 or 3
>day live aboard for the family??    Could it accommodate us when it becomes
>4 adults??!!

What level of comfort do you require? How much stuff do you (and they) need 
to be happy? How much privacy do you (and they ) need? I think the basic 
answer to your question is a resounding maybe.

A couple of examples to illustrate the point: Roger Pihlaja on this list 
has made some long voyages on his R22 with his two sons - maybe he'll tell 
you about them. He still has the boat and his boys are grown. Another 
couple who started off as enthusiastic Rhodies with their two young 
children quickly decided they and their kids needed more space - they sold 
the Rhodes and bought a 33 footer. That was ok for a couple of years but 
the kids are soon to be teenagers and really each wanted their own space. 
They sold the 33 footer and moved up to 40'+. Fred and I are very 
comfortable for a week and a half on Fretless, our Rhodes 22. I would be 
very uncomfortable sharing the space with any of our grown kids though we 
are happy to take them daysailing.

>We would also like to hear about your experiences with Rhodes and General
>Boats.  The good and bad experiences!!  Were they there to help when
>something went wrong?

As far as I know they have always stood behind their product. They are a 
very small business and may require patience and understanding but they 
have always come through. We bought Fretless recycled in 1998.

>Stan says there are many PA owners out there.How about any in the
>Philadelphia area??  Where do you sail??  Do you trailer or use a Marina??
>Would anyone be willing to let us come by and get a closer look??

My husband Fred Kaiser and I live in Fort Washington. Where are you? Right 
now the boat is in Maryland but we are bringing her home this weekend. We 
started off sailing and trailering a Com-Pac 16 and sailed Lake Nockamixon 
in PA and Sprice Run in NJ before trailering down to Elk Neck on the 
Chesapeake and falling in love with the Bay. We've been there ever since. 
We moved up to the Rhodes 22 when we wanted to start taking longer trips in 
more comfort. We drysailed the first two years we had the boat. We kept her 
on a trailer at Bowley's Marina on the Middle River all rigged and ready to 
go and just put her in the water when we wanted to sail. Four years ago we 
moved her to a slip in Rock Hall on the Eastern Shore and we've been there 
ever since. We spend most weekends from April to October on the boat doing 
overnight trips or daysailing from the marina.  We bring her home each 
winter and store her in the back yard. She'll go back in the water in 
April. You are welcome to come see her but she'll be pretty well wrapped up 
from now until Spring.

>Lastly, the other boat we were considering is the Precision 21/23.  Anyone
>have any thoughts / experience with the Precision line?

Nice boats. Fast. Sail well. Very open interior. No pop-top. I really like 
the pop-top for spending a lot of time at anchor or living aboard in a 
slip. Galley is smaller, less functional. Overall it seems not as rugged as 
the R22 (and we've been out in some rugged conditions) but I suspect the 
Precision is lighter to tow. R22 has positive floatation, Precisions don't. 
If you end up with a Precision make sure you put a latch on the cockpit locker.

Hope this helps.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Swan Creek, MD / Ft. Washington, PA