[Rhodes22-list] New sailor

[R22RumRunner at aol.com]

Kathy,
All boats are a compromise in one area or another. In many respects, the  
Rhodes 22, especially with the IMF main and the furling genny, is one of the  
easiest boats to both sail and learn on. The key ingredient here is that this  
boat was designed for family cruising, both coastal and inland lake. I think it  
would easier to sail than many smaller boats because of the built in features 
 that have come about from the many years of building the same identical 
hull,  time after time. It just doesn't get any better than this.
I have often thought about stepping up to a larger boat with more  amenities, 
but then I always come back to: Can I sail it single handed and as  easily as 
the R22? Right now, when I want to go for a sail, I don't have to find  crew 
members to go with me. I can sail the R22 alone in any conditions. It is  
highly adjustable, especially with the IMF main sail. Being able to lower the  pop 
top and drop the boom down a notch is always my first reef...........but I  
hardly ever use it. :)
 
Rummy