[Rhodes22-list] Thanks for the warm welcomes

Wed Apr 28 12:24:17 EDT 2010

Geoff,

I can't remember if you said whether you were considering a purchase from
GB, or a sale from an existing owner, but if you are considering buying from
GB, there's a huge advantage right there.

When I purchased my used R22 from GB, Stan's brother Elton stuck around for
two days making mechanical adjustments and showing me some time-trusted tips
before he was satisfied with the state of the boat.  They provided some
additional documentation to my lender that allowed me to borrower a bigger
percentage of the cost and at a lower rate.  They even provide free lodging
at their factory for when you visit.

We can pick up our phones and get the owner of the company any day of the
year.  Stan has even posted his home number in case we need to get him in
the middle of the night (although I'm not sure what sort of emergency would
call for that level of access).

You'll find no one that deals with you in a more honest, straightforward way
that the Spitzers.

And the boat is as solid as advertized.  Velvet Elvis was unfortunately
located right were Hurricane Katrina's western eye wall passed.  There were
many dozens of sunk boats in the area, and some had disappeared altogether.
But Velvet Elvis had been tied to the dock with six 3/4" lines, and one
frayed line still held her in place.  

We found her  with a pretzel for a mast, and full of water (and crabs), and
because of all of the other damage, we didn't even touch her for six months.
(photos:
http://theskinnyonbenny.com/pg3.php?spgmGal=014%20-%20Velvet%20Elvis%20Damag
e%20Photos).  But it was clear that the hull was fine.  The deck was solid;
the chainplates were firmly lodged where they belong.

I finally hauled her up to Edenton, advised Stan of my insurance-money
budget, and came back a couple of months later to find a boat that appeared
to be brand new.  The deck and cockpit floor still feel as solid as the day
she was new.

I don't know the Com-Pac or the Precision, but if you're going to entertain,
the pop-top is a huge feature.  Combined with huge cockpit, it easily
provides comfortable space for 6 adults.  In our boat, the admiral likes to
stand under the pop-top and act as bartender and guide for the guests in the
cockpit.  We've also got the bimini, which I would advise for summers on
Mobile Bay.  Before we bought it, we stuck to nighttime sails in the
Louisiana summertime.

I hope you do pick the Rhodes.  Your posts have given me a couple of laughs
this week.  I think you'll like it here :-)

Ben S.
R22 Velvet Elvis

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Mary Lou Troy
Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2010 11:45 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Thanks for the warm welcomes

HI Geoff,

You are looking at 3 very different boats. We've been aboard both the 
Eclipse at boat shows and the P21. We used to have a Com-Pac 16. The 
Eclipse is basically Com-Pac's replacement for the Com-Pac 19. It's a 
bit bigger and has a centerboard. It's a lot smaller than a Rhodes 
22. It would be a good daysailer and not a bad overnighter but it has 
only sitting headroom in the cabin. I'm still a member of the Com-pac 
email list (a yahoo group) and while people occasionally ask about 
them, no one there seems to own one. Same deal on the Trailer Sailor 
Bulletin Board 
(http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/trailersailor/index.cgi). If the 
Eclipse is like the other Hutchins' boats it is very sturdily built 
and the Mast-tendr system would be great if you are going to trailer 
and daysail. The P21 is a faster boat but is similar to the Eclipse 
in size. It is more lightly built but they are still quality boats. 
If you buy a Precision, put latches on the cockpit lockers. We've 
known of several Precisions sunk or partially sunk after a knockdown 
through downflooding through the cockpit locker which opens directly 
into the boat. As someone else mentioned, the P23 is closer to the 
R22 in size. Both the Com-Pac and the P21 would be easier to trailer 
and set up than the Rhodes but the Rhodes is much more like a small 
cruiser than the other two. The standing headroom with the pop-top up 
and the full galley with ample storage and built in icebox put it in 
another class entirely. The R22 is the only one with positive 
flotation. If you are conscientious and put your hatchboard in during 
rough weather and lock your lockers, that may not matter too much but 
it is a nice feature to have.

When we were looking for a replacement for the 16 we were looking for 
a boat for weekend cruising and that would do well in the light air 
of the Chesapeake. We also wanted a boat we would be confident could 
handle rough weather if we were caught out by a summer thunderstorm. 
The R22 won hands down. Seems to me you need to assess your uses and 
set your priorities.

Best of luck,
Mary Lou

At 04:56 PM 4/27/2010, you wrote:
>Hi Lee. I'm considering the following: Com-Pac Eclipse (Hutchins Co.) and
>Precision 21 (Precision Boat Works). Are you familier with these? Geoff
>
>
>
>On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 7:11 PM, KUHN, LELAND <LKUHN at cnmc.org> wrote:
>
> > Geoff,
> >
> > If you let us know some of the other makes of sailboats we offer you our
> > expert and totally unbiased opinions.
> >
> > Lee
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org on behalf of Geoff Farrell
> > Sent: Mon 4/26/2010 7:48 PM
> > To: The Rhodes 22 Email List
> > Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Thanks for the warm welcomes
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks to all of you for the warm welcome. I have a place in Gulf
Shores,
> > AL
> > so I will initially be sailing in Mobile Bay until I get enough
experience
> > and courage to venture out some. I am a new sailor. Just took lessons
about
> > 3 weeks ago. Rob: I'm a vodka man but I always have some Captain Morgan
> > around for friends.
> >
> > I'm interested in the Rhodes (and a couple of other makes) because of
the
> > wonderful reviews it gets online. I've done a lot of research. My head
is
> > spinning. Also, I was very impressed with General Boat's site. The
content
> > seemed to "come from the heart" and therefore gave me confidence in the
> > builder as well as the product.
> >
> > My primary residence is in central WI so I'm trying to decide if I want
to
> > trail the boat (I eventually buy) to WI or if I want to just leave it in
> > Gulf Shores. If I trail it back to WI I could launch it in Green Lake
which
> > is only about an hour from me.
> >
> > I will be single handling most of the time as my wife has some
> > trepidations.
> > But, I hope to ease her into it. Hey, I convinced her to marry me so
> > getting
> > her aboard shouldn't be anywhere near as hard.
> >
> > Thanks again, Geoff
> > __________________________________________________
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