DaySailer.org Forum

I know it's hard to really tell anything without seeing a boat in person but I was wondering if someone could help me narrow my search. Here are 5 listings to boats I have been thinking about buying. All boats are in my price range. cheaper would be better but i'd rather spend more upfront to save a little money in the long run on replacing worn out parts.

http://providence.craigslist.org/boa/5559380987.html
http://providence.craigslist.org/boa/5542491862.html
http://boston.craigslist.org/nwb/boa/5607659126.html
http://hartford.craigslist.org/boa/5559800163.html
http://capecod.craigslist.org/boa/5558507945.html

Well, I'll add my $.02 for what its worth. I am certainly no expert but I have looked at a lot of Daysailers on Craig's and in person.

In the order of the links in your post I would go see #1, #3 and #4. It is hard to ascertain the details or the soundness of the vessel from photos. But, every picture tells a story and when I see the stays and halyards haphazardly strewn about the boat and other junk just laying in the cockpit I feel that it says something about how the owner cared for it. Not always, but it generally will make me pass unless its a really sweet deal.

In ads 1, 3 and 4 you see a boat that the owner/seller at least cared enough to show it in its best state.

#1 looks like its in the best shape of the 3 in the photo. #3 is also nice (and the same color/style as mine so I'm biased) but if its a 1973 which I suspect it is its actually more like 43 years old, not the 30 the seller is claiming and although it comes with a nice canvas sail/boom cover, that could mean that the boat spent a lot of time in the water on a dock slip or mooring. Finally, #4 seems solid and the new standing rigging is a plus. Go take a look and offer the sellers a few hundred less than they're asking and see what happens.

I'm sure some of the other regulars will chime in with their experience. There's some really good posts on this board about what to look for when you go see it. Just use the search tool or my personal favorite is to preface a query in Google's search engine like this:

forum.daysailer.org what to look for
https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=c ... look%20for

Anyhow, have fun and best of luck to you in your quest. You'll find a good one. Your in a buyer's market out there with lots to chose from.

Eric

My 2 cents.
I tend towards and have a DS1 because it is much easier to work on and there may be less of a knees in chest feeling when you're sitting on the seats (even though I've never been on a DSII so I can't really be sure). There's a simplicity about the DS which makes it very, very appealing.
Of the 2 DS1 listings you showed 1162 seems to be in much better shape, but it has the traveler in the cockpit and that for me is a dealbreaker. If you don't mind
the traveler being right in the middle of everything, I vote for 1162, you could always take out the traveler and return the boat to end of boom sheeting.
There's a simplicity about the DS which makes it very, very appealing.
Whatever you decide on, don't agonize it, you'll be golden.

I agree with the previous comments and also think #1, #3, and #4 are the best to look at. Also depends on your intended use. Any of the 3 for cruising/day sailing. If you plan to race with other Day Sailers, #5 appears to be a Day Sailer III which is not class legal for racing. I saw a DS III recently and they are nice boats. I do think 1,3,& 4 would be best to look at.

#4 says it is a 1972, but the sail number (1162) would indicate mid 60's. Probably was retitled in 1972. I have a 1969 DS I and it is still in great shape. If the boat is well kept up, age on a Day Sailer doesn't matter much. I've raced against DS I boats from the late 50's and lost badly.

John

If #1 is still available, I would jump on that one. Looks nice.

I bought a DS II on a nice trailer for $800. Had recent sails but the hull has some damage that was repaired years ago. Also needed a good cleaning and polishing and some new parts. All told I'm creeping past $1000. I think I would have rather spent $1500 for a straight one. Almost done with mine for now and should be sailing in a week or two.

More is less.

Best luck

Picked up a DS1 last weekend. I will get some photos posted once I clean it up. If anyone is near Rhode Island and wants to give me a sailing lesson let me know. I'll buy the beer/coffee.

You'll have a great time, Good Luck. DS's are sweet.
Just one thing I want to mention that doesn't really get talked about that much.
If your boat has a tabernacle (if it has a mast in two pieces to make lowering it easier) make sure the short (lower) part of the mast is secured to the cuddy roof somehow. The first couple of times I singlehandedly lowered/raised the mast, iwhen that part was not secured it would ride up all the way out and the result would be that I would drop the mast.
A couple of times, I stuck a wooden wedge in where the mast goes through the cuddy roof but someone posted that they put a pipe clamp cushioned by a piece of rubber from the inside against the cuddy roof . That's the ticket and it's permanent.
Enjoy your new boat.

Solarwinds wrote:You'll have a great time, Good Luck. DS's are sweet.
Just one thing I want to mention that doesn't really get talked about that much.
If your boat has a tabernacle (if it has a mast in two pieces to make lowering it easier) make sure the short (lower) part of the mast is secured to the cuddy roof somehow. The first couple of times I singlehandedly lowered/raised the mast, iwhen that part was not secured it would ride up all the way out and the result would be that I would drop the mast.
A couple of times, I stuck a wooden wedge in where the mast goes through the cuddy roof but someone posted that they put a pipe clamp cushioned by a piece of rubber from the inside against the cuddy roof . That's the ticket and it's permanent.
Enjoy your new boat.

I'ts good you mentioned that. I had a similar problem and nearly dropped the mast in my driveway trying to do a trial setup.

My solution was to drill a small 1/4" or so hole through the base of the mast and it's step that is screwed to the keelson. Then I just pinned through both with a square bail clevis pin. This allows me to undo the mast base from the step inside the cuddy if I need to. The drilling wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

My boat does have a tabernacle. I have raises and lower the mast a couple times and didn't notice it lifting. I'll have to check and see if the previous owner secured the lower part of the mast. Thanks for the tip. It's good to be aware of these things.

I've seen several mast where the lower section wasn't secured at the base. I saw one boat where the hinge plates weren't attached to the mast sections, that was a little scary.

John

further876 wrote:Picked up a DS1 last weekend. I will get some photos posted once I clean it up. If anyone is near Rhode Island and wants to give me a sailing lesson let me know. I'll buy the beer/coffee.

Congrats on the acquisition. Please do post pics. I would love to take you up on your offer to sail in RI. I grew up in Southport, CT on Long Island Sound. Lots and lots of fishing and crewing for my uncle on his Contention 33 that he raced out of Black Rock Yacht Club in the 70's. Now I'm a Michigander and miss the saltwater but I have plenty of great lakes (pun intended) to choose from.

Enjoy!

Eric

FWIW, the instructions that come with the hinge from D&R suggest using the forward hinge pin to hold the stub to the step. Once the mast is up, you put the pin in the hinge. TRW's stub is permanently in place due to the seal I created at the partners, so I used a SS self-tapper to hold the stub to the step.

Congrats on the find. I am in the process of searching and upgrading from a Sunfish. What part of RI are you in? I'm over in the East bay. post some photos and I'll keep an eye out for you.

Redrover,

I am on the opposite side of the bay over in Potowamut near Sandy Point. Check out this boat http://southcoast.craigslist.org/boa/5623633566.html
It seems like the owners took pretty good care of it and the price is reasonable.

Nice looking boat Redrover!