It Takes Time, Love and Money to Survive the Perils of Owning a Boat

I keep telling myself that 15 years is long enough for my Herald Bird’s diesel engine to develop a couple of serious health problems. But I’m having a tough time convincing myself. Deep down I expect my 10-horsepower, two-cylinder engine to chug along forever.

The gears in its transmission are nearly worn down, and even a landlubber knows that transmission problems cost a pretty penny to repair.

I suppose I should have learned by now that nothing on a boat lasts forever, not even an engine. Rust, rot, wear and tear and the destructive effects of just plain old weather make mockery of forever. On a boat that sits outdoors with its bottom in the water all the time, as little as 12 months can transform a boat from a glowing beauty to a sloppy slut.

In a year, paint and varnish--especially varnish--can look as if the boat hasn’t been painted in five years.

It seems to a boat owner that he’s always refurbishing and repairing something, or paying somebody else to do it.

That’s the price you pay for owning a boat. Anybody who attends any or all of the boat shows this year and is thinking about buying a boat should keep the expenses of ongoing vessel maintenance firmly in mind.

I figure roughly that in the 15 years I’ve owned, pampered, maintained and moored my 27-foot sloop, my expenses have totaled at least six times more than the original $12,000 price.

This total does not include insurance, taxes and normal year-to-year operating expenses.

As somebody once quipped, a boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money.

It all comes down to the simple policy that to justify owning a boat, you’ve got to love it a lot in order to live with it a lot. And live with it a lot you must. A boat is a marriage, as demanding and expensive and as lovely as any union made in heaven.

Sailing Notes Once again, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club will be host to the prestigious Olympic Classes Regatta, April 3-5. New features this year include participation of the Women’s 470 Class and the Pan American classes--snipes, lasers and lightings. The yacht club’s executive committee, chaired by Ken Weiss, has been active for months planning this international regatta. Sue Crockett, venue chairman, has overall responsibility for public relations, security and safety and all social aspects of the regatta. Sandy Toscan, competition chairman, manages three racing circles, coordinates the support craft, communications, entries, judging and scoring. Eleven classes with nearly 400 sailors are expected.

The Navy Yacht Club’s 1987 flag officers are Herb Turner, commodore; Alita Marks, vice commodore; Bill Lewis, rear commodore and Herb Schoonover, fleet captain. The club’s first race event is the Commodore’s Invitational Saturday. The club meets on Terminal Island.

Sue Minton of San Diego has won the Mission Bay Yacht Club’s silver Conner’s Cup. Dennis Conner, skipper of the Stars & Stripes syndicate in the America’s Cup races, put up this junior racer’s trophy three years ago.

Lin and Larry Pardey will be be featured in Saturday evening’s Sailing Adventure Series, Orange Coast College’s 1987 marine film and lecture series. The show starts at 8 in the college’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, Costa Mesa. The Robert Driscoll family will appear Jan. 24 in the series.

As a special fund-raiser for the Sea Scouts, the Nautical Heritage Society of Dana Point has made available the tall ship Californian for the general public to sail upon for about four hours on Feb. 1. Tickets are $55. For more information, call 661-1001 or 493-3952. According to Jim Wehan, Dana Harbor Sea Scout skipper, participants will be encouraged, but not required, to help in the handling of the big sailing vessel by pulling on lines and steering.