"...you can have fun sinkin it..."

After insuring it heavily. Oh wait, that's illegal...

I think you need more info. Even something free can cost you something to dispose of. I once received a free volkswagen 1500 and thank goodness I only lost about 8 hours of time. The kicker will be when they sign their name on the line and can prove there is no lien on it. Like you said, the economy in your area ain't so good.

Your situation may be different, but time isn't something I like to lose.

On the other hand, I know a guy who got a great deal on a clean alfa romeo convertible because it was in the wifes name and she was divorcing the husband who drove it. "Get here within 45 minutes and you can have it for $1000" was what she said. Too much skepticism can be a bad thing.

Um, journalling here... but you need a lot more info.

Just a thought... have you considered living in a motor home instead of a boat? Or a trailer behind your vehicle instead of a boat? This way you can go from camp ground to camp ground... some free, some non-camp grounds.? Just another thought that can be cheap.

Yes, I have even joined a couple Yahoo boondocking groups. My original sailboat choice is highly trailerable to get the best of several worlds.

How would you boondock in a sailboat? I’m not a sailboat person, but don’t they all have a big long fin that sticks down? Traveling and driving under an overpass could make things interesting.


Does anyone boondock in any boat?

That's what makes trailer-sailers interesting: their keel swings up into a "trunk" inside the hull. With the keel retracted they can safely beach, and sit in a very low profile on a trailer. MacGregors and a few others feature water ballast that is drained at the ramp when the boats come out to lighten them for trailering.


They also have a relativley quick way to take the mast down and trailer it fastened to the top of the boat.

Well that's a nice idea

It's called "Gunk Holing".

"Gunk Holing" is the practice of taking a small vest pocket cruiser via trailer to remote lakes and/or rivers and exploring the areas. Vest Pocket Cruisers are usually too small for comfortable sleeping arrangements but they have plenty of storage capacity (volume and weight) for the 1 or 2 person crew to store all of the camping equipment, food, water, and miscellaneous equipment onboard for a 2-7 day trip back into the boonies.

The fins on smaller sailboats (many of them) are easily removable by hand.

Some trailerable sailboats have a short keel fin and a deep keel that is heavily ballasted and runs from the stem to the stern. These type designs are primarily meant to be both more easily trailerable and have a shallow water (3 ft draft) capability that the Deep Finned (8-9 ft draft) boats don't.

The Hunter 26 & 29 (*I have no affiliation*) have a hybrid hull design that will take up to a 150 hp outboard engine on the transom and have a removable fin. These boats also have a mast that can easily be mounted or dismounted by 2 people or 1 person if they buy the kit that helps. They have a galley (alcohol stove and sink, with space reserved for an ice chest), combined with a salon, will sleep about 4-5 persons, a small head with toilet, sink, and shower), as well as a small closet for hanging clothes.

It's the Hunter 29 that my DW and I are planning to use in our retirement job.

Off tomorrow early to see what might be my new hole-in-the-water-in-which-to-throw-money. The timing is wretched of course. Will report.

Edit: So much for that plan. No sailboat inspection until at least next Tuesday.

Long talk with the saiilboat owner by phone. Confirmed the boat is a give-away; he explained that he had moved and just wasn't using the boat enough to justify the $600+ per month it was costing him to berth, insure, etc.

Turns out he and I grew up in the same town, and the boat was made in our hometown by a world class boat maker that is still in the luxury boat business. Had what seemed to me a candid conversation about what the boat needs to get "up to snuff."

We'll see what the inspection next Tuesday reveals.