Tough choice: Airstream or Sailboat

[Jim Clark]

I have both, if I had to have only one it would be the Airstream not as weather dependent as a sailboat. People who think Yacht Clubs are more prestigious than RV parks have never belong to the Yacht Clubs I did.

BTW my sailboat was totaled by Katrina, we evacuated in the Airstream. Go to the mac site listed below and look at the video and you will see how a sailboat may enhance your sense of adventure.

[KeithC]

Kalttu,
Geeze Lousie, why the heck....what the heck....how the heck....did you get it done. Are there any photo's of the work in-progress? If this is photoshop your a real pro.

[85MH325]

Originally Posted by Don't Panic

Overlander63-
Thanx for the reply.
Not that the general public's opinion rates overly high in my decision process-
but I know there seems to be an unfairly positive reaction to the "yachtclub" vs the "campground"-
I don't think that way- after all, I live in a truck!

And yes, HUGE Douglas Adams fan.

I've been welcomed by 150' yacht owners in my 24' sailboat and scorned by SOB owners in my Airstream. I was amazed at how many folks thought I had to be a millionaire to own both: a $6500 '84 Capital Yachts Neptune 24 sailboat and a $2000 '70 Safari. The bottom line is that I've enjoyed both lifestyles tremendously. I think that were I to do it over again, I'd have kept my '85 325 moho and replaced the 454 with an improbability drive... the Heart of Gold!

Rog

[CaddyGrn]

Tough choice. We've had both. Loved our sailboat... and the wind power is free.... I would compromise. Buy a nice Airstream to live in, and a small boat to dink around in! You can then have the best of both worlds.

With either a boat or an Airstream you can find places to live that aren't horribly expensive ~ one that fits a retirement lifestyle and doesn't wipe out your pocketbook. Hey give it a try, if you don't like it, change!

Have fun deciding!

Mrs. NorCal Bambi traveling in S Tardis ~ from the Great State of Jefferson

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I'm not a water person so I would obviously take the Airstream. If I fell out of my Airstream I could get up and walk back in; If I fell out of a boat, I would sink and drown. But, then again, some of you may be able to walk on water.

[JimGolden]

Check out some of the trimaran designs, like the Ian Farrier designed F-27 or F-31. They are essentially planing hull sail boats that use outriggers, called "aka's" to keep from rolling over (think of the "Waterworld" boat) rather than a deep keel. You can fold the aka's in and store the boat on a trailer, so you don't have to have a permanent slip. They are fast too; I saw a picture of an F-27 or F-31 (27' and 31' length respectively) pulling a water skier UNDER SAIL! Now that is cool. But anyway, they're wicked cool boats, very fast, and you don't have to pay for a slip if you don't want to.

I saw one of the "Waterworld" boats (there were two built, Jeanneau transoceanic racing trimarans....will do 45 knots) for sale for $30,000. Seemed unreal in that the boat cost ten times that new. But being 60' long and 45' wide, it took two slips just to store it, and it has broken up owner after owner who's had it just for storage.

The sister ship to these was called "Lakota" and was owned by the famous baloon racer and adventure guy; although I forget his name. Do a search on Lakota and you'll find it.

Multihulls rock!

Good luck!

[Ahab]

Having had both and being an avid sailor I'd have to vote for the AS.

[Luckyducks]

I currently have both but following your question about living in one or the other, I'd go with an Airstream. Sailboat slip fees, insurance costs, worries about hurricanes, and maintenance costs will all push you toward an Airstream. In addition to living in one or the other, it also depends on your real interests - do you want to camp and see America or do you want the nautical life and what that brings. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I love both.

[Jimandrod]

Originally Posted by Don't Panic

Oh the agony of choice!

Choice? What choice? Go with the AS

The Rod half of Jimandrod used to live on a 42ft tri cabin cruiser. He still says that the happiest 2 days in a boat owner's life are the day they buy it and the day they sell it.

Personally, if I were meant to live on the water I would have been born with gills and fins. Boats are also outrageously expensive to maintain.

However - I still know some people who live aboard one and they LOVE it!

[dick&claire]

We just sold our Grand Banks 36' trawler and bought a 27' Safari Airstream with a Chevy 2500 6.7L diesel.

We're going from Cape Cod to Boseman for the International rally and will cover 3500 miles one-way. in the Chevy/Airstream we will average 12 mpg @ ~$4.50 per gal (I hope) which will cost about $1300. The trip will take 14 days traveling at 40-60 mph for 5-6 hours per day, pretty relaxed.
If I took the Grand Banks on a similar trip, I'd travel at 9-10 knots burning 14 gals of diesel per hour, a total of 4900 gals which would cost $22,000.
Despite the cost of diesel, land travel has a clear advantage.

Further, stopping every night at a campground will cost $10-$40 per night with full facilities most nights. Marinas for the trawler charge $2.50-$3.00 per foot per night for a cost of $90-$108 plus $15 per night for 50 amp electricity.

It will take 14 days by Airstream to get to Bozeman so the budget is ~$500 for campgrounds. By boat the trip would take 60-70 days at the same relaxed pace so the budget would be $7000 for marinas.

Should I tell you about the $20,000 that it cost to replace the fuel tanks on the trawler so that it could pass a marine survey prior to selling? Then there is the 17 quarts of oil for each engine every 200 hours of engine time, to name only one of many maintenance expenses.

Is my math fuzzy? Or did I make a good decision to get out of boating and into an Airstream?

[overlander63]

It's kind of tough sailing a boat to Wyoming...
Of course, it's tough towing the Airstream to Jamaica.

[RedSHED]

Originally Posted by Jimandrod

...the happiest 2 days in a boat owner's life are the day they buy it and the day they sell it. ...

I know we're talking about live-aboards, but I was a little worried when we bought a Sunfish, and kind of sad the day I sold it a couple years later.

I think I made a couple hundred on it too. Neat boat. Lots of fun to race.

Maybe again in a couple years... See what kinds of things the kids like by then. BTW, we used to put it on the roof of the Expedition as we towed the SOB. It was a one person job to get it 6+ feet in the air, although I was usually a little sweaty by the time I was done. Not scary at all.

[romap]

We had a 26' SeaRay cruiser. Dock fees, maintenance, expense to operate, hauling, storage, launching and on and on. We traded it in for our Airstream, need I say more. Boating is fun though, we have a 15' boat that satisifies our nautical yearnings.

Ron

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by overlander63

You HAD to bring that up!...
I've also owned both, and have found that:
If an Airstream springs a leak, you put a pan under the leak and patch it when it stops raining.
If a boat springs a leak, it could be either bail or sink.
I'd rather have a leaky Airstream than a leaky boat.

My brother owns a 35’ Mahogany Chris-Craft that I have never seen. I have seen the engines, though. They are in his shop waiting for a rebuild after it sank in its slip 3 or 4 Christmases ago. The interior is a total loss, too.

I have spent several Thanksgiving weekends in his 32’ Excella, though. I know which one he gets more good from.

[Don't Panic]

All these responses have really given me alot to think about- thanx to all.
BTW, I have decided on the AS...maybe nautical-theme decor!

[Toldfield]

We joined a sailing club. The AS is in the driveway and all of the boats are in slips from Ventura to San Diego. The driveway is in the process of being paid for along with the house and rest of the stuff on the property and we only pay for the sailboats when we use one of them. As much as I would like to own another boat, this is turning out to be a very good arrangement. We don't worry too much about hurricanes either way.

[Aria]

We have a sailboat an inboard boat and an Airstream.. Our vote is definitely for an Airstream.
By now it looks like you have made your decision.No matter where or how you live. ENJOY your choice or make a change.

[craftsman]

We're thinking along these lines. Prestige 39' Cat... and keeping the Airstream

[utahredrock]

Responding to your inquiry about the trailer trash concern . . . though I think it was a tongue-in-cheek comment . . . .

Embrace you inner trailer trash! You'll be surprised at the diversity of us trailer trash folk. Sure many of us are poor white trash, but even within that world there is so much to learn and we have so much to offer!

Being trailer trash in an Airstream also has the coolness factor that a boat, as cool as it might be, could never match.

; )

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by Don't Panic

BTW, I have decided on the AS...maybe nautical-theme decor!

Here you go! The perfect trailer for you ~

Nautical Themed Airstream

If not for purchase...at least for ideas!

Shari