airacer

Meeks Island, Bahamas

Thanks Zonker! Yes, still has the propriety membrane to the tune of 400+ bucks. The PPM averages around 300-350 as well, so not the best membrane on the planet either. But, it does the job, and overall is pretty simple and at the more economical end of the watermaker spectrum.

Hopefully this can help someone else. Complete service to a Village Marine Little Wonder watermaker. Membrane replacement, oil change, filter change. I’m sure I did something wrong, but hey, it’s in the islands!

We keep track, but I don’t want to look. I would say Greyhound is probably right on the money. If you have to ask...??? A lot depends on use, and how you use it. We do most maintenance ourselves. That keeps costs in check. We also work hard to keep the boat in excellent condition. We won’t go offshore with the boat not at 100%. Nothing on the boat is cheap to replace, but it is also spec’d with good equipment and solidly built. You will get out what you put in.

It’s not a problem. It’s an excellent boat for short handed sailing. Like any boat it has trade offs, but it lacks little. The perfect singlehander....no. It is not a class 40. Perfect fast short handed racer/cruiser: comfortable enough to spend time on and quick enough to enjoy sailing...darn close.

It is surprising that anyone is amazed by this. The technology is there, just a matter of $ to implement. I see a future of push button MacGregors, Catalinas, Beneteaus, Leopards, Lagoons, and Hunters using this. Point the boat in a direction, press a button on your iPad, computer sails for you. Instantly turns anyone that can operate a jet-ski into a potential sailor. The future is bright :-)

I hope the boys on E2 have a great time. Glad to see the sport boat class working also. Can’t wait to see foilers rip up the shore in the future. Sad I can’t be there this year. I would definitely race a Melges 24 up the lake again, it was one of the purest and most fun sailing/racing experiences ever. Oh, and go get em Chico 2!

After many years of M24 racing, we went the other direction. I know, I know....friends don’t let friends.... ...but, the big J Boats are awesome performance cruisers. Melges makes awesome racing boats. J Boats is on to something though. May not be the fastest, or most luxe, but they hit the sweet spot in between. www.sweetruca.com

Don’t forget about the political skills to sandbag races and make the right friends to protect your rating. Very important PHRF skill.

A chairman of a PHRF committee once told me, there are certain boats that are “good for PHRF” and there are boats that aren’t. One of the same committee members owns a J33. You be the judge.

Love the responses! You guys are evil! :-) Some really good ones! Rather than untie the boat and let it float away, or piss in the fuel tank, I found its charter website and sent an email at 2am. Apparently Mr. Charter capn’ wasn’t even supposed to be at the dock and was awoken first thing in the AM by a call by the pissed off owner. The excuse stated in the AM ”my toys and dinghy are in the way of the 50a outlet”. Pure laziness. BTW, I have no problems with generators on moorings or in an anchorage, but there is no need while in a marina with adequate shore power 5 ft away from the transom.

Now we are talkin!

I’m not averse to that, but it’s hardly any fun. We will see what ideas another cocktail brings.

As I write this it is 12:38AM and I am listening to the charter boat neighbor’s Leapord 48 generator running at the dock next door. Less than 10ft from my berth. Why not just plug in? What would you do? Ideas....

One plus about the M24, Melges provides great support. Parts are a few clicks or a call away. Also, they hold their resale value decently well. If you are apprehensive about sailing one or it gives you anxiety, by all means you should select a different boat. I do find it worrisome that you find the Open 5.70 is a better option for you. It has a higher SA/D ratio. Based on your concerns and anxiety with a child on board, you should most likely be looking at something with a much lower SA/D. The higher the Sail Area to Displacement, the faster the boat and the quicker things get out of control when the wind picks up. If you are apprehensive about sailing a M24, maybe you should back it down a bit and work on skills outside of the “sport boat” range? Also, think about going out crewed, or enlisting a local pro to give you some pointers on high performance sailing. A few days training may offset dollars spent in broken boat parts or injuries. Just food for thought. especially with an apprehensive youngster on board. You want smooth sailing to keep her enjoying the sport.