More than can be comfortably chewed

Figment · Post by **Figment** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 8:37 pm

I have this wonderful talent for biting off juuuuuuust a titch more than I can chew. The latest manifestation of this phenomenon is that I might just be picking up an O'Day 22.

Do I need another boat? Hellno.
Do I need another project? Heckno.

What would I do with it? eh, probably just spiff it up a bit and sell it.

Therein lies the attraction. This is something I've been thinking about lately. As a few of you know, I've taken a "career diversion" and taken over the family moving business. The moving business is highly seasonal. My father's answer to this dilemma was to go into the oil delivery business during the winter (have CDL, have vehicle maintenance capabilty, etc..) and that worked pretty well for him.
I've been thinking that my own answer would be to spend the slow winter time fixing broken boats for later sale. (have storage space, have the tools, have the know-how, etc...) I don't need to make a screaming profit for it to be worthwhile. Just something to keep the workforce semi-busy and maybe cover some overhead. This O'Day could be a way to test that idea.

Of course, I have zero time to spend on it now. It would just sit there for months until I became idle enough to devote any time to it. But that would eat at me. I'd be compelled to MAKE time to devote to it. I'm going to be spread thinly enough as it is over the next several months. This is the "more than I can chew" aspect.

Oh, did I mention that it's free? Well, ok, nothing in this world is free. I can have it if I go and get it out of someone's back yard.

I blame Tim! Tim and his cursed three-boat influence!!!!

Post by **dasein668** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:07 pm

Welcome to the dark side. Enjoy your stay.

Post by **Tim** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:01 am

Figment wrote:I blame Tim! Tim and his cursed three-boat influence!!!!

Sorry, man! hehe

Figment wrote:It would just sit there for months until I became idle enough to devote any time to it. But that would eat at me. I'd be compelled to MAKE time to devote to it.

I certainly understand that feeling. I like to be working on my projects, not having them sit idly by. Extra projects are fine as long as they don't cause one to lose sight of what they're doing/why they're doing it. If other important things in life start being cast aside in favor of the "spare time" project, I think one has to re-evaluate.

Figment wrote:Oh, did I mention that it's free?

Free is good. Boats for free, or nearly so, can be hard to resist. I look forward to the opportunity to pick up some more of these sorts of boats in the post-daysailor future. There are almost always 2 or 3 on Ebay that interest me. But no more till the daysailor is done. Then...well, who knows!

heartofgold · Post by **heartofgold** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:34 pm

I can really sympathize with you over that one. I have nearly bought another boat on 3 separate occasions in the last 3 months. The first was a Willard 33, for $10000 with minimal damage. The second was an older Pearson 33 which had been sunk for 2 weeks for $2000, and the third was a Hunter 27 for $600 which only needed a new rudder and mast.

I am working more than 50 hours a week, in addition to fixing up both of my boats and a varied assortment of other responsibilities. But I, too, am always looking for the right boat to get into so that maybe I can make that little bit of profit....

It's a dangerous path we follow. But potentially rewarding. Good luck, and keep us posted...