My New Boat - Santana 22

[xroyal]

"No I won't buy a boat, I've got to paint my house this year."

Living near a big lake, I overcame the urge to get a bigger boat like so many are doing here. Witness my neighbor just splashing a Catalina 30 in a lake, while 30 miles long, is often only 6' deep or? How about his dockmate with a Union 36!

This Santana is just like my friend's on which I sailed/raced on SF Bay a lot of years ago. I made a 800 mile trip in about 16 hours to trail her back from Vancouver, WA yesterday...in the rain over the Cascade Mountains too.

To me she's a plastic classic (1967), and a sweet sailer. The 1230 lb keel is handy for this often hard blowing lake. Catalina 22s are popular here, but only have 500-700 ballast options. I got the boat, a good trailer with a very long extension tongue, a 7.5hp longshaft, 6 bags of sails and gobs of other gear for $2400. A nice plus were new tasteful, navy blue Sunbrella covered cushions in the cabin and v-berth. Lot's of cosmetics to do, and I'm sure I'll need your expert help. No current berths available, so this may be a year for the revival work. Question is, which will win the house paint or the boat fixin?

[Case]

Congrat's on your new to you Santana 22. If I lived on the West Coast, the Santana 22 would be at the top of the list of small sailboats that I would buy.

You'll end up sailing this boat much more than your neighbor's Catalina 30. 30 feet is way too big for that lake. It will be boring to sail as compared to your Santana 22. If your neighbor ever sails, that is. Don't feel too badly about having a small boat!

As for painting the house or working on the boat... do whatever you like best first then do the second one after you're done with the first step!

Fair Breezes - Case

[xroyal]

Thanks Case.

I don't feel bad at all for having a smaller boat! I'm elated. I could have bought a sad, fixer Ariel here for less money, maybe half as much. All work, and little play. Or, a Catalina 25 for 3X the $ in which I at 6' can't sit up straight in the cabin w/o hitting my head...not so in this tiny Santana. 7'10" beam pretty respectable too for this length boat. I've spent many fun days in a Santana 22's 6'9" cockpit.

My seller is a private pilot. He passed on this neat, tiny 12v aircraft battery 9"x6"x5" to power the instruments and cabin lights:



I think he said it cost about $140.

[Tim]

This seemed to be the weekend for old class-racing boats that have aged gracefully into fun daysailers and weekend boats--the Santana 22 falls into the same genre as the Cal 25 highlighted elsewhere here.

I'd say you made a good buy, and have an excellent boat for your needs and location. Have fun with her!

[bhartley]

I did. My little Typhoon is all one color once again. The house, however, is working on two or more. I got the easy parts painted um... last year. Now I can't find the house paint for all of the boat stuff in the garage.

Got my husband to look at another boat yesterday. No house paint happening this summer. Eventually it will become a problem!

Enjoy your new boat!

Bly

[xroyal]

This seemed to be the weekend for old class-racing boats that have aged gracefully into fun daysailers and weekend boats--the Santana 22 falls into the same genre as the Cal 25 highlighted elsewhere here.

I'd say you made a good buy, and have an excellent boat for your needs and location. Have fun with her!

Tim, the Santana 22 fleet is still very active in the Bay Area. While I said she is a classic to me, this Gary Mull design doesn't have those sweet Pearson or S&S type lines I'd prefer. Your endorsement of the value is appreciated! Now to the new hull and deck colors, brightwork, ...... I'd rather be sailing.

Bly, thanks! If I had found a Typhoon Weekender first, she would be in my driveway now. Picking up the pressure washer today. Where is that house painter who promised to show up?

Having sailed on a Santana 22 (even the same colors) for several seasons gave me a ton of memories to relive. I have fun just looking at her.

One other neat feature: My border collie should be able to leap in her easily!

A good season on you too!

[Shark]

Congratulations on buying the Santana 22.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with small, uncomplicated, fast-sailing, easy to use, classic plastic sailboats. But then .... that's what I own. ;-) Our class website is www.shark24.org

Good luck with the Santana

Lyman

[xroyal]

You bet Lyman. Shark looks a fun boat!

Now if I can just get my 1st mate to come aboard.

[Tim]

Pretty dog!

[dasein668]

Looks like a German shepard/Border Collie mix. What is she (he?).

[xroyal]

Thanks!

Good eye Nathan. He's a 13 year old border collie mix. He got to stay at the spendy Doggie Hilton he loves for 2 nights while I was getting the boat, bubblebath and all the trimmings. He specializes in tele-barking and chasing cats. Saw one just like him helping to herd cattle on a local ranch.

Doing a little reading on the lore of the Santana 22. One took part in the first SSS Transpac from San Francisco to Hawaii in 1978, singlehanding in 17 days. Wow.

P.S. Correction: My boat is a 1967 (vs '76).

[dasein668]

Good eye Nathan.

I see a border collie every day.... They are distinctive, at least to me!

[xroyal]

Great doggie! Lucky you.

Pics too!

[Tim]

Well, while we're on Border Collies, here's my Border Collie/Samoyed mix, Bandit. (Name Etymology: When she was young, her right eye had a very distinctive black eye patch, which has become mostly gray now that she's 12.)

Chloe, the Golden puppy, is now 6 months old, but was just a couple months when this photo was taken in February.

[xroyal]

Tim, looking at your beautiful dogs sure beats working in the hot sun.

Bandit get his name at the dinner table?

P.S. A more famous Santana is Humphrey Bogart's boat "Santana". I saw her often at the St Francis Yacht Club:

http://www.thesantana.com/history/bogartBacall.html

And I have to compete with Carlos Santana in Google very time I do some research.

[Ceasar Choppy]

My seller is a private pilot. He passed on this neat, tiny 12v aircraft battery 9"x6"x5" to power the instruments and cabin lights:



I think he said it cost about $140.

Not to get too far off topic of border collies, but if you ever need to replace that battery of yours, you might want to check out the Odyssey Batteries. They are AGM and make some like yours for the aircraft market.

I use the one below as a starting battery for my Perkins 4-108 diesel. It weighs only 36 lbs and is about 1/2 the size of a group 24.

http://www.odysseyfactory.com/product_list.htm

No connection to the company, just a satisfied customer.

[xroyal]

Ceasar, thanks for the tip. These tiny, lighter batteries sure seem appropriate on boats as small as mine.

[Matt B.]

And I have to compete with Carlos Santana in Google very time I do some research.

Little tip - when you create your Google search, include "-carlos" as one of your terms. That will exlude any results for Carlos Santana.

Just tested it, and apparently there are several other singers named "<something> Santana", but it's still a big help. Include "sailboat" and the search is very clear.

If you're looking for something for your Santana, like a bimini or some such, then the -carlos is even more useful.

[xroyal]

Excellent tip! Thanks Matt.

P.S. The pic of your marina reminded me a lot of Sausalito, CA.

[Matt B.]

P.S. The pic of your marina reminded me a lot of Sausalito, CA.

It's Shilshole Bay Marina, in Ballard. Just north of the locks from the Puget Sound into Lake Union in Seattle.

It's not my marina, though. It's technically part of the Port of Seattle, but it's a very high-price place, mostly rich folks who pay others to polish their brightwork and buy a new boat when the old one's deck hatches get dirty.

Okay, so I'm exaggerating. <grin> Anyway, the slip is paid for by the previous owner until the end of the month, at which point Firecracker will leave the slip and the marina, for an environment where you don't get funny looks for carrying tools and epoxy onto your boat.

[xroyal]

In truth, I've been away from Sausalito area for 14 years. I used to live 10 minutes from those docks for 15 years. When I moved to Marin County in 1979 the dock folks were still pretty salty, plenty of funky houseboats. The Latitude38 sailing rag was newish. The current issues of Latitude38 are spilling over with the affluence of the Bay Area, and Sausalito boats probably all spit and polish now too....chiefly done by hired boat slaves.

I envy you the opportunity to visit the islands of the Puget Sound and beyond! I'd love it if my retired bones could find the energy to trail the Santana up there, and get a taste of your waters. Last I saw the Hood Canal, I swore I'd return. Part of that area made me feel I was back in New England.