We had some family business to take care of in Jacksonville, between Christmas and New Years', and since we had to make the drive anyway, we decided to get a first-hand look at a boat. The most convenient one to see was a cutter-rigged Downeast 38. The boat has been left fallow for awhile, a sign of an unhappy owner, but other than needing some TLC, it appears to be in reasonably good condition.
I was pleased to note that the v-berth was of adequate size to accomodate two people who liked each other a lot, and that there was abundant standing headroom throughout the vessel to accomodate my full 6 feet. I'm not sure if that's a common thing in boats of this size, but it's definitely not, in many smaller boats! There wasn't a lot of what my Honey calls candy, i.e., extra features and equipment, just the basics, but what there was seemed to be in good condition.
The main down-sides are the rig, which combines some of the disadvantages of a split sail plan with some of the disadvantages of tall sloop rig, and the asking price, which is out-of-line with the current market. Still, it is a nice boat, although it needs a good deal of cleanup, and if the owner is willing to negotiate, I might soon make an offer.
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