My sailboat never complains

Ronald Dietel has considered other boats, but for now he actively sails his Precision 165, a Jim Taylor design that has fit a lot of features into a 16.5 footer. She-Said-No is not sexy or fast, but few people sail their boat as much Dietel. Based in Southern California, he ponders this passion:

In nearly five years, I’ve already spent more money on fixing or improving things on She-Said-No then I did on my original purchase. $750 for a new rudder for increased performance, $350 because of a broken bolt on the motor mount. Four new sails including two new mains was more than I want to admit, and maybe more than necessary. But maybe not.

Time invested in repairs and upkeep has also been substantial. I keep a “to-do” list on my desk. But it’s all worth it, especially when I launch at my dock and people say “why isn’t that a cute little boat” or laugh at my boat’s name, “She-Said-No.”

Fortunately, my wife has come around and fully accepts my weekly trips to Ventura to get my sailing “fix.” She even encourages me to go when she sees that I am restless.

She-Said-No has taken me to the beautiful Channel Islands on quite a few occasions. Sailing in the Pacific Ocean remains a thrill. I’ve trailered and sailed her in Arizona, Monterey, and other places that I might never have done otherwise. Mistakes, I’ve made far more than my share, but that’s part of the learning process.

Now, I can’t imagine a life without a sailboat. Like my dog, my sailboat never complains, waits for me patiently, doesn’t talk behind my back, and doesn’t care what I look like. When I went to sail another sailboat for a possible new “used” boat, she didn’t say a word, perhaps knowing that some other owner would take equally good care of her.

So while a boat may not be man’s best friend, a boat will always be at the top of my list, even when I write the next check.