Sandpiper 565 Sailing GEM: by Sandude
Affordable, Manageable, Trailerable - good reasons to sail a Piper
O' course, there are others; but these'll do for starters.
Everbody knows "Money makes the world go 'round"...well, that's true of my sailing world, too. In my estimation, costs associated with buying and operating a sailboat are critical considerations when purchasing. Budgets matter.
I got GEM, a 1986 Sandpiper 565, second hand for a little more than 5kCAD...a price which included the much desired trailer. By any measure; good value.
Too, managability, not just price, was important to me. After all, who gets up in the morning and says, "I think I'll do things the difficult way today! Yeah, there's a plan!" Truth is, I wouldn't use a boat that's difficult to use...no matter how cheap it may have been to buy. Well, good news. GEM personifies the ultimate light, spacious boat; easily launched and sailed single-handed....
Now how's that for being dealt an "ideal deal"?
GEM Hudson Yacht Club
Remember the old MAZDA GLC [great little car]? ...ya gotta know, this is a GLB [great little boat]
If you're like me, one of the things you want, when it comes to the sailing experience anyway, is the freedom and excitement of exploring different sailing venues. To get that, ya gotta have a trailerable....I mean a REAL trailerable...one that's truly easy and simple.
At home being towed or launched by the family car (see below), this 18 footer proves an ideal weekender or daysailer. The keel retreats into the hull, making beaching this puppy a cinch. Rigging her? Well, that takes about ten minutes, start to finish.
Now is that simple, or what?
Below is a picture of GEM, a Sandpiper 565, being towed by my Bug....named PUDGY. Yeah, I know, I know, ...but I like to name things.
SIZE MATTERS....
And to those for whom all my talk of low costs, manageable size and trailerability has congered up images of an experience akin to being hold up with in-laws at the cottage (the one with only outhouse plumbing) during the hottest, most humid July on record with no break in sight, I say "CHILL!" This boat's got room down below, as well as on deck.
GEM really feels BIG. You can actually walk around her cabin on side-decks. Down below, I can stretch out and really lounge....but don't believe the sale brochure's claim that it can accommodate 4 adults. That's a stretch from any vantage point.
...or just a bit more.
Designed in Europe during the early 1970's for coastal sailing, and later manufactured in Canada for the North American market, the Sandpiper 565 is a high quality, seaworthy classic sailboat. In fact, all fittings exceed the usual specs for a sailboat of this size.
A scant 5.65 meters in length, GEM may be little, but she sails BIG (akin to the old "Think Small" Volkswagen ads: where small means value). Generous cockpit coamings, coupled with a broad beam, mean a dry and comfortable ride. A nifty 300lb. keel retracts into the hull, allowing the boat to float in a mere 10 inches of water. Resting beachside couldn't be easier.
These boats are safe, too. Positive flotation, appropriate sail-to-weight ratios, and a thick fibreglass hull, all serve to foster a relaxed sense of confidence while sailing. Said differently, ..."these are simply good sailin' boats".
An extensive support network of enthusiasts is active on the Net. Participants are energetic, supportive and keen when it comes to providing technical advice, or just talking about Piper sailing. Neat, huh?
