Ask The Webmaster!

Q: Why did you pick this boat for the SF Bay? A: There are lots of boats that do very well in the windy conditions of summer on the bay. The great thing about a Newport 30 is that you get alot for your money, they sail very well and this size is perfect for the bay! The layout is great for a weekend trip with 2-3 people and Sierra. Also, there is enough freeboard to keep the crew dry and happy. We hope to sail this boat down the coast (Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Montery/Carmel) and possibly to the Channel Islands some day. We will keep you posted. Q: Do you ever sail the "Addiction" by yourself? A: I have solo sailed her over twenty times in the last year with great success! I have free time during the week but most of my friends are working so me and Sierra head for the water. It's a wonderful feeling to be sailing across the bay on Autopilot with the tunes blasting and a cold one in hand. I am very cautious and sail conservetivly when I am out alone. A solo sail on the Addiction refreshes the soul!

Q: How does your partnership work? A: We each get one week out of a three week period. When it is your week, you have priority on the boat and can sail anytime you want. If it's not your week, you can ask permission to use the boat. If the boat is going out on the day you want to go out, you can ask to join. We have found we can sail pretty much anytime we want as when it is your week, usually you are just going out once. We split all the expenses three ways so it is very cost effective.

Q: What is the best way to learn how to sail? A: The best way to to find a sailing school and become certified in Basic Keelboat and move on from there. Most courses have classroom and on the water training. I had some private instruction from Spinnaker Sailing in Redwood City to hone my skills and improve my confidence. Then find someone with a boat and get out there! I realized the other day that between windsurfing and sailing I have spent over 500 days on the bay in the last 20 years! Reading about sailing is a great way to find out about the sport as well (see our links page!).

Q:What does it cost annually to own a boat on the bay? A: There are lots of variables so let's use our thirty foot boat as an example. Berthing fees vary but for a boat our size it's any where from $175- $350. We pay $250/month. Insurance runs about $300 a year. Property taxes are about $165. If the boat is in good shape and you don't have a lot of maintenance let's throw in another $350. So let's call it $4000 per year. Just know that there are always things breaking and minor repairs most every month. Also every 18 -24 months you need to paint the bottom. We have yet to get out of the yard for less than $1600 with paint and minor repairs. So let's add another $800 per year for that. So in our case, we currently have 4 partners, the total cost is $2000 per person per year. Not bad for a guy that sails once a week. If you break that down further it's about $40 a sail. I never would have thougth owning a boat could be so affordable!