Sandpiper 565 Sailing NOAH'S GEM: by Sandude
Affordable, Manageable, Trailerable - all good reasons to sail a Piper
O' course, there are other reasons; but these'll do for starters.
"Money makes the world go 'round". You've heard it a thousand times. It's true though... at least in my sailing world. Costs associated with buying, and especially operating a sailboat, matter - and they matter a lot.
I got NOAH'S GEM, a fully found 1986 Sandpiper 565, for a little more than 5kCAD...a price which included the much coveted trailer. By any measure; a good value.
But price wasn't the only consideration in buying a Sandpiper. There was manageability. 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 there. NOAH'S GEM personifies the ultimate light, spacious boat; easily launched and sailed single-handed....
...manageability personified.
NOAH'S 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, at least when it comes to the sailing experience, is the freedom and excitement of exploring different sailing venues. To get that, ya gotta have a trailerable.... no if, ands or buts... and 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 NOAH'S GEM, a Sandpiper 565, being towed by my Bug....named PUDGY. Yeah, I know, I know, ...but I like to name things.
SIZE MATTERS....
All this talk of a boat which is low cost, small in statures, having light-wieght trailerability gotcha congering up images of an experience akin to being locked up with in-laws at a small cottage (the kind with only outhouse plumbing) during a sweltering humid day in July with no escape?? "CHILL!" This boat's got game... real room down below and on deck.
NOAH'S GEM feels BIG, well, bigger than her 18 feet anyway. Seriously, you can actually walk around her cabin top 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, NOAH'S GEM may be little, but she sails BIG (akin to the old "Think Small" Volkswagen ads: where small means value). Generous cockpit coamings and 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?
