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Buying a 2009 Bravo: what to look for?
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Author:  Haikubamboo [ Thu May 17, 2012 4:47 am ]
Post subject:  Buying a 2009 Bravo: what to look for?

I'm planning to take a look at a 2009 Bravo and trailer. What wear and tear would be normal, and what should I look for to see whether the boat or trailer had been overworked or stored improperly?

And what is the physically most demanding task for one person trying to set up a Bravo and getting it off and back onto the trailer?

I crewed on a small sloop (Morgan 27) and a catamaran (Nacra 5.2) years ago, but basically served as ballast and didn't understand a lot of what was going on. I've often thought about getting back on the water. The Bravo looks like it's so fun, simple and indestructible that I'm running out of excuses.

Author:  augaug [ Thu May 17, 2012 7:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying a 2009 Bravo: what to look for?

Haikubamboo wrote:
I'm planning to take a look at a 2009 Bravo and trailer. What wear and tear would be normal, and what should I look for to see whether the boat or trailer had been overworked or stored improperly?

And what is the physically most demanding task for one person trying to set up a Bravo and getting it off and back onto the trailer?


I'm not the expert on what to look for, but if it were me, I'd begin by looking at the hull. Make sure there are no large scrapes or chunks taken out of it. Sometimes people actually believe it when they hear these things are "indestructible" and they try!

After that, look at the sails. The sails colours should be BRIGHT! If the boat was stored outside with the mast furled, you'll notice a fading in certain spots. Check the stitching on the sail, it should be uniform without missing stitches.

Check the tripod that holds the sail up. Make sure there are no dents, bends, and minimal or no scratches. (If you buy it, make sure you check the bolts that secure the tripod. It can feel secure while still having loose bolts, I posted about this in the Bravo section yesterday)

Check the rudder, make sure it doesn't have any chunks missing.

As far as the most difficult thing to do when rigging, well the Mast would be the toughest piece to raise, but I'm pretty sure that I could do that with one hand tied behind my back.... (don't try that the first time out!!) So it's just not difficult to rig. There are very few steps, and each step is simple.

There are a couple tricks to get it on and off the trailer. I have a video of me getting mine from trailer to ready to sail in 5 minutes. I do it solo all the time. The hull is very light and you can easily lift the front side, place it on the trailer, and then lift the back and shove it forward onto the trailer. Each trailer is different, I had mine custom built, but here's the video to show how easy it is for me. It might be a boring video if it's not what you're looking for, but at least you get the sense of how quickly the boat can be taken from a trailer to the water.

Here's the video:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj9GuDvieFs[/youtube]

Author:  Haikubamboo [ Thu May 17, 2012 7:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying a 2009 Bravo: what to look for?

Thanks. Great suggestions. And I've watched your videos. Good stuff. They've sold me on the Bravo as much as anything else I've seen.

I guess the PCV tube you built protects the sail and mast lots better than the sail cover alone, which I guess would flap constantly against the sail on my hour-long trips to and from the lake. Not so good.

But what if I took the sail off and left it in my vehicle during the trip? I know I'd have to get the sail on and off the mast before and after sailing, but the wind isn't going to hurt the mast out there by itself and I can skip the protective PCV, right? I suppose there are trade-offs either way. Or is there another advantage to the PCV I'm missing?

Author:  augaug [ Thu May 17, 2012 8:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Buying a 2009 Bravo: what to look for?

Last year I trailered a number of times without the tube. The way that I was strapping it down caused a little bit of wear on the sail bag, and I didn't want to cause a problem. If you have the sail bag, you'll notice that it even comes with a bungee cord and red flag built in. I was told that these were there for trailering the boat.

I know the boat can be trailered with the sail on the mast and in the sail bag. The pipe is just something that I did for my use, and it may not be for everyone. I do find that the pipe actually makes it easier to tie down too, and saves me some time, but yes, you can take the sail off as you suggest, and I can't see any problems with trailering as you suggest.

Hope that helps!

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