Good time to be looking to buy?

[Adrian]

I have started a serious search to buy a boat & sail her asap - so not a project boat.  While at home in covid 19 seclusion I have been looking at the PNW Craigslists & Used [cities] and visiting the design/class owners websites to find trailerable boats for sale.  I'm surprised the search is much harder than I thought it might be.  After 4 weeks I have located 4 boats that I plan to look at as soon as the travel restrictions are over - one lightweight WW Potter 19 & 3 heavies - Stonehorse 23, Dolphin 24 & Balboa 27.
The Potter & Balboa can be launched off their trailers - a big plus. The Potter is the most affordable - the 3 heavies are at the top of my price range $6 - $10k. The Stonehorse is a little more old-school - no winches, furling gear etc. - so not very sure if she ought to stay on my list.
To go sailing this late spring or early summer I can't consider a project boat or a boat that needs a lot of additional gear before she can leave the trailer.
I would welcome readers' sharing my search and informing people they know who might be considering selling their boat.
Also I welcome comments on the 4 boats and suggestions of other designs that may be available in the PNW and where I can find them.
Thanks to all who can help.
Adrian

[Bubba the Pirate]

Full disclosure I have not actually sailed any of the four you listed. I have, however, sailed a West wight Potter 15.
Of the 4, the Potter well sail the least well. Now the Potter has a cult following. It will sail fine; it just won't sail as well as the other three. The Potter is a boat that has been successful because the philosophy is to cram 25 ft of boat in a 19 ft package. You didn't mention what kind of sailing you're thinking of. If you were thinking of camp cruising in the Pacific Northwest. The Potter might actually not be a bad idea.

The Stonehorse is a beauty. I have to say that I can't be impartial about that one. When I was a lake sailor in Michigan I would have given my back teeth to have a Stonehorse. Don't worry so much about furling gear. Furling is overrated and not necessary at all. Winches are not necessary on a small boat. I'm probably going to take furling off of boat that I bought last July. The Stonehorse might be the best, most graceful sailor of the four.

The adolphin and the Balboa are both decent-looking production boats in their day. I think the Dolphin was designed by Sparkman & Stephens which is a pretty good pedigree.

I would do some serious thinking about what kind of sailing you were thinking you might do. I know that is tough and I don't think you said how much sailing experience you've had. Like I said if it's camp cruising - roughing it - the Potter is not a bad idea. If it is weekend sailing with the possibility of staying overnight on the boat any of the other three would be fine for that. The Folphin and the Balboa probably best suited for weekend sailing stopping at marinas or anchorage's, etc. If you really want to just sail, to be an old salt kind of sailor, the Stonehorse is not only a classic graceful beauty but the cutter rig will teach you an awful lot and has many advantages. You'll end up more than an average sailor having sailed an old school boat for a while.

[Lars]

I bought a stone horse some years ago for resale. In my entire life it is the only boat I have ever lost money on. I am sure it is a fine sailor but the interior is almost storage only not even sitting headroom  ..the potter will seem huge interiorwise. If I were to buy another personal boat that needed to be trailer launchable I would go with the S2 7.9

[CapnK]

Not having sailed them either, if I:

Were primarily interested in camp cruising weekends and afternoons, then the Potter would be high on the list for the ease of trailering and the range that gives you at highway speeds to check out relatively far flung cruising grounds.
That said, there are a number of trailerables which could do this just as well as a Potter, and may be better sailing boats.

Of the "heavies', personally I would go with the Dolphin.

Welcome to the Board, Adrian, and have a Grog on me. :)

[Frank]

I'd mirror Capt Ks thoughts. I love the mobility of trailersailing and all adventures possible with that freedom. The Potter excels at that.
Now.....for anything less mobile... that dolphin seams a fine boat.
Best advice:
Be totally honest with yourself as to how you will actually the boat, then buy accordingly

Have fun

Keep us posted

And...PICTURES please 🤣