What’s in it?

The ingredients are commonly found around the home. The combination doesn’t sound especially appetizing, but then that’s the whole idea!

3 eggs
8 oz (1 cup) Hot Pepper Sauce *
4 oz (½ cup) Murphy’s Oil Soap
1 gallon of water

* I use the cheapest “store brand” of hot sauce I can find. That has been as low as $1.59 per quart, but lately the best buys have been smaller bottles – $0.99/12 oz

In a bowl, beat the eggs, completely blend in all of the hot pepper sauce, and slowly add the oil soap with continued stirring. Please Note: It is very important that the beaten eggs be mixed thoroughly with the hot pepper sauce before the Murphy’s Oil soap is added. Otherwise this mixture, becomes very thick, and the emulsion “breaks” leading to a “cottage cheese consistency that is difficult to dilute and can subsequently clog your sprayer.

Put 1 gallon of water in your garden sprayer.

Pour mixed ingredients from bowl into water. Close sprayer. Pressurize and spray plants to “run off”. That is, to the point where the foliage is completely wet, as the spray just begins to “run off” the leaves.

In my yard, there’s enough “salad” that I usually put out two or three sprayers full. There is no need to clean the equipment between batches, but it is very important to thoroughly clean up your sprayer, including the hose – (I use warm, soapy water) – after your finished for the day. If you should “forget” to clean up your equipment, I suspect you’ll be reminded the next time you use your sprayer and are greeted with the aroma of aged eggs!

Will it work? Why should it work? How often should the spray be applied?

Whenever you get one of these home recipes, it never comes with a guarantee. I don’t know if it will work for you. I do know it’s not expensive to use or difficult to apply, and it does help keep the deer away from my plants.

All cooks, whether in the kitchen or the garden, understand that in any recipe the ingredients and their ratios are seldom absolute. In this case, each of the ingredients does provide a specific function. The “hot sauce” provides short-term protection. The sharp smell of the cayenne on the leaves and in the ground around the plants keeps the deer away for a couple of days. The “eggs” provide two functions – the first is as a “sticker” to help the spay solution adhere to the plant surface. The more important contribution develops over the next few days as the eggs “age”. The sulfide smell from the rotting eggs persists for 2 – 3 weeks and is sufficiently unpleasant to a deer’s sensitive nose the desired result is achieved. [Note: There is no odor detectable by humans from the spray on the plants.]

Feel free to vary the basic formulation to fit your “taste”. For example, I often add a dash of hot Chinese cooking oil when I feel especially vindictive! I’m considering adding some Miracle Gro (30-30-30) to the cocktail in the future. The presence of the fertilizer shouldn’t interfere with the effectiveness of the repellent, and the plants should get a boost from the foliar feeding.

Jerry Murphy
Hudson Valley Iris & Daylily Society

- Published in 1826, “Manuscript Gleanings and Literary Scrap Book” by John Poole was a unique collection of engravings and poems. The book also explained the best means of finding, collecting, and arranging scraps (printed pieces of paper with beautiful ornate designs).

- During this time, even the smallest leftover “scraps” of paper were saved and later used in scrapbooking layouts. Even today, some scrapbooking revolves around stickers intended to look like old “scraps”

- “Scrap mania” quickly caught on in the society and companies began producing scraps, scrapbooks, albums, and supplies used for the display of puzzles, poems, journaling, and pressed flowers.

- In a society where little was wasted, the scrapbooking addict would find plenty of uses for old newspaper clippings, advertisements, and printed poetry.

- Modern scrapbooking, with archival and acid free paper owes much of success to Marielen Christensen. In 1980, she shared scrapbooking albums of her families history with the World Conference of Records in Utah.

- The albums generated so much attention that the Christensen family saw an immediate business opportunity. They opened the first retail stamping store “Keeping Memories Alive”

- Today, thousands of scrapbooking companies supply the eager scrapbooking crowd with stickers, rubber stamps, acid-free paper, albums, and a whole host of embellishments.

Scrapbooking continues to draw much attention and interest since it is focused on the wonderful memories of our lives and the lives of the ones we love. Whether it is the birth of a baby or the graduation of a son, these moments are sure to make scrapbooking a favorite hobby for many years to come!

Kathy Williams enjoys scrapbooking and
rubber stamping. She sells her
unique line of rubber stamps in her online rubber stamp store
Rubber Stamping Fun

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Williams

1. Buy your embellishments on December 26! As always, the day after Christmas, lights and gumdrops and shiny tinsel are always at rediculously low prices. Make sure to buy the things you could use as scrapbooking page embellishemts. Look for deep discounts on Christmas stickers and patterned paper. You might even stock up for next year!

2. Save your wrapping paper! We once joked about a frugal couple who saved their wrapping paper from year to year. For scrapbooking however, this can be a truly memorable piece. In your layout, why not put some of the wrapping paper as the background for the picture of that special someone opening the present…covered in that very paper! (You may opt to coat the paper with a archival safe gloss spray to keep from introducing acid into your album.)

3. Squash the bow! Unlike wrapping paper, I knew many families growing up who would save the Christmas bows that were placed on presents. Try pressing them just as you would dry flowers. Placing them in a heavy book or underneath a heavy object and use them as decorative backgrounds glued to the pattern paper.

4. Watch the boxes! These days almost anything you buy at Christmas time comes in a box with adorable christmas decoration and design. Why not cut out some of the more adorable designs (words, sayings, lights, snowmen…) and place them as collage material on your scrapbook page. Looking back, these designs will convey even more about the time period. (Like looking at old drawings and boxes from your parents days.)

5. Use your senses! Christmas is such a special holiday and in many ways is unique because of our senses. From thousands of twinkle lights in our yards to a gingerbread cookie, even the smell of a christmas tree, all contribute to our memories of the holiday moments. Try capturing as many of them as possible in your scrapbook albums. Instead of conveying events, write about smells, sights, feeling, emotion, and sounds. This means you will need to either write them all down temporarily, or finish the pages quickly in order to remember all of the details that made the moment truly special!

Christmas and scrapbooking have always gone together. With friends and family and so many warm memories, this should be a time you capture all of the moments and record them for generations to come. These 5 scrapbooking secrets are simple, inexpensive, and effective ways to put the most into this year’s scrapbooking album…and the many wonderful seasons to come!

Kathy Williams loves scrapbooking and
rubber stamping. She enjoys these hobbies and spends much of her time at her online store http://www.rubberstampingfun.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Williams

1. Determine and plan your cardmaking schedule. Do you want to set aside a few hours or just 30 minutes at a time? Pick a design suitable for the available time. Make a simple “assembly line” schedule to maximize the time you have to spend on the project.

2. Work on individual elements, individually. It may sound silly, but working on one element of the cards will retain the “look” of the cards while creating a “unity” among them. Start by stamping all of the impressions, then work on cutting out all of the backgrounds, folding all of the paper, tearing all of the sheets simultaneously. You don’t want to spend too much time on any one card.

3. Have a party! Kids and relatives love to involved. Make the work fun and don’t be overly concerned about the smaller details of the project. You will ultimately put all of the individual components together, giving you plenty of time to add any special touches. Working together with other people will also add a new level of uniqueness to your cards.

4. Stop writing. One of the most frustrating tasks of mass producing cards is hand writing messages. Find “handwriting fonts” available online, at your nearest craft supply store, or your local computer store. Sign the finished card or pen in any details or RSVP information as you would with a store purchased card.

5. Use a paper trimmer. If you need a fast way to make background frames or trim down embellishments, scissors just won’t cut it! Stacking paper in 5-10 sheet groups and trimming all at once will provide perfect multiple shapes. Often, your scraps can be stacked in such a way to trim them into useable pieces with a trimmer. Rotary trimmers will also allow you to add perfect “scalloped” edges to the base of the card(s).

6. Punch It. Remember your time is valuable. Whether it’s a heart, circle, flower, even a fork and spoon, your local craft store will have a perfect punch for the card. Cutting out shapes by hand is tedious and rarely looks well. Circles can be particularly difficult.

7. Stamp, Stamp, Stamp. When placing stamped images on a card, use one stamp at a time and make as many impressions as needed. Don’t clean stamps or switch colors until all of the cards have been stamped. This keeps your ink pads from becoming “mixed” and makes the impressions uniform.

8. Avoid difficult embellishments. I am sure that rows of bows, lines of brads, or glued dots would look wonderful on each card. Finding a simpler alternative will save you hours. Paper tears, taped bows, even stylish stickers can be just as attractive without the hours of difficult handy work.

9. Customize backgrounds. If you absolutely must have a “look” provided by a stamped background, make a “master” copy on white paper EXACTLY how it should look. Scan the paper design into a computer at 300 dpi. (If you’re already confused, spend a minute with the scanner manual.) Print onto colored cardstock or paper. When done properly, no one will even notice!

10. Have fun…with a budget. These are the two biggest factors when mass producing cards. You don’t want to get partway through the project only to realize you have far overspent your intended budget. That special patterned paper and those cute hologram stickers can max out the cost of the cards. Alternatively, when the project simply becomes a duty, it is unlikely you will ever finish. Remember to always plan lots of time. After all, this is by far the greatest hobby in the world!

Kathy Williams is a rubber stamp addict! She writes informative rubber stamp articles that focus on techniques, trends, and styles. From chalking, antiquing, crimping, trimming, inking, and even shadowing, her ideas are sure to inspire hours of stamping creativity. Find more of her great ideas, stamping articles, and favorite rubber stamps at http://www.rubberstampingfun.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Williams

Texture #1: Sandpaper Paradise

For this technique, you will need a small square of sandpaper. One great idea is to save old scraps of “used” sandpaper since they will each provide a unique look to your stamped project. Heavy cardstock will work best for this project since you will be “buffing” away and don’t want to tear a hole in the paper. Stamp your image on the cardstock using a dye based ink. Highlight the stamped image with chalks. Taking your sandpaper, gently scrub the paper until the desired “distressed” look appears. Once finished, it is usually best to cut out the image from the sanded paper and affix the image to the project. This simple technique can add a pleasantly aged look when used with walnut or dark brown pigment inks!

Texture #2: Baby Wipe Blur

To get this unique texture you will need water based markers or watercolor pencils and a package of baby wipes or damp paper towels. Using your rubber stamps, stamp your project with the desired image or lettering. Taking your markers or watercolor pencils, fill in the center and highlight the edges of the stamp image accordingly. Allow the pigment to set without completely drying. With your baby wipes, gently “dab” the image. The moisture from the cloth will cause the coloring to soften and blur resulting in a beautiful finished texture. Allow to dry and place on remaining project!

Texture #3: Wax Mask

For this rubber stamping texture technique you will need a white crayon or a piece of wax. Using your rubber stamps, create the stamped image collage on the chosen piece of paper. Using your wax, gently “color” the areas where highlighting would occur. Taking a marker or stamp pad, gently fill in the inner, unstamped area with the color of choice. Allow the ink to dry. After the ink has dried, gently rub the image in small circular strokes over the “wax” covered area. The ink will rub off of the wax and the highlights will remain.

These three simple rubber stamping texture techniques are great ways to make unique cards and scrapbooking pages. Using these tips, you will be able to make special projects with all of your rubber stamps that others will admire. For a truly unique textured project, blend all three textures together in by utilizing sandpaper, wax, and markers!

Kathy Williams writes about rubber stamping and rubber stamps and loves to use them for card making, scrapbooking, and other paper craft projects.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Williams

The most popular trimming and cutting tools are the guillotine table top trimmer, mini personal paper cutter, and the rotary trimmer. Paper punches, scoring blades, T-squares, and shape cutters are important to have on hand as well before starting your project.

The guillotine trimmer is the traditional paper trimmer you can find any office supply store.  A long sharp blade (often curved) is hinged at the base and is lifted above the paper and down directly on top to make a straight cut. Please keep in mind that not all guillotine trimmers are made well. You’re going to need a solid, sturdy guillotine trimmer with tight fittings. Make sure the handle doesn’t flex at all or you will be consistently frustrated by crooked cuts. Another great feature is a detachable blade which can be sharpened or replaced.

Rubber stamping projects often require simple cuts to mattes and small pieces of stamped card stock. The personal trimmer is the perfect tool for the routine trimming and can fit inside your desk drawer. Small paper trimmers usually have safety features that make them especially suitable for trimming small items held by hand close to the blade. This allows you to crop small pieces of hand stamped card stock, trim tiny wallet photos, and matte stocks. Personal paper trimmers are not suitable for long straight cuts because they are usually made of lightweight plastic.

Rotary trimmers are the newest of the bunch and have become favorites for many different reasons. For rubber stamping and scrapbooking projects, the rotary trimmer excels because you can purchase many different styles of artistic cutting blades. Need to make a straight, curvy edge? Want to perforate a homemade envelope? With the rotary trimmer, this is no problem. You’ll want to find a model that has easily interchangeable blades. In addition to table top trimmers, many rotary trimmer systems also come with handheld trimmers that use interchangeable blades and allow you to cut shapes like circles and flowers. Handheld rotary trimmers use a self-healing cutting mat. You’ll find many different sizes in the craft section of your local department store or fabric store. The unique cutting surface is specifically designed to allow you to cut any shape with your rotary cutter and can be used many times without showing wear.

Shape cutting tools have come a long way and are quickly become a favorite tool for scrapbooking enthusiasts. Because they allow you to cut many different shape styles with one inexpensive tool, they are much more inexpensive than individual paper punches. One thing to look for when purchasing a shape cutter is the quality of the pivoting head. You should be able to cut in one smooth motion without the blade catching on any part of the template.

Paper punches are the easiest way to make sure your shape is perfectly cut every time. Your paper punches should be easy to use and have no trouble cutting through card stocks. If your paper punch becomes difficult to use, it could be a result of glues or adhesives getting into the die mechanism. Usually a spray of a silicone lubricant will solve this problem.

T-squares and the scoring blades are tools that can be very helpful while stamping and scrapbooking. Durable T-squares that will last many years can be purchased at your local hardware store. Cheaper styles can be purchased at a craft store. Buy a quality T-square that has a tooled edge for making perfectly straight lines and cuts. You will be able to line up corners and make perfect mattes. Scoring blades are used to make straight tears and folds along the corner edges of handmade greeting cards. Designer scoring blades allow you make decorative tears on scrapbooking paper and card stock.

You should get at least one version of each of these cutting tools to enjoy all of the benefits. Having the right trimming and cutting tools saves time and makes your finished paper craft project look much better. Buying high quality tools that will last for many years will insure inexpensive overall costs and usually a much better look. Give them a try today and see how they improve your work!

Kathy Williams loves working in Rubber Stamping Fun, her online stamping  store, and enjoys writing informative articles about rubber stamps and scrapbooking.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Williams

Rubber Stamping Pads: Rubber stamping pads come in a variety of shades and colors. Stamp pads can be used to tint and colorize embellishments as well as distress paper and chipboard. Dye based stamp pads are great for projects where you need a fast setting ink. Have some time on this project? You’ll love the brightness and brilliance that pigment based stamp pads provide—just allow plenty of time for the drying process.

Stickers: Sticker options available are endless and you’ll be excited to find unique types and styles including velvet, gel, and even three-dimensional brands. If you’re very creative, you can even make your own stickers with any one of the commercially avaible sticker adhesive machines. Why not recycle those adorable magazine pictures as stickers in a timeless scrapbook album?

Ribbon: Scrapbooking and rubber stamping ribbon comes in a variety of widths from 1/8” to 2” or more depending on what you need for your project. Color coordinated spools of ribbon can be purchased at almost any craft and hobby store. Today’s scrapbooking ribbon is especially designed with the current styles and trends in mind.

Buttons, paper clips, and staples: Embellishments for stamping and scrapbooking include buttons, paper clips, metal fasteners, eyelets, paper clips, colored staples, rivets, and dried flowers. Once plain items have now become necessities for any scrapbooking room. To create coordinated sets, purchase plain white embellishments and colorize with a stamp pad or acrylic paint. You’ll love having embellishments that perfectly match your paper and albums.

Card stock: Card stock can be handmade, hand dyed, and you may even purchase printable fabric stock paper. Acid free paper, which will keep your memorable albums in perfect shape for the longest time possible, is an important item to use throughout your scrapbook album.

Scrapbooking Albums: You’ll want to make sure that your memories last many lifetimes and finding a good album is very crucial. The standard album sizes are 6x 6, 12 x 12, and 8.5 x 11. These sizes are perfectly suited to the most common sizes of scrapbooking paper. They can also be found in smaller sizes, however, and can even be custom-made for special projects.

Don’t Panic! You’ll only need a handful of supplies and your creativity to enjoy scrapbooking and stamping. All of these supplies will eventually find their way into your creative space and will make your rubber stamping and scrapbooking exciting and enjoyable.

About The Author

Kathy Williams loves scrapbooking and rubber stamps. She operates an online rubber stamping store at http://www.rubberstampingfun.com.

It has been 30 years now that I’ve sailed the Chesapeake Bay, East Coast U.S.A. and the Caribbean Islands and I’ve been fortunate to have owned a number sailing vessels, currently two Beneteau sail boats.

I’m often asked by my students what to look for when making an investment in a sailing vessel. I often share the following seven tips and hope that you too may find some value in them.

1. First carefully examine where you expect to use your boat, long term. Will it be on the Ocean, trans-Ocean, near the shore, in a Bay, on the Caribbean or all of the above. If you plan to sail Ocean or trans-Ocean then be sure that the construction is class “A” or rated for extended off shore passage making.
2. Beware of the buying philosophy “I’ll buy a smaller boat now and get a bigger one later.” If you’re buying new you will suffer two large depreciations. If buying used, the money you put into the first boat to bring it up to your own personal standards and needs will go a long way to paying a down payment or many monthly payments on the second boat. You will be upgrading the second boat anyway. Buy now what you expect to own for 5-10 years.
3. Take into account the area where you will be sailing and who you will be sailing with. Decide on the type of berths that will be suitable for you, your family and your guests. For example, aft doubles aligned with the axis of the boat or an aft double that runs across the boat port to starboard. Although the latter tends to be larger and more comfortable in the slip it is definitely not a sea going berth. How easily does the main salon table convert into a berth and is it sturdy enough to do so repeatedly? In a pinch or in good weather can any one sleep in the cockpit?
4. What is your likely cruising range? If just 2-4 days then water and diesel tankage can be respectively 20 and 80 gallons or less. If it is 5-10 days then a minimum would be 50 and 160. If you buy a boat with say 100 gallons diesel and 2-300 gallons water then the designer will have given up berth space to accommodate the tankage. Depending on the size of the boat the left over space may not be well utilized until you reach say a 50 ft. long boat. Look for living and storage space that is well utilized. Odd placement of the main salon settees, chart table and galley may indicate poor utilization of space and hence you may be paying good money for little advantage.
5. Boats that are heavy displacement, say 28,000 lbs for say a 42 ft. boat rather than say 17,800 lbs for a medium displacement, 42 footer will need 10- 15 knots of wind to develop any kind of “feel” at the helm and in many locations such as the Chesapeake Bay with winds typically 5 – 15 knots in the summer you may have purchased a very nice well equipped power boat. However these heavy displacement cruisers are excellent for extended off shore passage making and live-aboard sailing either in the Caribbean or the U.S.A..
6. One of the best tips, If you are a first time sailor and want to buy a boat in the 25 to 50 ft range, is to sail with someone who knows how to sail, take a sailing class and then charter a boat in the length range that interests you. Picking a boat with out sailing a boat of similar size is risky although many have done it successfully. Keep in mind that many of the modern designs of the last 10 years are designed specifically for two people to sail easily whether in the Bay or in the ocean.
7. Lastly, do insist on a survey. If the boat has any of the defects listed below find out the cost to correct them if you are expecting the boat to pass the insurer’s surveyor. Insurers have their own requirements. Your insurance agent and the surveyor should be working hand in hand. This is where a purchaser of a used watercraft can suddenly be faced with unexpected costs. Costly defects include but are not limited to:
   1. Soft or cracked gellcoat on the deck.
   2. Deck leaks around windows, masts, caprail, traveller or through deck fittings.
   3. If the engine that has stood idle for more than 6 months diesel may be contaminated with bacterial sludges, have pistons seized, injectors blocked and electrical system contaminated with water. Insist on at least a 2-4 hour run in the water at cruising speed. Check for undue vibration, overheating, proper charging of the batteries and that the engine can come up to its cruising rpm.
   4. If the boat is more than 6 years old have the surveyor check that the engine mounts are OK and particularly that all mounting bolts are intact. Two can be broken without any obvious signs or effects. When #3 breaks the engine is loose! This is a common problem on older boats that encounter rough waters while under power and can easily be overlooked by the surveyor.
   5. Obviously you will need an out of the water inspection. Check for blisters, gellcoat cracks, soft spots, shaft play in the cutlass bearing and loose rudder bearings, hull integrity around through hulls and the gap between the hull and the top of the keel which should be filled with sealant else corrosion of the keel may have caused the keel to separate from the hull.
   6. Rigging should be checked by a rigger and all running rigging must be overhauled end-to-end to detect hidden chafe.

Hope you find these tips helpful. Best wishes to you on your investment, maybe I’ll see you on the Chesapeake Bay or near the British Virgin Islands sometime, I’ll either be sailing on Majjik II or Majjik III.

About The Author
Keith Binnersley is owner of Upper Bay Sailing School, Inc. http://www.upperbaysailing.com. He is a Certified American Sailing Association Sailing Instructor and holds a 50 ton Masters USCG License. You can contact him at majjikll@msn.com.

- When moored or anchored, use your sun tent and stay under it most of the time. Our friend, the Sun, sometimes can be dangerous, especially during summertime.

- Be cautious on board and if possible, always wear a pair of soft boat shoes. This way you will protect your feet and the deck surface. When sailing, avoid walking on deck without particular reason and in rough weather, remember to use your life belt.

- If you have children on board, let them sit outside but always in the cockpit wearing a life vest.

- Before operating the electric anchor winch, start the motor and run it at aprox 1.200 to 1.500 rpm in neutral. This is necessary in order not to exhaust the service battery, as the consumption of the winch is extremely high. Our recommendation is to low your anchor manually and collect it using the remote control. Whenever using the anchor winch (dropping or collecting your anchor) be very careful with your fingers. An electric anchor winch is a great facility but also extremely danger with careless use.

- Remember to use the electric refrigerator only with the motor running.

- Many yachts are equipped with a switch with which you may connect the two batteries, to have more power to start your motor. You can keep them connected, as long as your motor is running. When you stop the motor, remember to disconnect them. This will protect you, to be without electric power in case that you will forget, for example, the electric refrigerator running.

- When you moor in a port, always have a fender between your yacht and the quay, so even if your anchor for any reason is unable to keep you in position, the yacht will not touch the quay. Take care of the swell that big ferries cause and avoid mooring the yacht close to the place these boats anchor.

- Before you put your engine in gear, have a look around the yacht for floating ropes that may block or damage your propeller or gearbox. When you want to go from forward to backward, do it after you let the engine speed drop to idling.

- Avoid towing your dinghy especially in rough weather, as you may lose it. It’s better to keep it secured in front of the mast. Remember that lost items are always charged to the charterer. In case you need tug help and before you accept it, agree on the price and ask for a receipt that clearly states that no further payment will be asked.

- Avoid dropping papers or napkins in the toilet bowl. It’s better to use plastic bags for the waste papers. Toilet pumps are not able to dissolve such things.

- Remember to close the main switch at the top of gas bottle when you don’t use the gas stove or when nobody is on board.

- While refilling either water or fuel tanks, make sure not to mix fuel with water or water with fuel. In both cases the situation becomes unpleasant and difficult to be repaired.

- Keep always an eye on the hour counter of your motor and make sure that you have sufficient amount of fuel in your tank. The fuel gauge is not always reliable, so check the hours that you have used the motor.

- Do not throw plastic bottles, cans or any other waste in the sea. Keep them on board and remove immediately at the first harbour.

- It is also requested not to raise any flag, other than the Greek, at the aft side of the yacht, as it is against Greek and International marine regulations.

CAUTION : If the yacht is equipped with DSC VHF, DO NOT PRESS DISTRESS SIGNAL BUTTON UNLESS IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY (FIRE – COLLISION – GROUNDING – SINKING).There is a penalty for the unnecessary use.

About The Author
Yannis Moraitis at http://www.seascope-sailing.com/

The same goes for buying a sailboat. And, like automobiles, no sailboat is the same, so you should know the basics (and some particulars, as well) about the overall condition of the Sunfish sailboat you have your eye on.

The first question should always be, of course, how much cash are you willing to part with? If you plan on upgrading a used Sunfish, that alone can cost from $550 to $750 or more, depending on whether you want to use it to race. Prices also vary by location and supply; there’s no “set” price for a used Sunfish sailboat.

Then, where do you find a good used boat? Some people prefer to place their own ads (either in local newspapers or on the Internet) as opposed to responding to those already published. Many people have used Sunfish sailboats in pretty good condition but just haven’t thought of placing an ad for it. Also, check out local dealers, particularly if you’re buying out of season or if the outfit isn’t a Sunfish dealer. Also, knowing that sailboats go for less in winter and fall will put you ahead of the game.

Some obvious things that people often forget to look for are: age of the boat, which can be determined by checking the rudder, gunwales, or the serial number, if you don’t know the actual age; the weight of the hull, which should be between 115 and 130 pounds, and the resistance or lack thereof – watch out for a hull that’s too flexible.

Also, check the mast step and daggerboard trunk for hairline cracks or holes, and the condition of the bailer and storage compartment. And, the cockpit rim may be hiding some damage.

Other places to look for potential deal-breakers:
Signs of moisture in ports or drains.
Nicks or dents in the blades; splits and cracks in wooden blades.
Rudder and tiller cracks, corrosion, or pitting.
Dents or bends in the mast, near the tube.
Corrosion in the gaff and boom.
Holes or bad seams in the sail.

Never let the seller think you know as much as you do, bring plenty of cash just in case, and you’ll find a good deal on a used Sunfish sailboat.

David Dunlap is the owner and founder of All About Sailboats and The Ocean Sailing Guide, two online resources for every sailing enthusiast. For sailing information and resources, including boat insurance and sailing charters, visit http://allaboutsailboats.com or http://theoceansailingguide.com