Problems with the Lido 14

Well I've had this little boat for a couple of months and we've been out a few times. We have had some good sailing, and no catastrophes so far. I bought the boat as a learning tool, so I never expected it to be the be-all and end-all of sailboat perfection.

With that in mind, here is a short list of things I don't like about this particular Lido 14:

• It appears to have been wrecked in the past. There are several poorly-done fiberglass repairs.
• Some of the repairs are cracking out/failing. It looks like Bondo was used in at least one repair.
• As part of the effort to hide its rough past, the hull was painted. The paint is flaking/wearing off in places.
• As part of its design, the Lido 14 has three flotation chambers, under the benches and under the front deck. But there is little dry storage as a result.
• As a dinghy it seems too small to justify a motor. But an alternative means of propulsion seems wise. Currently using a canoe paddle to get through still air. I wish for a boat that was set up for rowing with oars.
• The nature of the rigging makes it so that the ropes stay on the mast all the time. Taking all the lines off every time would be immensely time consuming. Set-up even more so. In dry storage the ropes are exposed to UV and weather. Not good.
• It seems it would be difficult to sail this boat single-handed. The centerboard, rudder, main sheet and jib sheet all require handling at the same moment during launch. This is partly due to the shallow local marina due to our current drought. Deeper water at the dock would eliminate the centerboard and rudder issues.
• Many of the design elements of the boat seem a little flimsy. The centerboard attachment has already required a repair. The bumper strip around the deck gets caught under the dock, and then is easily torn loose.
• The trailer itself is in need of some upkeep, such as a new cradle, carpet pads on the cradle, lights, a jack with a wheel, etc.

...and many other weaknesses I probably haven't discovered yet. Of course, if none of these things were present, I would have had to pay more for the boat than I did. And none of these things have kept me from using the boat so far.

Even so, I would like to build a boat from scratch that solves many of these shortcomings; a wooden boat that feels solid and seaworthy, with enough salty character of its own that people might say, "now there's a sharp little boat." Maybe sometime this winter such a project might get under way.