Stan,
Thanks for the back story.  Wonder if he ever bought one of your boats?  - rob

Rob Lowe

-----Original Message-----
From: Rhodes22-list [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Stan Spitzer
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 7:09 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 Email List <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Recent R22 review from practical -sailor


I am pleased with those times being characterized as "recent"; wants to get me out of my chair and make a few more improvements.  In fact, if the PS writer could get out of his chair to see and sail that early Rhodes's 2018 granddaughter, he would be looking for his pen to write the sequel.

Funny story how it came about.
An envelope arrived from PS that looked different to me. The address was hand written.  I sensed I was in trouble.  They wanted to do a review. I wrote back, "over my dead body".  They were a conventional lot.  They would hate the large cockpit, the double back stays, the pop top, the sails going inside the mast.  And the flare in the hull would have them puking.

That triggered a series of back and forth missives that eventually turned hilarious.  They said the Rhodes was the only boat in their history to fight so hard */not/* to be reviewed by prestigious Practical Sailor.  They commanded me to bring the Rhodes to Rhode Island.  I said I would see them in Miami first (which was the next best thing to hell in those days) before I would ever visit them in RI; heard no more and thought I was done with them.

I did go to the Miami Show, sailboat section at Watson Island at that time, one Rhodes on the beach, one demonstrating in the water. Among the gawking faces, I noticed one with his nose on the gunnel, reminding me of Kilroy was here.  I pointed at that face and said, "Practical Sailor".  Surprised, the face said, "How did you know". I told him it was written across his forehead.  He said that I was giving demo sails and legally could not discriminate.  It was a howling 18 knots that day so I took him out with the thought that he may fall overboard and disappear.  No such luck. We did not have motors in those days so sailed him back to the crowded dock where he found his footing, took a few steps while I was thinking, I am not going to read his review, even if his editor does think it fit to print. But he stopped, turned to me and uttered a few words, "I think I should buy one."

For the first time in all our ongoing war, the thought that PS may actually give us a fair hearing, entered my mind. I couldn't believe what I was reading when I read it.  Of course, wanting his review to appear even handed he had to find something negative to squeeze in. And he did, "The Rhodes does not come with a boom vang".

He must have gotten through to the editorial board since, years later, when a reader wrote to PS saying he was looking for a boat to buy and listed his short list, PS gave their nod to our collective favorite.  It was that casual letters to the editor that finally got me to subscribe.

stan, still looking for partnering, but hurry, 92 in a few weeks.


On 2/16/18 2:14 PM, joseph doucet wrote:
> https://www.practical-sailor.com/reviews/boatreview/RHODES22.php
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> Joseph Doucet
> 70 pumping station rd
> Ridgefield , ct USA
> 1-203-512-5629
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