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Author Topic:   Experience with Harpoon 5.2

Dauntless_14_TX posted 06-15-2011 01:08 PM ET (US)
With learning to sail on my long list of things to accomplish in my lifetime, I have been thinking of purchasing a small sail boat. I recently came across a near mint condition Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 open cockpit for $3,900. I've done some research and found a wealth of information, but as always wanting to know a bit more. I thought I'd post here and ask any words of wisdom anyone on this forum has in either previously or currently owning and sailing one. Is this a good starter vessel? Also with the price of gas and the joy of boating, can have a lot more of the latter and little of the former by going wind power. Cheers.
Powergroove803 posted 06-15-2011 02:29 PM ET (US)
$3900 is a lot of money for a starter sailboat, even if it is a Boston Whaler. My suggestion would be find your local yacht club and go talk to them, most have a friday night happy hour and some allow visitors to come in and ask questions. If you are interested in learning to sail and make this known to them, then most sailors (minus the true blue blazer types)they will bend over backwards to help.
One more thing, get a boat and find some local racing, even though you may be at the back of the fleet, your learning curve will be a lot steeper than you trying to learn out there by yourself. Most racers love to help the newbies on the beach before and after racing with rigging tips, siling instruction, and general boat maintenance stuff.
Good starter boats IMHO
Sunfish ~ $800-1500
JY 15 ~ $1500-2500(good for 2 people, great boat for father/son sailing and racing
Flying Scot- A little bigger and more comfy, cost more
All of these are day sailors with no creature comforts per se, but all easy to rig, easy to sail, and really good websites similar to this that allows you to ask questions.
dino54904 posted 06-15-2011 03:56 PM ET (US)
Hello Dauntless_14_TX,
I owned a 5.2 for a few years (one of the six Whalers I have owned). It is a great boat even for a novice sailor. I would find an experienced sailor in your area to team up with and have him/her show you how to rig the boat properly and how to sail it. As for the $3,900 it seems a little high but I have not seen the boat OR the sails. Look at the condition of the sails very carefully because they are costly to replace. Better yet, have an experienced sailor look at those sails because someone with experience will know what to look at. I sold my 5.2 five years ago with perfect hull, perfect wood but half perfect sails a full mooring cover and a nice trailer for $3,500.
It is an effort to rig the boat and having to rig the boat every time you want to sail it will be a pain. It is an effort to rig single handed. Try to find a place to 'dry sail' the boat where you can launch and retrieve the boat with the rig left up. You'll use the boat a lot more.
Dino
PeteB88 posted 06-15-2011 08:17 PM ET (US)
How much different is it to rig and sail a 4.6?
Dauntless_14_TX posted 06-16-2011 08:36 AM ET (US)
My first impression too was that the price was a bit high, reason I wanted a bit more feedback. The boats been garage stored since new, I'd give it a 8 out of 10, and the sails from my novice view are maybe a 8 or 9 out of 10. The guy bought it new back in 1980 for his son and only used lightly and now has been sitting collecting dust last 10 years or so. Seems like a good starter boat, but I'm going to see if I can't get it for under $3500 as the trailer is not all that great. If I get it, I'll probably go down to the local yacht club and find someone to give me a couple months of lessons.
jimh posted 06-16-2011 09:04 AM ET (US)
Having been strictly a sailor for more than 20 years before turning to Boston Whaler trailer boating, I would offer this advice on learning to sail and buying a Harpoon:
It is actually easier to learn to sail on a larger boat than on a little dingy. Larger boats are more stable, so you won't have to worry about capsizing. Larger boats usually have some speed instruments so you can see how sail changes affect boat speed. Larger boats have more momentum and can be tacked more easily.
Many times sail training instruction is given on little lakes with very fluky winds. It is easier to learn to sail if there is a nice steady breeze which is not changing direction every 30-seconds, as often happens on a small lake.
Once you learn the basics of sailing, say on a 30-footer, you can apply the principles to dingy sailing. You'll find that it is harder to sail a 9-foot dingy than a nice 30-foot keel boat. The trickiest and most difficult boat I ever sailed was a LASER. I have also sailed on 12-meter America's Cup yachts. It is easier to learn to sail on the bigger boats.
I cannot imagine that a 30-year-old Boston Whaler Harpoon could fetch $3,900 in today's marketplace. At that price you could buy a 30-year-old 25-foot sailboat. I suspect the price of the Harpoon is being driven up by some notion of it being rare and collectable, and not from its basic utility as a sailboat.
lizard posted 06-16-2011 10:46 AM ET (US)
The very pompous Dennis Conner was quoted in an article last year saying Sabots were a waste of time (though his yacht club still teaches with them) and that Lasers and 14-foot day sailers were the best for people to learn on.
goldstem posted 06-16-2011 11:54 AM ET (US)
I can echo most of this. i have a 5.2, and a sunfish as well.
the 5.2 is a great boat, minor idiosyncrasies, and would be fine to learn on. quite stable. a 'fish is surprisingly stable as well (and I am a big guy) unlike a laser which if very rolly. 3900 seems quite high, however. I bought my 5.2 for 2k 10 years ago. (bought the old 'fish for 200!). the fish is too small for family, thus the 5.2
mgeiger posted 06-16-2011 12:02 PM ET (US)
Jim is correct. It is easier to learn on a larger boat.
I have to say that in my experience learning on smaller boats makes you a better sailor.
When I campaigned my J/24 and my J/29, I always preferred dinghy sailors for crew. They were the guys hiking hard, trimming constantly and watching heel and fore-aft trim all the time. The Booze-croozers would be found just laying on the lifelines, sitting on sheets paying little attention.
The practice of not going swimming versus not spilling your beverage is vastly different.
Dauntless 14. Don't spend more than $1000. Repairs and tinkering are as much a part of sailing as making the boat go. Go find yourself a Laser or a Force 5. Or - one of the best and most successful sailors I know was self-taught on an old Sunfish.
adlert posted 06-16-2011 12:27 PM ET (US)
If the 5.2 you're looking at is truely in mint or near mint condition the price is probably not far off. It is a fine craft with a very devoted following. Of course build quality, hardware, and software is top notch. Though not exactly rare, they are on every corner either. About 1,700 5.2's were made. I assume you've checked out this site:
http://www.ruach.net/Harpoon.shtml#OverView
If not, you should do so. I'm the proud owner of a 4.6 harpoon. I've sailed many others (Lasers, Sunfish, FJ's, JY's) and certainly these are also fine craft. The harpoons however are still my favorites. They sail very nicely, are roomy (particularly the 5.2) making them great family boats, and they are quite forgiving. The harpoons are also much prettier boats than others in the size range IMO.
adlert posted 06-16-2011 12:29 PM ET (US)
I forgot to suggest doing some googling on the price. You'll see that the Harpoons do indeed command a higher than usual price. I feel they're worth that slightly higher price.
tom976 posted 06-16-2011 12:42 PM ET (US)
I learned to sail (and got certified, intercoastal up to 28') way back when to fulfill a gym class requirement in my local community college. I went for a few days of classroom time and then a week of sailing every day in port washington, ny. They even had a race in the evenings there called wacky wednesday. You raced against all different size boats and then went to a bar afterwards. (we came in third place)
AAAhhh the good old days...
Tom
lizard posted 06-16-2011 01:27 PM ET (US)
I think that the Laser is more stable than the Sunfish. Frankly, my favorite smaller sailing vessel is the Nacra 5.2. Love being out on the line.
lizard posted 06-16-2011 01:35 PM ET (US)
This link gives you some idea of what's out there, also includes the 4.6s. Some of the links are already closed. Take a look around to help you price the boat you are looking at.
http://boat.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/boat.cgi?cat=boa&fil=harpoon&itm=boston+ whaler&state=&ps=1&pe=5000&ys=&ye=&so=d&submit=+GO+
Tom W Clark posted 06-16-2011 02:38 PM ET (US)
I owned a Harpoon 4.6 for a while. Nice little boat. I would love to get my hands on a 5.2 open cockpit someday.
The 5.2 was made with both a covered bow and a fully open model.
$3900 is not out of line for a Harpoon 5.2 in good shape with a full set of sails and a trailer. Those packages generally sell for $3000 - $5000.
This should not come as a surprise to anybody around here. The Boston Whaler Harpoons were constructed the same way as all other Whalers, with the UniBond hull construction technique. Like other Whalers, only the very best hardware was used on them too, and as sailors know, sailboats use a LOT of hardware.
The 5.2 is a 17 foot boat. How much is an old 17' Montauk worth? You'd be thrilled to find one for only $3900.
Before anybody points out that most Montauks come with an outboard motor, go price a set of sails and you'll find that those alone can cost thousands of dollars.
Sure you can buy a sailboat for $1000. You can also buy a 17' runabout and motor for $1000, but it sure as heck won't be a Whaler.
I've also owned a Laser. Fun fast little boat (in a good breeze) and still very popular and competitive, but it is nothing like a Harpoon 5.2 which is VERY stable, dry and can handle the whole family.
Tohsgib posted 06-16-2011 02:48 PM ET (US)
Other that sunfish and Hobie cats, sailboats do not sell very quickly. I would do as others say and learn to sail first, then buy a boat. I like sailing, I hate owning a sailboat other than a hobie 16/18 which is probably the most fun you will ever have on a boat without an engine. Sailboats can be wet, an open does not appeal to me like the small covered bow would. My yacht club would kill to have people sail with them. They need all the help they can get, especially during races. Whatever you do do NOT buy a boat without a jib...irons suck!
2manyboats posted 06-16-2011 02:57 PM ET (US)
My first sailboat was a 5.2, I taught myself how to sail on it and later moved up to a 20ft Santana, then a 28ft Hunter and ended up with a 24ft Wavelength.
Bought the Whaler for $1800 (boat,sails,trailer and 6hp outboard) kept it for 2 years and sold it for $1800.
Great little boat!

dino54904 posted 06-16-2011 09:53 PM ET (US)
Check out this web site. Lots of 5.2's listed which will give you some idea on where the prices are.
http://www.sailingtexas.com/cboats99harpoon.html
Dino
David Jenkins posted 06-16-2011 11:27 PM ET (US)
I bought a 4.6 meter Harpoon for $900.
Then I drove to Rhode Island to bring home a new $1000 mast as the previous owner had bent the original mast (on dry land) and I did not trust his repair. The wood was in bad shape so I replaced it with teak and the materials and labor cost about $1000. I brought new standing rigging and running rigging and bailer gaskets and a cover and had the sails cleaned. That added up to about $1500. So I have about $4500 in my boat and it is by no means in mint condition and it is a 4.6.
If I had bought a mint condition 5.2 for $3600 I would have saved about $1000, I would have saved a lot of time, I would have gotten a larger boat that my family of four could have enjoyed, I would have more pride in the boat, and I would probably be able to get my money back when I sold it.
My advice: pay top dollar and get the 5.2 in mint condition.
adlert posted 06-17-2011 08:01 AM ET (US)
I firmly second Mr. Jenkin's recommendation. Especially if the boat you're looking at is relatively close to you.

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Author	Topic: Experience with Harpoon 5.2
Dauntless_14_TX	posted 06-15-2011 01:08 PM ET (US) With learning to sail on my long list of things to accomplish in my lifetime, I have been thinking of purchasing a small sail boat. I recently came across a near mint condition Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 open cockpit for $3,900. I've done some research and found a wealth of information, but as always wanting to know a bit more. I thought I'd post here and ask any words of wisdom anyone on this forum has in either previously or currently owning and sailing one. Is this a good starter vessel? Also with the price of gas and the joy of boating, can have a lot more of the latter and little of the former by going wind power. Cheers.
Powergroove803	posted 06-15-2011 02:29 PM ET (US) $3900 is a lot of money for a starter sailboat, even if it is a Boston Whaler. My suggestion would be find your local yacht club and go talk to them, most have a friday night happy hour and some allow visitors to come in and ask questions. If you are interested in learning to sail and make this known to them, then most sailors (minus the true blue blazer types)they will bend over backwards to help. One more thing, get a boat and find some local racing, even though you may be at the back of the fleet, your learning curve will be a lot steeper than you trying to learn out there by yourself. Most racers love to help the newbies on the beach before and after racing with rigging tips, siling instruction, and general boat maintenance stuff. Good starter boats IMHO Sunfish ~ $800-1500 JY 15 ~ $1500-2500(good for 2 people, great boat for father/son sailing and racing Flying Scot- A little bigger and more comfy, cost more All of these are day sailors with no creature comforts per se, but all easy to rig, easy to sail, and really good websites similar to this that allows you to ask questions.
dino54904	posted 06-15-2011 03:56 PM ET (US) Hello Dauntless_14_TX, I owned a 5.2 for a few years (one of the six Whalers I have owned). It is a great boat even for a novice sailor. I would find an experienced sailor in your area to team up with and have him/her show you how to rig the boat properly and how to sail it. As for the $3,900 it seems a little high but I have not seen the boat OR the sails. Look at the condition of the sails very carefully because they are costly to replace. Better yet, have an experienced sailor look at those sails because someone with experience will know what to look at. I sold my 5.2 five years ago with perfect hull, perfect wood but half perfect sails a full mooring cover and a nice trailer for $3,500. It is an effort to rig the boat and having to rig the boat every time you want to sail it will be a pain. It is an effort to rig single handed. Try to find a place to 'dry sail' the boat where you can launch and retrieve the boat with the rig left up. You'll use the boat a lot more. Dino
PeteB88	posted 06-15-2011 08:17 PM ET (US) How much different is it to rig and sail a 4.6?
Dauntless_14_TX	posted 06-16-2011 08:36 AM ET (US) My first impression too was that the price was a bit high, reason I wanted a bit more feedback. The boats been garage stored since new, I'd give it a 8 out of 10, and the sails from my novice view are maybe a 8 or 9 out of 10. The guy bought it new back in 1980 for his son and only used lightly and now has been sitting collecting dust last 10 years or so. Seems like a good starter boat, but I'm going to see if I can't get it for under $3500 as the trailer is not all that great. If I get it, I'll probably go down to the local yacht club and find someone to give me a couple months of lessons.
jimh	posted 06-16-2011 09:04 AM ET (US) Having been strictly a sailor for more than 20 years before turning to Boston Whaler trailer boating, I would offer this advice on learning to sail and buying a Harpoon: It is actually easier to learn to sail on a larger boat than on a little dingy. Larger boats are more stable, so you won't have to worry about capsizing. Larger boats usually have some speed instruments so you can see how sail changes affect boat speed. Larger boats have more momentum and can be tacked more easily. Many times sail training instruction is given on little lakes with very fluky winds. It is easier to learn to sail if there is a nice steady breeze which is not changing direction every 30-seconds, as often happens on a small lake. Once you learn the basics of sailing, say on a 30-footer, you can apply the principles to dingy sailing. You'll find that it is harder to sail a 9-foot dingy than a nice 30-foot keel boat. The trickiest and most difficult boat I ever sailed was a LASER. I have also sailed on 12-meter America's Cup yachts. It is easier to learn to sail on the bigger boats. I cannot imagine that a 30-year-old Boston Whaler Harpoon could fetch $3,900 in today's marketplace. At that price you could buy a 30-year-old 25-foot sailboat. I suspect the price of the Harpoon is being driven up by some notion of it being rare and collectable, and not from its basic utility as a sailboat.
lizard	posted 06-16-2011 10:46 AM ET (US) The very pompous Dennis Conner was quoted in an article last year saying Sabots were a waste of time (though his yacht club still teaches with them) and that Lasers and 14-foot day sailers were the best for people to learn on.
goldstem	posted 06-16-2011 11:54 AM ET (US) I can echo most of this. i have a 5.2, and a sunfish as well. the 5.2 is a great boat, minor idiosyncrasies, and would be fine to learn on. quite stable. a 'fish is surprisingly stable as well (and I am a big guy) unlike a laser which if very rolly. 3900 seems quite high, however. I bought my 5.2 for 2k 10 years ago. (bought the old 'fish for 200!). the fish is too small for family, thus the 5.2
mgeiger	posted 06-16-2011 12:02 PM ET (US) Jim is correct. It is easier to learn on a larger boat. I have to say that in my experience learning on smaller boats makes you a better sailor. When I campaigned my J/24 and my J/29, I always preferred dinghy sailors for crew. They were the guys hiking hard, trimming constantly and watching heel and fore-aft trim all the time. The Booze-croozers would be found just laying on the lifelines, sitting on sheets paying little attention. The practice of not going swimming versus not spilling your beverage is vastly different. Dauntless 14. Don't spend more than $1000. Repairs and tinkering are as much a part of sailing as making the boat go. Go find yourself a Laser or a Force 5. Or - one of the best and most successful sailors I know was self-taught on an old Sunfish.
adlert	posted 06-16-2011 12:27 PM ET (US) If the 5.2 you're looking at is truely in mint or near mint condition the price is probably not far off. It is a fine craft with a very devoted following. Of course build quality, hardware, and software is top notch. Though not exactly rare, they are on every corner either. About 1,700 5.2's were made. I assume you've checked out this site: http://www.ruach.net/Harpoon.shtml#OverView If not, you should do so. I'm the proud owner of a 4.6 harpoon. I've sailed many others (Lasers, Sunfish, FJ's, JY's) and certainly these are also fine craft. The harpoons however are still my favorites. They sail very nicely, are roomy (particularly the 5.2) making them great family boats, and they are quite forgiving. The harpoons are also much prettier boats than others in the size range IMO.
adlert	posted 06-16-2011 12:29 PM ET (US) I forgot to suggest doing some googling on the price. You'll see that the Harpoons do indeed command a higher than usual price. I feel they're worth that slightly higher price.
tom976	posted 06-16-2011 12:42 PM ET (US) I learned to sail (and got certified, intercoastal up to 28') way back when to fulfill a gym class requirement in my local community college. I went for a few days of classroom time and then a week of sailing every day in port washington, ny. They even had a race in the evenings there called wacky wednesday. You raced against all different size boats and then went to a bar afterwards. (we came in third place) AAAhhh the good old days... Tom
lizard	posted 06-16-2011 01:27 PM ET (US) I think that the Laser is more stable than the Sunfish. Frankly, my favorite smaller sailing vessel is the Nacra 5.2. Love being out on the line.
lizard	posted 06-16-2011 01:35 PM ET (US) This link gives you some idea of what's out there, also includes the 4.6s. Some of the links are already closed. Take a look around to help you price the boat you are looking at. http://boat.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/boat.cgi?cat=boa&fil=harpoon&itm=boston+ whaler&state=&ps=1&pe=5000&ys=&ye=&so=d&submit=+GO+
Tom W Clark	posted 06-16-2011 02:38 PM ET (US) I owned a Harpoon 4.6 for a while. Nice little boat. I would love to get my hands on a 5.2 open cockpit someday. The 5.2 was made with both a covered bow and a fully open model. $3900 is not out of line for a Harpoon 5.2 in good shape with a full set of sails and a trailer. Those packages generally sell for $3000 - $5000. This should not come as a surprise to anybody around here. The Boston Whaler Harpoons were constructed the same way as all other Whalers, with the UniBond hull construction technique. Like other Whalers, only the very best hardware was used on them too, and as sailors know, sailboats use a LOT of hardware. The 5.2 is a 17 foot boat. How much is an old 17' Montauk worth? You'd be thrilled to find one for only $3900. Before anybody points out that most Montauks come with an outboard motor, go price a set of sails and you'll find that those alone can cost thousands of dollars. Sure you can buy a sailboat for $1000. You can also buy a 17' runabout and motor for $1000, but it sure as heck won't be a Whaler. I've also owned a Laser. Fun fast little boat (in a good breeze) and still very popular and competitive, but it is nothing like a Harpoon 5.2 which is VERY stable, dry and can handle the whole family.
Tohsgib	posted 06-16-2011 02:48 PM ET (US) Other that sunfish and Hobie cats, sailboats do not sell very quickly. I would do as others say and learn to sail first, then buy a boat. I like sailing, I hate owning a sailboat other than a hobie 16/18 which is probably the most fun you will ever have on a boat without an engine. Sailboats can be wet, an open does not appeal to me like the small covered bow would. My yacht club would kill to have people sail with them. They need all the help they can get, especially during races. Whatever you do do NOT buy a boat without a jib...irons suck!
2manyboats	posted 06-16-2011 02:57 PM ET (US) My first sailboat was a 5.2, I taught myself how to sail on it and later moved up to a 20ft Santana, then a 28ft Hunter and ended up with a 24ft Wavelength. Bought the Whaler for $1800 (boat,sails,trailer and 6hp outboard) kept it for 2 years and sold it for $1800. Great little boat!
dino54904	posted 06-16-2011 09:53 PM ET (US) Check out this web site. Lots of 5.2's listed which will give you some idea on where the prices are. http://www.sailingtexas.com/cboats99harpoon.html Dino
David Jenkins	posted 06-16-2011 11:27 PM ET (US) I bought a 4.6 meter Harpoon for $900. Then I drove to Rhode Island to bring home a new $1000 mast as the previous owner had bent the original mast (on dry land) and I did not trust his repair. The wood was in bad shape so I replaced it with teak and the materials and labor cost about $1000. I brought new standing rigging and running rigging and bailer gaskets and a cover and had the sails cleaned. That added up to about $1500. So I have about $4500 in my boat and it is by no means in mint condition and it is a 4.6. If I had bought a mint condition 5.2 for $3600 I would have saved about $1000, I would have saved a lot of time, I would have gotten a larger boat that my family of four could have enjoyed, I would have more pride in the boat, and I would probably be able to get my money back when I sold it. My advice: pay top dollar and get the 5.2 in mint condition.
adlert	posted 06-17-2011 08:01 AM ET (US) I firmly second Mr. Jenkin's recommendation. Especially if the boat you're looking at is relatively close to you.