Making the Leap...
My 1971 E29 has spent its entire life in the salt water environment. Gelcoat and stainless still strong. What's wrong with you guys? If you take care of your boat, it doesn't matter fresh or salt.
Ha! Yeah, I think that I understand your point... but buying a big ol' sailboat is traumatic enough for most family budgets that we all (to a greater or lesser extent) agonize over the purchase. Logically, what most of spend on our boat is less than would go into a new compact car...
But we are all a lot more familiar with cars in general and are convinced of their utility.
Then there is the "support" that we might not be getting from extended family... friends and relatives that would not never flinch over our buying a new vehicle (lotsa $$$) will be more amazed at us buying a (less $)
"Yacht"!!
Within our own household there also may be some doubters, too. Sailboats in general are not nearly so
mainstream as purchases as they were in the boom years of the 70's and 80's.
As Sean has observed here before, you are buying/joining a
lifestyle. It's wonderful, fulfilling, and soul-satisfying, but still a change from perceived mainstream recreational ideas like perhaps buying an RV.
My .02 worth,
Loren