Choosing a boat: Larger family boat

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Larger family boat

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Choosing a boat
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URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=13659
Printed Date: 04 Aug 25 at 3:53pm
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Topic: Larger family boat

Posted By: darwin59
Subject: Larger family boat
Date Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 5:15pm

Hi,

Me and a mate are looking to buy a dinghy to sail with our families (5-6 with a mix of adults and kids) on the sea mainly on the South coast of England. We're looking for something we could either trailer or keep in a dinghy park so nothing too heavy to launch with a couple of adults. We're both reasonably experienced sailors and it'd be nice to have something with the right combination of seaworthy and not too tippy / fun to sail (an assymetric spinnaker would be good) / not too expensive.

I've spent plenty of time sailing a Drascombe lugger, and they're really comfortable boats with good capacity but not all that much fun to sail and too heavy to launch regularly.

We're thinking of something like a Laser Stratos / Topper Sport 16 / RS Venture. The Stratos seems to hit the sweet spot of old enough to be cheapish (£1-2k) but have a relatively modern rig. I think a Wayfarer would be a bit small.

Anyone got any views on those boats, and is there anything I'm missing?

Replies:

Posted By: Pierre
Date Posted: 25 Aug 20 at 7:47pm

Think you are about right. Laser Stratos would fit the bill or the RS Venture which would be my choice.

Posted By: darwin59
Date Posted: 26 Aug 20 at 9:38am

Thanks.

Just out of interest, why would you choose the Venture?

I haven't sailed either, but looking at both hulls on land it seemed that the covered foredeck on the Venture meant it had a bit less space. Then again, not having a kicker below the boom gives you more usable space in the cockpit I guess.

I imagine the Venture, being a newer boat, would be a bit more expensive second hand, but I'll see what turns up.

Posted By: Sam.Spoons
Date Posted: 26 Aug 20 at 10:58am

Stratos is a good boat but no lightweight at 240kg hull only (more than 50% heavier than a Waybarge). I've sailed the keel version a couple of times in a good breeze. It is big and stable and faster than you'd expect, we got nearly 12 knots out of it in F5+, but it can capsize I believe (we didn't manage it).

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Spice 346 "Flat Broke"
Blaze 671 "supersonic soap dish"

Posted By: Old bloke
Date Posted: 26 Aug 20 at 3:15pm

All the boats mentioned are eminently suitable and sensible. Another direction might be to look at one of the long performance dinghies, Osprey Javelin Flying Dutchman. 6 would be a squash but plenty of space for 4.Less weight, more fun (especially when small children and other halves have been offloaded). With moderate skill and moderate conditions they are really quite stable.

Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 26 Aug 20 at 8:50pm

National 18 could be worth a look if something racy wanted, with oodles of space.

But all in all, the Stratos would do the job. Agree about the foredeck cutting down on usable space in the Venture, which I use on a regular basis. If you can find a Sport 16, they are truly massive.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686

Posted By: darwin59
Date Posted: 27 Aug 20 at 3:43pm

Thanks for those suggestions guys - can't say I know much about any of those so it's great to have some boats to google.

Posted By: rb_stretch
Date Posted: 27 Aug 20 at 9:09pm

I highly doubt you'll get an RS Venture for £1-2k or indeed any used one at all. I know I looked for a while and ended up with a Wayfarer for just over £2. We've sailed it with 5-6 no problem even though it is less spacious than a Venture.

Posted By: darwin59
Date Posted: 02 Sep 20 at 2:04pm

That sounds realistic. The £1-2k estimate was more for a Stratos, so I guess the Venture being newer would likely be more expensive.

I think I saw advert or two for used Ventures earlier in the summer (closer to £4-6k if memory serves).