One boat or two???
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Choosing a boat
Forum Discription: Ask any questions about the sport!
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9171
Printed Date: 06 Aug 25 at 1:17am
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Topic: One boat or two???
Posted By: Seasick Steve
Subject: One boat or two???
Date Posted: 04 Apr 12 at 9:27pm
Hi, I am doing my RYA 1 & 2 this spring with no previous sailing experience, I was hoping to get a new dinghy this summer for Anglesey, sheltered coastal water around red wharf bay, My son (11) is also having lessons, could anyone please point me in the right direction for a dinghy that me and my son can sail and I can manage alone, also my wife and daughter (8) may want to come occasionally for a bit of cruising I am not sure whether a to go for something like gp14 or Laser 2000 to try to suit above or is this too much of a compromise and would 2 boats be better, 1 x light sporty for me and Son and a stable cruiser for family Any advise or suggestions would be greatly appreciated Thanks Steve
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Replies:
Posted By: NickM
Date Posted: 04 Apr 12 at 10:10pm
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Steve, There are too many variables to give you a sensible answer. What is your budget? Where would you keep a cruiser (at what cost?) Will you want to get into racing? You may not know how much your wife and daughter enjoy sailing (or not!) until they have been out a few times. Will the the girls get worried when the boat heels a bit or look forward to the fun (?) of trying to right it when it capsizes? In a couple of years, will your son (or daughter) want their own boats to race with their mates? I suggest you start with a single, reasonably stable cruisable dinghy like a GP14, Wanderer, Laser 2000 or Laser Stratos and see how the family interest in sailing develops. Then you can move to a boat (or boats) that match the family aspirations.
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Posted By: kevg
Date Posted: 04 Apr 12 at 10:15pm
| Both GP14 and Laser 2000 would be ideal choices for a family boat. I'm biased toward the 2000 being a 2000 owner and preferring the ease of an asymetric boat. The 2000 fleet has numerous parent and child combinations. 2000s can easily be sailed short or single handed. We have a number of 2000s at Bala if you want to pop over, send me a Private Message. |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 04 Apr 12 at 10:16pm
| Quite a few clubs these days have club boats available for rental by the day. Might be a better option for the rest of the family than a dodgy compromise. |
Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 05 Apr 12 at 7:01am
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Hold off on making boat buying decisions until you've done the courses!
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Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 05 Apr 12 at 9:51am
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I was an early promoter of 2000's at WSC, but having watched one of our best sailors go out single-handed in a 2k and then be unable to recover it from a capsize (happens to the best of us) on his own, I wouldn't want to recommend anyone to take kids cruising in a 2k without close rescue cover. A old GP14 would take a while to bail out, but you'd get there eventually. ------------- http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class |
Posted By: kingdacks
Date Posted: 05 Apr 12 at 7:25pm
| Rs200 best fleet racing and suitable for a father and son weight rate. Its also not that hard to get back up when its capsized and its a assymettric so can be easily accessible. |
Posted By: doeywizard
Date Posted: 05 Apr 12 at 7:31pm
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What about two single handers? Then when your family want to come sailing you could ether two up in a singlehander or beg, steel or borrow a multihander. Once your sailing skills have developed in a singlehander you could then swap to a two man boat if you wanted, but I would wait till after the coarse and ask there. ------------- Topper 46148 for sale http://sailingdinghies.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=276804 |
Posted By: Seasick Steve
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 8:03am
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Many thanks for all your help and advise on this, And I take on board comments regarding waiting till after the course. Both the GP 14 and Laser 2000 ar on my radar but I'm not sure whether either of these are possible to sail solo? |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 8:30am
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It depends on the wind strength. If you are sensible, and build up your skills slowly, rather than thinking you can jump straight in on your own in more wind than you can handle, anything can be sailed singlehanded. Maybe take a look a the Comet Versa, which is designed to be sailed either with crew or without, and has built in reefing. ------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 8:53am
| A lot depends on the launching. Personally I would be quite incapable of pulling a GP14 or a Laser 2000 singlehanded across shingle or soft sand on even the best of launching trolleys... |
Posted By: ex laser
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 11:20am
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comet versa always looked a nice boat to me.
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Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 11:28am
I had a chance to sail a Versa back-to-back with a Miracle once. The Versa was actually disconcertingly rolly going downwind on the Medway chop - I was worried it would death-roll if I lost concentration, whereas the Miracle was decidedly more stable, but wetter once it got planing (which it did appreciably quicker than the Versa). ------------- http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class |
Posted By: ex laser
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 1:06pm
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not surprised. the miracle has chines and a flatter bottom. both are good boats, just different. ------------- |
Posted By: ecosail
Date Posted: 12 Apr 12 at 11:19pm
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I'd wait until you've done the course before buying a boat! I heard once the two best days of boat ownership - the day you buy and the day you sell!... I don't agree with this but I think the sentiment says it all. I think getting involved with a club that has club boats you can borrow would be a good first step.. Alternatively an old Mirror dinghy is a cheap option that would go well in Anglesey.
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Posted By: drifter
Date Posted: 14 Apr 12 at 9:28pm
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Graduate. GRP-cheap, and easily sailed one or two up. Stewart Hon. Sec Graduate Dinghy Association ------------- Stewart |