Mirror Dinghy?

Please can somebody advise me on whether or not a Mirror sailing dinghy would be suitable for me,I am 66 years old and 6ft tall and weigh 80kg.

Yeah, I see plenty of more mature sailors in Mirrors. Certainly should be on your short list.

I'm six foot tall and about 90-95kgs. I sail one with my youngster - sometimes three up. You will not have any problem with the boom. At £375 you will not loose out but will want to make sure the hull is sound. you can pick up the Bell plastic boats quite cheaply when they come up but these are very heavy and probably start around £600. If you go for wooden make sure it is not painted inside as this can hide rot. If you go for one try and get a center mainsheet as this will make it a far better boat to sail. You can get an up grade kit but this with the epoxy will probably set you back around £250.

Try to think about what you will be using for next year. You can add spinnaker and better rig set ups as you go along but this is expensive. If you think you will want a flyaway pole, spinnaker, lines led to the thrawt then it will be cheaper buying a boat already set up with these rather than upgrading a cheap basic boat.

Do not be put of my a boat that is "raced rigged". All what this means is the rig and rigging will work and run better and more efficiently making the boat nicer and easier to sail - some thing that a beginner will appreciate.

Places to look for rot in a wooden Mirror: inside the cuddy bit under the foredeck, up against the front bulkhead (so betwen the centreboard case and the plywood. Round the case. Under the stringers (the strips of wood in the bottom of the boat). At the back of the cockpit, at the aft bulkhead. Along the edges of the plywood where they are exposed on the gunwales, especially towards the stern. Along the back edge of the tank where it meets the transom - same at the bows. Round the rudder fixings, especially the bottom one.
If you poke areas and they seem soft, best to walk away. There are so many out there, it isn't worth buying a project unless the aim is the boat work, not the sailing!

I too like aft main on a Mirror, as it makes the boat more comfortable. However, it does depend upon what you learned in, at least partly. Doesn't take much to get used to taking an aft main boat, mind.

Originally posted by Lukepiewalker I would counsel against a centre main, as it precludes sliding across on the thwart.

Flip side is with the centre mainsheet you can take the jib sheet in your hand throughout the whole of the tack and pull it in as you cross the boat.

But yes the aft main does give more room in the boat if that is what is wanted. Also I guess it will allow you to have a longer tiller extension if sailing solo and you need to get "up front". But nothing is that far away in a Mirror anyway.

Good luck on your search.