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Thread: Recommendations for sailboat for novice sailors

  1. #31
    Andrew,
    I agree with all Tom said. I've sailed and raced for 50+ years both open ocean and lakes. The only thing I would add would see if you can't get yourself a crew slot on a boat that is raced regularly. Racing is really the only way to build and improve sailing skills because you can get direct feedback on anything you do with the boat. Learning the lesson of "Velocity Made Good is far better than just velocity" separates skilled sailors from "reach and runners". It's a great sport. I hope you enjoy it!
    Regards,
    Tom

  2. #32
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    Since the view count continues to climb, in this thread, maybe someone will take up my advice on starting with a Laser. I still have two of them. One was the boat I started racing in the 1970's.

    I decided to do some current research on the class. I've kept up with it a little bit, by mostly watching World Championship, and Olympic races on Youtube, but have been sailing everything else for the last 40 years. So, I ordered any books on the Laser that I didn't already have, and have read them.

    There is one that I would highly recommend for anyone to buy who intends to sail one, or might just be curious. It's The Laser Book, by Tim Davison. Be sure to only buy the sixth edition(latest edition). It covers everything you need to know, to get started, from rigging, to boat handling, and even basic sailing physics. If you get that one, and find it useful, I can recommend the next one.

    I've also watched a number of Laser youtube videos, and have some I can recommend for different things about sailing, and rigging the Laser. If anyone is interested, I can post links, and discuss a little. It's been an Olympic class for more than half it's history now, which is pretty amazing to me.
    Last edited by Tom M King; 07-06-2020 at 5:46 PM.

  3. #33
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    I agree with everybody here who is suggesting a boat for you to learn on, no matter what it is. Just don't build it yourself. Buy almost anything with a mast and play with it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Nemeth View Post
    ...I’m looking for something that will handle 2 adults and 2 children but can easily be managed with a crew of 2 or even solo....
    Having raced a 40-foot sailboat to Hawaii single-handed, I feel that "even solo" will not be a problem in the size range you're likely to end up with. Accommodating 4 people might be. Look for something that one or two of you can learn something from and go from there. Even if you only take it out half a dozen times and it ends up having cost a few hundred dollars after you resell it, you'll be way ahead.
    Last edited by Alan Rutherford; 07-09-2020 at 8:26 PM.

  4. #34
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    Andrew, Checking back in on this to see where you are with your sailing coming up on the fourth season after this thread started??

  5. #35
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    I should probably start another thread. Andrew has solved this & sailed to Granada by now. I will add my two cents and encourage folks to check out the Scamp (in case others are thinking about wee boats). My next boat is going to be a Scamp. The CNC cut kit is tempting but building one from scratch will be more satisfying. At 11' 11" the scamp requires no registration in any of the states where we sail. Our kids have grown up and moved away so I no longer keep the registration current on all of the boats in our fleet of small sailboats. I foolishly neglected to title the Flying Jr. and the Sunfish and now the title fees + late fees are more than the boats are worth. The family gunk-hole regatta is a highlight of the year for our family. I am tempted to cut 2 feet off of the FJ and the Sunfish so we can continue use them legally. The reality is they will go to boat hinge or the landfill. Check out Scamp on the web it is a remarkable little boat.

    Screen Shot 2024-03-18 at 7.21.30 AM.png



    https://duckworks.com/s-c-a-m-p-plans/
    Last edited by Maurice Mcmurry; 03-18-2024 at 9:02 AM.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  6. #36
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    Ignore........................
    Chris

    Everything I like is either illegal, immoral or fattening

  7. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry View Post
    I should probably start another thread. Andrew has solved this & sailed to Granada by now. I will add my two cents and encourage folks to check out the Scamp (in case others are thinking about wee boats). My next boat is going to be a Scamp. The CNC cut kit is tempting but building one from scratch will be more satisfying. At 11' 11" the scamp requires no registration in any of the states where we sail. Our kids have grown up and moved away so I no longer keep the registration current on all of the boats in our fleet of small sailboats. I foolishly neglected to title the Flying Jr. and the Sunfish and now the title fees + late fees are more than the boats are worth. The family gunk-hole regatta is a highlight of the year for our family. I am tempted to cut 2 feet off of the FJ and the Sunfish so we can continue use them legally. The reality is they will go to boat hinge or the landfill. Check out Scamp on the web it is a remarkable little boat.

    Screen Shot 2024-03-18 at 7.21.30 AM.png



    https://duckworks.com/s-c-a-m-p-plans/
    Here in NY you don't have to register a sailboat that has no motor, regardless of the size. I don't know how many other states are like this, but your old boats would be of interest to someone in a place where there are no fees.

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zachary Hoyt View Post
    Here in NY you don't have to register a sailboat that has no motor, regardless of the size. I don't know how many other states are like this, but your old boats would be of interest to someone in a place where there are no fees.
    Thanks Zachary. Another nice feature of NY! I have offered the Flying Jr. to the Binder Lake Sailing Club. Their private lake is exempt from the 12 foot rule. I am going to pay the fees on the Sunfish and get it registered. It is too much fun to give up on.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  9. #39
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    Good for you. I'm glad you were able to find a solution. NY is one of the more bureaucratic states about a lot of things, so I don't know why they are more lenient about non-motorized boats.

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