I’ve always liked sailing, and following the minority Olympic sport thread, I am curious. Needs to be able to take four people, but be sailed by two. And be cheap.

What’s out there, how much would it likely cost and where would I be able to go? I live in Cardiff, so the sea isn’t too far away but that sounds scary – I’ve only been on lakes before.

*bikebuoy to the thread please*

Norfolk Broads is a laugh cost about £400 (sleeping 4) for a week, basically you sail from one pub to another.

RS Vision

It’s a hot tub of lard that can be bashed around and is robust enough to be beached on shingle.

There are others.. but they’re made either by Laser (ouch) or Topper (eeek)

Can find cheap’ish RS Visions for £2k

Or

Buy an Enterbox

Or

Wobbly Wayfarer

wow, that was quick.

Sounds like a job for a Mirror.

Actually forget that, they’re only meant for two.

wayfarer.

mirror is too small.

optomist ftw

Isn’t Wayfarer the one that outdoor centres use for two people? The name sounds familiar, I had a go in a two-person job that was a bit boring in light ish winds but massively more fun on your own 🙂

Or are they the ones with benches down each side for like 6 people?

Wayfarer or enterprise older ones are cheap as chips

Yeah that looks familiar, although that one’s a lot nicer 🙂

Is it realistic to take one on the sea?

Rule #1 – Go with someone who’s actually a competent sailor. It could be compared to being in a passenger in a speeding car – you don’t have the option to stop and get off.

I’ve grown up with boats – fortunate enough to have one in the family since before I was born. My parents currently have a Hunter 245 moored in the Solent (water between Isle of Wight and mainland) 🙂

If you don’t know what you’re doing, tides can easily sweep you out, winds can easily blow you off course – and panic sets in VERY quickly.

Perhaps join a local sailing club? They will no doubt offer courses, and members are very willing to let crew join them – on both dinghys [get your wetsuit out] and bigger boats.

I remember turning up (with packed lunch) at the local marina (Lymington, Hampshire) during Cowes Week – and offering to crew big yachts (70ft+!). Fantastic fun!

Sounds like a job for a Mirror.

That’s what my family had when I was a kid.

Depends ont e family, 2 adults and 2 babies proabbly fine for a couple of hours, after that it gets cramped and very slow as it just sinks lower in the water if it’s 2 kids rather than babies.

Depending how much the budget is and if you’ve a big enough car to tow it, and if the kids are old enough to get in the way, but too young to apreciate the consequences of being in the way, considder something like a drascome dabber. They can work with/without the boom which makes them inherently safer (just avoid the block which can flail arround). Add a flysheet and some inginuity and they sleep 2 on the floor comfortably enough too. They’re also lugg sais which makes them easy enough to rig singlehanded while your missus ammuses the kids (or vice-versa) as all the spars are shorter and require less tension in the stays than anything bermudan. They’ll also take an engine in the well without having to worry about stowing it somewhere whilst sailing or mount it in a hurry when theres a sandbank approaching!

For pure cheepness you can’t beet an old Wayfarer though. RS and Hawk (hawk 20 would be ideal if you can afford it) make newer/nicer/shinier/better boats, but a complete wayfarer that floats can be had for just a couple of hundred on ebay. Then make it a winter project to varnish and paint everything and replace the sails and rigging.

Of course, I know it sounds like I’m about to charge off into the blue but I’m not that daft, I am in fact very cautious 🙂

I remember turning up (with packed lunch) at the local marina (Lymington, Hampshire) during Cowes Week – and offering to crew big yachts (70ft+!).

That sounds fun!

Although what I really need is family activities rather than something to do on my own.

Thanks TINAS, you have understood my requirements very well. By the time I have enough money to do this my kids will probably be quite big 🙂

That Dabber thing is beautiful, would be just the ticket. Although a super cheap wayfarer would also be nice 🙂

Have you considdered a propper boat rather than dingies? You could keep something like a Swift 18 on hardstanding at the marrina for not much more than it costs to join a sailing club, and they’re not much more than a new-ish dingy. And if you can live without a shower they’re OK for a family for a week.

It won’t teach you not to make mistakes like a dingy, but on the other had the kids won’t get cold and wet (and potentialy miserable) if the going gets bad.

Learn to sail with a club before you take the plunge – would you go sailing with your family, not really knowing what you’re doing?

Perhaps aim to complete some RYA sailing courses?

I’ve done the Competent Crew and Day Skipper – the second one for safety when out with my parents. If we’re 10 miles off the coast, and Dad is unwell (or falls overboard, etc) I can competently take control of the boat.

http://www.rya.org.uk/coursestraining/courses/sailcruising/Pages/default.aspx

+1 xiphon

How about a Laser 2000 or Bahaia. Both can be sailed singlehanded, raced as a pair or daysailing with the family.

This is STW and this thread is far too sensible.

Catemarans are stable and suitable for families arent they?

Can’t you just get the bath sealant our and slap it all over that caravan of yours?

Have you considdered a propper boat rather than dingies?

Would be even better I reckon. However I fear being below deck for any amount of time would make me sick as hell!

would you go sailing with your family, not really knowing what you’re doing?

As above – no!

I’d suggest (for your requirements then) a Wobbly Wayfarer.. THey are cheap as and can be bodged to keep afloat. Get a reasonable Club boat for about £750.00 and it’ll probably have at least 2 jibs and 2 mains. Make sure the transon bailers work otherwise the water won;t drain out and the floor will go mushy and the transom will fall off (not fun) Make sure the centerboard box is stable, they rot, make sure the mastbase is solid (they rot too) make sure the mast blocks (wedges) work well and you can get them out and put them back inagain, make sure the shroud(s) and bases are solid (otherwise they’ll pull out of the deck and the transom pins for the rudder are solid and screwed in well (or the rudder will fall off) make sure the halyards run free and the sheets (ropes) are not worn through to the cores (or they’ll break)
You’ll often find them in the corner of a dinghy park without a cover, provided they drain well they’ll be fine, if the bailers don’t work then they’ll fill with water and rot fast then an 11yr olds teeth in coke.

Really all I’m pointing out here is sensible stuff for a well used (but often neglected) Club dinghy. The Wayf’ will be an excellent choice for anyone wanting to go afloat and get home, take a picnic and find beaches or general pottering. You can race them (cough) and go to sea in them. You can get 6 adults in em’..and about 15 kids if you cram them on top of each other, 3 BBQ’s and a tent. You can get a 2hp outboard on the transom if you find sailing hard work and that’ll chug it along the water and you may even create a half decent bow wave.
They are big and a bit slow, but they stay upright when it’s windy and don’t scare many people, but if they go over they can be a PITA to get upright again as they fill up with water and take quite some time to drain.. so take a bucket..and bail for what seems like 4mths..

I’d suggest a big dinghy rather than anything small dinghy (mirror etc..) and leave the RS Vision for the sailing holiday companies (although s/h ex fleet boats are often well used but kept in reasonable nick)

Make sure the launching trolly wheels work because the Waf’ is a heavy boat.

I think thats about all I have to say.

Mail in profile if you want more advice as we have 70 of the bloody things at our Club and only about 20 get used. (most are used as family boats for pottering)

Having been on a dinghy cat sailing holiday a few years ago I got the bug and bought a second hand Hobie 16 for about £1800. If you want speed and excitement you can’t go wrong.

Having said that things can get out of hand very quickly esp if something breaks and you’re caught in a swell in a force 5+. With young children you need something fairly sedate and simple to sail to start with, esp if you’re new to it yourself.

Also best to join a club, learn how to sail properly (take RYA courses etc) and have the safety boat around.

Will you be sprinting in this boat molgrips?

(runs away chuckling….)

it’s great family fun, as there are always things to do, even when the weather is poor :

Crikey – you bad man. Even I’ve resisted.

*stony silence at crikey*

ianc – that looks brilliant 🙂

Or a Wanderer, which is kind of like a Wayfarer but a bit smaller and lighter (although still pretty heavy) and easier to right. Although the downside is that there are fewer around, and they’re smaller.

Been a windsurfer for years but was badgered constantly by the sailors to give dinghy sailing a try.. Was immediately hooked.

I’d recomend getting one of the rotomoulded boats.. RS vision.. Topper Xenon or Laser bahia as they’re pretty indistructable.

The Bahia has a bit more room suitable for a family but the RS Vision is the cheapest s/h. All can be sailed single handed if required.

I wouldnt bother with a wooden boat as the maintenance needed is a pain in the ass.

I have a Bahia that I was very lucky to pick up in mint condition for £3k. You’ll get a vision in ok condition for about £2k.

Warning though.. It’s a hell of a lot more exciting than it actually looks.

molgrips – week before last, at Loch Ailort – a bit north of Ardnamurchan. I have sailed all my life and am in a fortunate position that my folks, now quite elderly, have a 48 footer out on West coast of Scotland, so handy for family holidays 🙂

and some more adrenalin based stuff can be had easily too, at Scottish Series this May (not on the same boat !)

ianc – if you need any crew *cough* just let me know..

ianc – if you need any crew *cough* just let me know..

🙂

I wouldnt bother with a wooden boat as the maintenance needed is a pain in the ass.

My first boat was a wooden mirror, they don’t take much maintenance as long as it’s pre-emptive. Applying a coat of varnish quickly in an evening twice a year (begining, end of season) is a lot less effort than getting it out in Febuary and finding it’s rotten through where the vanish was worn at the end of the last season for example, ditto painting, then having to sand it back, remove and replace rotten bits, etc etc. More work than a plastic boat, but they do look prettier and can be had cheeply as people are put off by the small ammount of extra work.

On the other hand it’s easy to buy a dog and end up replaceing everything.

If you’re in Cardiff, I strongly recommend going to Penarth Yacht Club. Don’t worry about the snooty sounding name, it’s a cracking place and you can talk to people and see / touch / have a go in boats to your hearts content. Wayfarer is a decent boat for what you are describing, however I’d be going for a RS Vision, or possibly a laser 2000. Whatever you’re looking for, once you know what you want to buy, talk to a guy called Pete Vincent http://www.petevincent.co.uk/forsale/forsale.php
as he’ll be able to hook you up with pretty much anything dinghy related. He’s based in Somerset but often coaches at Penarth (amongst others).
one other word of advice. Avoid the yachts and yachting forum. They will advise you to get something like B14 as there’s plenty of room for people on the wings. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and the amount they know is positively lethal

On the other hand it’s easy to buy a dog and end up replaceing everything.

I know that feeling.. Bought a wooden streaker and the only thing holding it together was the varnish. I admit that some wooden dinghys are beautiful works of art, but the only maintenance I have to do to my rotomoulded boat is make sure it’s well secured to the ground and wave it goodbye for the winter. 😀

My father in law bought a big boat and has had lots of trouble with it. It apparently has wooden ribs encased in fibre glass, which have rotted away due to a leak somewhere. Sounds fairly terminal, although he has a plan to fill the cavities with resin.

that’s not that unusual molgrips, lots of dinghies are glass over ply. All get wet inside at times although most drain well enough not to rot.
I’ve spent many hours playing find the leak in almost every kind of dinghy going, normally curable though

I Sail and race a laser 2000 they are great boats for heavier crews and families who dont mind getting a bit wetter than in a wayfarer. will cost more but they do keep the value and are pretty maintenance free and you get to play with a spinnaker!

Great boat in a blow!