Am thinking of getting a small dinghy for sailing on Windermere. I’ve done a bit of sailing before in a laser and a wayfarer but just wondering what types i should look for that fit the following:

1)big enough for 2 adults / adult and 2 kids but also can be sailed easily by 1 person
2) easy to right after capsizing, eg like a laser
3) cheap!
4) easy to maintain

thanks

laser pico?

Topper?

In amongst the micky taking there a bit of advice

Meeeee
I have a Topper Magno tri sail dingy for sale, come with all bits road trailer/ launching trailers, covers etc.
indestructible as a polypropylene 3 laminate hull, can sail it single handed or with 2 or 3 up.
Has a Jenika as well if you want to fly downwind as well

phwill77atgmaildotcom

Jenika? Am sure I’ve seen some of her films….

(It’s Gennaker, btw)

I thought it was spinnaker, so I googled it, it had another name once. gollywhomper….

Something plastic/polyethylene. Pico probably and def not a a Topper – spiteful little things! RS Feva is nice but aimed more at bigger kids really and not so cheap. I may know of a Pico available in the NW, email me if your’e interested.

Catvet – How much are you looking for the complete set up, and where are you ?

Sharkbait – do you know how much its going for? Whereabouts in NW

If you go for something like a Mirror, I have lots of spare rigging & some really nice race sails.

49er? Tongue firmly in cheek. What could possibly go wrong?

Pico would be in the region of £800 but I’d need to check. It belong to a friend of mine near Chester. Good condition, mainsail about 2 years old and jib is new. Would come with trolley and road base.

What does the local club sail which meets your criteria? It’s best to go with one of those because there’s lots of local knowledge, there’s a community of people with spares and sellers/buyers as well.

If you progress to the point where you want to race (and believe me you get there quite quickly*), there’ll be someone to race against.

* once you’ve done a bit of floating about over here, and floating about over there, you get to the point where there’s not much point. It makes it interesting to sail a course, and since racing sets the course for you and there’s a bit of competition and you can judge how well you’re doing, you find that on inshore waters you rapidly get to the decision to sign up for your first race.

meee

i have a 420 sat on my dirve i need someone to look after and use for about the next 3-4 years. it has a launch trolley with it but no road trailer. i’m basedin cockermouth get in touch if you think you may be interested fits all your requirements.

don’t want to sell it as i may want it back in a few years when my eldest is big enough to crew it

email inprofile

Take the kind offer of the 420, very generous – nice one chap.

I’d suggest a Pico too – I’ve sailed them quite a lot and they’re good fun and if sailed well, you’ll be suprised how well they can keep up with ‘better’ boats. They’re also fairly bomb proof and good for teaching people how to sail.

Karnall
I’d be happy to look after your 420. It would get a little use (I’d teach my eldest to trapeze) but it would spend the off-season in my barn next to my Finn 🙂
I could pop up with a road base.

Plastic miracle? Our did they site out years ago?

Ha, Sharkbait!
You’ll be wanting to borrow my double stacker next!

has anyone actually read the op? 2 adults in a pico? FFS I’d struggle to fit in by myself!
Nice offer up there of a 420, but if buying something new, look at the RS boats, in particular the Feva / Vision.

2 adults in a pico? FFS I’d struggle to fit in by myself!
……. look at the RS boats, in particular the Feva

I’ve never troubled the tiller on a Pico but believe it’s not that much smaller than the Feva. I’m 5’10 and feel cramped sailing the Feva solo. It’s OK if it’s windy enough to lean out of the thing, but if I found myself sharing it with two kids or another adult then I’d just head for the shore and go down the pub instead. Best to demo one first otherwise you might find yourself looking for something bigger towards the end of your first season.

What does the local club sail which meets your criteria? It’s best to go with one of those because there’s lots of local knowledge, there’s a community of people with spares and sellers/buyers as well.

+1 if they’re sailing something roomy enough 🙂 They might have club boats you can borrow/use to see if you get on with them before you commit to purchasing something.

First thing I would suggest is to see what boats are already sailing on the lake in any numbers, it’s likely the boats that are there have been chosen as they are suitable. You’ll have some sailing clubs with junior programmes and they’ll have some specific boats, the. You’ll have the leisure sailors too who will have picked certain boats. Have a look at the clubs there.

Wayfarers are great boats and Windermere is big enough to do some proper trips including a bit of camping, wonderful stuff.

[anorak on]Gennaker and spinnaker isn’t necessarily the same thing, depends on the setup, eg traditional spinnaker pole or bowsprit. [anorak off

EDIT: laser easy to right after capsize, clearly you are a sailing master. With the full rig and in decent breeze and waves it’s a real buggar, capsizes right back top of you !

Agreed, the Feva isn’t that big, but compared to single handed kids boats posted above (topper!) its bloody palatial!
I suggest it as a good friend who’s pretty good at the dinghy sailing malarkey , has traded his RS400 and Musto Skiff for one to take his kids out. He seems happier than when winning the nationals!