Hello.

My family and I have been attending a sailing course at a local reservoir which ends in 2 week’s time. We have all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and Mrs BOAS is reacting favourably to suggestions of boat ownership. I’d like to capitalise on her positive outlook before the course becomes a distant memory…..

I searched a few out on fleabay and it appears that a family-sized second-hand dinghy (GP14, Wayfarer, Enterprise etc.) can be obtained for less than the price of a decent hardtail (e.g. 700-800 quid)

So……what are the pitfalls?

I guess storage is the biggest issue. We have a double drive and only 1 car, so it could go on there or become members of the sailing club and park it there.

Anything else?

Ta,

Ben

Hi,
Ok first of all take a look at boatsandoutboards I’ve bought and sold a boat on here and i found that it was one of the most popular places for people to advertise their dinghies..
In terms of storage you are probably best leaving it down at the sailing club, it’s far easier than hooking it up to your car and getting the launching trolley on and off the car trailer etc. I cant quite remember how much it was to keep my boat at the sailng club but i don’t think it was more than £40 for the whole year…

You will need boat insurance if sailing on a reservoir in a club, someone like noblemarine are fine.

Things to look out for when viewing a boat…
1.Check under the ‘gunnels’ where the main hull meets the deck, a common place for leaks especially in fibreglass or plastic boats.
2. Check how air tight the air tank(s) are a good sign is when you un-screw the bung there’s a little ‘hiss’. Or if you can, blow into them, seal with your thumb, wait 10 seconds or so and then if air blows back out it should be pretty water tight!

Have a look at the sails, i suspect you’re not expecting anything amazingly crisp but check they’re not completly flogged because a new suit of sails will cost you far over and above what you will be paying for the boat.

Check it has a road trailer which is obvious i guess.. In terms of which boat to get i’m sure you’ve probably tried a fewin your training sessions but don’t forget that an Enterprise has no spinnaker if you’re bothered about that, they do have a generous sail area though..
Gp14s are good fun (i’ve done a 24hr race in one) and as you’ll know you’ll be able to get a few more kids in the wayfarer, although they are quite heavy..

I really hope you get sorted out, now i’m at uni, sailing twice a week is the thing i miss the most along with getting out on my bike..just don’t have the time with my course unfortunately.

Hope I’ve covered most things but i’ll check back on here if there’s any questions,I hope it’s helped a little.
Will.

Enterprises have a nasty habit of submarining in heavy chop. If the boat has been raced hard it will be soggy (think rear sus with worn bushes) this can be checked by seeing it with mast up, get hold of the jib shroud and pull it out. There should not be too much deflection.
Wood hulls will require regular paint and varnish sessions. GRP boats can develop de-laminating problems.

I’d go for a Wayfarer as a family boat. You can sail it single handed with a jib without problems or pile 4 of you in there with out any real space issues. They’re more stable than an Enterprise too, although there’s nothing wrong with an Enterprise. I used to race one myself but I’d get a Wayfarer if it was me in your shoes.

“boats are a hole in the water to throw money in” but speaking from experience they are jolly good fun.
From your choice of boats above the enterprise is the nicest one to sail (but I’m biased having raced them for 5 yrs) however the Wayfarer probably fits the family spec better as you can pile more people in and they are next to impossible to tip over.
Pitfalls:
– old plastic ones can and will act like a sponge making them progressively heavier over time, iirc they also loose stiffness
– wooden boats look better but need a bit more love and attention but can last for ages. Depending on how keen you are you may need to re-varnish a wooden boat every 2 – 3 years (just a matter of stripping all the bits off, bit of sanding then slap on the shiney stuff)
– if you are going to leave the boat on the drive then you need a serviceable road trailer to get it to the required piece of water, need to factor that into the buying / bartering process
– if you leave the boat at a club then you get to meet people at the club regularly (most are crying out for new members) and you can leave the boat rigged with the mast up etc which makes the whole going sailing experience a lot less hassle
– you can leave the boat outside all year if you want, but best to get it indoors (farmers barn or similar) during the winter if possible
– a decent cover helps, it will keep rain out of the boat and hence reduce the chance of rotting. You can get breatheable covers but that may be going a bit far
– when buying check out the sails to make sure there are no holes etc, new ones are crisp like fresh £20 notes from the hole in the wall
– also check out the foils to make sure they are straight and not full of cracks on the leading edges.
If you get a boat make sure you use it, the best way to get better at sailing is to spend time on the water, and the more competent you are the more you enjoy it

Matthew

For that sort of boat, I’d try and spend a little more on one of the more modern Laser family, something like a Bahia would be lovely! Fast and fun when you need it, stable and bimbly when you’re on picnic duties.

Basically, welcome to a VERY expensive hobby!

I sold my Laser some years ago, as I really no longer had the time to make ht most of it. Still regret it…! nowadays I play with other people’s boats instead, mainly small fast cats (Stealth, Hobie and Dart), Lasers, loony tunes RS boats and the odd bit of yacht action.

And when you get bored of blobbing about in light winds when you should be riding, you can learn to windsurf and really start to enjoy your time on the water when it’s windy and riding is no fun 🙂

Wow! What a load of info! Thanks muchly!

I’m tempted to go the GP14 route as it’s what the club has in the main and they run races on a weekend, so we could enter these if we get good enough….Although a nice tippy Laser looks like fun! I guess the equivalent of a sports car verses an estate…

How much more expensive can it be than Mountain Biking?

Ben

used to have a mirror dingy as a kid.

the morning after a particularly windy night in Shetland i looked out to find that during the night the dingy, trailer and all, had flown 20-30m through the air and harpooned itself on my mums whirly-gig clothes drier.

that was the end of that boat.

looking back on my life thus far, i realise that somewhere down the line i was dealt a poor hand

You may think bike parts are expensive – well welcome to sailing…!

Everything costs a fortune, you will need to be a member of a club so you can launch/store/training probably budget about 100-150 for a full annual membership. Sails arent too important to you start club racing.

All parts are expensive but if your not playing at the top end there are used parts and boat jumbles you can take advantage of.

I have a 24′ dinghy:

😀

National 12’s are cheap but quite tippy, cant go wrong with an Enterprise to be honest. I had one for 4/5 years from about 12 to 16.

Always preferred GP14 over the Enterprise or Wayfarer, just a bit more lively.

On the cost thing, you will need:

wetsuits
boutancy aids
gloves
blocks, blocks and more blocks
cleats
dyneema rope
trailer services
repairs to older boats – inc wood work, epoxy fillers, varnish, and more varnish

Old boats, especially wood will leak and they will get rot, they are heavy to lift out the water after a day sail and a bit of an effort to put away, newer designs are loads more user firendly in terms of taking on water after capsizes, something like an rs200 or 400 however they arent cheap and they will need less maintenance.

Check out people like trident sailing, purple marine, mailspeed marine.

Dont let me put you off though! Its a wicked sport.

Just sorting out details of the Round the Island race Ive entered, 1800 boat start! Get in!

Good decision to go for the boat favoured at the local club, and keep it there. Spend a bit more on a boat and spend less time fixing bits. Try club sites for boats – there’s probably a GP14 owners association website, if that’s what you settle on. They probably list boats for sale. Get a club member to help you choose.

oh dear.

I was hoping to show Mrs BOAS this thread and illustrate how wonderful our family hobby could be.

I think I’ll have to bury it away now (or sell a couple of bikes)

Ben

Dinghy sailing doesn’t have to be expensive unless you get heavily into racing and want to be super competitive. Bigger boats, yes, different story.

I’ve got a Musto Skiff for sale if your fancy scaring yourself half to death 🙂

Wilma: that website has made my head hurt. Thanks for the tip-off however!

Ben

Dinghy sailing isn;t expensive at all. My club used to cost £150 a year to belong plus £80 boat insurance.

Boat wise, ignore the “performance sailers” above, I would not go for an Ent, too tippy for a beginner. Older boats tend to require maintenance as well.

If not a wayfarer,Flashy has the right idea, go for a 2-3 year old of one of the newer polypropelene rotomoulded boats from Laser or Topper or RS. Sod all depreciation and maintenance – maybe a new sail every 3-4 years!

I’m just selling my Laser (2002) for £500 less than I paid 5 years ago, to give you an idea of the depreciation!

we had a mirror as a child. My dad and me spent many happy weekends on Rudyard lake just pottering about and racing. Not hugely expensive with a boat like this, back then anyway. They take up a lot of time to keep in good working condition though. I remember a summer of lead painting, sanding, painting, sanding, over and over again. The bottom felt like glass when we’d finished and the difference in speed through the water was amazing.

Great stuff! (Albacore 247)

Doesn’t have to be expensive – you certainly get more bang for your buck with a dinghy than a yacht. We had a Wanderer (update Wayfarer basically) for years and now have a lovely old Gull. First thing I’d do is be sure about what you want to use it for – racing, pottering about, family / solo sailing – and go from there.

Be careful because you start with a dinghy,love it,decide you want to move up to a yacht & then it’s like throwing money on a roaring fire…..

Great fun though,wish I had the time & money to still do it……

I’d do a cost of hiring vs owning evaluation – especially until you’ve really found your feet.

I’d also learn about the costs of a sailing club. Mine used to be 120 a year AND you had to do a days free work.

I found (speaking as a windsurfer) that as my skill increased that I only went on windier days, in then end I owned a windsurfer and went out about 4 days a year …….

I’d also recommend trying windsurfing – much more exilerating, mind you hulling a cat and that was awesome (but also limited to Greek holidays)

I’d recommend non wood, using UV free storage facilities, bricks to keep trailer tyres from flattening (lift load), and treat the trailer to a greasing once a year, esp if immersed/salt.

Wilma: that website has made my head hurt.

A quick search for gp14 found this . Keep checking on there and good luck 🙂

sharkbait – Member
I’ve got a Musto Skiff for sale if your fancy scaring yourself half to death

I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
If I say it enough times, I’ll convince myself….!

OR, get a powerboat or a RIB…chances are the family will love it! I am in the market for a 25-30 knot 5m powerboat again now that I am about to move into a house with plenty storage space. It is a great hobby, just getting out on the water one way or another. Not as exensive as some suggest.

Thanks Wilma: I had spotted that one (I think it’s on the GP14 assoc. website under classifieds as well).

I’m going to sign the family into the sailing club as non-boat owners and hire their dinghys when we want to sail(£120 + £2.50 per 2 hour session with a choice of GP14, Laser, Topper and Oppies for the kids). I realise the boats themselves may be a little battered, but I’m not after performance to start with.

Once we’ve proven that we’re fairly committed to sailing, then I’ll invest in a boat.

Cheers for all the advice and comments (and Mr Flashheart tempting me with glittery things…you bad boy!)

Ben

hmmmmmmmmm

musto skiff you say……………………

I do not need a boat to get me back it sailing without the knee ruining ability of little boats.

I do not need one. I do not need one. I do not need one.
If I say it enough times, I’ll convince myself….!

Oh you so need one though – you just don’t want to admit it!