a good boat for light winds.

[kensmith57]

I'm looking at purchasing a boat that will be mainly used on a local lake. Most of the time the winds are between 5-10mph. What would be a good boat to get the most fun out of the light winds. There is a pretty big C22 fleet here and I've heard some good things and bad things about these boats. Any suggestions?

[bobmcgov]

C22 is a nice boat, but a bit of a dog in <10kts. Much heavier than other boats of comparable size, and it's boxy high-volume hull means lots of wetted surface. Similar boats that will go better in drifter conditions:

US21. This boat flat-out flies. It's light, slick, and carries a good amount of sail area. (Don't confuse w/ the US22, which is a dog. Woof.)

Ultimate 20. Not much belowdecks, but how about 1300lbs, 305 sqft of working sail, and a PHRF of 144?

Venture 21. Nice little boat, and v. cheap.

Schock 23. Roomy, not as stripped-out as some Schock/Santana models, but still zips along in moderate air. Draft of 2ft makes it good for shallow waters, and substantial beam and ballast means it's stable for family outings. Yet a PHRF of 189. Also see Santana 23 and 2023.

S2 makes a number of models that sail well in all winds. They have slippery hulls & efficient foils. Some even have enclosed heads -- a big deal w/ the ladies.

Finally a plug for our SJ21. It's cramped inside, with barely room to sleep two and sitting headroom only. But at 1500 lbs and 190 sqft of working sail, it's very good in light winds. It won't slice thru chop like a C22, and you'll be reefing much earlier (15 kts), but it's a killer when the winds go flat. Its bigger brother the SJ24 is also nice in light air; the SJ23 is not so good at all.

[paulk]

There are a lot of variables involved with your choices. How deep is the lake? How big? Are you planning to use a mooring, slip, drysail, or launching ramp? Do you want to race, or daysail, or overnight? Do you sail with just one, or many crew? Mentioning the C22 doesn't tell us enough about your goals or needs, or budget. Light air makes me think of centerboarders like Lightnings. They're big enough to take a bunch of people comfortably, with enough sail area to move in light air without being too "tippy" when it picks up. You could also get a Melges 20 - but that's a different animal, or a J/24, or any number of other boats that might be popular in your area. Tell us more so we can be more helpful.

[kensmith57]

Thanks for the info. Of the boats you mentioned the only ones that I've seen any listings for are the s2's and the sj21 and 24.
I mainly sail Lake Martin in Alabama. It's a 44,000 acre lake that has plenty of deep water. Mainly sail alone and at times one to two guests. I don't do a lot of racing, just like to get out on the lake and relax. Planning on keeping the boat in a slip but would also like to be able to trailer it another lake. As far as budget, I'm trying to stay under $7500.00. I know there are a lot of inexpensive boats out there but I would like one that I didn't have to do a lot of work to get her ready to sail.
Hope that helps some more.

[JimsCAL]

In general, boats that are designed to be raced will have better light air performance. Doesn't mean you have to race, but will have more sail area for a given sized boat. I would go with a boat that is common in your area. It will make selling easier when that time comes.

[bobmcgov]

You need to meet Charlie Solvacc, aka Curious Carlos. He sails a bright yellow SJ21 Mk2 on named Raven on Lake Martin. Nice guy, & he's made some clever mods to his boat. If last season's race results are any indication, the SJ21 is perfect for Lake Martin:

YouTube - solvacc's Channel

Lots of Catalinas there, tho. If clanning together with co-owners of your boat appeals, that might be a better choice.

[calden]

Ken:

+10 on the San Juan 21. If you want a large-cockpit boat and don't care about the cabin accomodations, it is a killer in light winds, especially with a large genoa or drifter. I just sold mine.

Once last summer when I was out drifting along, another sailor motored by and said "Oh yeah, you're that guy that can go when everyone else is just stuck."

Carlos

[kensmith57]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm thinking the sj21 might be the way to go.