Advice needed on where to buy a sailing dinghy

[kilarney]

I'm looking to upgrade my Sunfish to a sailing dinghy that can seat my family of four. Since I'm not that handy, I would like something that was manufactured within the past fifteen years or thereabouts.

Here is the problem - I am not having much luck finding listings for dinghies.

Craigslist has a TON of junk. I've been looking for weeks, and have not found more than one or two boats of interest.

The internet sites tend to have higher end boats, perhaps due to the listing fee. Yachtworld and other such sites have hardly any dinghies.

I live in Vermont (not near Lake Champlain). I am willing to travel to take a look at some boatyards, perhaps on the coast of Maine or Massachusetts, but I am not sure if even they carry what I am looking for.

Does anyone have any advice on how to get a dinghy for a fair price? Or do I just need to hope to find one sitting along the road with a for sale sign?

[olson34]

If you have some room in a garage or shop, you might build your own. Then you would get just what you want...
Chesapeake Light Craft | Boat Plans, Boat Kit, Kayak Kit, Canoe Kit, Sailboat Kit, Rowboat Kit, Paddleboard Kit, Boat Plan, Boat Kits, Kayak Kits, Canoe Kits, Sailboat Kits, Rowboat Kits, Paddleboard Kits, Boatbuilding Supplies, Boat Gear and Accesso
I have seen several examples of home-finished small craft from this company and they were lovely.

Something to think about........


LB

[blt2ski]

Catalina and Hunter IIRC both have what I would call sailing "Dinghy's" for four folks. As does Vanguard, the current builder of lasers/opti's among other boats. An old C-lark was 14' long, 4 folks of smaller size could fit and sail in it for an afternoon. BUT, I would not call a 12-16' boat as "I" would want for four folks to enjoy a sunny afternoon or evening sail a "Dinghy" A dinghy to me is under 10'.

Another option on the west coast, is Gig harbor boats. They have boats from 8-16 in length, most based on wherry style hulls. CLC linked above, has a 14' wherry that would make a neat build your own, as does Pygmy boats in Port Townsend Wa.

Glen-l and Clark Craft are two other places to get plans and kits for boats of all different sizes too.

marty

[libertysridhar]

I could suggest this one. Marine Scene is well known within the sailing equipment industry for reasons other than just offering good value. We realise the need for practical, suitable attire when boating so our marine shop only stocks brand name sailing clothing and wet weather garments to ensure that you not only look the part but are always dressed for whatever the ocean has to offer.

[kilarney]

This wasn't so much a question of what to buy, but rather a question of how to find one.

I had thought about building a boat, but at the end of the day I'm just not handy enough to do it with any confidence. I do appreciate the suggestion, though.

And perhaps dinghy was not the correct term. I just wanted people to understand that I am having a hard time finding a resource that lists smaller boats under 17 feet or so.

[T37Chef]

I would second looking into boats from Chesapeake Light Craft if youre into that type of boat.

[blt2ski]

You might try local dealers for Catalina, Hunter and Vanguard/ actually Laser Performance. They may have access to used models of the smaller ones they sell. Or a new one for that matter.

Locally a few YC's use C16.2's for lessons, some of the LP boats too.

I am sure it is the case for YCs Where you are.

Marty

[MarkSF]

Have you considered a Wayfarer? You sometimes get some for sale in the US at the US Wayfarer site, but that site is practically dead. The Canadian site has much more traffic and more for sale. There's also the CL16 which is basically the same boat.

A Wayfarer is a much better boat than any of the Catalina, Hunter, and Vanguards in the same size.

I found my Wayfarer by using one of the external "search all Craigslist" sites, with say a 500 mile radius.

Wayfarers for sale

[EJO]

kilarney are you looking for a small boat or are you looking for an auxiliary? i.e do you want to sail with 4 people or do you want to move 4 people from a bigger boat to shore?

You might be better of with looking "By Name", pick a model such as the Wayfarer mentioned above and search by name/model.

[puddinlegs]

Look at active one design fleets in your area. Almost all 1D fleets have web sites with buy/sell sections. Are there Lightnings around? Trailerable, sails well, fun... should be able to find one at a decent price.