What type a boat to get?

[daydreamer92]

If you want a spork, I guess a motorsailer is the way to go, but if you are looking for an inexpensive, common, well supported and roomy day sailer you can trailer sail, an O'Day Day Sailer I or II might do it. They are 17' long, big open cockpit, sold used everywhere for $1K-2K though you can find less, including trailer and an outboard in most cases. I almost picked one up for under $1K but someone else got to it first

They have a cuddy cabin, and you can huddle there out of the sun (or rain, hah hah, rain in San Diego?) but it's really better suited for a small kid or your cooler. They are large enough not to feel tiny and small enough you don't feel obliged to get a mooring for 'em rather than step the mast yourself. We ended up getting an Ospray, which looks like a smaller Day Sailer but I was definitely looking at them first.

[jim2553]

Our first family sailboat was a catalina capri 18. We had 3 kids all under 12 at the time. The cabin was a great size for them to go below and laydown or mess around with their toys, or other stuff. The boat wasn't big enough to sleep on for all of us but that wasn't something we were even entertaining.

We spent alot of time with the anchor down swimming, they all loved it and had big time adventures above and below deck.

The Catalina-18 was 1500lbs w/o the trailer and had a wing-keel. We launched it with our mini-van.

At some point these same rugrats mutinied and forced the sale of my sailboat and the purchase of *gasp* a ski-boat. Well the tides are finally turned and I am gonna sell that darn ski-boat and get a bigger sailboat.... Ain't life grand!?

[rgscpat]

We actually are sort of trying to get rid of a "classic" swing keel Mac 26 in New Mexico... getting around to fixing a few things at some point.

But, having said that, I think you'd be happier with a smaller boat to start with.

If you really need a cabin, Arizona has an active fleet of Catalina 22's that you could sail with and get lots of help from the group. And, although there are not as many in Arizona, the Santana 20 is lots of fun, zippy, and has a mini-cabin; tons of them are available nearby in California.

And if you don't need a cabin, elsewhere, I mentioned the 18' Buccaneer dinghies, which have the advantage of a huge local fleet and lots of fun. A Bucc would be a great boat to learn on.

I'll have to warn you about the Arizona Viper fleet. These 21 ft. sportboats are incredibly seductive. They are very fast and powerful and will hold their own racing against bigger boats. They are all in good shape, since the whole class is fairly new. However, they are not for the faint of heart and they are not cheap.

Then there are the usual suspects .. Flying Scots are popular in the midwest, O Day Day sailers (16'), etc.

You've been warned about the attitude of some folks toward the MacGregors; there is also a similar set of attitudes directed at West Wight Potters, although the WWP's do look much cuter.