Would this be a good dinghy for an old guy to learn on...

[capnorv]

I'm 54 and still sail our 8" Orca occasionally, but only solo. If you plan on more than yourself most of the time, I believe you would find yourself wanting a larger boat soon. If on the other hand your crew will be the occasional Grandchild, a 12' may be all you'll ever need. Nah, but it would be a good way to learn.

[LakeSuperiorGeezer]

I have an O'day Day Sailer. It is 16’ 9” with a 6’ 3” beam. It will carry 4 people at 160 pounds each but can seat 6 if some are children. It weighs 628 pounds on the trailer and has a minimum draft of 7” and a maximum of 3’ 9”. It is self-bailing with positive buoyancy. It takes a little longer to setup than a smaller boat, a little less than an hour for one person. All centerboard boats will tip over easily so you must know how to recover. You should intentionally capsize the boat so you know how to do it. If you live in a northern climate, be aware of hypothermia in the springtime so wear a wet suit and always wear a lifejacket. In the spring the air can be quite warm and the water deadly at 45 degrees. I just purchased a 4/3mm Men's Hyperflex CYCLONE Full Wetsuit for $129.99 including shipping from Wetsuitwearhouse .

You may well prefer learning on a keelboat if you want to eventually move up to a larger keelboat because keelboat characteristics are different than a light and quick centerboard. However, the real reason to go with a keelboat is they do not tip over like a centerboard. There is a considerable amount of learning that can be done on a centerboard that does readily transfer to a keelboat. Don’t get a keelboat bigger than about 24 feet long.

[bojified]

Folks- I did end up buying the "Kingfisher" American Fiberglass Corporation 12 footer. I spent a lot of time getting familiar with her on 'the hard' and now have been out in her on the water several times. I am very happy with the choice of starting out with this boat and each time I go out I learn more and more. Thanks again for all your suggestions and valuable advice. I look forward to more time on "Dionysus" and see her as a stepping stone to bigger things. Great and helpful forum!