Help in choosing first sailboat

[WDS123]

Jim,

The Lido 14 is just about the driest dinghy around. It was specifically designed in 1958 for families who were just getting introduced to sailing. Some 6,300 have been made. It continues to be built and sold. It remains one of the top 20 sailboat classes in the US.

[arknoah]

Originally Posted by Silvio

Take sailing lessons, not only will you learn the basics but you will begin to get a feel for what you REALLY want in a boat and what will bring you headaches and you would rather do without. A couple hundred bucks to gain a lot of knowledge and start to narrow in on what you do and don't want seems like $$ well spent when starting out.

Learning on a 22ft Catalina then buying a 31ft Catalina was an easy step for us. We have been and are still growing into our boat and challenging ourself with longer trips, new anchorages/docks, and planning several multi-day offshore runs this summer.

I took a sailing class (ASA 101 & 103) a year ago, and learned a lot then about the features of boats that I thought would be good for me and my family, so I firmly support classes as a way on not only learning about sailing, but learning about boats and preferences.

We first purchased a 17 foot Whip sailboat (made my SailMFG), and partly because we all got wet a lot in it and the family didn't like it, we then purchased a MacGregor 25 foot sailboat, which has been a great purchase so far. It's small enough that you don't feel it's too large to control, yet large enough to be comfortable for our family of four -- though we haven't gotten all four of us on the boat yet. Another feature is that I can envision single handling her in the near future. It might take me more time to feel this comfortable singlehanding in a larger boat.

Best of luck to you -- yours is a good "problem" to have.

[PatsyQPatsy]

I just went through this last year. Had not sailed in years and wanted to get back in and teach my kids how - basic motivation.

Many weeks of decision making went on that boiled down to the basics of 1. family friendly. 2. I would have to be able to near single hand it while instructing. 3. my pier is up a river - draft. 4. budget. 5. trailerable by my truck. 4. simple and light. 5. overnighter for a family of 4 6. I like sailing fast 7. available on my side of the Mississippi. 8. no older than mid 80's 9. Fairly dry 10. I knew I would sail in bays and along shores with very little open ocean. 11. I am handy-so deck work etc. was acceptable to reduce cost. 12. Durable - kids.

All this boiled down to a sloop-rigged keel boat. I think you probably figured this out already on your own matrix. It is a simple rig to learn on and single. (I would love to have a multi hull that I could put a dinning room table in, but that wouldn't fit in my slip or my budget.) So where are you going to keep your boat? I found a nice little J27 that fit almost every requirement. A couple of them are compromised - family friendly - wife does not like heeling over in heavy winds. J27 heels over in light winds, but we rarely break out the 155 genoa when family cruising now and the fractional rig helps alot.

I think you may have some more soul searching to do. Lessons are great advice. Another thing I have found to help is a charter for a long weekend to give you the feel, highlight issues, answer some questions and create new questions. Maybe in the Keys?

Bigger is not always bad for beginners. As I read your post, the boat that came to mind is the Hunter 37 Legend. It is very sturdy and easy to handle on air or gas power. They are old enough to bring the price down to around 50.

It seems that you are not "GEAR" people, but rather you just want to get out sailing and enjoy the event. If this is true - make sure the mechanicals are new and rebuilds etc. documented. Ensure sails are good and lines satisfactory. Survey the boat before you buy it. Survey the boat BEFORE you buy it. Soooo, have a professional SURVEY the boat before you buy it. It is money well spent. If the boat turns out to be immaculate then you will think it a waste of money until you realize the confidence you gain from her assesment. If the boats a sopping hole, then you will be rewarded for the bread you dished out by not spending any more on a lemon.

Read the Annapolis Sailing Book. I can't remember the exact name, but it is something like that. This will give you a better understanding of the technical STUFF sail boaters talk about, (like what does a fractional rig do for me?) as you move out looking for the right ride. You will learn a bunch about sailing too.

Be patient. Don't rush to buy. There are a ton of used boats out there and the prices are not going up right now.
Cheers,
PATSY

[paulk]

Your original post mentions kids (plural) and weekending. This means you will want (as they approach teens) the biggest boat you can handle, in order to have as much space between everyone as possible. Weekending will be much more fun in a bigger boat. Crew can swing off the spinnaker pole, hang in a hammock from the forestay, and sit in the shaded cockpit while you observe from the hatchway. The best boat to get depends a bit on where you are and the distances involved. If you're in SoCal, a Catalina 30 might fit the bill. It's big enough without being huge, is sturdy enough to deal with the typical weather, and there are many of them around. so the price will probably be right. When & if the time comes, there's a ready market to sell this well-known item. There are a lot of them on the East Coast as well, though a Pearson 30 might be better suited to the conditions in some areas. The Pearson is a LOT smaller below, and a lot narrower, but these features might make it an easier boat for you to handle. You have to decide what works for you. Weekending is possible in a J/24, too, but your marriage may not hold up to the conditions. Looking around to see what people are using in your area will help you to see what boats might work best for your needs. Happy hunting!

[CaptFoolhardy]

Originally Posted by PatsyQPatsy

...
Read the Annapolis Sailing Book. I can't remember the exact name, but it is something like that. This will give you a better understanding of the technical STUFF sail boaters talk about, (like what does a fractional rig do for me?) as you move out looking for the right ride. You will learn a bunch about sailing too.

I believe you're referring to "The Annapolis Book of Seamanship" by John Rousmaniere. It's an excellent book and I second PatsyQPatsy's endorsement.

Another fine book for beginners is "The Complete Sailor" by David Seidman. It's a little less comprehensive but at the same time very thorough and may be a bit more approachable for a novice. I'd read this one first and then move on to Rousmaniere.

Both are excellent.