[Snailboat]

I am moving back to the Midwest and want to teach my children to sail on Lake Michigan, where I learned in our beloved Barnegat Bay Sneakbox. alas wrecked on a breakwater by a FORMER boyfriend. Boats have changed so much and I know nothing of new, lightweight day sailers which could easily be trailered down then dragged across the beach sand. Need a craft easy to sail, like the (too heavy) BlueJay i just sold. Advice?

 

[Stumble]

Snail,

What's the budget? And can you store it with the mast up near the water? There are a lot of boats in this size range that would work any additional criteria would be helpful.

 

[SHNOOL]

Better question what age kids... At 11 I could barely drag a sunfish... but the all styrofoam Snark was downright carryable.

If you throw a beach dolly on many small boats, the kids can move them themselves TO the water, but they can be a real bear for them to flip if they turn turtle. I sailed a sunfish for a season at age 10... turtled it once, and I wasn't heavy enough to turn it back over. My snark... I'd turtle it on a hot day just cause I could...

If the kids are always 2 up, then you can get away with larger boats too.

But I sailed them all as a kid...
laser, sunfish, wildflower, sunflower, snipe... zuma
Hell I bought a Zuma a couple years back (4?) just cause it was cheap, $200. Sailed it in 15+ knots winds with 50 degree water (and NO I didn't flip it), but I decided that I am now just too old to deal with trying to flip a boat in cold water. It's been keelboats since for me.

My personal favorite for simple rig, fast, and will grow as the kids do is the zuma. Open Bic looks pretty cool too. Hard to turn down the Opti too, especially if there is a fleet, and we're talking younger kids.

 

[saltydog4]

I learned on hobie cats when I was a kid. They're fast and fun.

 

[MITBeta]

We have a Hobie Getaway, which is a great family boat, but it's (relatively) heavy and needs beach wheels unless there's a boat ramp nearby.

We also just bought a used Topper Topaz Race Plus which is a light, but sturdy rotomolded hull with sloop rig. My 8-year old daughter is taking an interest in learning to sail, so this will be the boat for that. The trailer for this boat is cool because the beach dolly rolls right up onto it. Trailer to the beach, rig, unhook the pin, dolly across the beach, and go.

 

[CLucas]

How many kids? How old? Budget? Do you expect to be able to sail it, too? Does it need to be trailerable/car-top-able? Would you consider a boat they they would outgrow in a couple of years, or are you looking for something you'll have in the family for awhile? There are lots of options depending on your answers.