[TxnSailn]

Hello all, I have been reading the forum for a while now and finally decided sign-up and make a post. I am hoping a few of you more experienced guys can give me a couple pointers in the right direction for my first boat.

I live near Houston, TX and will doing most of my sailing in Galveston Bay or one of the nearby lakes (Conroe or Livingston). My fiancee and I recently took the ASA 101 course and will be looking for a small, cheap boat to purchase to learn and have fun on... but there are so many to choose from I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

Here are some of the guide lines I have come up with so far:

1. daysailer
1. 20' or under
2. easily trailered
3. simple rigging (something with a headsail preferred)
4. fiberglass monohull (not a huge fan of cats)
5. cheap, very cheap -- under $2k (I am perfectly okay with old/used/ugly... as long as it is functional)

In addition to these basic guidelines... I want the wife-to-be to enjoy going out on it... that means: dry (as can be) and stable. In that effort I am willing to sacrifice speed for stability.

I plan to keep this boat for a year or two and then upgrade to a small cruiser once our skills are built up... for that reason I don't really want to put much money into it. I am pretty handy and feel comfortable doing minor repairs but do not have any interest in doing an major work on it.

Having read other posting a lot of people seem to recommend the Oday DaySailers... is this a good start for my specifications? Anything else standout?

 

[RTB]

There is a boat auction Sat, Sep.12 at our marina. Just google Watergate Yachting Center. There are a couple of boats listed that might work for you. There are several places on Marina Bay Drive that have some inexpensive little boats as well. The Kemah/Clear lake area has anything you are looking for. I might suggest that you look at boats in your price range, rather than a specific model or manufacturer. You'll probably be looking for something bigger, faster than you can say "where's the rum?" anyway...

Ralph

 

[painkiller]

For a $2k boat that you don't intend on keeping for too long, I'd say you're putting too much thought into it. Just thumb through craigslist or that boat auction that RTB mentioned and pick something that looks not-too-bad.

At that price, the condition of the boat might dissuade your fiancee from sailing more than the boat's design.

That said, I've always liked the Flying Scots. You might be able to find one of those for 2k.

EDIT: You might also look into renting sailboats. You'd probably have a blast renting a pair of Sunfishes.

 

[TxnSailn]

Thanks RTB... and good point painkiller. I am still considering just renting, but it seems like that adds up pretty quickly!

 

[RTB]

I agree with Pain...don't put so much thought into this. Just find a small trailer sailer that fits the wallet, and is ready to sail with little or no work. These are simple boats, with little to break. Then go have some fun.