Hi guys, I am looking to get a dinghy to teach my young 8 year old daughter to sail in. Something that can be easily handled and setup by one person but OK for 2 to sail. I was thinking of something like a laser or mirror, any suggestions??
Thanks.
Andrew S
Steer clear of Lasers, buy a boat that's pleasant to sail.
In Victoria I would go for either a Sabre or a Solo. I actually have a Solo that I bought from Lake Albert sailing club. Solos are in demand but Sabres can often be found on Ebay for reasonable prices. Plenty of activity in the Sabre market with lots of older sailors returning to sailing and taking up with Sabres. Lot slower than a Laser but easier to sail.
I've done a few seasons in Sabres in the past and they are really nice to sail.
They are pretty light, cockpit floats above the water line when capsized = minimal baling - important for a learner! Cheaper than a laser and much more comfortable to sail.
For an 8 yr old you would need to be careful in any kind of breeze as I was hiking pretty hard at anything above 12 knots and I am 70kg.
Perhaps you can get a spare older sail which you cut a bit off the foot to reduce the sail area for your daughter. Easy to do on a Sabre as they have a halyard that would allow for a different height of the head.
Also think about launching and retrieval, Get a dolly with nice big all terrain tyres to make it easier to pull backup the beach or ramp.
Solos are similar but I always found them very heavy. Sabre a lighter choice I think.
Good luck and enjoy.
I would advise a 'puffin pacer' or a mirror. A minnow's are great for kids, but wouldn't fit an adult.
I recommend a surf cat to build confidence then move to a monohull.
Very cheap and easy to sell when ready to graduate to a mono.
You might want to look at a Walker Bay 8.
They sail, row and motor, are virtually indestructible, a good platform to teach your daughter all aspects of boating and hold their resale value.
This one has the inflatable collar and a motor and is a reasonable buy at the price.http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/paynesville/tinnies-dinghies/walker-bay-dinghy/1017312255
It needs a dagger board, rudder, mast and sail for sailing. You could do these for a lot less money than WB charges and could be part of the educational process for your daughter.
Do you think she wants to go sailing or is it mainly you??
Looking at Smithys request, the Pacer or Mirror would be great options to introduce an 8 year old to sailing with a parent.
Both are common in Victoria and can be found in a variety of condition to suit most any budget.
Cisco, have you sailed a WB! they are terrible and much better to be used as a simple tender!
No I have never sailed one but I have one as a tender. In that role they are quite good and almost indestructible.
Maybe they would sail with a custom windsurfer rig better than with a genuine WB rig.
Has anybody seen that done yet??
I have two friends with Walker Bay 8's or I should say one as one was stolen. Apparently the most common stolen dinghy about. I can't see the attraction.
Thanks guys, some good suggestions in line with where I was thinking, except maybe the Walker Bay 8... Looking to teach her in sub 10 knot conditions, we live by the water and have the luxury of picking and choosing our days.
I may have access to borrow a laser for a while, but noted the comments on ease to sail. I live along the bay at Aspendale in Melbourne so I might check out some of the local yatch clubs to see what might be available there.
Regards,
Andrew S
If you do get to borrow the Laser, if would be ideal if they had the smaller 'radial' rig to play around with for your daughter.
I had a Laser bought locally for $800 with registered trailer, and a few sails.
It provided some memorable sailing for about 4 years, and was then on sold for $1,000 to make way for the next boat.
Regarding the Walker Bay 8, I use this as a tender as well, and they row great.
Pity to hear about lack of sailing ability though.
I had planned to cobble together a rig from some of the windsurfing gear in the shed, once the kids wanted to try dingy sailing.
If you want something which is stable enough for training but fun when you're on your own, take a look at a Weta Trimaran.
It can be rigged in <30 mins, is almost impossible to capsize and has removable Amas which means it stores in the space of a Laser.
See www.wetamarine.com/
