Many people want
to learn how to sail or have done a course in sailing and want to get
their own boat.
The two best options are below -
this page concentrates on the second one!
1/
You can build one of my boats (I know ... you were expecting me to say
that!). Building a boat is a cost-effective solution if the
boat
is designed with care to save you money along the way. You
get a
much cheaper boat than a professionally built boat and will cover your
building costs (or be close to it) when you go to sell the boat.
Another
alternative is to look at the version of the Puddle Duck Racer we have
developed to have excellent performance for little cost. An ideal
first boat that will carry a couple of Adults. PD Racer OZ version
2/
Another cost effective solution is to buy a second hand racing boat.
There are a number of articles about restoring and repairing
wooden boats in the Q & A section
Welcome
to the sailing world!!! (soon I hope!)
A good way to
get started is to pick up a second hand racing dinghy.
The
really good reason for this is that if you choose carefully you can
have a year of sailing and then sell the boat for just about as much as
you bought it for.
The
main trick is
about the price range. Not too expensive and not too cheap.
A boat that
is expensive for its type will be devalue.
A boat that is too cheap
will have breakages and cost money.
What you want is a boat that is "Just Right"
Maybe something from as
small and simple as a Mirror Dinghy to something in the 14ft range for
about AUS$1000 to $1500 (Sterling 400- 600 US$ 750 to 1300 - just
translating from the situation in
Australia - some locals may have a better idea). The beauty is that
when you go to sell it you will get almost the same money back.
Finding
Your Boat Talk
with local sailors to find out what ones are
stable enough for beginners. Local sailing clubs with small boat
divisions are often very helpful and may have lists of boats for sale
too.
Often the more common boats have a Class
Association which may have a list of secondhand boats.
Choose
something popular in your area or nearby - it ensures a wide
choice of boats and that you will be able to sell the boat later.
Some
pointers on buying a secondhand boat Find one that has been raced recently-it will
still work well
Make
sure the sails are OK - these are expensive to replace so you want to
find a boat with OK sails so you can sell it with the same set after a
year or two. The sails should be clean, the fabric should
feel
quite stiff. The sails should be well folded or rolled.
If
they are just stuffed in a bag - walk away. The only
exception is
with spinnakers - these are of a different type of cloth and they don't
mind being stuffed in a bag. Spinnaker cloth should make a
loud
rustling sound when you move the sail about in the bag or handle it.
Talk with local sailors (sailing clubs
with a small boat division/s) to find out what ones are
stable enough for beginners. Local sailing clubs with small boat
divisions are often very helpful and may have lists of boats for sale
too.
In Australia some good choices are
common boats, some types that may be common in your area are One
person boats - Sabre, Laser* Two
person boats - 420, Heron, Mirror (unless you and your crew are heavy
adults), Flying 11 (NSW). Taser which is raced by two adults (a bit more
expensive about
$2500 is the sweet point)
(
* The laser is very robust and very simple, but it can be hard for one
person to sail in strong winds until you get used to it. With
all
boats it is important to choose weather conditions that you know you
can handle OK. One advantage of the Laser is that there are a
lot
of cheap ones around and there is not a lot that can go wrong with them
apart from worn out sails or lost gear. Gear for Lasers is
very
expensive because you can only buy it from one company - so make sure
the boat is in good condition.)
Test Sail and learning Ask
the prospective vendor to take you out for a sail before the sale.
Everything should go together easily on the shore and work OK afloat.
The vendor should appear like they know what they are doing (indicates
the boat will be in good operating condition). You will find
out
if the boat leaks (check inside the watertight tanks after the sail -
there is a drainage bung and/or an inspection port to drain water).
If
you really want to get a grasp of the sailing thing consider getting
some lessons and/or racing the boat for a year or two with a local
club. You will learn really quickly because they tell you
where
to go rather than you choosing what is easiest and there is a lot of
advice available.