Family dinghy?
Discussion
Hi everyone. After some advice please on dinghy boats and have seen that there some keen sailors on Pistonheads.
I have 2 boys, 6 and 8 and am after a family dinghy boat. The elder one is interested in sailing and this year I would like to purchase a boat to teach him and my wife (who is keen) a bit about sailing and see how it goes from there.
I have been sailing since I was 8 ish and eventually become a sailing instructor and my last boat was an RS600 and did a lot of team racing in Laser 2’s. While I have not sailed for 8 years feel very comfortable doing it.
If anyone has been down this road before and is able to offer some advice on which boat to buy this would help me greatly. The Laser 2000 is presently top of my list. I have access to a laser 1 and Topper already however would like a boat which I can take the elder boy out in and my wife.
The idea this year is just make boating fun and enjoyable and give the eldest an idea.
Thank you.
I have 2 boys, 6 and 8 and am after a family dinghy boat. The elder one is interested in sailing and this year I would like to purchase a boat to teach him and my wife (who is keen) a bit about sailing and see how it goes from there.
I have been sailing since I was 8 ish and eventually become a sailing instructor and my last boat was an RS600 and did a lot of team racing in Laser 2’s. While I have not sailed for 8 years feel very comfortable doing it.
If anyone has been down this road before and is able to offer some advice on which boat to buy this would help me greatly. The Laser 2000 is presently top of my list. I have access to a laser 1 and Topper already however would like a boat which I can take the elder boy out in and my wife.
The idea this year is just make boating fun and enjoyable and give the eldest an idea.
Thank you.
Edited by bracken78 on Sunday 3rd January 16:51
What you might find fun/suitable might not be great for your children and wife so be careful not to confuse the objectives.
Where will you be sailing?
What do the kids sail there?
If you really want your children to adopt it as a sport then they really need to be sailing with kids their own age and not being told by dad what to do.
For boys 6 & 8 the go to choice to learn in would be Teras I’d have thought although the Hartleys are quite good too.
Where will you be sailing?
What do the kids sail there?
If you really want your children to adopt it as a sport then they really need to be sailing with kids their own age and not being told by dad what to do.
For boys 6 & 8 the go to choice to learn in would be Teras I’d have thought although the Hartleys are quite good too.
CubanPete said:
In a similar position, though daughter is a bit younger than your eldest. Enterprise is looking favourite at the moment. Can both race and get the whole family in it.
Or will be when life opens up again...
We had an Enterprise for many years and taught the whole family to sail in her. It was considerably more ‘toppy’ than I’d expected. In hindsight a Wayfarer would have been more suitable. Definitely avoid a wooden one unless you enjoy sanding and varnishing on a regular basis.Or will be when life opens up again...
If I had my time again I’d go for a Laser Stratos or similar.
Marcellus said:
What you might find fun/suitable might not be great for your children and wife so be careful not to confuse the objectives.
Where will you be sailing?
What do the kids sail there?
If you really want your children to adopt it as a sport then they really need to be sailing with kids their own age and not being told by dad what to do.
For boys 6 & 8 the go to choice to learn in would be Teras I’d have thought although the Hartleys are quite good too.
Thank you all for replies and ideas, some boats mentioned I have not considered. Our local lake offers 4 hour course in the summer which either this or next year I would like to introduce the eldest to. My eldest is very happy in the sea and enjoys body boarding, paddle boarding and can waterski. Where will you be sailing?
What do the kids sail there?
If you really want your children to adopt it as a sport then they really need to be sailing with kids their own age and not being told by dad what to do.
For boys 6 & 8 the go to choice to learn in would be Teras I’d have thought although the Hartleys are quite good too.
We will be inland sailing at the local lake with a week in Cornwall in an estuary. The local lake has a sailing school which looks very good.
You make a very good point, dad saying 'do this' is not a good approach with some things and I want to avoid this so fun is the key for the kids.
Laser picos are great for taking 2 children out in.
Taught son in a pico and got him into a topper ASAP so he could teach himself how to sail
Using a Topper Topaz Vibe for me and one or both children - rotomoulded so more time sailing and less time gelcoating- been there, got the T-shirt
Taught son in a pico and got him into a topper ASAP so he could teach himself how to sail
Using a Topper Topaz Vibe for me and one or both children - rotomoulded so more time sailing and less time gelcoating- been there, got the T-shirt
My dad taught me to sail age 5 before I was old enough to want to do things my way.
By age 14 I found sailing boats to be too slow, I took up windsurfing.
I can still recall one day dad saying “we got to 12 knots in Poole Bay”. I just thought it was lame. I had just gone 34 knots at the Calshot speed event.
I tried to teach Dad to windsurf but he just went off down wind and I had to swim to get him back.
Summary. Teach them when they are too young to argue, before they know everything, or leave them to learn themselves if they want.
By age 14 I found sailing boats to be too slow, I took up windsurfing.
I can still recall one day dad saying “we got to 12 knots in Poole Bay”. I just thought it was lame. I had just gone 34 knots at the Calshot speed event.
I tried to teach Dad to windsurf but he just went off down wind and I had to swim to get him back.
Summary. Teach them when they are too young to argue, before they know everything, or leave them to learn themselves if they want.
It depends what you want. A Wayfarer is a bit of a barge but spacious and safe for a family and definitely good for learning but quickly outgrown. It’s quite heavy to manhandle on/off a trailer solo.
The Enterprise was one of Jack Holt’s better designs and is a bit more nippy (and unstable) than a Wayfarer. Quite easily modified to take a spinnaker and trapese to make it quite racy. Bit more boat to grow into.
My knowledge is 30 years old though (ex RYA instructor), some of the new designs pictured in this thread look fab. Though I wouldn’t introduce a young family to anything that might capsize too readily, that might really put them off.
The Enterprise was one of Jack Holt’s better designs and is a bit more nippy (and unstable) than a Wayfarer. Quite easily modified to take a spinnaker and trapese to make it quite racy. Bit more boat to grow into.
My knowledge is 30 years old though (ex RYA instructor), some of the new designs pictured in this thread look fab. Though I wouldn’t introduce a young family to anything that might capsize too readily, that might really put them off.
Miserablegit said:
Laser picos are great for taking 2 children out in.
Taught son in a pico and got him into a topper ASAP so he could teach himself how to sail
Using a Topper Topaz Vibe for me and one or both children - rotomoulded so more time sailing and less time gelcoating- been there, got the T-shirt
Sailing has dumbed down when a dinghy has a self furling foresail!Taught son in a pico and got him into a topper ASAP so he could teach himself how to sail
Using a Topper Topaz Vibe for me and one or both children - rotomoulded so more time sailing and less time gelcoating- been there, got the T-shirt
I remember being miffed when dad fitted a self furler yo our 32 footer! You can’t trim them as well as a proper sailn the leading edge compromises it.
Plus kids need to learn how to hank on a sail, attach a halyard, hoist it properly etc
I was in a similar position this spring, wanting to teach my 4 (now 5) year old son to sail. I’ve sailed all my life and have a Fireball and an RS700, and although my lad did go out on the Fireball aged 3, clearly it wasn’t a suitable training boat.
Laser 2000s are very popular at my club, but I really did not want to spend a lot, I wanted something super simple, and that my lad and I could club race too...with him initially as a bit of a passenger, but hopefully swapping roles as he learned. So I actually bought an old wooden Enterprise...trust me I thought as an ex 18’ Skiff/12’ Skiff/Cherub/Moth:49er sailor a wooden Ent would be my idea of hell, but it’s a beautiful, charming little boat and suits us really well. My partner is fairly new to sailing too but a quick learner (first time out in the FB she was flying the kite from the trapeze at 16knots) but the Ent has loads of space for all of us to sail together, and is much lighter than a Waybarge on land.
I got a bargain...the boat was under £700 earlier this summer, is fully epoxied so minimal maintenance for a woodie. She’s absolutely immaculate, and came with 2 suits of sails, 2 normal covers, one cocoon cover, big wheel combi trailer, and some decent pimped bits like a P&B carbon jib stick. I’ve also added a carbon mainsheet tower and centre main...she came with off boom sheeting like a skiff haha! Hilarious to sail...seems to push sheets of water and spray round without ever going that fast, and she does feel nervous on a run, but she’s very pretty and we love her!
Laser 2000s are very popular at my club, but I really did not want to spend a lot, I wanted something super simple, and that my lad and I could club race too...with him initially as a bit of a passenger, but hopefully swapping roles as he learned. So I actually bought an old wooden Enterprise...trust me I thought as an ex 18’ Skiff/12’ Skiff/Cherub/Moth:49er sailor a wooden Ent would be my idea of hell, but it’s a beautiful, charming little boat and suits us really well. My partner is fairly new to sailing too but a quick learner (first time out in the FB she was flying the kite from the trapeze at 16knots) but the Ent has loads of space for all of us to sail together, and is much lighter than a Waybarge on land.
I got a bargain...the boat was under £700 earlier this summer, is fully epoxied so minimal maintenance for a woodie. She’s absolutely immaculate, and came with 2 suits of sails, 2 normal covers, one cocoon cover, big wheel combi trailer, and some decent pimped bits like a P&B carbon jib stick. I’ve also added a carbon mainsheet tower and centre main...she came with off boom sheeting like a skiff haha! Hilarious to sail...seems to push sheets of water and spray round without ever going that fast, and she does feel nervous on a run, but she’s very pretty and we love her!
Edited by Hard-Drive on Monday 4th January 08:26
Edited by Hard-Drive on Monday 4th January 08:27
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