Help me find a sailing dinghy

[dancrane]

I haven't been in a Mirror for decades so I'd forgotten how lightweight they are. As a kids' favourite (despite looking very old now) they're still a top choice for relaxed cruising.

I'm starting to want one, myself! ?
.

 

[SaltIre]

No need to apologise! I retrieved my Laser where it had been languishing in my Mum's garden, which involved replacing the rusted wheel bearing assemblies on my road trailer, then discovered I was no longer quick witted or agile enough to sail it!
A Mirror, which you can sail/row/outboard, seems ideal. You might even be able to get a smaller mainsail to which you could switch if the wind gets up, or find a way of reefing the full sized one.
You could even go fishing and catch some Loch Fyne Kippers.

Here's one in Norfolk with what looks like a decent road trailer for only £450 but you're bound to find one closer to Argyll.

 

[Wing Mark]

Definitive answer (?), bigger than a mirror, smaller than a 2000, lighter than a wanderer, stable, roomy, row-able, outboard-able, sails well enough to satisfy, available and sellable......
Comet Duo or Versa

There are loads of different 'designs' out there most of which don't really rank as 'classes'.
Otter, Coypu, Shadow Bobbin... A lot of names got re-used.
Should not be too hard to find something about 12ft and reasonably stable with a high -ish boom.

Any cheap old boat needs a good looking over before sailing alone, lots of things can break.
If you're racing and something breaks, it's no drama, there's someone to tow you home.

 

[oldbloke]

Surprisingly few modernish family 12 footers. The active Comet class association would be surprised to know they weren't a proper class.
A do take your point about obsolete classes and the perils of crap old boats.
I grew up sailing Otters, once upon a time they were very much a proper class, with open meetings and national championships, winners of which included, from memory, Mark Upton Brown and Mark Rushall. They made over a thousand of them before they faded away.
However all those you mention would be too small for Mr Quandry's needs

 

[SaltIre]

However all those you mention would be too small for Mr Quandry's needs

As long as he can have a sing song while peeling tatties away from the wild raging sea he'll be OK.

 

[Wing Mark]

Surprisingly few modernish family 12 footers. The active Comet class association would be surprised to know they weren't a proper class.
A do take your point about obsolete classes and the perils of crap old boats.
I grew up sailing Otters, once upon a time they were very much a proper class, with open meetings and national championships, winners of which included, from memory, Mark Upton Brown and Mark Rushall. They made over a thousand of them before they faded away.
However all those you mention would be too small for Mr Quandry's needs

If he needs a boat small enough that he can handle it on the slip, he needs to balance his other 'needs' against that.
Maybe it's like motorbikes, buy the biggest thing you can get away with?

Seriously, it all depends on the slipway and facilities.
Some places it's easy to launch with a car to assist, other places even finding somewhere to stash the launching trolley is a pain.
Give me clean slipway at a good angle with a grippy surface and I'll haul out a GP14 on my own.
Sometimes the Laser is a struggle, steepish slip, with some slime on it.

Sometimes it makes me appreciate the delights of some inland lakes where the slip is easy, there's no tourists in the way and you can just drop the trolley on a grass bank. Often a pontoon so you step into your dinghy with dry feet.

 

[Quandary]

The suggestion that appeals to me most here is the Comet Duo/Versa though like the Laser 13 they seem as rare as hens teeth and unknown in Scotland, thanks Mr. Oldbloke, I will try to follow that up.
There are three slipways in our village but only the club one is kept clean and has a quay which helps with single handed launching. We have a fisherman launching off it regularly so it is accessible to vehicles.

 

[adwuk]

How about a Drascombe? We had the loan of a Dabber for a couple of years and happily sailed it over to Portavadie, Barmore and Skate. There aren't many dinghies I would be happy to take out on the Loch, knowing how quickly the conditions can change.

 

[Frogmogman]

There are a bunch of charming boats for sailing or rowing proposed in an article in the latest issue of PBO by Roger Nadin entitled ‘Which kit boat’ including this elf faering.

Building one would also give the op something to keep him busy over the winter…..

 

[westernman]

There are a bunch of charming boats for sailing or rowing proposed in an article in the latest issue of PBO by Roger Nadin entitled ‘Which kit boat’ including this elf faering.

Building one would also give the op something to keep him busy over the winter…..
View attachment 124919

It looks like it will be a real handful when planing.
And it will need a lot of wind to plane.

 

[Bodach na mara]

Sailing in one of these double ended nordic designs with inside ballast and no buoyancy bags or chambers gave me a new respect for the Vikings. I have never repeated the experience. I was ****ing terrified!

 

[whaup]

Dunno if you've rejected the Wanderer... if not, here's another one that's a bit closer than Chichester and appears to be in good nick:

Dinghies and Dinghy Bits for Sale

Combi trailer, furling jib, looks a nice little boat.

 

[scottie]

Dunno if you've rejected the Wanderer... if not, here's another one that's a bit closer than Chichester and appears to be in good nick:

Dinghies and Dinghy Bits for Sale

Combi trailer, furling jib, looks a nice little boat.

See also tighnabruaigh sailing school boat it Local and not a lot of money
1980 Wayfarer Mk2a ? · Driven NaN kilometres

Wayfarer
Ex sailing school boat . Cover not too good but could be made to work by patching . Good mainsail , good jib . Spinnaker and spinnaker pole . Decks painted . Raised self draining floor . Seats recent varnish . Seaside rudder stock , wooden blade (needs varnish ) reefing claw . Recent new haliyards. Recent Trident heavy duty trolley with wide wheels and tow hitch attachment to allow trolley to be towed by car up slipway . Hull is sound although a few scrapes here and there .
£900