Dinghy For Single-handing

Lakesailor

Lakesailor

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I'm thinking about a small dinghy for lake-sailing that won't be a faff to prepare and put away.
I may have the opportunity to get an Enterprise.
Are they as unstable as usually regarded? I'm not a wet sailor in that I like a boat to do it's job and keep me out of the water.
If I keep it in the boat-house it would need to be fairly easy to step and unstep the mast.
The other thought was a Solo dinghy.
I was talking to a Solo sailor on the lake the other day. He reckoned they are better for feeble old buggers than the likes of a Laser. He had bad knees and found the Laser too "crouchy" for him.

Any thoughts from people with experience?
 
I singlehand the no. 1 son's Firefly; I am going to be 60 this year.

It is reckoned to be a fairly tippy boat and I am far from athletic.

I would find an Enterprise too big to sit out in most conditions. It's a question of sheer weight.

There's also the question of the weight to pull up the ramp.

The Heron is a nice little boat, and comes with a gunter lug iirc so less mast issue.

However if I understand that you will be keeping the boat afloat in a lake boathouse you don't want a modern lightweight as they are intended to be kept ashore. Go for a Swallows and Amazons dinghy - the pick of the bunch if you can find one is the Yachting World Dayboat which is 14ft, but consider also anything from an RNSA 14 to a Walker Tideway.
 
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How about an Otter ? An experienced and none too small or agile chum used one singlehanded, it was a cracking, versatile fun boat, looked very smart too compared to the sailing school examples I've seen.

I seem to remember the masts are - or can be - 2 part ?
 
Minn said:
I singlehand the no 1 son's Firefly; I am going to be 60 this year.

I would find an Enterprise too big to sit out in most conditions.
Click to expand...

I've got a solo British Moth which is less crouchy than a Laser or a Topper but more crouchy than a Mirror, GP14 or Lark. These are two-handers of course and heavier to pull up the slip.

I don't know about modern solo designs. It might be that solo dinghies are pretty crouchy by definition?

Richard
 
I have a firefly, but can’t recommend it unless you are agile, Enterprise more stable but big powerful main, watch out in any wind, but generally better than a firefly. What you really need is a Foxer, built for old goats or use as a tender or for fun, no hiking, single handed racing on the Hamble.
 
Depends just how feeble you're feeling I guess, but having taken up sailing again at 72 my old mum is having great fun in a Comet - she says it's much more like what she calls a dinghy, ie she doesn't have to bend in half & it only goes over when you do something really stupid.
 
A Wanderer with furling gear should be pretty ideal. They were designed for Margaret Dye to single hand in easily... though her exploits weren't as mad/genius as her husband Frank's in the ocean crossing Wayfarer.

One particularly nice feature of the Wanderer is the built in tabernacle making raising and lowering the mast an absolute breeze.
 
Lakesailor said:
I'm thinking about a small dinghy for lake-sailing that won't be a faff to prepare and put away.
I may have the opportunity to get an Enterprise.
Are they as unstable as usually regarded? I'm not a wet sailor in that I like a boat to do it's job and keep me out of the water.
If I keep it in the boat-house it would need to be fairly easy to step and unstep the mast.
The other thought was a Solo dinghy.
I was talking to a Solo sailor on the lake the other day. He reckoned they are better for feeble old buggers than the likes of a Laser. He had bad knees and found the Laser too "crouchy" for him.

Any thoughts from people with experience?
Click to expand...

Many a capsize I had in Enterprises when racing. But we didn't in those days make much allowance for the weight of the wind.

At my age I woiuldn't choose one but might look at a GP14 which I think is more stable. What I would ideally like for day sailing would be a small keel boat like a Flying 15 or a Vent d'ouest but they probably wouldn't meet your criteria.

http://www.ventdouest.com/index.php?page=photos
 
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I don't believe the Ent is inherently less stable than many other dinghy's. What it does have is a low centreboard slot. So when the boat capsizes and is re-righted the top of the slot is below the waterline. That's not an issue on a lake as you can head for the nearest shore to empty out. It's a bigger issue if you are a mile or more out to sea!
Have you considered a topper, or if looking for comfort a small catamaran?
 
Enterprise is easy to step mast ashore, but I can see it being a right comedy with the boat afloat. The mast sits on the deck, only held up by stays.
Solo has a mast gate, so my be easier to step mast afloat, but still awkward.
Lifting and holding a mast upright on an unstable platform, or leaning over from a landing stage is asking a lot of your back.
Maybe a gaff rig would be better?
Or something un-racy with a tabernacle.

Enterprise would be fine singlehanding up to top of F3 IMHO. My Dad used to cope.
Modern sails and masts allow you to flatten and depower the sails more than of old.
 
FistralG said:
I don't believe the Ent is inherently less stable than many other dinghy's. What it does have is a low centreboard slot. So when the boat capsizes and is re-righted the top of the slot is below the waterline. That's not an issue on a lake as you can head for the nearest shore to empty out. It's a bigger issue if you are a mile or more out to sea!
Have you considered a topper, or if looking for comfort a small catamaran?
Click to expand...

All good info.
Although a good slot gasket, elvestrom bailers and transom flaps will see you right most of the time. The modern ents with tanks float higher than my Dad's old one with buoyancy bags when flooded- the bags lift off the floor by a couple of inches.
A Dart 15 aka Sprint 15 might be easier than most mono's to raise the mast afloat?
 
What about building a bolger bobcat?

Cost of build is likely to be higher than purchase of an old enterprise but it has the benefit of a shorter unstayed mast and plenty of character.

Was written up as 'little gaffer' in an early Classic Boat. pm me if you'd like to see the article.

Google provides plenty of links, here's a good one:

http://www.sailingtexas.com/sbolgerbobcat12102.html
 
Minn said:
The Heron is a nice little boat, and comes with a gunter lug iirc so less mast issue.

However if I understand that you will be keeping the boat afloat in a lake boathouse you don't want a modern lightweight as they are intended to be kept ashore. Go for a Swallows and Amazons dinghy - the pick of the bunch if you can find one is the Yachting World Dayboat which is 14ft, but consider also anything from an RNSA 14 to a Walker Tideway.
Click to expand...

Ah. You've not been following Lakesailor's exploits......

Heron09.jpg



SerendipityHarrowslackbeached.jpg



​

It looks like the Enterprise would be a a bit of a faff. The clinker dinghy I had was a bit too much effort to launch and recover each time and was actually quite "crouchy" to sail.
The Solo I saw a guy out in looked much more relaxed sailing. Perching on the half deck saved the "knees-up" stance that sitting on the thwarts creates and causes me stifness etc. Quite fancy a Una rig as well.

2006annandale3.jpg
 
Seajet said:
How about an Otter ? An experienced and none too small or agile chum used one singlehanded, it was a cracking, versatile fun boat, looked very smart too compared to the sailing school examples I've seen.

I seem to remember the masts are - or can be - 2 part ?
Click to expand...
I always fancied an Otter as a potter-about dinghy till I sailed one. Didn't like it. Wouldn't plane, whilst with an Enterprise singlehanded I could plane rather faster one-up than two-up.

The best all-weather singlehanded dinghies I've had, and i've sailed a lot of dinghies, were a Mirror with jib, a Laser I, and a bermudan rigged Skipper 14, that I bought new and fitted toestraps and self-bailer to. With the Laser though you will capsize fairly often, especially whilst you learn to gybe.

The other dinghy that I always really wanted was a Drascombe lugger - again till I tried sailing one.
 
Have you thought about a cat? I fully understand a preference for pretty wooden monohulls, but cats don't tip over as easily, unless you are enjoying yourself too much.
 
Lakesailor, you seem to be a man perpetually looking for the "right" boat. It think you have had at least 3 in the short time I have been on the forum.

For what it's worth, I always thought Feckless suited your sort of sailing. So perhaos you need to be looking along those lines, but with a lifting keel and short light mast on a tabernackle so you can keep it in your boat house.

For me a dinghy is more of a boat for sport, than pottering about, and holds no interest for me. I like something with a cabin for a bit of comfort and a place to keep stuff, and I like a boat that is not "designed" to capsize.

Also I wouldn't want to be pottering about a lake on a boat that is sail only. We were out for a sail this morning and were becalmed (so much for the weather forecast then) and ended up motoring 2 miles back to the harbour. You could easilly be that far and more from your boat house, so I would want a backup, at least a pair of oars if not a motor.
 
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What about a Solent scow type? Simple trad rig and you sit in the bottom rather than back straining, seem to be sailed in Solent chop by kids and octogenarians equally..
With its short mast would go in 'that' boathouse a treat and really look the biz.
I believe there are subtle variants and the latest ones are half the weight of the early wood and GRP ones..
Sorry, posting from phone so no pics..
 
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