Going all Swallows and Amazons....

[BarryH]

My 2 daughters want to learn to sail. They've been sparked into the idea after looking at ancient photo's of me in my yoof sailing an Enterprise etc etc. I'm in a quandry. The ideal dinghy seems to be the trusted Mirror, but being just 10 feet odd long room would be the issue. I've seen a GP14 at reasonable cost which would give more room, but its a less forgiving boat.
That and once they get the hang of it, it maybe a bit more than 2 girls could handle...sail area etc etc

My gut instict tells me to go with the mirror option, but the yoof sailor in me says get the GP. We'll mailnly use it around Poole/Chichester with the odd bit of lake sailing near home by me single handed.

Apart from the 2 boats above is there anything else I should be looking at. I've discounted the likes of Wayfarers due to price. A decent one going for over 2K.

 

[stevebrassett]

From past experience, GPs are very heavy. Will they be able to launch/recover by themselves? Mirrors are surprisingly roomy - as a callow youth, I have been sailing with four teenagers in one. How about an Enterprise?

The other thing to consider is that, if they get the bug, they might want to join a club, so it may be worth investigating what fleet racing there is around Poole.

 

[seumask]

Depending on your woodworking skills, strongly consider plastic boat, We managed to find a Plastic Gull eg http://www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk/view/F176920, Similar to Mirror but much more comfortable, with higher boom, good sitting in and comfortable sides to sit on for £600, carries two adults( admitedly not large) and 3 children (3 to 7 years old ) comfortably. Also considered Graduate, Wanderer ( a bit big plus expensive) Foxer.

 

[Skyva_2]

Mirror and Gull are both nice boats, the Mirror may have a better resale market. We managed 2 adults and 2 small girls in a Mirror on Coniston - into the harbour on Wildcat Island!

The weight of a GP would make it very hard to handle. What you may find is that both want to helm and you end up with 2 plastic single hander boats eg Topper, Lightning!

You can also rig a Mirror for single handed sailing.

 

[NealB]

Before buying, ask around your local clubs - some may have club boats they can use for nothing, or very cheaply.

Then, if they really take to it, they're likely to want a Topper, Pico, Laser etc, or something brightly coloured with asymetric, trapeze etc, rather than a staid Mirror, Gull, GP, Heron (ah...happy memories from the 1960's on the Crouch in Heron 157, 'Howzat'), or whatever.

Don't rush in throwing money around, unless you want to!

 

[Lakesailor]

Or a Heron.
Slightly longer than a Mirror, but half-decked, so maybe not that much extra capacity. You'll buy a Heron in very good condition for not a lot of money. A grp one for £800 Here

Very good for the Secret Harbour.

 

[Achillesheel]

Been there, done that. My daughter Sarah was probably about ten when I sent her off on her own in our Mirror on a small lake. We had been sailing together for some time, and I was confident she could go solo, even if she wasn't. So I asked her to bring us to the shore, and as we approached I leapt out, and shoved her off again. After shouting some abuse, she realised she was actually enjoying herself and was very reluctant to come back in when we asked her to.

You haven't said how old your girls are. But a mirror would be ideal; very forgiving, but sailed well can go fast enough to make it interesting.

Launching/recovery is definitely something to bear in mind - a mirror should be within their capabilities if they are old enough to sail the thing without their dad.

If they are not old enough to go without you, the mirror will happily accomodate you as well.

 

[BarryH]

The girls are 9 and 11 going on 19 and 21! They're used to being on the water. The eldest helmed back from Yarmouth to Poole at 20 odd knots. Ok I was standing behind her within reach of throttle and wheel. A good job of it she did too, spotting a few pot marks before me. Less said about that the better!

As far as launching goes I think Dad will be doing the donkey work there, kids have that knack.

 

[Athene V30]

[ QUOTE ]
My 2 daughters want to learn to sail

[/ QUOTE ]
So did my sons, I bought a Firefly (used to sail them when I was at school) and it was probably used 5 times in first year and not at all last year.

Hope you do better than me!

 

[sarabande]

I'll second the Mirror advice. High resale value in case they really don't take to sailing, and easily transportable/handled ashore.

Ahem, /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif , I know someone with a good example for sale, complete with launching and road trolley, boat cover, spare stainless rigging.... Unfortunately my daughter, oops !, has transferred her affection to a Wayfarer and some stallion round the corner.

 

[oughtoc]

Mirror for a 9 & 11 requirement. No doubt. GP14 lovely boat, but adult sized.

that said most kids like single handers and they are getting topper aged.

enjoy

 

[reginaldon]

I second the vote for the Heron - handles better than the Mirror , more room to move about, light and a good sail, son and I sailed 12 miles goose winged up Channel from dead calm near Dungeness in an increasing sea up to the top end of Force 5 , sadly few left.

 

[Ruffles]

[ QUOTE ]
My 2 daughters want to learn to sail....The ideal dinghy seems to be the trusted Mirror...

[/ QUOTE ]

These girls seem to enjoy sailing a Mirror. Doesn't look very Swallows and Amazons though.

"Anna MacKenzie from Kendal and Holly Scott from the Midlands have just come back from South Africa, where they won the title of world champions sailing Mirror class dinghies. Anna's 18 and just coming up to A levels at Kirbie Kendal school."

 

[baggypipes]

definately go for the mirror, safe, easy to handle on & off the water, can give them a great thrill, i took one regular across to the IOW from Fareham, sailed one for years.
If you get wooden you could teach them to maintain it that would give more responsibility towards all aspects of boat owning.
good luck

 

[Lakesailor]

Probably Mirror will win out. Heron's don't have so many fleets around.

Plenty of Mirrors up here, kids love 'em.

 

[FinesseChris]

Hi

A vote for the Mirror: safe, forgiving yet fun. As a bit of a wild card, look out for a contraption called a Thames Turtle: it is GRP, round bow, but uses a Mirror standard rig, rudder etc. Built-in buoyancy and a small foredeck. Bit heavier than a Mirror but easier to look after and good to sail. We found one on EBay.

And do try clubs: most kids I know get as much out of the social side as they do out of the sailing: camping weekends, BBQs, evenings just messing about on the water (under supervision...)

Have fun

Chris

 

[jema]

a lateral thougt for you - my kids are 9 & 12...and i used to teach dinghies - unfortunatley anything wood or old fashioned looking just isnt regarded as cool any more (sorry)- if you want to get them into the sport, let them try at a sailing club first - the kids we've got here all love toppers but if you want the two up option i'd look at pico's & feva's, both have various options available from basis to high spec, pottering to racing, the plastic moulding hull is far more forgiving than a mirror etc, they dont rot, so you dont have to keep checking them... and they're instantly resellable -

 

[Lakesailor]

Good reasoning.


.....except that when Harbour Films do the remake of Swallows and Amazons it'll be cool to have an "old" boat all over again.

BBC and Swallows and Amazons

 

[hlb]

Me and my kids learned on a National Ospray, There seemed more room in it for four of us a the labrador. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Searush]

Get 'em a mirror for now & if they take to it, get a topper/ laser as a step up. If not, you'll get your money back on the mirror.

Alternatively, if they are really competetive, you may find an optomist will offer better racing for them.