Large sailing dinghy

[fireball]

If you are going to stay in the Medway area I would recommend the Wayfarer as they are sailed at the Medway Yacht Club and the Wilsonian Sailing Club. If you join either of those you could keep them there and make use of the club facilities. Certainly MYC has Wayfarers ranging from very old to very new so plenty of help and advice would be available. The club also hosted the Championships earlier this year.
As other have said the Wayfarer is an excellent all round boat. Stable and safe for pottering whilst being raced keenly by those that want too. It is also used widely by sailing schools. If you get a plastic one you won;t have to do much maintenance.

Good point ...

it's ok having a chuckabout boat - but if you can get help in rigging it correctly then it will perform better for less effort ...

 

[Kelpie]

Also if you get a well known type, you'll find it easier to get second hand or borrowed equipment (and advice, as mentioned already).

Incidentally, the more modern Wayfarers (World onwards) have no wooden parts, so zero maintenance. Well I suppose you could polish the gelcoat if you were really bored.

 

[ianat182]

Just a couple of further options for you are the Devon Yawl(with or without the small cuddy) and the Y W Dayboat both good durable sailing boats with simulated clinker finish in GRP, or the genuine timber version. Both are heavyish and stable and can be left on a mooring safely; the yawl can be sailed without the mizzen or reefed down with mizzen and foresail only. They aren't cheap; around £3500-4K for a good one,and they do well in handicap club racing. I believe they both have National championships for each class if racing is your interest.
+1 for the Wayfarer too.


ianat182