Suggestions for a family dinghy

[Rad26]

Can anyone suggest a boat that meets the following requirements; good for a young family to learn to sail, easy to launch from a beach, to rig, to trailer etc. Needs to be safe and stable, easy to sail and with the scope to fit a small outboard. All suggestions welcome ! Thanks.

 

[howardclark]

Signet, wayfarer,wanderer

 

[jimmyk]

Yachting world 14' day boat. I had one for years. Plastic or wood. Nice and stable with steel centre plate. Can cruise gently or race if you fancy it. Rules allow two crew. My two boys used to race with me. W e always came last but it was a good boat. Bit heavy but nice boat. It's a dinghy though (open boat) so not sure if suitable

 

[ianc1200]

If a Swallows and Amazons type dinghy suits, look at a 12' Smacks Boat. GRP simulated clinker, see current edition of Watercraft or

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilP042qHb70

(connection is very satisfied customer)

 

[Romeo]

"Easy to Launch from the Beach" and "safe/ stable/ easy to sail" are slightly difficult to square as to me the former dictates that the boat should be light, and the latter that the boat should be fairly sturdy. I think the best compromise is probably the Wanderer.

However if sailing performance is less important you might want to think of a Vivier designed Ilur. Simple rig, sit in rather than on, oars for small people to enjoy boat handling with. All together a good holiday boat.

 

[jamie N]

10 square metre canoe; I've had a bad day!
Seriously a Wayfarer takes a bit of beating, perhaps an Enterprise?

 

[wombat88]

I would suggest a Tideway, look up the association website...but then I am just about to put one up for sale!

Michael

 

[Dave_Seager]

My brother and I learned to sail in a Heron dinghy and I think that they are still being made. They are very hard to capsize but only 11' 3" long so easy to launch and recover. If you go for the gunter rig then all of the spars fit inside the boat for easy transport and storage. They will also take a small outboard quite happily.

 

[jwilson]

Signet, wayfarer,wanderer

Wayfarer remarkably heavy, Wanderer not much lighter. Have sailed both quite a lot, preferring the Wayfarer except when ashore and the slipway steep.

I would suggest a wooden Enterprise is just as good as a Wanderer, lighter but with possibly more usable space inside, older ones often had proper rowlocks, and if you put a smaller sails cruising rig up (there is an "official" cruising sailplan) very manageable. I also used an outboard on mine at times. The "cruising rig" idea makes almost any planing dinghy much more civilised as a pottering boat.

I love the look of the Ilur but it is also very heavy. When I started dinghy sailing in the 1960s I lusted after cruising dinghies such as the Drascombes - till I sailed one. After sailing dinghes that can plane anything that doesn't is very dull, and I found that you could always reduce sail if needed on a planing boat.

 

[DownWest]

Wayfarer remarkably heavy, Wanderer not much lighter. Have sailed both quite a lot, preferring the Wayfarer except when ashore and the slipway steep.

I would suggest a wooden Enterprise is just as good as a Wanderer, lighter but with possibly more usable space inside, older ones often had proper rowlocks, and if you put a smaller sails cruising rig up (there is an "official" cruising sailplan) very manageable. I also used an outboard on mine at times. The "cruising rig" idea makes almost any planing dinghy much more civilised as a pottering boat.

I love the look of the Ilur but it is also very heavy. When I started dinghy sailing in the 1960s I lusted after cruising dinghies such as the Drascombes - till I sailed one. After sailing dinghes that can plane anything that doesn't is very dull, and I found that you could always reduce sail if needed on a planing boat.

Family and Learning do not mix well with planing. So, perhaps a slightly conservative dinghy until the family decide their tastes. Quite easy to put people off with a demanding racer.

 

[PeterV]

I'm amazed that no one has yet suggested the Mirror, this is the brief it was designed for!

 

[jamie N]

I'm amazed that no one has yet suggested the Mirror, this is the brief it was designed for!

I've always thought it too small for a family to learn in, more for the family's kids to learn how to sail on their own in. Certainly a very good boat though.

 

[jwilson]

Family and Learning do not mix well with planing. So, perhaps a slightly conservative dinghy until the family decide their tastes. Quite easy to put people off with a demanding racer.

You can make any dinghy (except maybe 49ers/Int Canoes/Moths etc) family friendly with reduced sail. A suit of secondhand smaller sails is very cheap. And you can add power when you get used to it. I say the same about cruising boats - you can always slow a fast boat down (and often they become much nicer to handle) but you can't speed up a slow one.

 

[wombat88]

Here's a wooden Tideway

IMG_1991 by dralowid, on Flickr

They come grp too. Will take a small outboard and also the spars fit within the boat which makes 'em great for trailing and storage. Stable, safe etc etc

I don't agree with the idea of trying to slow fast boats down, particularly after a summer of experimenting with an old Merlin. The quick boats are much less stable and far more likely to give the family a fright before they have mastered the art

 

[blackbeard]

Everyone will have their own favourite.... mine's a GP14. Wood, Mk 1 (almost indestructible), as it happens, although much to be said for the more solidly made glass boats. Being practical about it .. there really isn't all that much to choose between GP14, Wanderers, Wayfarers etc although possibly, second-hand, Wanderers and recent Wayfarers might be a bit more pricey than others.
I have also been impressed by Comet Trio, good general purpose boat and sails quite nicely.

Something to avoid like the plague - some modern designs which are difficult to recover when capsized; some turn turtle very easily and quickly. Definitely NOT suitable for family use. Whatever the boatbuilder says, and however easily an experienced racing crew can right them.

On price - remember that you will probably need a decent trailer, these are not cheap.

Much will depend on the maximum weight you can live with. All boats are too heavy when you are dragging them up the slipway. Some of the traditionally made boats will probably be too heavy to be practical unless you have a mooring.

Unless you have some way to go, oars can be more useful than an outboard, though it's hard to row into a strong wind.

Very important point - you MUST be able to reef the sails. Slab reefing best. Ideally should be possible afloat. Roller reefing around boom isn't always possible, even if it is, it's a lousy system and wrecks the sail. A smaller jib can be handy.

Remember that any unballasted boat can capsize, and you MUST be able to deal with a capsize. But then, a ballasted boat can sink.

Join a club or association which does dinghy cruising.

And ... have fun.

 

[sampeeter]

My initial suggestion would be to see what your local sailing club has a large fleet of and buy one of those.

The reasoning being that the other members will only be too happy to help you become a better sailor with specific advice about that particular boat as opposed to generic advice which is all they could give if you have one of the only boats of that type at the club.

My second suggestion is why do you need a boat that you can sail with them?

Why not get them into something like a Feva if you want them to go double handed or probably better get them into single handers (optomists, teras, picos, qbars) and get yourself something like a laser.

You could then get the children into the kids/youth club at your local sailing club and the kids will learn a lot more a lot faster and more importantly enjoy it a lot more than "sailing with Dad".

 

[PhillM]

My initial suggestion would be to see what your local sailing club has a large fleet of and buy one of those.

The reasoning being that the other members will only be too happy to help you become a better sailor with specific advice about that particular boat as opposed to generic advice which is all they could give if you have one of the only boats of that type at the club.

My second suggestion is why do you need a boat that you can sail with them?

Why not get them into something like a Feva if you want them to go double handed or probably better get them into single handers (optomists, teras, picos, qbars) and get yourself something like a laser.

You could then get the children into the kids/youth club at your local sailing club and the kids will learn a lot more a lot faster and more importantly enjoy it a lot more than "sailing with Dad".

+1 for joining a club. Most clubs have club boats that you can loan or hire for a modest fee. You can then have a go and decide what suits your family best.

Mu suspicion is that needs will change fairly quickly. I remember being about 6 and learning in a mirror with grandad, mum, sister and myself all crammed in. Later we joined a club and mum and step sailed a GP 14 and I had a topper, then laser. I also got to crew on loads of boats.

If you say where you are, I am sure someone on here will be able to recommend a club and maybe even arrange a test sail for you.

 

[Mandarin331]

How about a Drascombe, either a scaffie or. Lugger stable and great for everyone to learn together in,

 

[wombat88]

The suggestion of joining a club is a very good one.

A family membership may seem expensive but the good clubs have an awful lot going on and are excellent at catering for children (as well as having a bar). Watching children (and adults for that matter) going 'solo' for the first time in a club boat is to watch their confidence growing by leaps and bounds. Choosing a boat can come later. I don't know where you are but I am sure people can come up with recommendations. Once you have learnt the ropes you don't need to stay with the club but you probably will..

 

[Iain C]

4 important questions OP

1-You have posted in the wooden boat forum. Does it have to be wood?
2-How big is your family? Is this one small 5 year old and you, or another adult and 3 kids at once?
3-Where are you planning on sailing, and will you tow the boat there by car each time or just leave the boat rigged?
4-What is your budget?