Wayfarer for a fat bloke

[Bigplumbs]

Very happy with our various motorboats but thought we might turn our hand to a little sailing.

Was thinking about a Wayfarer second hand. How suitable do you think these are for 2 people 60 years old and one quite large but able to ping about quite well.

Would need to fit a small outboard to get away from the launch point

 

[The Q]

The sailing would be fine it's perfect for that, but it's a heavy boat if your slipway is steep / long and you have to launch by hand. Unfortunately any boat suitable for larger people is likely to be heavy in itself.

 

[Refueler]

Classic and capable.

 

[Bigplumbs]

The sailing would be fine it's perfect for that, but it's a heavy boat if your slipway is steep / long and you have to launch by hand. Unfortunately any boat suitable for larger people is likely to be heavy in itself.

Thanks for that. Our slipway is quite good and I could possibly leave it on a small mooring we have

 

[Refueler]

Thanks for that. Our slipway is quite good and I could possibly leave it on a small mooring we have

If you leave on a mooring ... a cheap Seaflo auto bilge pump ... pipe overside ... a small 7 - 12A/Hr SLA battery as used in House Alarms ... a 10 - 20W solar panel just clipped on .. will look after the boat and reduce chance of flooding. No need to install permanently etc.
I used that on my 5m soviet motor boat for years .. only changed to a larger battery this year as I have more gear fitted to it now.

 

[sarabande]

I had one for several years, based at one of the Civil Service clubs to the west of London. They are heavy boats, but delightful to sail, until they tip over. If you haven't arranged the buoyancy properly, then you will need outside help.

Why do you need an outboard to get away from the launch point ? That's what the flappy bits and paddles do. Perhaps try giving up your dependency on bits of circular metal going up and down and round and round. Other people will thank you for being quiet.

https://imgur.com/a/K5eGJMI

 

[RunAgroundHard]

It is an excellent choice of boat. However, like all dinghies that size, getting under the boom when tacking or gybing if large size and stiff, can be a hassle. Look for the transom mounted mainsheet as opposed to the centre mainsheet; aft mainsheet is more room to manoeuvre. I own one and cruise with its, but do not have an outboard, I use oars, sometimes rigged through row locks, sometimes just a single oar as a paddle, hence an outboard is not required.

I now struggle on steep slipways and will buy a tow bar winch to haul it up the slip. I use a combo trailer with launching trolley as it saves the trailer wheels from getting wet. Carry a couple of spare wheels with tyres for spares.

Issues
Floor boards on older ones can be damaged such that they need replacing and this is not obvious, so take a good look.
Aft water tight compartment locks are crap on earlier models and the lid always comes loose. There should be foam or polystyrene in that space, not always, but it is there on some models.
Self draining bailers in the hull tend to be damaged, low cost item easy to replace.
If you capsize, they will turn turtle. There are mast head floats and mast head water activated floats and even sail head floats built into the sail to stop turning turtle. Understand how to right one, but if only sailing in light winds, you will be fine. But the big issue is entrapment under the hull if it did go over. Easy to breath but easy to panic as well.
They fill with water and can be difficult to bail out as they sit very, very low in the water. You need speed for the self bailers to work. There is a modification to run self draining tubes through the aft flotation chamber to the stern that works very well and is recommend if large volume of water is a realistic probability.

Spare parts are very low cost, very active owners association, insurance is about £75 a year, if even that. I have the MarkII SD, which has a solid built in floor, not floor boards, designed to be kept on moorings so it can fill with water, and if the self draining bailers are left open, rain water will drain out the bottom. Bit this model floats high and will turn turtle, the other models may not.

Good choice, Drascombs are also a good choice, more stable, but more expensive.

 

[stelican]

Can you both swim?

 

[benjenbav]

Personally, @60+ if I was looking for something small to sail, I’d go for a keelboat that would not have a risk of capsize. It’s very stressful trying to pull oneself onto the centreboard of an upturned dinghy and get it upright again and if you have any doubts over the functionality of your cardiovascular system, you might want to avoid the possibility of testing it.

 

[Dino]

Have a look for something like a Hunter 19 keelboat. It’s the same hull and rig as a Squib but they have a decent size cockpit and a small cabin

 

[Boathook]

Ive always fancied a hawk 20. Lifting keel / centre board. Not something to raise the mast for each day but can live on a mooring. Can also have a cuddy for shelter.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Personally, @60+ if I was looking for something small to sail, I’d go for a keelboat that would not have a risk of capsize. It’s very stressful trying to pull oneself onto the centreboard of an upturned dinghy and get it upright again and if you have any doubts over the functionality of your cardiovascular system, you might want to avoid the possibility of testing it.

What would you suggest

 

[Fantasie 19]

What would you suggest

Seawych, Corribee, Hurley 20, Leisure 17, Vivacity - oldies but goldies, and basically just 'dinghies with lids', they can also be bought for reasonable money

 

[benjenbav]

What would you suggest

I like Cornish Shrimper 19s. The main criticisms are that they’re expensive for what they are and they don’t go very fast.

But, what are they? To my mind a pleasing design, with a manageable rig and if you go for the outboard version there’s so little to go wrong. Plus a bit of space to put the kettle on and - if you’re used to camping - enough space to overnight.

Trailable too.

 

[Refueler]

Seawych, Corribee, Hurley 20, Leisure 17, Vivacity - oldies but goldies, and basically just 'dinghies with lids', they can also be bought for reasonable money

Don't forget the Alacrity 19 ..... a very good boat that can take the rough with the smooth ...

 

[Refueler]

What would you suggest

I would love to have a Wayfarer where I am .... guy sails past my house with a similar boat ... makes me jealous !!

 

[ylop]

Would need to fit a small outboard to get away from the launch point

It’s very tempting as a dinghy cruiser to add an outboard, but the are an extra faff, upset the balance on smaller boats, disturb the tranquility of sailing (you may not yet appreciate that but will) and can get tangled in an aft main sheet or require you to take it off and store it… don’t discount oars. Good oars will make a big difference. Most dinghy sailors simply sail off the slip - are you sure that’s impossible?

thought we might turn our hand to a little sailing.

are you planning to teach yourself? Go on a course? Join a club? The learning curve is quite steep, especially if you need to learn to think properly about tides etc (1 knot current is barely noticeable to your rib - but will be significant in a wayfarer). Perhaps you already know the ropes. If you don’t - I’d go learn the basics and try as many boats as you can in the process.

Was thinking about a Wayfarer second hand. How suitable do you think these are for 2 people 60 years old and one quite large but able to ping about quite well.

In terms of the “true” dinghies as suitable as you will get. Potentially cheaper option might be GP14? Laser Stratos for something more “modern”.

The sailing would be fine it's perfect for that, but it's a heavy boat if your slipway is steep / long and you have to launch by hand.

Plumbs is used to moving rib with decent outboard so is presumably competent at reversing and using a car on slipway to help. BUT he might want to give serious thought to where he keeps it - the hassle of raising and lowering the mast each time was the killer for my dinghy cruising days. I nearly got a Cat Ketch Rigged Topper Cruz because it seemed to simplify that.

Drascombs are also a good choice, more stable, but more expensive.

There is something very calming about a drascombe and if you did want an outboard in that sort of size boat for low speed, calm sailing it would need to be on your consideration list! But they are even heavier on land (but IMHO more suitable for leaving on a mooring).

Expense won’t be a problem - BP is always telling us the only way to waste money is not to spend it.

I like Cornish Shrimper 19s. The main criticisms are that they’re expensive for what they are

I hankered after a shrimper for ages. Then I got on one and realised how cramped they are. For that sort of money you have to love the aesthetic enough to forgive the practicalities. There’s far cheaper but uglier weekenders around. Not sure if BP is planning to actually “camp” aboard the wayfarer. He’s just bought a van to make a camper so in those shoes I’d probably sleep in the van!

Seawych, Corribee, Hurley 20, Leisure 17, Vivacity - oldies but goldies, and basically just 'dinghies with lids', they can also be bought for reasonable money

Don’t forget with some of these boats that are almost the same age as the OP, the reasonable money can easily be doubled on rigging, sails etc just to get it in good shape - unless you get lucky!

 

[ProDave]

Another recommendation for a Leisure 17, lovely little boats, fun to sail and very sea worthy and a dry cabin for all your kit.

 

[westernman]

It is worth spending some dosh on a week's dinghy sailing course. Try and find a school with Wayfarers. They used to be extremely popular (and rightly so) with schools. But it is a long time since I checked on schools.

A Wayfarer is not difficult to right - even if turned turtle if you a reasonably heavy (e.g. over 80kg).
It is a struggle for a light 12 year old kid though.

But you need to learn the technique and tricks to do it. And it is much better to learn how to do it, before you need to do it in earnest.

None of the other recommendations I have seen above will be as rewarding to sail as a Wayfarer.

For launching, definitely get the winch to attach to the tow bar. It will make recovery a doddle.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Heck lots of thoughts here. Head is spinning.

We generally just want to splash out a couple of grand or so to give it a go. The shrimper or crabber is way over this. And some of the others mentioned are much larger than I think we want.

We will only use it in calm conditions so the wayfarer might still be the way to go but did not know about the tipping over bit.

This would not be to stay on or in. We have a motor home, camper van. Caravan and many tents for that

I can reverse anything and launch so that is no issue. Better have a little think.