Wayfarer for a fat bloke

[Beelzebub]

I started sailing following the classic route of Cadets then Enterprises and then on to Ospreys and Lasers. After this I did a spell in Wayfarers and despite being out in some pretty robust weather, never came near to capsizing.

On one outing we found a broken-down 22ft. motor cruiser about two miles from the coast and towed it back into harbour (under sail).

Wayfarers have successfully performed all sorts of offshore trips such as sailing from the UK to Iceland.

All in all, a good, solid, forgiving boat.

 

[Bigplumbs]

I started sailing following the classic route of Cadets then Enterprises and then on to Ospreys and Lasers. After this I did a spell in Wayfarers and despite being out in some pretty robust weather, never came near to capsizing.

On one outing we found a broken-down 22ft. motor cruiser about two miles from the coast and towed it back into harbour (under sail).

Wayfarers have successfully performed all sorts of offshore trips such as sailing from the UK to Iceland.

All in all, a good, solid, forgiving boat.

So now I might be coming right back to where I started and thinking of getting a Wayfarer. If I don't like it it wont be a too costly mistake................... Hell some people bought Noddy Cars

 

[westernman]

So now I might be coming right back to where I started and thinking of getting a Wayfarer. If I don't like it it wont be a too costly mistake................... Hell some people bought Noddy Cars

I am sure you will like it.

But please, please, do the capsize drill at a sailing school. It will give you the degree of reassurance which you will appreciate later.

 

[Fr J Hackett]

And wear a suitable floatation device, a drysuit and several canisters of closed cell foam should do the trick, careful where you stick the nozzle.

 

[Bigplumbs]

I am sure you will like it.

But please, please, do the capsize drill at a sailing school. It will give you the degree of reassurance which you will appreciate later.

Mmmmm I do a lot of stuff but almost all is self taught not one for organised things

 

[wombat88]

If you are biggish and somewhat inlexible then any 'dinghy with a lid' is a bad idea, you'll never get inside.

You need a dinghy you sit in rather than sit on. Something like a Tideway, OK much smaller than a Drascombe much easier to launch and drag around a car park.

 

[Hurricane]

Mmmmm I do a lot of stuff but almost all is self taught not one for organised things

Yep - agreed - work it out for yourself - it isn't rocket science.
Just learn the basic points of sailing - beating (close hauled) - running and reaching.
Then use common sense to set the sails accordingly.
When you are shopping for a boat, there are things like "self bailers" and "transom flaps".
Self bailers are usually fitted about half way down between the bow and stern - they are wedge shaped and will suck any water out once the boat is moving.
Transom flaps are mounted in the transom and will let most of the water out after a capsize.
The weight of the water opens the flaps and inertia empties most of the water once yo start sailing again.
The self bailers will then take over to finish the job.
Not sure how/if a Wayfarer can accommodate transom flaps if there is a buoyancy tank/bag in the way.
Someone who knows the Wayfarer class will know.

 

[Bigplumbs]

If you are biggish and somewhat inlexible then any 'dinghy with a lid' is a bad idea, you'll never get inside.

You need a dinghy you sit in rather than sit on. Something like a Tideway, OK much smaller than a Drascombe much easier to launch and drag around a car park.

Just looked them up. Look very nice. Do they tip over easily

tideway dinghy - Google Suche

 

[ylop]

So now I might be coming right back to where I started and thinking of getting a Wayfarer. If I don't like it it wont be a too costly mistake................... Hell some people bought Noddy Cars

Mmmmm I do a lot of stuff but almost all is self taught not one for organised things

I suspect that will be your down fall here. Firstly because it’s an expensive way to “try it out” even if you are likely to get much of your money back - but you’ll only try one boat - even within wayfarers there were multiple marks and then slightly different personalisations: you won’t have any feel for a feature you don’t like being “just sailing” or something that is fixable. But more because there is a lot to learn - not just the physics of sailing, but the routines or “drills” which help make things go smoothly and avoid the problems that lead to capsizes etc.

Not doing a capsize practice would be crazy. If you don’t want to do it with a “school” find someone who knows what the are doing and let them use your rib to provide some safety cover - don’t just assume any rib helm is capable, there’s techniques to recovering a capsized dinghy from a RIB and you done want to be learning them by trial and error. Make sure they have a suitable rescue knife at hand / entraglement is the real risk.

If you are chunky beware of the temptation to do a “dry” capsize… larger people on an older centreboard leaping over the top can snap the board, and the more hesitant can invert (turtle) the boat: frightening for your crew if trapped in the hull, especially if no experienced rescue boat to intervene OR you do it somewhere shallow and get the mast stuck in the mud.

Not sure how/if a Wayfarer can accommodate transom flaps if there is a buoyancy tank/bag in the way.
Someone who knows the Wayfarer class will know.

Generally no (some people have made modifications for faster draining) but usually a flooded hull either involves sailing fast enough for the self bailers to work OR a bucket.

Just looked them up. Look very nice. Do they tip over easily

A tideway is not a ridiculous suggestion. If you abuse it, it will capsize. I think you need to clarify which bit concerns you (or Mrs BP) - is it heeling over or actually going beyond the point of no return and having a swim. Even then it will be subjective I’m sure experienced skippers with a suitably cautious approach never expect a tideway to capsize but novices learning for themselves making silly mistakes and pushing the limits could manage it easily.

But the main downside of a tideway is the amount of wood. That means a labour of love. If it was your only boat that might be fine - but you presumably have engines to service, trailers to maintain etc for the existing flotilla so aren’t looking for a woodwork project too? Probably my biggest boat ownership mistake was buying a wooden boat - I spent more time looking after it than sailing it.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Expensive. I can get one for £900 incl both trailers

 

[Seastoke]

Expensive. I can get one for £900 incl both trailers

Try an S23

 

[ylop]

Expensive. I can get one for £900 incl both trailers

Are you saying a wayfarer is cheap because you can buy one on a combi trailer and launching trolley for £900? That does sound like a good deal. Like any boat that sounds like a good deal how much cost and time are required to get it ready to sail? Would you even know what’s missing, seized, broken? The cheapest wayfarers are likely to be really old wooden ones (probably with some rot!) or have been sitting neglected for a few years, just getting it rigged will be a learning curve unless the previous owner was very thorough with labelling stuff etc.

But even if it’s literally ready to sail, £900 to buy a dinghy + the cost of launching and storing it, is an awful lot more expensive than a probably free come and try session at a local club! Or a course where you will come away with knowledge. Even just understanding the language will help you read / watch / ask about it.

I get the reluctance to actually join a club (they are full of people, and worse in a lot of sailing clubs those people are racing sailor types, obsessed with rules!), I even understand why you might not fancy the idea of a course - but if you want to avoid the boat tipping as you put it - a course will make a lot of difference. The self tuition option could work too - but sometimes that trial and error will go wrong so you are going to go for a swim then, in which case you really want to know what you are doing or have competent help around.

I’m really not trying to put you off. The joy that many people get from using just the wind to propel themselves is a great thing. My “concern” is that without some basic guidance you will not get to that point because you/MrsBP get a fright early on.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Are you saying a wayfarer is cheap because you can buy one on a combi trailer and launching trolley for £900? That does sound like a good deal. Like any boat that sounds like a good deal how much cost and time are required to get it ready to sail? Would you even know what’s missing, seized, broken? The cheapest wayfarers are likely to be really old wooden ones (probably with some rot!) or have been sitting neglected for a few years, just getting it rigged will be a learning curve unless the previous owner was very thorough with labelling stuff etc.

But even if it’s literally ready to sail, £900 to buy a dinghy + the cost of launching and storing it, is an awful lot more expensive than a probably free come and try session at a local club! Or a course where you will come away with knowledge. Even just understanding the language will help you read / watch / ask about it.

I get the reluctance to actually join a club (they are full of people, and worse in a lot of sailing clubs those people are racing sailor types, obsessed with rules!), I even understand why you might not fancy the idea of a course - but if you want to avoid the boat tipping as you put it - a course will make a lot of difference. The self tuition option could work too - but sometimes that trial and error will go wrong so you are going to go for a swim then, in which case you really want to know what you are doing or have competent help around.

I’m really not trying to put you off. The joy that many people get from using just the wind to propel themselves is a great thing. My “concern” is that without some basic guidance you will not get to that point because you/MrsBP get a fright early on.

They are all over Facebook Market place and eBay at about £900.

We only want to give it a go. I have 14 boats and this will be no 15. I am not moving over to sail just fancy a go at it. Storage will cost us nothing

 

[oldbloke]

I think that a wayfarer is an excellent choice, it's spacious enough, stable enough and has enough performance to be interesting, and if you don't like it, it is easily sold.
Although a grp dinghy will probably last forever the gear and especially the sails don't. Buying cheap can be very expensive especially if you don't know what to look for. Do you know a dinghy sailor who can assist with the purchase?.
I do like and admire (sometimes) your attitude to life and problems, but.... you have expressed concern about heeling and capsizing, there are also amounts of flapping and things banging your head. These are all sort out able but the learning curve can be brutal. It will go against the grain but , instruction will save a lot of grief and marital disharmony. What about one of the Mediterranean Schools, Ocean Elements, Nielson etc, warm water is much better for capsizing into.

 

[wombat88]

But the main downside of a tideway is the amount of wood. That means a labour of love. If it was your only boat that might be fine - but you presumably have engines to service, trailers to maintain etc for the existing flotilla so aren’t looking for a woodwork project too? Probably my biggest boat ownership mistake was buying a wooden boat - I spent more time looking after it than sailing it.

Tideways are available in GRP with only a little wood.

Tideway Owners' Association

 

[ylop]

They are all over Facebook Market place and eBay at about £900.

That may not be a good thing! If you want to resell your 900 experiment you have a lot of competition. What it tells me is there are a lot of unloved wayfarers around, perhaps not selling because those in the know would spend double the money on a better specimen.

We only want to give it a go. I have 14 boats and this will be no 15. I am not moving over to sail just fancy a go at it. Storage will cost us nothing

You were talking about keeping it on a mooring.

 

[ylop]

Tideways are available in GRP with only a little wood.

Tideway Owners' Association

That’s good. Jeez they aren’t cheap are they!

 

[Bigplumbs]

That may not be a good thing! If you want to resell your 900 experiment you have a lot of competition. What it tells me is there are a lot of unloved wayfarers around, perhaps not selling because those in the know would spend double the money on a better specimen.

You were talking about keeping it on a mooring.

My mooring costs £110 per year. I would not worry about the resale. £900 is not a lot of money to many people. I have a Porche Boxer in a garage that I have not seen for 12 years. I dont let these things worry me. Many people try to make me worry but I cut them off usually. Our only Child sadly died before they were born, then her indoors could not have any more, So no one to leave anything to except my Nieces and Nephews and they will have what is left.As I have said many many times there is only one way to waste money and that is not to spend it. The one thing you should not waste is time. Time is the most valuable thing we all have

 

[Bigplumbs]

I think that a wayfarer is an excellent choice, it's spacious enough, stable enough and has enough performance to be interesting, and if you don't like it, it is easily sold.
Although a grp dinghy will probably last forever the gear and especially the sails don't. Buying cheap can be very expensive especially if you don't know what to look for. Do you know a dinghy sailor who can assist with the purchase?.
I do like and admire (sometimes) your attitude to life and problems, but.... you have expressed concern about heeling and capsizing, there are also amounts of flapping and things banging your head. These are all sort out able but the learning curve can be brutal. It will go against the grain but , instruction will save a lot of grief and marital disharmony. What about one of the Mediterranean Schools, Ocean Elements, Nielson etc, warm water is much better for capsizing into.

You are correct in muchof that post. I do however have a dinghy sailing friend who I might persuade to give us a first few lessons

 

[ylop]

on

My mooring costs £110 per year. I would not worry about the resale.

Is that a drying mooring? Wayfarers are fairly sturdy but beware if it could land on any mooring tackle etc. if you’ve managed to get a swing mooring in all states of tide in the south of England - well done. Is it just a coincidence that £110 is the CEC fee for a private mooring? If it is private (and potentially even if through an association) you will have maintenance costs on top.

£900 is not a lot of money to many people.

True and if you want to spend that to see if you like it - fair enough. Of course for some people it’s a huge amount of money and egregiously splashing a grand to see if you like sailing might seem crazy.

no one to leave anything to except my Nieces and Nephews and they will have what is left.

Your money, your choice. But you could leave money to either a charity or in trust to specifically do things you would like to see after you have gone.

The one thing you should not waste is time. Time is the most valuable thing we all have

And what I and others are trying to suggest is that the most time efficient way to learn to sail, is with an experienced instructor. The time spend buying the wrong boat, and selling it is time you will never get back.

If you have a dinghy sailing friend - why don’t you ask him if he’d take you out on his boat to see if you enjoy the experience?