Wayfarer for a fat bloke

[Bigplumbs]

I think you might have a somewhat distorted idea of the used dinghy market if you believe that ex-sailing school boats are a significant percentage of the boats available. And you weren't talking about any 30 year old boat; you made a specific, provably false, claim about all Wayfarers. I realize that you're trying to help but I can't see how your statement has done that.

Quite.

 

[The Q]

Tuning the W mast

I'll point out a racing wayfarer ( or practically any adjustable mast racing dinghy) will often be set up to have more weather helm than a newbie would be comfortable with.
Especially here on the broads, to a certain extent, weather helm helps pointing. So here sailing on the rivers of the Norfolk broads, they are set up that way, gaining a point of two going up wind makes a big difference.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Tuning the W mast

I'll point out a racing wayfarer ( or practically any adjustable mast racing dinghy) will often be set up to have more weather helm than a newbie would be comfortable with.
Especially here on the broads, to a certain extent, weather helm helps pointing. So here sailing on the rivers of the Norfolk broads, they are set up that way, gaining a point of two going up wind makes a big difference.

However, he won’t be buying a racing one, just whatever he can find as long as it’s cheap. Knackered sails, few decent controls, probably bugger all buoyancy. Any pre Hartley wayfarer is fairly rubbish anyway by modern standards. And newer ones are Expensive, capital E.

 

[Bigplumbs]

However, he won’t be buying a racing one, just whatever he can find as long as it’s cheap. Knackered sails, few decent controls, probably bugger all buoyancy. Any pre Hartley wayfarer is fairly rubbish anyway by modern standards. And newer ones are Expensive, capital E.

I fear you have absolutely no idea what is available to buy and what you get for £1000. Have you even bothered to look or do you even know how or where to look. Are you aware of places such as Facebook Market Place, Ebay, Gumtree etc. You also seem incapable of understanding what it is I want. I have come to learn that your advice is quite frankly not worth listening to

 

[Puffin10032]

Tuning the W mast

I'll point out a racing wayfarer ( or practically any adjustable mast racing dinghy) will often be set up to have more weather helm than a newbie would be comfortable with.
Especially here on the broads, to a certain extent, weather helm helps pointing. So here sailing on the rivers of the Norfolk broads, they are set up that way, gaining a point of two going up wind makes a big difference.

I think the idea that weather helm helps pointing is an old wives tale. The rudder, unless centered (implying neutral helm), acts as a brake. The slower you go the less efficient your keel/centreboard is in resisting leeway so you make more leeway. Many dinghy classes now sail with some rake (i..e. not fully down) on their centreboards as the wind increases to ensure than the helm stays neutral on the beat (I was taught to do this when I started sailing Ospreys in the early 1970s). Conventional "wisdom" at the time held that a raked board would would flex to windward and create a negative angle of attack. This is true but is more than outweighed by not having the brakes on at the transom. And you're completely wrong about setting up Wayfarers. I could link to many, many videos of Wayfarers (both cruising and racing) showing them with neutral helm. There is an argument that a beginner's boat should have a slight weather helm but that's like training wheels on a child's bicycle.

 

[ylop]

I fear you have absolutely no idea what is available to buy and what you get for £1000. Have you even bothered to look or do you even know how or where to look. Are you aware of places such as Facebook Market Place, Ebay, Gumtree etc. You also seem incapable of understanding what it is I want. I have come to learn that your advice is quite frankly not worth listening to

At that money what sails are you getting? I’m guessing a full suite of new sails will be more than a grand even without looking at race winning materials.

For simple leisure sailing I’d want a furling headsail.
Most boats will be rigged to reef by wrapping around the boom - if the boat has been cruised it may have slab reefing - that makes it easier to rig the Kicker and also stop boom “drop”. There are ways to do this with round the boom - but that’s more trial and error if you don’t do a course.

Big decision is potentially centre or aft mainsheet - as it will cost a lot to switch that.

Will you always sail with crew? I’ve sailed a wayfarer singlehanded - it’s ok if you know what you are doing and have pontoon to use for rigging / de rigging etc. I’m not sure I’d fancy hoisting sails or reefing alone. Are you going to put mast up each time you use it? I kept a dinghy like that for a season - I’d not do it again (with a stayed mast). It would almost make singlehanding impossible. If you are going to keep it on the mooring then think about a cover and if it can be fitted from inside the boat - a good cover could cost most of your budget!

I presume you’ll take anchor, paddle, vhf, compass etc from one of the other boats.

 

[snowbird30ds]

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

Have you considered going for the wayfarer and getting shot of the fat bloke?
Sorry more a question for the wife.....

 

[Bigplumbs]

Have you considered going for the wayfarer and getting shot of the fat bloke?
Sorry more a question for the wife.....

Been together 40 years. How are you doing

 

[Bigplumbs]

At that money what sails are you getting? I’m guessing a full suite of new sails will be more than a grand even without looking at race winning materials.

For simple leisure sailing I’d want a furling headsail.
Most boats will be rigged to reef by wrapping around the boom - if the boat has been cruised it may have slab reefing - that makes it easier to rig the Kicker and also stop boom “drop”. There are ways to do this with round the boom - but that’s more trial and error if you don’t do a course.

Big decision is potentially centre or aft mainsheet - as it will cost a lot to switch that.

Will you always sail with crew? I’ve sailed a wayfarer singlehanded - it’s ok if you know what you are doing and have pontoon to use for rigging / de rigging etc. I’m not sure I’d fancy hoisting sails or reefing alone. Are you going to put mast up each time you use it? I kept a dinghy like that for a season - I’d not do it again (with a stayed mast). It would almost make singlehanding impossible. If you are going to keep it on the mooring then think about a cover and if it can be fitted from inside the boat - a good cover could cost most of your budget!

I presume you’ll take anchor, paddle, vhf, compass etc from one of the other boats.

You need to learn to type less. I fear you would complicate having a crap

 

[ylop]

You need to learn to type less. I fear you would complicate having a crap

You really don’t want to learn to sail or buy a wayfarer at all do you?

 

[Hurricane]

You need to learn to type less. I fear you would complicate having a crap

Actually, I thought @ylop made a lot of sense.
IMHO, the points in his post are very relevant.
His rigging advice brought back lots of memories.
With the sails up. the boat has to be (more or less) "head to wind" which can make a pontoon launch a challenge for us fat blokes - crawling over the fore deck with the jib flapping etc.
But all his points are worth considering.

 

[Bigplumbs]

You really don’t want to learn to sail or buy a wayfarer at all do you?

Not correct and despite me being on here for years you don't know me at all. I buy more stuff than most on here put together. I will buy one and will learn to sail it myself. I have received a lot of good advice. your advice just goes way over the top and boggles a persons mind. You need to buy something first before you can begin to understand it. If I buy incorrectly I does not matter at all. You cant take money with you and the only way to waste money is not to spend it. You said in an earlier post that you were done with advising me but you cant help yourself can you

 

[Bigplumbs]

Actually, I thought @ylop made a lot of sense.
IMHO, the points in his post are very relevant.
His rigging advice brought back lots of memories.
With the sails up. the boat has to be (more or less) "head to wind" which can make a pontoon launch a challenge for us fat blokes - crawling over the fore deck with the jib flapping etc.
But all his points are worth considering.

Well maybe for you but in short he bangs on in far too much detail.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

A new Wayfarer cruising main and jib is about £800. Wayfarers can be incredibly low cost to run and maintain because there are so many of them around. I taught dinghy sailing and cruised in Wayfarers an age ago. Hence why I wanted to own a dinghy and cruise again, I bought an old council sailing school wayfarer, SD MkII hull. Like all old things, it needed basic work to tidy up, but nothing significant and it could have been sailed as bought.

I honestly don't see an issue why Bigplumbs could not have a go in a "Wayfarer for a fat bloke". As always, shop around, I looked at a few before I bought mine. I never bought new sails, the main, Genoa and job are old Dacron sails and I have had good fun using the sails. Being a fat bloke myself, the extra healing caused by baggy sails is well compensated for.

Bigplumbs could do a lot worse than buying an old Wayfarer, just shop around before committing, or try at a club.

 

[ylop]

Not correct and despite me being on here for years you don't know me at all.

man who tells the internet his every movement believes nobody else knows anything about him! I’ve even met you in real life.

I buy more stuff than most on here put together.

mmm… or you tell people about it more?

I will buy one and will learn to sail it myself. I have received a lot of good advice.

well hurry up and do it. Summer will be over before you’ve mastered your first tack, and you are always saying the only thing you can waste is time.

your advice just goes way over the top and boggles a persons mind. You need to buy something first before you can begin to understand it.

no as many people have told you - you can learn from others; even you tube and a book with an investment in understanding why some people rig their boats differently from racers would make a huge difference.

If I buy incorrectly I does not matter at all. You cant take money with you and the only way to waste money is not to spend it.

I’m not worried about you wasting your money - but you will waste time, you might hurt yourself (or wife) and you might need rescued… but if you take the time to understand what I’m saying in that post - you might make the difference between a £900 wayfarer and a £1400 wayfarer - but end up with a boat that is a joy to use rather than one that’s a stress/hassle etc - many people have bought boats which were too much hassle to use how they imagined…

You said in an earlier post that you were done with advising me

Are you sure? That sounds very uncharacteristic.

 

[Hurricane]

Well maybe for you but in short he bangs on in far too much detail.

I really think (sincerely) that you should listen to some of this stuff.
Dinghy sailing really is fun but can be a one trip mistake.
Frighten your SWMBO and you won't be doing it again - I know from experience.
I had to do all my dinghy sailing on my own - hence the club and finding club members as crew.
And on a dinghy, the crew isn't just somebody who "comes along for the ride" - without crew, it is much harder to sail.
I've owned single handed catamarans as well as the Hurricane - single handing is harder work.
So, if you are just cruising with your other half, make sure that she doesn't get frightened.

 

[Bigplumbs]

man who tells the internet his every movement believes nobody else knows anything about him! I’ve even met you in real life.

mmm… or you tell people about it more?

well hurry up and do it. Summer will be over before you’ve mastered your first tack, and you are always saying the only thing you can waste is time.

no as many people have told you - you can learn from others; even you tube and a book with an investment in understanding why some people rig their boats differently from racers would make a huge difference.

I’m not worried about you wasting your money - but you will waste time, you might hurt yourself (or wife) and you might need rescued… but if you take the time to understand what I’m saying in that post - you might make the difference between a £900 wayfarer and a £1400 wayfarer - but end up with a boat that is a joy to use rather than one that’s a stress/hassle etc - many people have bought boats which were too much hassle to use how they imagined…


Are you sure? That sounds very uncharacteristic.

Heck you dont learn. This is precisely why I aint gonna listen to you. Every sentence commented on and dissected. It is very wearing. Not read it buy the way the look of it just puts me off

 

[Bigplumbs]

I really think (sincerely) that you should listen to some of this stuff.
Dinghy sailing really is fun but can be a one trip mistake.
Frighten your SWMBO and you won't be doing it again - I know from experience.
I had to do all my dinghy sailing on my own - hence the club and finding club members as crew.
And on a dinghy, the crew isn't just somebody who "comes along for the ride" - without crew, it is much harder to sail.
I've owned single handed catamarans as well as the Hurricane - single handing is harder work.
So, if you are just cruising with your other half, make sure that she doesn't get frightened.

I have listened to those I have come to respect...... But not people afflicted with OCD and spewing more detailed stuff than anyone ever wants to know at this stage.

Perhaps Her indoors is very different than SWMBO on a side note. All are not created equal.

He has already banged on enough to put us both off to be honest

He will of course continue even though I aint gonna read it

 

[ylop]

Heck you dont learn.

I don’t need to learn - I already know how to sail and what my criteria for buying a dinghy would be… you on the other hand think you know but refuse to engage with anyone who doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, or who shows your own knowledge to be lacking.

Not read it buy the way the look of it just puts me off

But you’ve wasted time responding to it!

You really have some sort of problem - there’s some genuinely helpful advice there on features to look for on a “leisure” wayfarer you can chose to read it and put the effort in to understanding the technical points, or you can chose to ignore it. You can ask me to explain the bits you don’t understand and if you have pissed me off by then - someone else will probably explain them to you. My posts may be useful to someone else in the future so I won’t stop posting, just because you are too arrogant to understand.

I hope Mrs BP is keen to learn because if neither of you are - it will be a miserable experience and potentially dangerous before you’ve even left the harbour.

 

[Bigplumbs]

. Some people as I said simply cant help themselves. Didn't Read any of that. Let's do a Test.

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