# Small, beachable boat



## leffklm (Apr 9, 2007)

I have been working my way through the ASA classes up through their bareboat class and enjoy sailing on the bigger boats, but the idea of having a small little daysailor to dink around on is really appealing to me. My best friend has a place on a small, secluded bay where I can keep a boat (in his side yard), but it would have to be beachable and not too heavy so that it can be dragged or carried a short distance by two people. Ideally, it would have room for two people and be a forgiving boat for a moderate beginner to learn on. I'm not interested in speed, just comfortable sailing with emphasis on stability and staying dry. This would almost exclusively be sailed in relatively calm waters with light breezes. I know most of the discussions here are centered around much larger boats, but I thought I would throw this out there to see if anyone has any knowledge or recommendations on a boat that might meet my needs.

Thanks in advance!

Leff


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## saurav16 (Mar 22, 2007)

Go to new england and get a cat boat. When you get tired of it you can sell it easily they sell like hot cakes up on the cape (cod). You can take them right up to the beach and they are small.


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## ChicagoNewport27 (Nov 21, 2006)

I don't know what area you're in, but if you're in/around Illinois...

There's a guy on the chicago craigslist.org site posting a 19' Weekend sloop FOR FREE. If you're handy with tools, this might be a fun project to (A) learn to restore a smallish, trailerable boat and (B) have a fun little daysailer to dink around with.

Weekender sloop sailboat-Free


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## Alden68 (Mar 21, 2007)

I second the catboat idea. Great little boats that are stable and reasonably dry with lots of room. Tons of resources available to aid with rigging, sailing, cruising, etc..

The 18 footers have berths and portable heads and work for 2 people for short time periods. While they are certainly beachable drawing only 19" with the board up, the 18 footers weigh approx. 2,200 pounds so dragging them up a beach would b difficult unless you have won a World's Strongest Man competition recently 

They are also very easy to sell in NE as saurav16 said. We paid 12K for an 18' 15 years ago and just sold it in a week for 11K. They really hold there value.

Good luck...enjoy whatever you get!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The bigger cat boats don't really count as being light enough to be dragged by two people generally. The smaller ones would be ideal. However, cat boats have rig that is basically unique to them and a few others, so unless you're interested in a Hinterholler Nonsuch as your larger cruising boat, it might be wise to stick to something with a standard sloop rig. 

There are some smaller boats that might be good choices, but most of the common smaller boats that are sloop rigged are racing dinghies, and not really suitable if you don't want to get wet. BTW, staying dry and sailing on a small boat are generally incompatible...  

The West Wight Potters come to mind as a decent, relatively dry daysailer, and could be used for an occasional weekend or overnight trip. Again, these like the catboats are a bit heavy to beach. 

The Melonseed skiff is another good one. What I would recommend is that you get a copy of Small Craft Advisor magazine and take a look through it, as it has a lot of small sailboats listed in it.


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## ollie820 (Mar 7, 2007)

Here are my picks. From what I have seen of Cat boats they seem to be heavy and you may have issues.

O'day Widgeon
Catalina Capri
JY 15
Pearson Hawk

Be prepared to go swimming with these:
Hobie
Sunfish
Laser


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

What about a Flying Scot.....
Nice boat, stable, good learning platform, trailerable, roomy cockpit for a daysailor.

They weigh 850 lbs.
You might be able to drag that up the beach.
Have you thought about some sort of dolly arrangement to help with on and off the beach. They are available.
I don't have personal experience sailing these boats, but I have admired them from a far. I would certainly consider one for myself one day.
Flying Scot® Sailboats


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## Neises (Feb 24, 2007)

This one has sailing canoe written all over it.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

A Catalina Capri is over 1300 lbs... are you guys nuts??? A Beetle Cat would be a much better choice at a third the weight. A Cape Cod Mercury, which is sloop rigged, would also be a much better choice, at 900 lbs...

While I like the sailing canoe idea, most of them aren't sloop rigged...  and they tend to be a bit tippy...


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## Alden68 (Mar 21, 2007)

tippy generally wouldn't meet the "dry" criteria very well


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## Neises (Feb 24, 2007)

One of these days I'll either sell somebody on the canoe thing, or quit droning about it 
I only flipped my canoe once, and that was after hitting an underwater log in level II rapids.

There's a Rhodes Bantam ('14, 300 lbs) listed for $1400 near me (with trailer & sails), I must admit a bit of drooling.

...And we've probably demonstrated by now that you can't have comfort, stability, dry, and ability to portage all in a neat little package.


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## TSteele65 (Oct 19, 2006)

How could you guys forget the McGregor 26?


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

One of the most common sights when in Edgartown are the many Herreshoff era boats sailing in the outer and inner harbors. Here's a photo I took while entering Edgartown harbor with several Herreshoff Buzzard's Bay 12.5s.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

TSteele65 said:


> How could you guys forget the McGregor 26?


He said he wanted a *Sailboat*, not a motorboat with pretensions...besides have you tried beaching a MacGregor 26 or hauling up the beach. Not gonna happen.  Did you even read the original post???

That Rhodes Bantam is really pretty...and probably priced to match...


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## leffklm (Apr 9, 2007)

*Thanks for the great suggestions*

I love this place! So many quick, thoughtful responses. The smaller cat boats are intriguing. I spent a few hours last night looking at several designs. They do seem on the heavier side, but it sounds like if I want the stability and some degree of dryness, I will have to tolerate a heavier boat. I may have the option to rig up a dolly or pulley arrangement to get the boat to where it will be kept, but I would like to keep it under 1,000 lbs.

Neises, that sailing canoe is beautiful, and the weight makes it very appealing! Do they handle similarly to a more traditionally shaped sailboat?

SD, I definitely like the idea of a sloop rigged boat if possible (not essential, but would be nice). Not being the most experienced sailor, I would like to be able to apply what I learn on the smaller boat to the bigger boats (and vice-versa) while I am still in the early learning stages. I will also pick up a copy of "Small Craft Advisor" and check it out. The Melonseed Skiff you suggest looks like a good option, and it only weighs 250lbs!

SailorTJK1, I will also have to give some serious consideration to the Flying Scot--that thing looks fun, and it has a main, a jib, and a spinnaker option (all for under 900 lbs)!

Thanks all for your much appreciated suggestions and insight!

Best,

Leff


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

sailingdog said:


> That Rhodes Bantam is really pretty...and probably priced to match...


Not a Rhodes SD, but a Herreshoff  .


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## Neises (Feb 24, 2007)

You've got excellent taste, that is definitely a beauty. The builder is no longer producing them, it was just a quick google result example to show canoes don't have to look like... Canoes.

In contrast, I rigged The Hillbilly Outrigger with $50 worth of tarp, 2x4s, & plywood.
Honestly I'd suggest more of a beater so you can take it down some rapids during the dog days of summer when the wind dies, and store it with less concern. That's one of the main advantages of a canoe.

Here's a source of prefabbed rigs if you're not into the DIY thing.

As far as handling, you could get blown down easily in high winds if sheet is cleated. I always just held it by hand & instantly spilling wind becomes second nature. With an outrigger you can brave the crazy winds and the tippiness is gone; but you also lose some pointing ability.



leffklm said:


> Neises, that sailing canoe is beautiful, and the weight makes it very appealing! Do they handle similarly to a more traditionally shaped sailboat?


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## Johnrb (Sep 21, 2002)

Leff:

You didn't mention your location, but I would also check around to see what dinghys are popular in your area. You should be able to get some good advice and a decent selection of boats to choose from (and an easier sale should you decide to move on or up). Two boats that I like and might fit your needs are the Albacore and Wayfarer (links below). BTW - dinghy sailing is great fun and the best way to learn fundamentals like sail trim.

Sailboat Profiles at a Glance: Albacore

US Wayfarer Association - Home


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

TB-

was referring to the post by Neises above yours... where there is a link to a Rhodes Bantam The Herreshoffs are pretty too...



TrueBlue said:


> Not a Rhodes SD, but a Herreshoff  .


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## leffklm (Apr 9, 2007)

Johnrb said:


> Leff:
> 
> You didn't mention your location, but I would also check around to see what dinghys are popular in your area. You should be able to get some good advice and a decent selection of boats to choose from (and an easier sale should you decide to move on or up). Two boats that I like and might fit your needs are the Albacore and Wayfarer (links below). BTW - dinghy sailing is great fun and the best way to learn fundamentals like sail trim.
> 
> ...


John,

I'm in the Pacific Northwest (Seattle area). I'll take a look around at some of the dinghy options.

Thanks!

Leff


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The Albacore looks like quite a good fit... under 300 lbs... and sloop rigged. The Wayfarer is probably also quite good a fit, but didnt' see the specs on it.


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## Guesser (Mar 24, 2007)

Hey if you're in the Seattle area, check out the Center for Wooden Boats. They have numerous small boats you can rent by the hour on Lake Union. You may find one to your liking. Most are older, restored daysailors 23' and less. They also have a few for sale, here's a link.

Center for Wooden Boats - Boats for Sale

Center for Wooden Boats - Boat Rental


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The Union Bay Skiff over at CWB looks pretty good too.


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## Johnrb (Sep 21, 2002)

Sailingdog:

Here are the specs on the Wayfarer:

Wayfarer


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The Albacore is alot lighter...


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