First Sailboat

[TBW]

I thought about keels. Not keen about them unless I decide to cruise. Not practical, lots of headaches, needs a dock and etc... If I trailer, then setting up needs a second hand - V6 trucks and such. Forget it. Okay, there are very exciting small keelboats, but then again... I have to be solo doing this.

This is how I feel about keel boats, can't stand the things. Owned keel boats until I was about 40, partially because up until that point I had never sailed a decent multihull and didn't realise what I was missing. Another thing is small multis sail well enough that they don't need motors. Another major head ache dispensed with.

 

[CrazyR]

Don’t restrict yourself with Hobie Wave. There is Mystere 4.3 catamaran sometimes popping up for sale, it’s in same small cat category as Wave, however with greater rig variation allowing to grow up into real boats category (it can be sailed with main only or as a sloop with gennaker)
And Nacra 4.5(450) which is a better sailing boat.
And you don’t need to wait until you move to Cape Cod. You can sail on asphalt with https://www.blokart.com/about/product-overview/

 

[nolatom]

I'm late to this exchange, so at the risk of being redundant or obtuse (English Major here), a monohull will give you the skills you can use later on cats. Monohulls tack quickly, cats less so ("if you want to tack a catamaran on Thursday, put the helm over on Tuesday" ;-) , so start with the Laser.

You're on the South side of the Cape, that's good. Sounds like you're near Falmouth?? Good racing scene there, and a bunch of nearby harbors for centerboard boats. There are two Cape Cods--- North side of the Cape is an extension of Mass Bay, the cold water comes from the Labrador current. Cold water is less fun to capsize in, or launch from a beach in. South side gets the remnants of the much warmer Gulf Stream, so there's a big difference. Plus around Woods Hole and Falmouth, it's a short hop over to Martha's Vineyard and back, you'll feel like Magellan the adventurer.

 

[Radial4.7]

Don’t restrict yourself with Hobie Wave. There is Mystere 4.3 catamaran sometimes popping up for sale, it’s in same small cat category as Wave, however with greater rig variation allowing to grow up into real boats category (it can be sailed with main only or as a sloop with gennaker)
And Nacra 4.5(450) which is a better sailing boat.
And you don’t need to wait until you move to Cape Cod. You can sail on asphalt with https://www.blokart.com/about/product-overview/

Not that but a kite buggy. An old friend of mine got me into that for a short while. He was trying to sell me his old gear; I passed. A desert toy in my eyes. I have conflicting thoughts about those things.

 

[Radial4.7]

I'm late to this exchange, so at the risk of being redundant or obtuse (English Major here), a monohull will give you the skills you can use later on cats. Monohulls tack quickly, cats less so ("if you want to tack a catamaran on Thursday, put the helm over on Tuesday" ;-) , so start with the Laser.

This, I will keep in mind.

 

[Radial4.7]

Okay, guys, I am officially signing off now. There is not much else I can do about the situation until I move anyhow. Enough of overanalyzing. I will drop the cats and tris of the first boat list. Throughout the thread, I've learned alot and gone back to the very starting point. A used Sunfish shall do the job in the beginning. The biggest gain of all these talks for me was being introduced to Areo. I hope I will end up in Seattle and have a fun decade or so. Thanks again, everyone.

 

[Bill5]

Okay, guys, I am officially signing off now. .

We shall see…

 

[munt]

Nolatom, with all due respect, you are completely ass -backward in your theory that a keel boat teaches the requisite skills to sail a multi. Quite the opposite. That's akin to telling this unfortunate waif that learning to drive a school bus is the best first step into Formula 1. A good multi sailor can easily sail a mono since everything happens soooo much more slowly. On the other hand, I've seen many decent mono drivers fail completely at the helm of fast boats.

 

[Bill5]

Nolatom, with all due respect, you are completely ass -backward in your theory that a keel boat teaches the requisite skills to sail a multi. Quite the opposite. That's akin to telling this unfortunate waif that learning to drive a school bus is the best first step into Formula 1. A good multi sailor can easily sail a mono since everything happens soooo much more slowly. On the other hand, I've seen many decent mono drivers fail completely at the helm of fast boats.

He said monohull, not keelboat. Then he said Laser. So are you saying that tacking and jibing a cat is quicker than a Laser? Ever dump to weather jibing a cat? And when a gust hits - do you think the Laser doesn’t heel over more quickly requiring a faster response? Mistakes on a Laser gets you swimming quickly. Not on a cat. Point is, you learn to be responsive and understand more quickly the effect of poor sail trim. Serves you well when you jump on a cat.

 

[Never]

Don't start with a Wave. In my opinion, the flotation bulb on the top of the mast might cause issues. The mast doesn't sink in the event of a capsize, and if you happened to fall to the otherside, the wind could easily take the boat away, faster than even an 'avid' swimmer like yourself could swim.

 

[Never]

....Get an F18 cat or just rig an assym on any beachcat (super easy) and you'll smoke everybody.

As the very first sailboat for a prospective solo sailor with no experience? Don't get me wrong, I like what you say - a lot. I just wanna know how that's gonna happen.

 

[munt]

I'll bet dollars to donuts the op is gonna end up buying a jetski, growing a mullet, wearing cutoffs and a wife beater, drinking light beer whilst smoking marlboros and going 95 mph on his local mud puddle before he actually goes sailing.

 

[Steam Flyer]

I'll bet dollars to donuts the op is gonna end up buying a jetski, growing a mullet, wearing cutoffs and a wife beater, drinking light beer whilst smoking marlboros and going 95 mph on his local mud puddle before he actually goes sailing.

And your point is....

 

[JC522]

The boats I learned on were Laser, Sunfish, Butterfly and Ghost 13. The first three are light, fun, easy to transport, easy to rig and easy to right. The Ghost 13 liked to sail upside down more than right side up. The Laser and Sunfish don't have shrouds (to hold up the mast), so you can let the sail out all the way without the boom getting pinned against the shrouds, i.e., fewer capsizes when you are learning.