New sailor question

[AngryDave]

Put your kid in sailing camp for the summer. Then figure out what type of boat to buy. By the way, you never said if you know how to sail. That would also be a good first step. In fact, maybe the two of you could learn to sail together.

I don’t. Never even been on one. We’re going down to the gulf to take some classes together. 

 

[Essex]

Won't he be a little dissapointed when the boat is not the size of WOXI or an IMOCA 

 

[kcolborne]

I second signing the kid up for some sailing camps.
A lot of yacht clubs do lessons for adults too, might be possible to do them together.

Can the kid swim well?  If not, I would definitely get him in swimming lessons as well.  It is a lot easier to be comfortable on a boat, especially a small boat, if a person can swim.

I always try to steer people with no experience away from rushing to buy a boat.
Take lessons.
Find a club that you can join and use their boats.
Find someone looking for crew and go out sailing or racing.

Get at least some time on the water before making a commitment and getting a boat.
Try sailing on a few boats that are on your maybe list if possible.
Hopefully find something that you think you can both have fun on.

 

[AngryDave]

I second signing the kid up for some sailing camps.
A lot of yacht clubs do lessons for adults too, might be possible to do them together.

Can the kid swim well?  If not, I would definitely get him in swimming lessons as well.  It is a lot easier to be comfortable on a boat, especially a small boat, if a person can swim.

I always try to steer people with no experience away from rushing to buy a boat.
Take lessons.
Find a club that you can join and use their boats.
Find someone looking for crew and go out sailing or racing.

Get at least some time on the water before making a commitment and getting a boat.
Try sailing on a few boats that are on your maybe list if possible.
Hopefully find something that you think you can both have fun on.

I’ve got a boat he surfs behind, so he’s good in the water. I’m really not looking for anything expensive. Just something that we can learn on, occasionally if it’s not balls hot maybe take to different places and camp on, and bang up without losing any sleep. We’re taking lessons together. 

 

[Windward]

Crew on other peoples race boats.  You can both go on the same boat.

 

[Lark]

Crew on other peoples race boats.  You can both go on the same boat.

You’re assuming he lives near somewhere where sailing is popular, with organized active groups and classes  within an hour or two drive.   Don’t discourage those cursed to live in powerboat territory.   

 

[Israel Hands]

You’re assuming he lives near somewhere where sailing is popular, with organized active groups and classes  within an hour or two drive.   Don’t discourage those cursed to live in powerboat territory.   

Aren't we all cursed that way now?

 

[Grande Mastere Dreade]

My 9 year old son started following the ocean races. Then he got on here which is mildly concerning...Now he’s obsessed and wants a boat. I told him we’d look at something small for our local lakes. A 22-24’ trailerable boat is what I’m leaning towards, but seems like a lot of old shitty boats on the market. What’s a quality year-round boat and what issues should I look for?

ok, i'll bite...  which lake in north texas are you going to be on? 

and a 22'-24' boat for a 9 year old?  gimme a break,  that's the year they start out in optis...

 

[AngryDave]

ok, i'll bite...  which lake in north texas are you going to be on? 

We live close to lake texoma, but we have another farm in OK near Lake Eufaula. So back and forth between those two. 
 

I’m not sending him out onto a Texas lake full of drunk rednecks, on a tiny boat. That size boat allows me to be there and some light overnight opportunities with buddies.

 

[Lark]

Keep an open mind until you get some tiller time.  Your goals sound realistic, you just need to figure out your personal balance between speed, stability and risk of swimming.   Your son’s interest in racing and comfort with new situations may push you further toward performance dinghies, or relatively stable overnighters.     Both can be a lot of fun on a breezy day.   Sails are the most expensive bit, and missing parts,  used boat hulls are cheap.    

 

[unShirley]

Since you are coming over from the dark side i.e. power boating, stay on the dark side of sailing and find an old beach cat.  Mono slugs will be too sedate for a wake surfer.  An old Hobie or Nacra or Prindle will provide some thrills and keep your son interested.

 

[AngryDave]

Since you are coming over from the dark side i.e. power boating, stay on the dark side of sailing and find an old beach cat.  Mono slugs will be too sedate for a wake surfer.  An old Hobie or Nacra or Prindle will provide some thrills and keep your son interested.

We’re keeping the Malibu, but funny you mention that. If it were up to him, he’d be on a foiling cat. 

 

[coyotepup]

I’m not sending him out onto a Texas lake full of drunk rednecks, on a tiny boat.

I see you've already learned your lesson from letting him surf SA by himself  :lol:

 

[dfw_sailor]

I’ve got a boat he surfs behind, so he’s good in the water. I’m really not looking for anything expensive. Just something that we can learn on, occasionally if it’s not balls hot maybe take to different places and camp on, and bang up without losing any sleep. We’re taking lessons together. 

Hmmm.    I've got a merit 22 sitting on a trailer in plano. 

Caveat: it has a small delaminated / damaged core in the cabin roof, where the port shroud passes through.  It also has a Crack in the liner adjacent to the lifting keel trunk.  

Normally that should scare people away,  but I sailed it for 3 years having too much fun to be bothered fixing it and neither got worse.  We sailed about 5 times a week outside of winter. 

The merit is lively enough that you can put the spreaders in the water in 10 knts if you try.  Turns on a dime.  Most importantly it is much faster on water than other 22 footers (phrf 213). Being faster than other boats of same size likely to encourage your son to keep sailing. 

Closest experience I've had to dinghy sailing with a drop keel. 

Its sitting on a trailer because we bought a 30' Irwin (project boat) 18 months ago.  Wife wanted the stability and room in larger boat. 

Yeah yeah,  I know,  buy an ad. But I wasnt planning on selling,  but if it helps get a dad and son into sailing.....

 

[SEC16518]

He was supposed to be doing his remote learning, but that apparently progressed into the forums via the SA YouTube channel.

Funny, I catch my 8 year old watching other people play video games on youtube instead of remote learning.....I wish he would be watching ocean racing.....lol

 

[Snaggletooth]

If you’re part of Gouv’s own sock army, he will probably engage himself.

Hase to cairefulle abote doing in publick/                         

 

[Steam Flyer]

... ...

I’m not sending him out onto a Texas lake full of drunk rednecks, on a tiny boat. That size boat allows me to be there and some light overnight opportunities with buddies.

You should change your name to WiseDave (who occasionally gets pissed off)

2nd on the Merit 22. They do sail well

FB- Doug

 

[J88 Alchemy]

Get him in a US Sailing certified Junior Sailing program.  He will gain experience on a variety of dinghies and discover his love of the sport sailing with other kids.  Next step after that... buy him a O'pen skiff.  The boat is a blast and you can car-top it anywhere.  If you are committed to buying a boat that you both can sail, make sure it's a boat the sails well.  Nothing turns off kids to sailing more than a boat that is a slug.  Look for a used J22 or J24.   I think starting by buying a boat is a mistake though; get him into a junior sailing program and if he loves the sport, he'll be advising you on boats to buy.

 

[SEC16518]

Junior sailing is more like day camp these days.....just go buy a cheap 22' boat and use it with him.  

 

[fufkin]

Since you are coming over from the dark side i.e. power boating, stay on the dark side of sailing and find an old beach cat.  Mono slugs will be too sedate for a wake surfer.  An old Hobie or Nacra or Prindle will provide some thrills and keep your son interested.

Beside my girlfriend’s cottage there’s a family of teenage wake boarders. One of them expressed an interest in the laser sitting on the beach. I took him out when it was blowing off the chain. We were overweight but this kid had an ear to ear grin on his face and ‘couldn’t believe how fast this thing went’.

To someone who is just starting, speed and the sensation of speed are two different things.

No where to camp on a laser though.