Smallish Sailboats For Large Disabled Man?

[Ukeluthier]

I'd suggest a small, light catboat like the Com-Pac Sun Cat, equipped with a bimini:




Roomy cockpit and cabin for its size, shallow draft and beachable with the centerboard up, and -- most important for your disability -- stability and an easy-to-handle sail plan. One sail, no need to go forward, and the traditional boom gallows would make sail furling and reefing safe and easy for someone with limited mobility.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Ukeluthier

I'd suggest a small, light catboat like the Com-Pac Sun Cat, equipped with a bimini:




Roomy cockpit and cabin for its size, shallow draft and beachable with the centerboard up, and -- most important for your disability -- stability and an easy-to-handle sail plan. One sail, no need to go forward, and the traditional boom gallows would make sail furling and reefing safe and easy for someone with limited mobility.

I'll check it out. Too bad I can put a sail kit on Dad's 18' pontoon, the starter is out on the outboard and a tree fell on it and busted the center console. Dad just hasn't ordered the replacement parts yet for it.

[Broken-Sailor]

Doesn't look like the Com-Pac Sun Cat will fit my needs. I still think the West Wight Potter is going to be the best for me for the waters around here. After allot of reading I think I'll save up and get the 19 foot model. I have read on some of these boats they have did a Lateen Sail Conversion on them. What advantages is this setup over the setup the boat comes with for someone in my condition? Also the reason I said mounting a trolling motor on the boat instead of a gas outboard is that in some of the lakes I know of ether do not allow combustion engines or 4 stroke outboards only, so the question is would it be worth it to equip the boat I buy with an electric outboard motor then add enough solar panels, wind, and water type generators to keep all the electronics and lighting running a peak power?

[Broken-Sailor]

Almost forgot to ask why does some of the listings list the West Wight Potter 19 as a cruiser and some as a day-sailer?

[Scot McPherson]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

There is a strong question here that most people hear a lot, "Do you want to build a boat or do you want to go sailing?

Many, many dreams end in the nightmare of boat building or boat repair.

Keep an eye on Craig's list - You should find a completely sailable boat that maybe needs some cosmetics well below $3000.

This dude wants a smaller sailboat. Look at the pic of the one he posted. Building a bolger style boat of that size takes weeks, or months for some of the larger models sizes, but not like building a blue water cruiser by any means.

It's a viable option so he can spend a few hundred dollars a month to finally get his boat at his own financial pace rather than trying to come up with the money upfront or even a down payment and then stuck in a payment plan. This way, if he's short for two
Months he can just put the project on on hold.

[Scot McPherson]

Originally Posted by Broken-Sailor

Almost forgot to ask why does some of the listings list the West Wight Potter 19 as a cruiser and some as a day-sailer?

Day sailor just means it's really not suitable to live in even for short periods.

Cruiser means it's not a racing design.

Racing designs are built for speed usually at the cost of comfort, cruisers are built for comfort, but won't win any round the bouy races.

[cheoah]

Originally Posted by Broken-Sailor

Almost forgot to ask why does some of the listings list the West Wight Potter 19 as a cruiser and some as a day-sailer?

Some people use it as a cruiser, and some as a day sailer. Some people just don't go camping (cruising) on their boat, but prefer to tie up at the dock and go home at night. The 19 will still feel like tight quarters for you, but tis doable. I owned one years ago and sailed on both mountain lakes and various places along the coast, and offshore.

It is a lightly built boat and the hull will flex under your weight, as it did mine. It is easy to tow, and takes practice to get good at launching it without too much fanfare.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

This dude wants a smaller sailboat. Look at the pic of the one he posted. Building a bolger style boat of that size takes weeks, or months for some of the larger models sizes, but not like building a blue water cruiser by any means.

It's a viable option so he can spend a few hundred dollars a month to finally get his boat at his own financial pace rather than trying to come up with the money upfront or even a down payment and then stuck in a payment plan. This way, if he's short for two
Months he can just put the project on on hold.

You are right about having to save up for the full price upfront for the boat if I don't build because my credit is lets say under water thanks to becoming disabled. Right now I can put back $100 to $150 a month depending on what medications I have to get refill at the beginning of the month and if I buy any extra non essential food items AKA snacks.

On building a boat with my background even in the physical shape I am in I know I could do it. I started doing wood work at eight years old, I had shop classes from the 7th grade till I graduated high school that not only included wood work but metal work as well. I know how to weld with gas, arc, mig, and tig welders. I have welded on iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminum, as well as brazing some pot metals. I have welded steel high pressure hydraulic pipes to stop oil leaks, I have built stainless steel tanks that were 34' long, 4' wide, and 6' deep that held various acids and chemicals for anodizing aluminum products, as well as designing and building aluminum racks to hold the said aluminum products that were being anodized in place while they were being raised and lowered into the chemical tanks that I build. I also worked as a auto mechanic in a gm dealership so I am kind of well rounded when it comes to building and repairing things. I have also worked as a carpenter when I was younger. I have redid the flooring and carpeting in my dads boat as well as redoing the seating in it for him. Now the main question to all that is, is there any of the bolger style boat designs that is like the potter design? That less than a foot min. draft with the keel up and having a cabin so that I can ether let someone else take the helm or drop anchor and lay down for a little while when the pain gets to much for me is a must for any home built design. Being able to camp out on the boat for a weekend or longer in these lakes around here is a plus. By the way we have property 200 feet from a marina on Kentucky Lake which is where I will probably sailing most of the time buy there is some smaller lakes near by where I like to fish in that I would like to sail in too. The Potter fills all those needs and I can trailer it where I need to go. There is also a yacht club at Percy Priest Lake that teaches sailing that I am checking in on so I'll be most likely be sailing there too but if I have to save up to buy it out right it will take me 4 to 5 years for that. I think I can build one cheaper and have it built sooner than 4 years. Also I might be able to raise the roof a little on the cabin to allow for my height.

[Scot McPherson]

Join the bolger@yahoogroups.com mailing list. Tell them exactly what you are looking for and why. Phil and Suzanne have designed something like over 800 different designs and have designed boats for special use circumstances. Although Phil is no longer with us, but I am certain his wife who is also a designer, and the rest of the group would be more than able to help you pick a design, whether it's one of theirs or not. I am a member of that group as well, but I don't have the exposure to all the designs some of those folks know about.

[Scot McPherson]

Oh and I think you'd probably want to ask them about a sharpie type design....it has several features better suited to shallow drafting conditions, and the lines are easy to build.

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

Join the bolger@yahoogroups.com mailing list. Tell them exactly what you are looking for and why. Phil and Suzanne have designed something like over 800 different designs and have designed boats for special use circumstances. Although Phil is no longer with us, but I am certain his wife who is also a designer, and the rest of the group would be more than able to help you pick a design, whether it's one of theirs or not. I am a member of that group as well, but I don't have the exposure to all the designs some of those folks know about.

Thanks Scot, I will do that. I started to load up my old 3d modeling program on this laptop and do some hull designs and see the effect of the water on them, but I'll ether have to learn a new free program that will do the same things my old one would, or buy updated version of my old program that will not let me install it or run on this version of windows. Since I would rather use that money toward a new boat than being able to model one I won't be spending thousands of dollars on a new modeling program. Shoot it would be cheaper to find an old PC running windows XP than updating the software. Thanks again for all this great advice.

Whether I build or I save up for a boat I'll be out on the water one way or another before ether is achieved if I have to buy a inflatable with a sail kit and rig a bimini top on it.

[sailcruiser]

I can't say how well this sails but probably better than a raft. Portabote has a sail kit. Many used ones can be found on Craigslist cheap. I haven't looked at the sail kit but it's at least very portable and has a sail if you're in a hurry. They fold up and are easily transported on top of a car.



SC

[Travelnik]

If you want to build your own, there is always the 14' Paradox:
Paradox Information

Cheap and easy to build, plus they have been sailed up and down the ICW, and to the Bahamas.

[Time2Go]

Look at the O'Day Mariner 2+2 There are plenty on the used market
I bought mine freshly painted, on a trailer with a 4hp outboard for 2,400.00
I sail mine twice a week and had Back Surgery and a Total Hip Replacement
Lose some weight, train a bit
flexibility is more important than strength

[Broken-Sailor]

Originally Posted by Time2Go

Look at the O'Day Mariner 2+2 There are plenty on the used market
I bought mine freshly painted, on a trailer with a 4hp outboard for 2,400.00
I sail mine twice a week and had Back Surgery and a Total Hip Replacement
Lose some weight, train a bit
flexibility is more important than strength

I'll check it out. As for the weigh it is a work in progress. When I posted the OP I was going on the last time I weighed which was when I got back from the ER on July 22nd when I weighed this afternoon I have lost more weight so I am now down to 268 that is a 7 lbs weight lost in a few weeks so I am getting there slowly.