I'd suggest joining a club. There are several based on the Ottawa River, most offering a typical range of
classes on Club boats, keelboat and
dinghy racing where skippers are always after crew, boat
storage etc not to ignore interesting talks and fun social
events. Did I mention drinking
beer at their bar? Perhaps not: Oh and
beer drinking.
As well as
learning to sail, some rules of the road etc, a bit of
navigation,
weather reading etc and you'll also become competent at
rigging up. At Clubs I'm involved with we have a mix of dinghies for example, 420s, Phase 2s, lasers, a couple old Sunbursts and even an old 470, plus Paper Tigers (a type of cat.). Students are encouraged to try each different boat type, including rigging up.
You'll soon make friends, and of course they'll share the interest. Some will have their own boats and need help from crew. Get involved, show you're keen and you'll soon have sailing options without the responsibility of boat
ownership and
storage. Club participation facilitates trying different boats, having your questions answered from different viewpoints and having a bit of fun. And there are also a few old salts that seem to be able to fix everything and know how to do it. Hanging around at the hard stand can be a great way to spend some time (at least between stints at the bar drinking beer).
As an aside it never fails to amaze me when I am drinking beer around a leaner at a Club as I am somewhat inclined to do, some of the experiences people around have had. I
recall one guy telling me about sailing Cape Horn, they even stopped at the
weather station on Horn Island and were invited in to have a look around. A little while ago a chap I met told me about his trip across your beautiful country. He sailed the North West
Passage east to west with 3 other guys. I've met people who have done circumnavigations of
Australia, sailed to Antarctica, and one chap who sailed completely around the American continent (yes both north and south without using Panama). Rescues, storms, fantastic summers with
family and friends in amazing places are great discussion points.
Where I'm stuck currently, as I write this post, are many people who've sailed from
Europe to
Fiji with all sorts of adventures along the way. And I'm not for a moment suggesting we should let actual facts get in the way of a good story, but the
core basis is usually based on actual
events. Have you ever heard the word yarn in
Canada? We tell yarns and share laughs down under when we're drinking beer.
I know covid is making things difficult for Clubs (and life in general in many parts of the world, but normality will resume again (perhaps by your Summer).
From the photos, to be blunt, they all appear to be junk to me. Out in the weather, filthy, no dolly trailers. Presume condition of sails is similar. And yes those boats will be heavy, they're made of GRP. Sorry but I wouldn't waste my
money on any of them. They're likely cast offs from a sailing Club when replaced by new boats.