Double Handed Sailing Dinghies

[Mabel Page]

I am use to my big monohull and have no experience with racing dinghies. I am not sure how much racing I will actually do, but I would definitely like to hot rod around and maybe take the kids out on the lake when they are a little older. I have been researching double handed racing dinghies like the 420/C420. It seems there are very few of these general types of boats available where I live in TN.

I am not being especially picky. I would like to have something easily trailerable that could handle 2 adults and that is fast. I’m getting ready to purchase some new sails for my big boat, so I would prefer not to spend too much on this dinghy. Something like $4-5k would be okay. All the other variables are negotiable. Foiling dinghy’s look nice too, but I think I’ll have to wait on that Any dinghy suggestions? I’m not seeing a lot of options in my area and/or that I could have easily delivered. I’m in Nashville, TN.

[goldenstreak]

I have an Albacore that I like. It weighs about 300 lbs all up and has seat tanks for sitting inside or you can sit on the gunwales and hike out. And their usually cheap.

[psk125]

For bombing around, fast, we have a 5o5. It helps if you and your crew know what you're doing; they can be fairly complex.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njSrgwlClNE

Older used ones don't have to be overly elaborate, however, or expensive. I've been prepping mine for racing, and am almost ready to give it a shot.

420's are a bit small for full-sized adults. You might be able to find a Thistle. They're reasonably quick and the seats make them comfortable if you're just bopping across the lake with two of you on board. (They race with three.) Be aware that hiking out on the gunwales can leave bruises, however. There's no trapeze.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYncNmYHH7A

[ggray]

Yeah, the 505 is a real hot rod!

Similar to the Thistle is the Mobjack, which I used to sail. Both are more like 3 person boats, but Mobjacks started using a trapeze so two could handle them in all conditions. I'd say a Mobjack is more comfortable...wide side decks.

Flying Scot is probably a bigger boat than you are looking for, but are sailed by two.

I was just looking online at Mutineer 15, made by Chrysler. More room than a FJ, or 420.

I always thought the Windmill was a nice boat, but never sailed one. Snipe is an old design but popular. Jet 14 looked nice. If you can find a Skipjack, take a look.

[jmorrison146]

My first boat was a Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2, a sweet, fast, unsinkable 17' boat that easily handled three adults. They're going for $3,00 or so.

[Mabel Page]

Thank you all. I could see myself purchasing any of those boats really. They all look fun to me. The main issue at this point seems to be availablity. I can’t seem to find any new or used ones anywhere close to me (Nashville, TN). I’ll figure it out. I’m not opposed to driving and picking up the right boat. I am a little surprised by the lack of ease of purchasing something like this in my area, especially since I’m not being overly picky on style or manufacturer. I’ll find something.

[Time2Go]

O’Day Daysailer
Plenty of them around

[wingless]

My 11' Edey & Duff Columbia dinghy is lots of fun for one or two people for sailing or rowing.

[Chuck Hawley]

Really good question. I think one of the issues is that as we get older, it's a pain to be in a dinghy that might be a blast for high school or collegiate sailors. They sail CFJs and 420s primarily, and while those classes are not especially high performance, they are reasonably identical so that the racing is fair.

A 505 or an International 14 or the like is an order of magnitude more complicated, expensive, frequently fragile, and very high performance. I think you'd tire of the effort necessary to go for a nice daysail.

I owned a Megabyte for about five years, and I LOVED it. Designed to be a more comfortable Laser, with a deeper cockpit, better mast and boom, and so forth. Like a lot of boats that compete with extremely popular boats like the Laser, it was a better boat that never took off. They will hold two sailors, but are really singlehanded boats. You should ask yourself how often you'll have a second person in the boat.

Catalina makes some good sailing, yet not very sexy boats. I haven't sailed a Catalina 16.5, but it just looks right to me. Attractive hull, enough sail to be interesting, storage compartment, etc.

O'Day Daysailers and very popular, but I don't think the performance would keep you interested. Better for one-design racing or someone who wants to take a family out.

Finally, if you want to take out the entire family, a Rhodes 19 (like a big Daysailer) would be a great choice. Available with either a keel or a centerboard. Nice big rig, can use a spinnaker if you like, but not a planing boat unless you've got a lot of wind. Classic, seaworthy, pretty.

Look for boom clearance, comfortable seating, and self-rescuing.

Cheers,

Chuck

[atlroofman]

Originally Posted by Mabel Page

I am use to my big monohull and have no experience with racing dinghies. I am not sure how much racing I will actually do, but I would definitely like to hot rod around and maybe take the kids out on the lake when they are a little older. I have been researching double handed racing dinghies like the 420/C420. It seems there are very few of these general types of boats available where I live in TN.

I am not being especially picky. I would like to have something easily trailerable that could handle 2 adults and that is fast. I’m getting ready to purchase some new sails for my big boat, so I would prefer not to spend too much on this dinghy. Something like $4-5k would be okay. All the other variables are negotiable. Foiling dinghy’s look nice too, but I think I’ll have to wait on that Any dinghy suggestions? I’m not seeing a lot of options in my area and/or that I could have easily delivered. I’m in Nashville, TN.

Get a Hobie Cat , FUN AND FAST

[singlespeed]

I also vote for the Hobie, a Hobie 16 if possible. Almost indestructable (even teenager proof), easy to sail, easy to beach, easy to right (just follow the animal's instructions) and the speed will hold the kids interest for years. Parts readily available for those who break everything. Very simple boat, no rats nest of control lines like the fast two man dinghies. Go Craigslist and look, all major cities have one or two used ones available. Only thing to avoid are boats with soft or deformed decks forward of the front trampoline pylon.

[FabioC]

I strongly recommend a one-trapeze or a double-trapeze skiff, like the 29er, the 49er, or the Laser Vago.
I have a Vago and a 49er. The Vago is very good if you have teenagers, since they can grow with it and acquire good experience with trapezing. The Vago is very stable and you can start with the smaller mainsail, which makes the boat easily sailable with the crew just hiking. She is faster than a 420 or even a 470 and becomes very lively with 12+ knots of wind . The cool thing of the Vago is that you can sail her in just about any wind, even 30 knots.
The 49er is extreme and is not a boat for a beginner/intermediate sailor, even with the smaller FX rig. However, it is a lot of fun when you keep her upright. She becomes a handful above 15 knots.
The 29er is a bit more temperamental than the Vago, much less stable and forgiving, but is faster below 12 knots of wind, just about as fast as the Vago above 20, and hard to sail without breaking her in 30 knots.
If you want to spend very little money and have a really fun dinghy, try to find a used Laser II, there are still some around. She is virtually indestructible and can be sailed in any wind. She is an older design (has a conventional spinnaker), but she is very fast and very fun, almost ideal for teenagers to learn. Like the Vago, she can be sailed just hiking, but becomes lively when you trapeze.

[TrentePieds]

Mabel:

Do yourself and the kids a favour and get in touch with the sundry sailing clubs in Nashville. Harbour Island Yacht Club is one:

Harbor Island Yacht Club

They have a comprehensive dinghy sailing programme. Like all such programmes that I know of, they use Optimist dinghies for the youngest members and 420s for teenagers and adults. No need to buy you own unless you want to. As a club member you can rent the club's. I believe that they also have J24s.

Sailing a dinghy is NOTHING like sailing cruiser. They are entirely different beasts. Although I've taught many dozens of university students to sail - half a century ago - on a type called the Enterprise, if I had small kiddies of my own ready to go to sea, I would hand them over to an organized "sailing camp" such as is run by many sailing clubs, the HIYC among them.

In my basement we built two Enterprises for the sailing club I started at my Alma Mater. I'll soon be in need of a new tender for my cruiser, and we have a granddaughter who has just turned five. I expect that I'll build, at a leisurely pace, an Optimist as my new tender, so that it will be ready by the time she is eight. Eight is the ideal age to get 'em started, but of course they can start at any age.

You might like to know that the "Opti" class is fiercely competitive and there is a world championship for Optis sailed by adults, even though the boat is only 8 feet long. The 420 is a "detuned" 470, which is a class recognized by the Olympic Games. A 470 in Olympic trim goes like a scalded cat, and is not easily handled by novices. Both the Opti and the 420 (and the Enterprise) are easily trailered.

But as I say, join a sailing club. There are several in Nashville, and membership brings many advantages for children and adults alike :-)!

Good luck to you all

TrentePieds

[Bill Seal]

The Catalina (capri) 16.5s are used by the rental fleets in San Diego, so they're pretty easy to sail but a lot of fun. My wife and I got back into sailing (in our 70s) by renting them.

[fred4936]

If fast is what you want, then I will add another vote for the 505. I raced one for several years. They are fun to sail, and the guys who race them are very good, and willing to help anyone. I still have my first 505, which is grazing in the yard. Planing upwind is a blast! And three sail reaches are amazing! Some day I will sail it again!