First keel sailboat for single hand learning?

[Kite]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Yes, the beauty of using a 40+ year old learner boat is that the age related depreciation is long past. If you simply maintain it in similar condition to that when purchased (ie none of the "upgrades" that folks always urge you to do), little or no loss in value will occur in a year or three.

My first boat, an O'Day Osprey day sailor cost me 1200$. I sailed the hell out of her for 18 months and sold her for the same price with people standing in line to make offers.

Jim

Still, there is some risk in that investment though nowadays.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kite

So, you bought a Bristol 27 after sailing a Nacra?

These are romantic sailboats. Beautiful.

However, I'd say, "How about a J/22 instead?"

J/22 or J/24 would be good. Fast and quick to respond.

Cored hulls though I believe so survey maybe?

Also a trailerable 19' Lightning would also be a good boat

It's probably all about which boat presents itself to you.

I found my boat in the boonies at a small boatyard with no for sale sign on it, but since the weeds were high around it I asked if there were any boats for sale .....and since I had read lots on Atom Voyages and knew lots of 90's cruisers at my apartments marina it was the answer

[japawil]

Originally Posted by Kite

Yes, Transom hung rudder will fine. Fractional or not, maybe...

3 cyl. Mirage - I won't haul anything with her. Also, a cheap dock is ideal, or I will get lazy. There are fixed fin keel options with ballast; I would rather be in one of them.

I want simplicity. A little cabin with a porta Potti and an icebox won't break any deals, but at this phase, I don't want to fix galleys or marine heads or inboard diesels.

seaworthiness
ease of solo handling
something to learn sailing well
performance
fun

A simple keel sailboat.

OK, so I’ve read your previous posts (Hobie, Sunfish and now simple keel boat) and will venture an observation; all of these routes are viable.
There is no one “right” way to learn sailing.
There are some more advantageous than others depending on multiple variables.
You state that your goal is to eventually be able to sail a +30’ boat perhaps to the Bahamas.
Do you mean to go cruising for extended periods of time and perhaps permanently (maybe seasonally) live aboard, or maybe charter occasionally for vacations? The preparation for these endeavors are vastly different.
Where are you currently located?(accessibility can greatly affect your options). If you are near an active sailing area, you may be better off joining a sailing club where you can get lessons and the use of various boats without the down time of maintaining them.
If you are in a more remote location and unable to regularly travel to more accessible areas, but have a suitable body of water nearby, your plan of purchasing a smaller boat and being able to practice more often would not be a waste of time. Particularly for the sailing aspect.
If your ultimate goal is extended time and distances justifying purchasing a more complex boat, then the maintenance of various systems is part and parcel of that learning curve; don’t discount that. ( I assume you heard the adage of sailing being fixing boats in exotic location?)
However, there is nothing wrong with dipping your toes in with the fun parts to determine if it’s worth the time/effort/expense of going further down the proverbial rabbit hole.
It appears it is mostly conceptual for you at this point. Everyone learns at a different pace. If accessibility is not a problem, I would recommend start with basic sailing lessons to get your feet wet; YOUR path will become clearer with the more experience you get.

[Tayana42]

Kite, get yourself a small boat and go sailing. Any place you start is a good place to start. Don’t worry. Be happy!

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

J/22 or J/24 would be good. Fast and quick to respond.

Cored hulls though I believe so survey maybe?

You see, the second one considers a keel sailboat, the expenditures over here over there tend to pile up - and they pile up fast. Endless money pits. I wish to be able to keep those $s for the eventual cruiser sailboat. That's mainly why I hope to skip this 'owning a small keel sailboat' step.

I think my original plan seems to be the best for me. In the next few years, I can own dinghies like Sunfish, Laser, and Hobie 14 / 16. In the meanwhile, I can join sailing clubs, crew in races if they accept my clumsy skills, or take classes. Maybe I can find something like the DaySailer as well - possibly a tad bit drier than Sunfish and such.

[Kite]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

Kite, get yourself a small boat and go sailing. Any place you start is a good place to start. Don’t worry. Be happy!

[Kite]

I've made my decision, guys. Sunfish, it is. Phew!

[thomm225]

Nice though all you can do on it is play, but it will teach you.

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Nice though all you can do on it is play, but it will teach you.

I'll have nothing to lose with buying a Sunfish. It'll definitely teach me something about sailing, and I won't be breaking the bank.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kite

I'll have nothing to lose with buying a Sunfish. It'll definitely teach me something about sailing, and I won't be breaking the bank.

That's right .......and you may not need a trailer which usually makes folks with trailer sailors sail a lot less

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

That's right .......and you may not need a trailer which usually makes folks with trailer sailors sail a lot less

[thomm225]

Next thing you have to figure out is if you want to sail or work on the stuff on your boat and then shine it up!

Many cruisers are in it for the repairs and upkeep.

It's like the guy that has the shop behind his house that is always out there working on something whether he needs to or not.

If you learn to enjoy just sailing, maybe racing is for you but then that can get crazy as well with the do anything to win guys..

Long distance offshore sailing may be the answer to both which is my goal......even though I get bored on a 5 hour sail after work but after a few days a 5 hour sail is different

[Kite]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Next thing you have to figure out is if you want to sail or work on the stuff on your boat and then shine it up!

Many cruisers are in it for the repairs and upkeep.

It's like the guy that has the shop behind his house that is always out there working on something whether he needs to or not.

If you learn to enjoy just sailing, maybe racing is for you but then that can get crazy as well with the do anything to win guys..

Long distance offshore sailing may be the answer to both which is my goal......even though I get bored on a 5 hour sail after work but after a few days a 5 hour sail is different

The Sunfish, I think I'll sail the heck out of it.

So, what offshore sailing do you have in your mind? Are you going to do that in your Bristol?

[KadeyKrogen38]

Just bought a Cape Dory Typhoon 18.5 ft, full keeled Carl Albert design, with 2.5 ft draft. She has almost 50% ballast to displacement. Small cuddly cabin with PortaPotty. Also meets your described boat. There is a Facebook group for Cape Dory Typhoon enthusiasts, that is where I found mine.

I have larger boat but wanted a smaller boat that I could take out by myself and was tiller steered. A good sized lake adjoins Galveston Bay but is shallow. This boat is ideal for Clear Lake or Galveston Bay

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kite

The Sunfish, I think I'll sail the heck out of it.

So, what offshore sailing do you have in your mind? Are you going to do that in your Bristol?

Since I'm still working my regular sail is crossing the 20 miles of the lower Chesapeake Bay which is sometimes in the ocean sometimes in the Bay.

I did get caught once though in winds peaking at around 35 knots with too much sail up and had to steer as the autopilot was overpowered. (made the crossing in 3 hours though which is fast for a Bristol 27.

Video is after things had laid down a bit but you can still hear the wind in the rigging. I was lucky my rigging held together as it may be 20 years old for all I know

The dodger frame did get broken by a large wave breaking over it and the bow lights were out afterward probably due to the bow being under water much of the trip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nXfjcCuiPk