Sailing Dinghy for children

[barfwinkle]

Hello to All

Well my kids "think" they might like to have their own little sailboat. They saw a Hobbie in a movie and thought that might be fun. That got me to thinking that something along those lines MIGHT generate more interest for them.

I have no experience, except one or two rides on a Hobbie 16, on small centerboard/catamaran sailboats. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks in Advance.

[Tod Mills]

If they are teenagers, then yes, probably a boat with some thrills and spills may be of more interest. Any of the beach cats or light planing dinghies (can you say TRAPEZE?) would be fun. If you can swing it, a smaller boat for each of them would offer opportunities that a single larger boat wouldn't....

If they are younger, then something a wee bit tamer would probably be better.

[img]http://www.todspages.net/images/LF-UM470.jpg[/img]

[barfwinkle]

Thanks Tod

They are 8 and 12 (male & Female). The smaller two boat idea is a VERY good one considering sibling rivalry and all......But the bank may not be shored up that much. We'll see.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks again

[rtbates]

My recommendation would be a Sunfish. They are light weight, unsinkable and fun for the kids. They are also a blast for experienced adults when the wind blows 15+.

randy 25D Seraph #161

[Brian D.]

If the idea is for something for them to take sails in while at anchor while cruising, etc. then a sailing dink can be a good choice as it serves dual duties. We have a Dyer we used to use for such a purpose when we were kids, and it has been our primary tender for 24 years. And the spars may finally see the light of day again now that the nephew is that age and is expressing an interest in sailing. The centerboard attaches under the seat when not in use, the rudder goes topside, and the mast/boom are stored either in the quarter berth or lashed to the hand rail topside. Only takes a few minutes to convert from dink to sail boat. And of course all this can be done sans Cape Dory from the dock, etc. if they want to go out for a sail on an afternoon.

That said, it's certainly no performance sailor. If the idea is to give them a dedicated boat of their own to learn to sail and race a different route would be better. Growing up we sailed Optimists and Bluejays. The former is an ideal boat to learn on, and would be great for your 8 year old. It'slike a "personal sailboat" for kids, very small and compact, even with the rig. You have the tiller and the main sheet, and except for lifting the daggerboard downwind, that's all they need control wise. And when they get good, they're all ready for Optimist class racing.

Bluejays (or similar) would be a good choice for them to use together. There's a skipper with the tiller and main sheet, and a crew member (or 2) for the jib and spinniker. In terms of sails and controls, a great small version of dad's boat. I'm guessing a used one could be picked up cheap. I noticed at our club recently they've all been replaced by small Hunter's about the same size (I'm sure they're much quicker).

While Laser's are a great choice, and real fast, I think they may be a bit young to start that route. Same on the Hobbies. (though both more fun for dad to borrow).

Regards,

Brian
CD33

[Cathy Monaghan]

Hi Bill,

Another suggestion would be to enroll them in the junior sailing program at a local yacht club. Hopefully the yacht clubs out your way have sailing programs for youth. The small kids usually start out learning to sail Optis then they move up to larger boats like the Flying Scot, Laser, 420, JY15 or the like. The kids learn, sail and compete with each other. It should be lots of fun. One caveat though, you usually have to be a member of the yacht club.


Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Ed Haley]

I agree that a Sunfish would be a fantastic way to go if you wanted to go out and buy a boat now. I used to teach kids in a sailing program that used Sunfish boats and the kids had a ball. After a race on a hot day, they would deliberately capsize the boat and go swimming for a while. Then right the boat and do some more sailing.

Personally, one of my most exciting sails was on a Sunfish reaching across our lake on a fast sail just inches above the water. Just about as much fun as could be had.

Cathy had a good idea too. Put the kids in a sailing and/or racing program at a yacht club somewhere. You don't have to be a member although you'll pay a little more if you're not. Programs last for anywhere from a week to 6 weeks for about $200 per week. They sail lasers, 420s, Sunfish or other dinghys. Can't go wrong with these classes.

If your kids have an interest in sailing I would do just about anything to keep developing their interests and their skills.

[John Ring]

You can't discuss children's sailing without mentioning the International Optimist Dinghy (IOD). These boats are designed and build for children, and are by far the best boats for kids to get started with. At just under 8' long they are easily car topped and easily rigged.

There is a wonderful, very well organized, class association with plenty of Jr regattas across the country. It's not at all uncommon for over 100 Opties to show up at an Opti regatta, each with one eager little sailor ready to sail.

You can get more information from the US Optimist Dinghy Association web site at http://www.usoda.org. They have a complete schedule of local and national regattas, and links to the International Optimist Association. The Optimist Class very popular.

We love our Opti!

If you have Opti questions, feel free to send me a message.

Best,
John

[barfwinkle]

Thanks to all for your responses.

I have no clue what to do at this time. Most likely this will happen next spring/fsummer (a bit late now with school starting in two weeks).

The closest Youth Sailing club is 3 1/2 hours from here, but I'll see if their are any closer! Hell I might start my own!

Anyway, i was thinking Sunfish from the get go, but like I said I am not sure.

Thanks again for the input.

[drb9]

A couple of years ago, I bought a Hobie Wave (13'), with an eye towards teaching my kids to sail on it. It has a couple advantages that I liked. First, no boom. I figure kids don't need to learn the hard way to duck the boom. Second, it breaks down in about 15 minutes, so I can shove the hulls and mast under the cottage for the winter. Third, it provides a nice stable sailing platform to learn on. There's just one sail (I've read that the optional jib is a joke.) I really like this boat.

[Mark Yashinsky]

If not, who will teach THEM. After watching the YC's sailing academy, there is a tremendous amount for them to asorb (true, they teach for racing), yet keep it fun, just to be safe and handle what ever comes up. Will they listen to a parent?

Check out used boats from various sources, including YC's. The first one maybe should be a beater, until they learn and are willing to take care of it.

[Ed Norton]

No question the only boat for the beginning sailor is an Optimist. Small light easy to handle, large support organization, good resale value. This class is also very competitive if the child takes a liking to it and wants to race. This is from the father of an all american sailor that started in an opti.
Ed Norton

[Bill Sonntag]

Some great ideas in the helpful posts in this string, but here’s a short personal reminiscence that seems appropriate for the Cape Dory Message Board. My “first” Cape Dory was a Cape Dory 10 that my brother and I purchased with the proceeds from the sale of our McCulloch racing engine powered go-kart. We gave up being motorheads (too young for drivers licenses) to sail a Cape Dory 10! Sailed her standing up in wicked gales, impressed the ladies, shot by the transoms of innumerable quietly anchored cruising sailboats just to showboat of course, generally had a great time. I still borrow the “10” for longer cruises on my big boat and now my daughter sails her too. The right boat will bring your kids great joy – it will be tough to make a big mistake. Don’t press the kids too hard or make it too complicated though, they need their own space for it to be really fun.

Bill Sonntag
CD 31 Surprise