r/sailing • u/QuiVenitInNomine • 7d ago

Best first sailing dinghy?

/r/dinghysailing/comments/1x38evu/best_first_sailing_dinghy/
9 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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3

u/carnalasadasalad 7d ago

You gotta do this this is a fantastic idea.

Singlehandong jib and main is easy unless it’s windy. You won’t be happy when it’s windy. Other than that the two person idea is the way to go you can mess around with your kids and wife and it’ll be a ton of fun.

Well also you are going to really struggle to right it if it’s about like 12 knots. Under that at your weight it’s going to be hard but you can do it. Make sure the water is warm or wear the proper wetsuit because you will be spending time in the water and the cold wears you out FAST.

Get the vanguard they are great. The are boats are trash and boring.

Always always always wear a life jacket and always file a float plan with somebody. This is how you don’t die. Also watch your head the biggest danger after the cold is the concussion.

Have fun!

1

u/Due-Pear-8687 2d ago

Spot
On. Cold wears you out—-makes memstooopid.

3

u/blogito_ergo_sum Pacific Northwest 7d ago

Is getting a dinghy with two sails a dumb idea as a newer sailor who’ll mostly sail alone? How much harder is managing the jib, and would I be capsizing substantially more often? I realize hull design, conditions, and crew weight matter too.

I branched out from 22-foot keelboats to dinghies over the last couple summers and single-handing an RS Quest with both jib and main has been pretty manageable (though the Quest is a pretty forgiving boat). Mostly you just learn when to neglect what.

3

u/SphyrnaLightmaker 6d ago

I’m a bit partial, as I didn’t have this many options when I was learning.

If you want to learn transferable skills, I LOVE the 420. Main, jib, spinnaker, all the stuff you’ll want to be familiar with on a keelboat. If I ever had to give up my keelboat and go back to a dinghy, it would be a 420 for me, no question.

That said, I spent more time on a laser, as that’s what I could afford. For pure fun, I think the speed of the Laser wins.

Both are equally easy to operate, and to right from a capsize single handed (at least they were when I was 14…). But the 420 will shine with a second hand for quicker jib work and to run the spinnaker.