Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

[piratenotions]

So my husband and I want to get into sailing. We would be sailing on our local lake. We know we want something we can sleep in sometimes so at least 22 footer I guess up to 26 feet? We are beginners as I said and want something so we can teach ourseleves. Is this an impossible feat?
What boats should we look for? I know we want a swing keel and a boat we can trailer some to other lakes.

Any help would be great.

 

[tino]

Re: Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

Go to sailing texas.com. fine the boat you think you might like.then find out all you can about it. search, search, read,read. good luck. tino

 

[deanmcneill]

Re: Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

Check out Mirage 5.5 sailboats. They haven't been built since late 80s but there's a bunch around. They are 20ft, have a swing keel and are very easy to sail single handed or double handed. Here's the user website, check it out: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mirageownersclub/

 

[bowman316]

Re: Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

you think you could sleep in a 20 footer?

everyone will tell you to start sailing with a dingy, but I learned on a 26 ft boat. It is really not that hard, kinda like flying a kite.
you just have to always know where the wind is. that is the hardest thing for me, knowing where it is comming from.
and it is always changing.

 

[180shabah]

Re: Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

Check out hte Macgregor 26X and 26M(newer version of the X). Sailing purists hate them, but they are roomy, have a fully retracting keel, water ballasted, so they trailer very well and with the right OB can power to 20 knots.

I do not own one, but we are very seriously considering a 26M to replace our current boat.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

the only thing i heard about the magregor is that they don't tack well.
they can not go as close into the wind as other boats.

 

[saildan]

Re: Helping a beginner - a few questions...?

We are beginners as I said and want something so we can teach ourseleves. Is this an impossible feat? What boats should we look for?

Not impossible, but takes some serious reading and then hands-on doing.

Sailing lessons can help to shorten the learning curve by a couple of years and help to avoid learning things wrong that you'll eventually have to unlearn.

Lessons can also give you some experience on different boats, helping you to refine your selection criteria.

Is there a recreational sailing club nearby you can join? Often members will let you ride along/crew for experience.

What boats have you looked at so far? Have you gone sailing on any yet?
.