Hi All,
I am looking in to getting my own sailboat. I've looked around at MacGregors and Hunters in the mid 20ft range, 90's models or earlier. I am not real sure what I want to get. I need to learn more about the boats.
I'd like a boat with a wheel instead of a tiller rudder. That pretty much takes out MacGregors. I want a seaworthy boat - something that will take a beating if it has to, not just a "fair weather" boat, though I am not planning on any big excursions. All I want it for is day sailing, maybe out on the Great Lakes some (Michigan and Erie), but smaller lakes is really what I'm after. We have a place in Canada that is where I really want the boat for - it is a rocky lake and the more shallow the draw the better, but I don't want to limit my boat selection by that - I just want to be aware of it. I've been blown over in a boat before and don't want to repeat that in the same way - if the boat can upright itself without swamping, should it happen, that would be ideal.
The boat will have to be trailerable. From what research I have done the width of the boat is going to be the limiting factor. Weight/length/height won't matter once the mast is down.
As far as length of boat goes - I am not real sure. The bigger the boat the bigger the water/more stable, in general, so that would be a plus on the Great Lakes. The smaller the boat the easier it is to handle. I need to be able to man-handle it alone, so a super heavy boat isn't going to be ideal but if a heavily weighted keel boat is out there that draws less water for the same size that may be a better route as I can sail in more shallow water.
Thoughts? Ideas?
I am looking in to getting my own sailboat. I've looked around at MacGregors and Hunters in the mid 20ft range, 90's models or earlier. I am not real sure what I want to get. I need to learn more about the boats.
I'd like a boat with a wheel instead of a tiller rudder. That pretty much takes out MacGregors. I want a seaworthy boat - something that will take a beating if it has to, not just a "fair weather" boat, though I am not planning on any big excursions. All I want it for is day sailing, maybe out on the Great Lakes some (Michigan and Erie), but smaller lakes is really what I'm after. We have a place in Canada that is where I really want the boat for - it is a rocky lake and the more shallow the draw the better, but I don't want to limit my boat selection by that - I just want to be aware of it. I've been blown over in a boat before and don't want to repeat that in the same way - if the boat can upright itself without swamping, should it happen, that would be ideal.
The boat will have to be trailerable. From what research I have done the width of the boat is going to be the limiting factor. Weight/length/height won't matter once the mast is down.
As far as length of boat goes - I am not real sure. The bigger the boat the bigger the water/more stable, in general, so that would be a plus on the Great Lakes. The smaller the boat the easier it is to handle. I need to be able to man-handle it alone, so a super heavy boat isn't going to be ideal but if a heavily weighted keel boat is out there that draws less water for the same size that may be a better route as I can sail in more shallow water.
Thoughts? Ideas?