New to sailing - Advice needed

Captain_HX

New Member
Hi all

I will start with a bit of an introduction and then get down to some newbie questions :)

I've been working at sea professionally for the past 10 yeas. I served as First Officer on Crude Oil Carriers and recently I got a job on harbour tugs as a TugMaster on Voith Water Tractors.

I got into sailing during my collage years when I attended a sailing course for yachts but I haven't sailed a lot since then.

Last month I took up a laser sailing class and got fully addicted to it. Now I'm looking into taking the next step and getting my own boat.

So here are the questions I have for you

1. Do you suggest I get a new boat or used one?
2. What to look for when buying a used boat?
3. Where do you store your boats? Do you keep them at home and take them out when you need them or do you keep them at a club?
4. I was offered a barely used laser pico for a good price. How close is pico sailing to laser sailing? Will I be happy with a pico? I don't have plans for racing.
5. How do you move your boat on the road? Do you suggest the use of a trolley or to carry it on top of my car? And where do you secure the mast?

I will be back with more questions shortly :)

Nice to meet you all

Regards
Elias
 
Welcome Elias,
Hopefully this helps you a little.

1. Do you suggest I get a new boat or used one?
Only if you have the expendable income. A Laser will retain a good bit of it's value as long as the boat is in tip-top shape. If your un-sure, buy a well looked for used boat. Back when I bought my Laser I was able to save over $1500 by buying a boat 2 years old and in excellent shape.

2. What to look for when buying a used boat?
Hopefully someone can explain this better then I can.

3. Where do you store your boats? Do you keep them at home and take them out when you need them or do you keep them at a club?
I left mine at the yacht club which I sailed. They do sell pull behind trailers.

4. I was offered a barely used laser pico for a good price. How close is pico sailing to laser sailing? Will I be happy with a pico? I don't have plans for racing.
Can you have a test sail on the Pico? I'd go Laser.

5. How do you move your boat on the road? Do you suggest the use of a trolley or to carry it on top of my car? And where do you secure the mast?
You can car top it, although I never have. They sell extensions that will widen the roof rack, and then you can strap the mast and boom to it, next to the boat.
 
Havent sailed anything but a laser yet but I will try to test sail the pico

Thanks for our advise
Was very helpfull

Elias
 
A Pico is more of a youth boat. It compares poorly to a Laser, IMHO. I can't recommend it, having sailed one on vacation (Club Sunsail).
 
Excuse me all, Looking for a little advice. I just picked up a used Zuma and trying to get it ready to sail again. Looks to be missing the Vang.
How critical is this for regular recreational sailing around the lake?
 
You can sail without a vang but performance will suffer, plus boat speed will noticeably drop on downwind runs. Hey, OP, get yourself a used Laser in good shape, there are plenty out there. Cartopping is a bit of a hassle, but if you're relatively fit it isn't that bad, and you save money on trailer fees, trailer maintenance, etc. No waiting in line at a crowded boat ramp either. I cartopped a Laser and a Minifish (separately) for many years, it helps if you have someone to sling the boat atop the car, and you can build a small homemade dolly to wheel the boat to and from the water's edge. The dolly I built fit in the trunk of the Camry, while the spars were tied or bungeed together and jutted from the shotgun window like a medieval lance, LOL. You might wanna devise your own system for transporting your boat, don't know what kind of vehicle you plan on using... a used car or truck is good, as it'll probably pick up a scratch or two over time. Leave the half-million-dollar Lamborghini at home, aye? :rolleyes:

When you find a boat you like and inspect it for the first time, check the hull for damage... this includes the mast step & dagger well, notorious problem areas due to stress. Check all fittings, not only deck fittings but your rudder gudgeons as well. All blocks should be in good working order, don't sweat lines too badly because they can always be replaced & upgraded. See if the boat has a boom vang, for some reason these tend to go AWOL with certain owners, same way hull plugs are commonly MIA. Your spars should be straight (some get bent, particularly upper mast sections), your sail & battens in good shape... hopefully the owner will rig the boat with you and let you sail her around for a bit, but if not, you need to check everything carefully, otherwise you'll be donating more coin toward the cause. Rudder, tiller & daggerboard are fairly easy to inspect, you'll wanna replace any rusty or corroded hardware with good stainless hardware, it's the only way to go. :D

DON'T BE PUT OFF BY MINOR DISCREPANCIES IF THE BOAT IS IN GOOD OVERALL SHAPE, JUST FIGURE OUT WHAT IT'LL COST YA TO BRING HER UP TO SPEED. CHEERS!!! :cool:

P.S. Two guys I knew from high school became tugboat skippers aboard those Chouest C-Tractors with the Z-Drive... those things are radical, they can sit in one position and spin 360s, LOL. :eek:
 
Last edited:
HaHa, I just noticed the OP's posts date to 2011, dude is probably dead & buried by now... didn't catch that at first because Zuma posted earlier today. Meh, the advice is still good, maybe someone else will read it down the line. :rolleyes:

Come to think of it, Elias may be an expert Laser sailor by now, LOL. :eek:
 

Back
Top