14.2 -- Beginner's boat?

LBee

New Member
Hello. I am looking into purchasing a 14.2 as a learner boat for my friends and I for the summer. I have general sailing experience, but always with a more experienced sailor at the helm.

Is the 14.2 a easy boat to learn the basics of sailing on? What are some of the drawbacks of it? Can I single hand it easily? Thanks for anyone's help!
 
It is easy to learn in the 14.2. It will capsize so learn how to upright it( Youtube videos). You can single hand it, but recommend using a roller furler.
 
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I bought my Capri 14.2 last spring and had a great time learning to sail (I still am learning :) I mostly sail single handed and have just added a furling roller to the Jib. I will let you know when I finally get a chance (hopefully this weekend) to try out the furled Jib. I second what douga7002 said about capsizing. The boat is pretty easy to capsize but also easy to right (unless you turtle which I did and would not recommend :( I now have a Hobby Baby Bob float on top of the mast so turtling shouldn't be a concern again. I hope you enjoy getting out and sailing on your Capri 14.2
 
I went out this past weekend and sailed in fairly light winds for about 4 hours. I definitely needed the Jib in the light winds to get any kind of speed, however, the boat handles well in light winds. I found that having the furling Jib made it much easier to get back into the dock since I could furl the Jib and use just the main to slowly approach the dock.
 
Hi! It is a good boat for beginners. I bought mine last summer. My wife and I sailed it without much prior experience. I have yet to capsize but have been sailing only in light winds so far. I have sailed it single without issues.
 
I agree 120% with douga7002 about a roller furler but especially capsizing. At some point it WILL capsize and you will need to get a feel for what it takes to get it righted. Practice it alone in at least 6ft of water and practice it with a crew member. Once you get the hang of it you can usually get it back up in less than a minute and be on your way. Capsizing isn't just about high winds. For me it was also about my mainsheet getting stuck or sitting on it while tacking or just making the wrong rudder movement or a dozen other small things...

I would also recommend a small ladder for the transom. This boat is pretty high off the water and it is very hard to climb back in without help (there are several blogs about different kinds of ladders in this forum)

If you sail on smaller inland lakes I would also highly recommend a mast float (Hobie Baby Bob). The first time I capsized my mast got stuck in the mud. It filled with muck that would not freely come out. It made my mast so heavy that I could only get it righted with the help of my club's rescue boat. (don't waste your time with sealing the mast or plugging it up. The Baby Bob solves everything)

So, get a Baby Bob, transom ladder and practice your capsizing drills. That will make the rest of your experience less stressful and more fun...
 

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