returning to sailing

lulusail

New Member
I need advise on a small boat. I haven't sailed in 20 years. I am interested in a small boat for one
person (female) to sail on a lake in the midwest. Any suggestions for something I could handle. I am now middle age and can't handle too much weight alone.
 
Umm at the risk of stating the obvious on this forum, how about a Sunfish? If you want to sail Solo, make sure you get a trailer to go with it so you don't have to worry about cartopping by yourself.
 
Haven't said what type of sailing you like to do. Fast and wild or sedate and calm? If lifting is a problem you could get something like a Sunflower. Will not get you anywhere fast but only weighs 50 lbs. against the Sun Fish's 130 lbs. Easy to car-top so you don't have to pay for a trailer.
 
i wouldn't buy a styrofoam sailboat ie: SEA SNARK- SUNFLOWER.. for use only in very, very, very light winds and are not very solid.. might help you remember the ropes though and on the cheap too.. i once went out in my snark and started drifting uncontrollably out with the wind.. it was not fun.

i learned to sail on a AMF Alcort Puffer, a very stable 14ft daysailer, but the mast is not as easy to set like the Sunfish. Puffers are hard to find but there are newer boats that are similar in design.

Sunfish are a pretty good choice.. i love how Sunfish can either be a lazy duck or a bat out of *ell. Sunfish are easy to find.
 
Thanks for the advice. A sunfish sounds great and will research all the ideas. I will hope to just try and get back to my dream. I just retired last year and could not get time off in the summertime. Now I am considering spending time on a lake to leisurely sail. I sailed a 16 foot hobie cat over 20 years ago. I was not adept at raising the sails myself and relied on "man power" for all kinds of efforts to keep the sport going. I first sailed when I was about 15 on a little sunfish I fell in love. It's so in my heart to be out there. I need to find a way to make it happen.
 
Drifting uncontrollably in a stryfoam boat, now that brings back childhood memories. Remeber watching a couple on a red stryfoam board try to sail upwind. The were not going upwind and not going down wind. Must have reached some sort of stationary equilibrium. That was also the first type of sailboat my father took me sailing on. Should have had a sign on the boat, "This boat for Broad Reach and Running Only, all other uses require a paddle."
 
wikipedia says the Kool Tabacco Co. used to give em away with enough redeemed credits from smoke packs.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snark_sailboat

tsk tsk

Drifting uncontrollably in a stryfoam boat, now that brings
back childhood memories. Remeber watching a couple on a red stryfoam board try to sail upwind. The were not going upwind and not going down wind. Must have reached some sort of stationary equilibrium. That was also the first type of sailboat my father took me sailing on. Should have had a sign on the boat, "This boat for Broad Reach and Running Only, all other uses require a paddle."
 
By the sounds of it you really nead one with a trailer. Right now I'm using my full size van for tranport. Works but is a bit hard to get the boat back in after sailing. Another thought, you will flip your boat. It's not hard to do but make sure you can right the boat after capsizing. Mabey see if there is a local club to contact. Don't be scared though. Just get out there and do it. You woun't be sorry. Happy sailing
 

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