Affordable dinghy sailing in US [hourly]

jirka

New Member
Hi,

I relatively recently moved to US from Europe, and I am looking for options to sail. I live at Richmond, Virginia, and I kind of expected that on the coast [in say 2 hour drive distance] there will be handful of clubs or rental places, where one can get little sailing experience, say laser rental per hour, classes, maybe windsurfing, or something in that direction.

I do not see myself committing to buy boat, with no place to store, living 2 hours inland.
I do not see joining some $6000 club where they give me 36 ft cruiser for 1 weekend per month.

I am looking for something with little commitment, affordable, and easy to begin, to perhaps take kids out occasional, something in that direction.

Do such places even exist in the US, or, specifically, in VA or NC? Place where you buy 1 hour lesson, rent laser for 1/2 day, come back in 3 weeks, or 2 months, repeat, something like that?
 
The good thing about Lasers is that one can buy them relatively inexpensively and sell them for almost the same at a later date.

Unfortunately, I don't think that one can rent a Laser in the Richmond VA area. But I would follow up with the Greater Richmond Sailing Association just in case:
Greater Richmond Sailing Association - Home

There's Laser sailing at the Fishing Bay Sailing Association; I guess a 2 hour drive from Richmond.
A really nice place to sail, but I don't know anything about memberships and such. I also don't know if you can rent a Laser (or other dinghy) there.

For general info about Laser sailing in the Mid-Atlantic area, please contact Jon Deutsch, the area representative
Laser District 11

The Potomac River Sailing Association is my home base. We sail out of the Washington Sailing Marina, on the VA side of the Potomac River, next to (Reagan) National Airport. The Laser guys and gals frostbite (fall through early spring) and the cost is minimal. You would be very welcome to try this out for free. If you decide to join, the membership fee is $70 (a super steal).
One can definitely rent a Sunfish (or a Flying Scot, I think) from the rental shop (independent of PRSA) at the Washington Sailing Marina.

Finally, I think that there are some rental places along the NC coast (Outer Banks). Not sure what they rent though... Windsurfing used to be very popular there and I know that there is kitesurfing these days.
 

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