Which family Daysailer/racer under $1000

IainR

New Member
So I’ve a toddler and a wife and sail also single handedly and with friends.

Looking for a boat for NH lakes and sea coast sailing.

I have a Zuma now, I was a laser sailer back in the UK, I love my Zuma but it’s a poor mans laser..

Now looking for a more family friendly boat as well.

Obvious options are Javelin’s, American 14.6 (I sailed both and the javelin was nicer), oday daysailers, Rebel and then more sporty boats like the Albacore.

I at least want sit in options, not fixed keel (used to have a flying 15). Previous experience with UK boats like GP14, mirror, enterprise and wayfarer and parents now have a drascombe lugger plus bigger cruisers.

Any views?

I won’t sell my Zuma as I live a mile from a lake so can grab quick sales at dusk but want a family friendly day sailer which is also a fun sail.
 
What about a Lido 14? I learned in Lidos & old Capri 14s back in the day, I'm talking about the fixed keel Capris... the Lido 14 has a centerboard, it's quick and responsive, has cockpit benches suitable for a family your size, might be a bit much for the toddler when the breeze picks up but otherwise it's a comfortable daysailer with a fairly high standard of performance. Not difficult to launch either, and quite satisfying to sail. I love old Lido 14s, I may buy one when I move to coastal WA State, I might not be such Orca & Great White bait as I would be hiking out hard aboard a Laser all day... like ringing the dinner bell, LOL. :eek:

"HERE, ORKY, ORKY, ORKY... HERE, SHARKY, SHARKY, SHARKY!!!" ;)

Remind me to rig a metal chuck wagon triangle and repeatedly slap a paddle on the surface to simulate a marine critter in distress... :confused:
 
Here's a simple Hero Cam video of a Lido 14 in action, do not underestimate this boat, it will haul @$$ when sailed by the right skipper... not haul @$$ like a multi-hull or foiler, but haul @$$ for a monohull with family-friendly features. This is just the first Lido 14 video I ran across, there are many, and dedicated Lido 14 sailors race these boats, they can be quite fast once you've moved up the learning curve... I just happened to do most of my first two or three years of sailing in Lidos because they could be easily launched and rigged, I didn't ping on Lasers till several years into my "nautical career." The club also had Capri 14s & Rebel 16s as trainers, so I did my share of sailing aboard those craft, but the Lido & the Laser soon became my favorites... once I was old enough, I went on to train in Catalina 22s & 27s, then I started working at the club, LOL. Anyway, don't ever underestimate a Lido 14, she's a bad@$$ little boat which would suit your young family perfectly, and you can find used Lidos here and there if you search hard enough. Worth the effort, IMHO, nothin' wrong with a Lido 14, you can have fun sailing solo, sailing with family & friends, you name it... okay, I'm done beatin' this dead horse, the very least YOU can do is check the video, LOL:


P.S. Now that I think of it, that toddler of yours could use the centerboard trunk as a footrest while sitting on either cockpit bench, and as the kid grows he or she will learn to keep using that centerboard trunk as a footrest... and eventually wind up sitting on the rail while thrashing to windward, LOL. That rail or gunnel isn't the broadest ever seen in nautical history, but it'll do for most sailors, I'm still thinking I should've patented a pair of loose yet thick padded shorts specifically for sailing this sort of craft... same way padded skateboarding shorts were patented back in the day, only move the pads further aft instead of on the hip, AYE??? Meh, some genius will figure it out... moi, I'll just make a pair to keep me comfy in my dotage, LOL. :rolleyes:
 
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Thanks, I’d seen them mentioned but I’ve not seen any for sale. I’ll have a look. I was just reading that they are much more popular on the West Coast as that’s where they were made so maybe that’s why I’ve seen none for sale.

I’d only take my daughter out in lightish winds so it could be ideal. I’ll keep an eye out for sure.

I’m mainly just watching Facebook market and craigslist at the moment. We may move in December (wife’s just finishing her residency) so I’m not in a huge rush to buy but keeping my eye out for bargains really.

I love the look of the flying scot but it’s a much heavier boat to move about and is really out of my budget unless it’s a total project that I’m not really into..
 
I've seen decent Lido 14s on trailers for $1K or less, and the class is large enough that SOMEONE must have hauled one to the East Coast, LOL... these little craft are good fast boats, I assure you, and your young yet growing family would have heaps o' fun aboard one. Not too much trouble to launch, easy to rig, with serious performance for the serious sailor, fast & fun cruising for the recreational sailor... I must admit I fall somewhere in between those two categories, I can sail like the devil himself when I'm so inclined and thrash would-be competitors, as I usually do, never sacrificing performance just because I'm pounding beers with friends or whatever. :eek:

Ya find one of these boats on sale anywhere near your current location, trust me, go inspect it and if she's in good shape, BAG 'ER... you and your family will NOT be disappointed. Hey, I watched that video one more time and had to laugh out loud when the tatted wannabe nautical biker chick dealt with the fouled jib sheet... you wanna backwind the jib slightly as ya tack so ya bring the bow around pronto, then cut the jib sheet and haul 'er in equally fast to avoid that problem. A solo sailor can do it, I just posted that video because it was literally the very first one I saw, and it accomplishes the purpose of showin' ya how life COULD be on the water for YOU & YER FAMILY, AYE??? ;)

Truth be told, dedicated racers fly spinnakers aboard Lido 14s... not the same chutes ya see aboard maxi sleds or IACC craft, let alone "The Big Boat" from NZ, LOL, but they still enhance performance. I'm serious as a heart attack when I say these boats don't suck, they have smooth functional design, they sport decent & proportionate rigs, and they HAUL @$$ with the right skipper calling the shots. Ya know, you can always run a "Wanted" ad in the "Boats" column or section of Craigslist, just to see if anyone within a hundred-mile radius happens to have one of these excellent craft sitting in a barn somewhere, LOL. I know I would, and I might just do that once I relocate to the Northwest... :rolleyes:
 
We don't get many Lido 14s in New England. The boats we get in that class are Capri 14.2, Holder 14, Javelin 14 and Hunter 146. The hunters usually have cracks in the hull that can't be repaired. So that leaves the Capri as the fastest of the 3 and a nice swing up center board. They often have a roller furling jib as well.
The Javelin has the most cockpit room for cruising and are built well.
The Holders are well built and handle nice on a plane and they plane easier than most, but they are dog slow under 10 knots wind. Vertical dagger board will hit something eventually and fouls the boom at the dock.

I personally think the DS2 is the best trailer-able family boat in New England.
Flying Scots are really nice, but I wouldn't want to step the mast more than once or twice a year.
 
I had a Daysailer 2 as well as a Capri 14.2. The Capri is a bit easier to wrestle with on the trailer and beach, but the DS2 just feels safe offshore, like really safe. We took ours all over, including around Gardiner's Island, which was more or less a completely offshore experience. Both boats have giant cockpits. the DS2 you could actually sleep below. Your toddler (now at least 2yo) could actually "go below" and be quite happy in there if you set it up right. Definitely enough for camping gear, including a grille too. It would also work in the Capri 14.2.
 
So I’ve a toddler and a wife and sail also single handedly and with friends.

Looking for a boat for NH lakes and sea coast sailing.

I have a Zuma now, I was a laser sailer back in the UK, I love my Zuma but it’s a poor mans laser..

Now looking for a more family friendly boat as well.

Obvious options are Javelin’s, American 14.6 (I sailed both and the javelin was nicer), oday daysailers, Rebel and then more sporty boats like the Albacore.

I at least want sit in options, not fixed keel (used to have a flying 15). Previous experience with UK boats like GP14, mirror, enterprise and wayfarer and parents now have a drascombe lugger plus bigger cruisers.

Any views?

I won’t sell my Zuma as I live a mile from a lake so can grab quick sales at dusk but want a family friendly day sailer which is also a fun sail.


A lot of good advice posted. Two that I have occasionally found deals on but requiring some elbow grease.

Highlander. Highlander One Design Sailing

Interlake. Interlake Sailing


There is just now an Interlake for sale about a half mile from here. I wasn’t allowed to inquire, Admiral’s rules.

Almost all old boats are likely to be in need of new sails. My FREE Rebel last year has cost us about $1700 in sails and hardware this year. Buts very nice now.
 

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