Association Forum - Looking for a sailboat for my sister’s 10 year old

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Looking for a sailboat for my sister’s 10 year old

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

djn
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

USA
1561 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/02/2007 : 22:02:10

Hi All, I have been getting my sister’s 10 year old triplets into sailing and would like to get them their own boat (parents can’t afford it). I would like to find a 12 to 16 foot open cockpit sailboat that I can rebuild for them. I don’t have much (any) money but I have the time, tools and skills to restore a boat, so something stuck in the weeds is great with me. I live in Michigan and can travle to the surrounding state to pick something up. The trips names are Collin, Christopher, and Clair. Cheers.

Dennis
No Boat
S.E. Michigan

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2007 : 23:33:55

For that purpose, it's hard to beat a used Sunfish for a couple-a-hundred bucks. Quick, responsive, forgiving, and FUN! Dump it? Just right it and sail away!

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 06:45:03

We're still trying to give away our Laser II (in Florida)

Paul

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 08:38:57

Hi Paul, where are you in Florida? We have friends that travle between Florida and Michigan four times a year. Can you send me any detail about the boat? My email is djnagle@comcast.net Cheers.

Edited by - on

Leon Sisson
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1893 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 09:59:27

Dennis,

You might also try posting this on Trailer Sailor BBS. There's a lot more traffic there, and your question doesn't sound brand-specific.

-- Leon S.

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

Members Avatar

USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 10:24:09

Dennis,
You might also try [url="http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/mi"]Craigslist in your area[/url]. I did a cursory search in Michigan for free boats and didn't find any, but there are some relatively cheap Sunfish & Lasers, as well as someone giving away Sunfish sails & mast.

Dolphins are fun too, a bit bigger, could probably hold all three of the kids at once. I spent a lot of time in Orlando upside down in Sunfish & Dolphins when I was in between postings in the USN. Can't recommend teaching yourself how to sail that way, but I had lots of time on my hands and the rental was cheap.

Good luck, I wish I'd have had an uncle who would have done this for me when I was that young.

Edited by - on

tmhansen
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
397 Posts

Response Posted - 05/03/2007 : 23:46:09

Laser might be a bit much for a 10 year old to manage for a couple of years. My 10 year old is loving his Optimist. There are some old ones cheap out there if racing is not in the picture. We have an opti, a sabot, and an el toro. The Opti is the most stable and forgiving. Less bailing when they capsize too. Maybe you could find more than one. We enjoy family races with the three boats.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 05/04/2007 : 07:36:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tmhansen
 Laser might be a bit much for a 10 year old to manage for a couple of years.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The Laser II is even more so... It's a hot little sloop rig (I think about 16') that can be sailed with a trapeze and even a small spinaker. One Sunfish will handle three 10-yr-olds just fine--an Opti, probably just two. By the time they're 14, they'll want something else (like a ski boat). And having taught myself how to sail that way (along with a little book), I recommend it heartily!

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2007 : 22:11:54

I found a boat!!!! I am buying it from Nick Scheuer's daughter. Here it is. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Russ.Johnson
Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2007 : 22:17:32

Dennis,
Looks good, what kind is it?
Russ

Edited by - on

djn
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1561 Posts

Response Posted - 05/06/2007 : 22:51:59

I have no idea. Nick does not know either. It looks clean and comes with a trailer. If there are any problems, I will fix them before giving it to the trips. Cheers.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.