Question for sailboat owners.
 

The next item on my bucket list is to learn to sail. I eventually want a boat that is good for day trips, comfortable for three of four, trailer-able. I'm thinking something in the mid 20' range.
My question is, should I buy something smaller like a Hobie cat to learn on or should I start with what I intend to finish up with ?

For what you plan to do, ie. day sail with friends, something in the 22-26' range with a swing keel would be your best bet. Relatively easy to trailer and to handle. Definitely don't think you would want to go with a Hobie as a Catamaran is a totally difference animal than a keel type boat and has no creatur comforts at all. You definitely want a boat with at least a decent porta-potti set up if you intend to have females on board as requesting they just hang off the stern generally doesn't go over well :D.

What about just for the learning of the basics. Any advantage to something small cheap and disposable?

For he basics? Get a dinghy in the 15-16' Range...O'Day day sailor, something like that....a centerboard dinghy for easy launching. These are the best craft for really learning to sail. Move up to a ballasted keelboat after you've mastered the centerboard.

Multi hulls are indeed a different animal...tons of fun, but different.

People who begin with a ballasted boat don't undersatnd the basics of sail trip as well as those who began on a centerboard dinghy, and sometimes end up in trouble because of the ballasted boat forgiveness of error.

I would say take a class to learn how to sail and buy the boat that you want to have for the long run.

You could look into a sailing club. They offer a variety of boats, possibly instruction.
The Hobie cat is a very fun type of boat, But quite difficult to learn on. Light weight, lots of windage make for challenging tacks. A small monohull dingy is a good way to start. Tiller in one hand, sheet in the other, and your positioning in the boat critical to trim. Instant and direct feed back.
There in So Cal there should be lots of sailing clubs to choose from. You may find that you don't need to own a boat yourself.

Cheers Richard

Kevin,

All good advice above. The first advice I would give is find an instructor and learn to sail before you buy a boat. Learning to sail is different than cruising around with 3 guests on board.

Once you get the principals of sailing down then you can decide on a boat. The purchase of a boat will depend on several factors. Some of which you already mentioned. You want to day sail with three guests (four total people including yourself).

Some other questions to ask are:

1. where will you be sailing? Ocean, Lake, Bay?
2. how large are my guests? Average size adults or are some larger?
3. the age of your guests?
4. even your guests sex. An 18-20 year old girl isn't going to be to keen on using the "poop deck" with her fathers 45 year old friend 2-1/2 feet away.

Once you answer those questions you can start looking for boats that fit your current needs and ability and that you can grow into as you become more proficient.

If you want to learn, start with a nice 18+ foot sloop. I learned on a Rhodes 19 and loved to sail and race that hull. I moved up to a Seidleman 25 later (still miss that one).

You can learn on just about anything but I'm not sure I would want it to be a Hobie cat. Good advice about taking some classes.

I've taken a few ASA classes, some 'performance instruction' on J boats and learn something every time. My first boat was a Cal25. Cheap, simple and lots of fun. Moved up to an Alberg 30 and while it's much better for a weekend, sometimes I miss the simplicity of the Cal.

A friend took a class through a local community college, pretty cheap and they got on the water for cheap. Also, look out for postings for crew. You'll learn a ton getting a ride on a boat.

And people with big boats are always wanting people to crew for them. Free instruction, a good time, and meet some fun people.

What Paul said. I learned to sail at Mystic Seaport here in Ct. in a 9' dinghy. Basically a bathtub with a sail. If you can sail a small boat all others will come easy.

I meant to say basics of sail trim...better learned in an unballasted centerboard dinghy than in a ballasted "keelboat"...In the dinghy, you'll swim unexpectedly from time to time, but that is a great teaching tool in it's own right.

Good advice Thanks everyone.

Basics..anything will teach the basics..If you have 1/2 a brain you can jump right up to most sloop 30 footers..Just use your head and not try to sail around the horn till you have some experience LOL
a 26 T Bird is the most bang you will ever get for your buck!..and ever one will be pissed at ya for sailing past
them..These are race cruisers and the racers replace all the sails every 2 years so stuff is more then reasonable on the market
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1314497340.jpg

Dude..................learn to sail......take an ASA 101 class, you won't regret it.
I did for my 40th birthday and have never looked back.

Depending on where you intend to sail and your uses, you could always start with a 22 ft and go from there....


IT IS THE MOST EXHILARATING EXPERIENCE ADJACENT A 911......KICK THE ARSE OUT OF IT..

Neil

Why not a cat?

I live on an inland lake in MI so my perspective may not be appropriate but I think anything small, simple and cheap sloop rigged/with a jib would be great to learn on. Kinda like karting as a start to racing real cars.

Taking a boat (or any craft, for that matter) to the limit, right on the edge, isn't something you always have the luxury of doing. I've capsized and had some catastrophic equipment failures in smaller boats and it has taught me things I couldn't have learned otherwise. And when it comes to good technique what better way to learn than in a vessel where you can SEE IMMEDIATELY the effect of trim and balance.

On my lake we have some pretty challenging wind, nothing at all like open water. Gusty, lots of coves making turbulence, hills on one side and miles of wetland on the other. When we've got really good wind all day I wish I had a cat, but usually it doesn't blow hard enough to make a cat fun.

One manning a dagger board sloop in good wind is fun, trying to be quick in high wind is awesome, if you don't get the gunwale wet you're not pushing hard!

Mudman,

Nothing is wrong with a cat loads of fun just not the best choice when learning the sport. It's probably best he learn on a simple mono-hull then maybe move into a cat. As a former cat sailor as you get older all that high performance isn't always welcome. Especially when your body doesn't bend and move like it used to.

I'm guessing from Kevin's original post he is looking to gently cruise along with some friends relaxing sipping a cocktail before he kicks the bucket. vs. being strapped up to a trapeze flying a hull in 8 to 10 knot winds.SmileWavy

get this book first

Amazon.com: Royce's Sailing Illustrated, Vol. 1: Tall Ship Edition (9780911284089): Patrick M. Royce: Books

I would rent or borrow a few different boats while learning before buying

many JR collages to full uni's have sailing programs

an other idea is radio controled model boats to learn on

hobiecats are not a eazy boat to learn on
fun fast and well built just not a first boat

sunfish are everywhere simple cheap to buy and own
and car topable or pickup bed and store eazy
the best little boat to learn on ever
and you can rent one anywhere
or buy used cheap and resell

then an daysailor like an oday
something 14 to 16ft and not a all out racer
again rent or buy used

then a cabin boat or fast cat
and you will have a better idea what you want/need

The plan is to spend a year or two here in SoCal cruising the coastal waters learning and then sailing up the coast to Washington State and making Puget Sound my home waters.
I've been watching Craigslist and ebay and think that something around 25' to 32' sounds about right for size, use, and budget.

I'd stay away from the larger trailerable boats
 

Too much hassle to step the mast, rig it, etc.
Plus, have you ever noticed how the 20+ foot trailer boats resemble a Clorox bottle? They don't take the wind as well as a boat that wasn't designed with trailerability as a constraint.

Sailing is a blast - spend some time, figure out if you want a boat in your driveway (or wherever). See how tolerant you are of set-up/take-down chores relative to sailing time.