[jyl]

Anyone here a sailor?. Anyone build boats?

For my son's last week of summer vacation, I got him into a teenagers' beginning sailing class at the local sailing club. He is doing it with his friend and dance partner. They are in C420 sailboats, and having a great time. Well, how could you not have a great time, on the water with a pretty girl in the sun and morning breeze.

As I suspected, he really likes sailing so far. His high school has a small sailing club/team, and he's thinking about joining this fall.

I know very little about sailing or sailboats, but I wanted him to have this experience and to go further with it if he wants to. At least so far, the cost seems very manageable. I think the school sailing team has some boats, and a used one costs a few thousand dollars if we did ever have to procure our own. I've heard the line about a boat being a hole in the water that you pour money into, but how big a money pit can a C420 really be?

Now, he likes to build things, and thus he did some research. At the wooden boat building center in Port Townsend WA, there are one week classes in which you build and take home a small boat. For example, you can build a 12' lapstrake dinghy with mast, sail, rigging. I think it is the Chesapeake Light Craft's "Passageway Dinghy". There is a class in November, and we have friends in Port Townsend who would be happy to house him. If he can't do it in November, there will be another class in the spring. I know he can't race this boat, it would just be for fun.

Any general thoughts about teens, sailing, small boats, building a boat, etc? Should I quickly steer him away from this path, does it lead to ruination and drink?. For him, or for me? Encourage him to hang out with his videogaming buddies or down at the skate park where the wholesome kids are?