Best type of boat to get the kids started?

[sawman]

My little lad was quite impressed by the box of old sailing trophys we found in a box recently - so now he is really keen to go sailing!

I started sailng when a teenager, in enterpises, but I wished I'd been able to start sooner.

My little lad is nearly 5, and I'd like to get him out on the water, but I dont want to run the riske of putting him off, so I guess the type of boat might have a bearing on this, so questioni is what to go with, choices are traditional starter boat - the mirror - new style starter - RS feva - or something like a smaller keel boat which scores on stability

[stuttgartmetal]

mirror dingy

[grumbledoak]

I was probably a little older, but my experience of a mirror nearly put me off sailing for life. Horrid, blunt-nosed things! It was a course sailing Toppers that convinced me it could actually be fun...

hth

[13th]

I started sailing in a Topper when I was prob about 10 great boats for a novice IMO and room enough for you to go out too.

Watch the boom though never laughed quite so hard as when my father after repeatedly shouting at me to take care and then there was a sudden change of wind and I was all alone in the boat!

I did go back for him though! all heart me

[sawman]

Ive only sailed mirror a couple of times many years ago, I dont remember much about it to be honest, but it seems to have all the bits you need, inc kite

Edited by sawman on Monday 9th March 18:21

[Shrimper]

perhaps try and get him on a summer scheme or similar at a local watersports centre? We do this during all the school holidays, but unfortunately the minimum age is 8 because of insurance etc etc. It would be a much cheaper option than going out and buying a boat specifically for it, and the staff will know exactly what they are doing, so he should just go out and have fun.

Feva's are good, but probably a bit advanced for a small child. Lots of modern day-sail boats that are stable easy to sail, check out the RS Vision or similar. Failing that Toppers are great first boats, cheap to buy, and you could go out and have a laugh with him to. Picos are a bit similar. Whatever it is, I hope he gets hooked!

[sawman]

I did think about an oppie, but I'd prefer to take him out really, I'm hoping he gets hooked and then learn the fine art of crewing. His big sister has absolutely no interest in boats at the moment.

I think I'll see what I can borrow/charter and take it from there. I need to wait for the lake to defrost first though!

[Rum Runner]

Laser make the Funboat which is cat style, RYA approved training vessel.
Many people snub them but only those who have never used them. Utterly brilliant and i have had and use plenty of different dinghies.
They don't fill up with water have no dagger-board easy get back up , the boom is high enough for adults not to bang there head and you can get 2 adults in if needed but are desgined for one .Polyprop so unbustable.
We use them off the beach for level 2 training. The Kids get to learn to steer and understand the wind without spending 75% of the time trying to keep the boat the right way up.When opie's go over they also they tend to turtle then come back up looking more like a full bath.
Opie's are old school, the booms are low and you cant teach from in the boat.
You would not teach driving in car with cable brakes and no power steering and a starting handle would you .
I am chief instructor at a school and we have about 9 funboats, the other school on the beach has opie's , we can operate in a much bigger wind range and most years they have 999 to head injures due to boom cloncking.
We then graduate students to pico's.( though rather have a topper myself than pico).

Edited by Rum Runner on Monday 16th March 19:16

[Bushmaster]

When I was a dinghy instructor we always started the little kids on Oppies - they are very stable, easy to sail and make a good learning platform. Kids gain confidence on the water and learn fastest when they are in complete control of a boat (as opposed to being half of a two-person crew). They are tough too. Oppie rugby and Oppie 'tag' soon develop sailing skills. Never had one capsize (if it is breezly you can remove the sprit to reduce sail area).

[sawman]

Bushmaster said:

When I was a dinghy instructor we always started the little kids on Oppies - they are very stable, easy to sail and make a good learning platform. Kids gain confidence on the water and learn fastest when they are in complete control of a boat (as opposed to being half of a two-person crew). They are tough too. Oppie rugby and Oppie 'tag' soon develop sailing skills. Never had one capsize (if it is breezly you can remove the sprit to reduce sail area).

I see what you are saying, and oppie rugby sounds like fun

[DumpTruck]

Once he gets a little older and knows the basics something like a opi would be good, but get his confidence up and show him the ropes in something like a mirror,feva etc first!

[BMWBen]

Get him crewing first - mirrors or cadets.

Then when he's hooked get him out on his own in a topper, oppie or Laser 4.7.

Bobs your uncle.

[Rum Runner]

Paddy_n_Murphy said:

Rum Runner said:

Laser make the Funboat which is cat style,

Blimey I thought whilst lovable the Opie was, shall we say not blessed with looks, but a Quick Google and I see these new Funboats
lovely handling i am sure !!
Point well ?

I agree with the above. Nowt like let them learn the hard way (granted in a non tidal safe-ish way)

Opie's rule (or did and I am just showing my age!)

Don't knock-it until you have tried it.

I have been sailing for over 30years, racing all sorts of dinghies running professional racing yachts, and charter skipper of mono hulls ,Cats and Super Yachts (power) and own a yacht charter company and senior instructor. Give me the credit that i might now something you don't, epsecially if you need to go on the net to find out what one looks like .You may also see the Funboat is a RYA approved training vessel. Nielson holidays bought about 1000 for that job.

I also spend a lot time doing own boat tuition and the main bulk of our school is young children who are beginners. You may realise also younger children under the age of 10 ish have a very short concentration period, so learning the hard way is not the best and a lot of children these days are quite nervous they are not quite roughty toughty as they used to be. Build up there skills and knowledge or you can scare the horses.

Things move on you would not go racing round the world on Suhaili in 2009.
Or drive a car with only rear brakes and a starting handle.

Note:- We put proper tiller extensions on them.

Edited by Rum Runner on Monday 16th March 22:46

[Rum Runner]

BMW Ben is also correct in saying it is good to start with somebody else in the boat it makes them feel comfortable, then as there confidence builds, put them out on there own. We go with them first time out double up on the Fun Boat see how they go for a hour or so and then out on there own with instructor in RIB if the weather is suitable and they are happy.If they are not keen to go on there own with put another student in with them so 2 in funboat and build there skills up a little slower until ready for solo.

Edited by Rum Runner on Monday 16th March 20:02

[Hard-Drive]

To the OP...forget keelboats, you would not teach your kid to drive in a lorry would you?

Best thing is to join a club, and get him what the other kids are sailing there. He'll make new friends, and if he wants to race (and that's if, he might just want to play Swallows and Amazons) he can race against the same classes, far more fun than handicap racing.

[ClaphamGT3]

At that age only one way to go - Oppie

[sawman]

Hard-Drive said:

To the OP...forget keelboats, you would not teach your kid to drive in a lorry would you?

Best thing is to join a club, and get him what the other kids are sailing there. He'll make new friends, and if he wants to race (and that's if, he might just want to play Swallows and Amazons) he can race against the same classes, far more fun than handicap racing.

Once the lake has thawed I'll be up to there to see what I can find, Theres not a huge interest in dinghy sailing in these parts, Ive see a few hobies about and by the law of averages there must be some mirrors or oppies about. I must admit I can see the merit in the funboat, but I'm not sure I'd be able to get my hands on one here, Currently all the chandlers are closed as it's the off season, (probably too busy snowmobiling.

[Rum Runner]

Sawman, Hard -drive is also right if you join a specific club or have one in mind look at what the sail. Some clubs are very specific on what they like to have in there dinghy park.

Oh one other thing,we have outboard brackets as well for the Funboat and have a 2hp on the back.

Edited by Rum Runner on Monday 16th March 22:53

[Bushmaster]

Rummy - what are those funboats like going about? IIRC small cats tend to like getting stuck in irons.


On the subject of Mirror dinghies - noooooooooo!!!! I speak as one who bought a Mirror for £50, spent a few hundred and a few months doing it up, sailed it for a bit, tried to get my kids into it, failed and so and sold it for a small profit. They are hugely outdated - in the time it takes to rig a Mirror you could probably take that Funboat to bits and put back together several times over - and very fragile being made of thin plywood.

[Rum Runner]

Bushmaster,correct about Mirrors. Fun's are slow to tack if you are used to Pico,Topper,Laser etc. But at the end of the day not such a bad thing when your not even sure where the wind is coming form yet.

As said it means you can operate and teach when most other schools are back on the beach as its hard to oversteer them through tack and quickly power up.
Fool proof really, to you and me they are going to seem slow for sure at tacking. For beginners fast enough.

Had these things out with full rig for a laugh in steady 50 knots quite a few times, Go quite well down wind ,though have to sit on top of rudder just about to stop it from going down the mine in this sort of breeze.They do a sport rig to which is 1m higher.

When the weather is really bad and we have to recover the ribs from the moorings and there is large breaking beach surf we take these every time we surf them straight up the beach.No dagger board to snap and the pico rudder Kicks up.

Also good for when people forget to lift things up when they come back to the shore on lesson.Very few breakages.

Here is one that is not to slow to tack but certainly fast Nacra 6.0 built for rough sea conditions super-fast lots of forward buoyancy so very little bow dipping.Its our day off toy a suppose. We have to Dart 16's as well. great all-rounder they are, espcially if you are getting to old and creeky for skiffs like me

Edited by Rum Runner on Tuesday 17th March 00:47