Choosing a dinghy can be a confusing thing. There are as many to choose from as a when buying a new car. All dinghies have differences in terms of who they are designed for and also how expensive they are.
There are several questions that you need to ask yourself before choosing your dinghy.
1. How much do you want to spend?
The newer the style of boat the more expensive it will be. If you
are looking for a cheap second hand boat you are better off looking for
the traditional designs for instance; Enterprises, GP14’s, Wanders,
Bosuns etc.
2. How much experience do you have?
Are you looking for that first time boat where it won’t matter if you
do damage to it if, for example you misjudge a launch or a landing, or
that large buoy got a bit closer than you anticipated. Or do you want
something that will give you a bit of a buzz and you are past that
major damaging stage?
3. Are you going to be sailing it single handed or double handed?
Do you have a crew lined up to sail with on a regular basis or will it
be predominately just you with an occasional helping hand?
4. Do you want to race or use it as a cruiser?
Some boats are great for both jobs but if you want to get into racing
seriously you might choose a boat that is raced regularly both at club
and nationally at open events.
5. If you are going to race what club are you going to join?
It is important to look at the club that you will be sailing at and see
what kind of boats they sail in the area that you are interested. Do
they race lasers or do the club prefer Supernovas or Streakers as their
single handed class? You can obviously take part in handicap racing no
matter what boat you have but it will always help you improve your
sailing and racing if you can match yourself against someone in the
same boat on the water. Does the club have storage for the dinghy or
would you have to take it home each time?
6. Do you want to use it for a family?
You might need to take this fact into consideration as if you are
intending to take little ones out for there first sail or use it to
start teaching them yourself. If this is the case then a stable dinghy
which is less likely to capsize with higher sides might be more
appropriate (although it is fair to say that children enjoy that part
more than the parents!)
7. To spinnaker or not to spinnaker? (Then asymmetric or symmetric.)
Are you planning on using a spinnaker if so do you have any preference
between asymmetrical or symmetrical? The large majority of modern boats
will come with a asymmetrical kite as there are very easy to use, where
as the majority of the more traditional boats come with the symmetric.
Although this is harder to fly at the start, they are very satisfying
once you learn how.
8. Plastic, fibre glass (GRP) or wood?
What will your boat be made out of? Wood - fast, stiff, beautiful but a
lot of work to maintain as it will need work every winter and it also
will need to be kept inside during the winter. GRP is a popular
alternative to wood as it is strong but doesn’t require as much ongoing
maintenance just when it gets damaged but they are not as beautiful as
wood. A good comprise is a combination of a GRP hull with a wooden
deck. It gives the beauty of the wood with the practicality of a GRP
hull. Plastic boats are becoming more and more popular, time has moved
on from the original topper which is two pieces of plastic stuck
together which usually ended up leaking. We now have the rota-modelled
variety, which are strong, and robust and cheaper for the manufactures
to produce than glass. The downside is that they are not as quick to
sail as a GRP or wooden boat.
9. Size, age and mobility of sailor?
The size of the sailor and the boat might not always go together. We do
have a separate article on dinghies suitable for the larger sailor but
there are many boats out there for all. Smaller sailors can also choose
a range of boats from the Europe to the laser 4.7 or radial or the
RS200 or 500 as a double hander. Remember you are not only having to
keep the boat upright you also need the ability to right the dinghy
from a capsize.
Age also plays a factor in the decision - especially for the youth races as classes can be age specific.
Mobility: some boats need you to be a real twinkle toes when moving
from side to side whereas others are more forgiving. Some boats with
have low sides so that you are sitting closer to the water which will
make it harder to get up from where as boats with higher sides will be
easier to get up. Some boats will also give you very convenient hoops
in the middle of the boat which you can help yourself up with. You will
find that the more you sail a boat the more agile you will become, just
ensure that it is still an enjoyable experience when you get back at
the end of a days sailing.
Choosing the right boat for you can be a bit a mine field but don’t be
afraid to ask people for advice on what boat you should buy, just
remember that if you want a single hander there is a great deal more on
the market than just a laser to choose from. Now you have chosen your
kind of boat or narrowed the field down a bit go to our ‘buying a
dinghy – where to look guide’.
