orthy said..
Hi guys, I'm quite new to sailing. I sailed a little on Albert Park Lake when I was much younger. I'm looking to purchase a dinghy for under 1500 to sail on the lake as well as off the beach in the St Kilda - Black Rock stretch. I'm a small guy who only weighs 55kg and would be looking for a dinghy that can accommodate two people.

Does anybody have any good recommendations?

Many thanks.

Maybe a Walker Bay 8 would suit you. http://www.walkerbay.com/

-mirror
-puffin pacer
-corsair

also consider the club you will join and what common fleet boats they sail. Catamarans make for some enjoyable stable sailing as well.

LooseChange said..

SirJman said...
Don't know where you live.... But in melton, bargain!

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/melton/sail-boats/14-foot-catamaran-and-trailer-complete/1053999974

looks like a hobie 14. I couldn't be certain.

Yep, it's a Hobie 14, strongly advise against it as they do not have great load carrying abiltiy and are a bitch to sail well.

I havn't sailed a hobie 14, but I would have thought it would be ok for a 55kg sailor. I have a windrush 14 and it is very sailor friendly. Cats without a jib can make it very easy for a inexperienced sailor to get stuck in irons. I did sail my 14ft cat with 2, but a 16ft cat would be more comfortable, especially if you want to be competitive.

SirJman said..
cheap sharpie

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/harston/sail-boats/yacht-cheap/1053164793

Damn that's a good buy! I first started sailing in 1960 as bailer boy sheet hand on lightweight sharpies. Not really for the fainthearted. I was down in Victoria a fortnight ago to pick up a Corsair for my grandkids to learn in. Selling my Solo on eBay at the moment, finishes this afternoon. I bought that from Albert Park where the original poster on this thread sailed.

Need a crew of 3 to sail a Sharpie really and the forward hand needs to be beefy!

I would suggest wandering down to Albert Park and check out what they are sailing. Sailing on Albert Park is a little different to sailing anywhere else. The Mirror dinghy on EBay may suit but it is not on a trailer. The Taser would suit too but is a lot of boat unless your crew is a lot bigger than you. Last thing on Albert Park would be on off the beach catamaran. Buy similar to what the others are sailing.

Ramona said..
Just a reminder that there is a length limit on Albert Park. I think it is 19 feet. Sharpie is 20 feet!

But it's a sharpie, how could you resist?!?

This discussion is really interesting. I had never before thought about how weight of crew makes a real impact but it really seems like it does. For example, I was looking at the Taser at one point, but now it appears that it's a less than ideal choice.

What make sailing on Albert Park lake that different to the bay, aside from the lack of more serious waves?

Tasars are two man boats with a minimum weight limit on crews. They are just NS14's with more sail. Bit of a handful for light people.

Albert Park lake is generally flat and almost windless, full of black swans. Sailing from Black Rock you will need something a bit more seaworthy than on the lake. Mirror , Pacer etc. But choose a boat that you are going to be able to handle on the water as well as on land/trailer etc.

SirJman said..

orthy said..
This discussion is really interesting. I had never before thought about how weight of crew makes a real impact but it really seems like it does. For example, I was looking at the Taser at one point, but now it appears that it's a less than ideal choice.
What make sailing on Albert Park lake that different to the bay, aside from the lack of more serious waves?

Depth of water. Larger boats may have greater length of centerboard & rudder.

I'd advise you eat more as you are putting me to shame.

edited***

I used to wear woolen jumpers and before I raced I would dunk myself in the water so the woolen jumpers would absorbe water and there fore Id weight more on a rough day

SirJman said..

orthy said..
I've sailed an RS Vision before and would love a boat of that size. It's very stable and has heaps of room for crew. Any other boats which rival the Vision in terms of specs? (The Visions seem to be rather expensive!)

Welcome to $ailing. A corsair has a simular shape.

orthy is only 55 kgs. The Corsair is a 3 man boat and probably needs about 130 kgs in a moderate breeze. The Corsair I bought off eBay from Victoria is in much better condition than the one linked to on Gumtree. It's well rigged for racing and the gal trailer looks like its never seen salt water. Boat was an Albury/Wodondga boat and I reckon it just sat about in Melbourne for a number of years unused. Has two spinakers, one looks brand new! I paid $660 for it so may give you some idea of values if you decide to make an offer for the Gumtree Victorian boat. It needs some work, thwart is missing and probably a few other parts! There is another more expensive one in WA with no gear.

The Corsair is more daysailer or open trailer sailer than racing dinghy. It's a big 16 footer

Try a National 125
3.8 Meters long, 50kg hull weight
Mainsail/Jib/Spinnaker and Trapeze if you want
Lots around second hand
Strong history in Victoria & perfect for the locations you mention
www.125assoc.com