Buying a Sailing Boat – Sailing Wizard

Whether you are a seasoned sailor or completely new to sailing, choosing the right dinghy for your escapades is crucially important. If you begin to look at all of the available sailing dinghies on the market, you will likely be overwhelmed with all the options and unsure which one is truly the best. Let’s take an in-depth look and answer the question: What is the best sailing dinghy for cruising? One of the best sailing dinghies for both beginners and experts alike, the Wayfarer is perfect for day cruising and multi-day adventures. Wayfarers are also versatile due to their streamlined and stable design. There are also other great options, including Gull and Enterprise dinghies. In the next few sections, I’ll take a look at some of the most popular and best sailing dinghies so that you can get an idea of what is out there. Let’s get right into it! Looking for a Sailing Dinghy for Cruising? If you are looking to purchase a dinghy, there are a lot of options available to you. A few dinghies rise above the rest in terms of maneuverability, quality, design, functionality, and a thousand other factors; however, it is nearly impossible to pick out a single dinghy as the best due to the varying opinions and needs of individual people. So, while there isn’t a single “best” dinghy that I can recommend to everyone, the ones listed below are absolutely amazing and will work for various crew sizes, needs, and situations. WayfarerGullEnterpriseWanderer Now, let’s take a closer look at these five great sailing dinghies and address each one’s pros and cons. Wayfarer Sailing Dinghy The Wayfarer is a widely loved dinghy that has quite a reputation as a good and reliable boat. There are many different versions of the Wayfarer, with slight adjustments and design changes throughout the years. While all of the Wayfarers are considered excellent boats, ones closer to the original Mark I design are ideal for sailing due to their extra storage capacity and added stability. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rp0pWxedhg Pros of Cruising in a Wayfarer Sailing Dinghy Wayfarers are overall great dinghies for a variety of situations and people. They are incredibly versatile, maneuverable, and very enjoyable to sail. Whether you are entirely new to sailing and just looking into getting your first dinghy, or you have been around the block a few times, a Wayfarer is an excellent choice for many people. Due to its extreme versatility, you can take your Wayfarer out on both day trips and multi-day excursions, and they are even great racing dinghies as well! Cons of Cruising in a Wayfarer Sailing Dinghy When considering the cons of owning a Wayfarer, they are relatively few and far between. One thing to keep in mind is you will usually want a crew of at least two people to sail a Wayfarer. Unless you are very competent and know how to sail solo well, a Wayfarer will most likely be too large and heavy to sail and beach if you are alone. It is also important to note that the newer versions of the Wayfarer are more prone to turtling while sailing than earlier models. If you are just getting into sailing, I would highly suggest that you get a Wayfarer similar to the Mark 1 designed by Ian Proctor. Gull Sailing Dinghy First designed by Ian Proctor in 1956, the Gull is a reliable and versatile dinghy that is well-loved by many people. The first iteration of the Gull was made of plywood, as most boats of the time were, and since then has gone through many more versions and is now made of GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAzuAXNYyj4 Pros of Cruising in a Gull Sailing Dinghy Much like the Wayfarer mentioned above, the Gull is a very versatile and excellent dinghy. While the Gull makes a fantastic sailing dinghy, it is a versatile craft that you can fit with an outboard engine or rowlocks for alternate propelling methods. Another significant aspect of the Gull is its sleek and small design. While you lose some onboard space, the Gull’s smaller hull allows this two-person dinghy to be easily sailed solo if you have a little experience and wish to do so. Overall, the Gull is a very sturdy and reliable dinghy bound to meet all of most sailors’ needs. Cons of Cruising in a Gull Sailing Dinghy Gulls are very sturdy dinghies that don’t have too many downsides to them. The only real offputting aspect of the Gull for many sailors is its small size that sometimes doesn’t have as much room as you might like on a multi-day excursion on a dinghy. The Gull has a pretty small hull, which gives it a lot of maneuverability, but it also results in less space for yourself, crew, passengers, and supplies. The lack of space on the Gull isn’t too big of an issue if you pack lightly, go on excursions that last a few days at a maximum, and have minimal people on board. Enterprise Sailing Dinghy Designed in 1956 by Jack Holt, the Enterprise is one of the oldest dinghy classes, yet remains wildly popular to this day due to its appealing design and beginner-friendly handling. Enterprise dinghies are extremely popular and versatile worldwide, being used for sailing, racing, and nearly everything in between. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35u052EkaXY Pros of Cruising in an Enterprise Sailing Dinghy The Enterprise is seemingly the perfect blend of size, design, power, and weight. This near-perfect combination of elements has been the primary thing that has made this dinghy class have such a strong following and be so popular for many decades. While it may take some adjustments and time, Enterprise dinghies are also relatively easy to sail singlehandedly, even though they are meant to be sailed two-up. Overall, Enterprise dinghies are excellent and reliable boats that are great for sailing adventures, whether you have a friend with you or not. Cons of Cruising in an Enterprise Sailing Dinghy Enterprise dinghies are considered one of the best options out of the vast array of sailing dinghies out there. However, there is one major thing that can be quite offputting to many sailors about them. This one flaw of Enterprise dinghies is their stability. While it isn’t too much for an experienced sailor to handle, Enterprise dinghies do have a noticeable lack of stability when out on the water when compared to similar sailboats. By no means is this a fatal flaw of the design, but rather a characteristic unfamiliar to this type of dingy and usually seen on dinghies meant for racing. Wanderer Sailing Dinghy Another design by Ian Proctor that has made this list, the Wanderer is a very light and agile dinghy that is quite popular among new and experienced sailors alike. The Wanderer began as a lighter version of the previously mentioned Wayfarer, but its design has diverged quite a bit and has become unique in its own right since then. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY5N_S61o2s Pros of Cruising in an Wanderer Sailing Dinghy One of the Wanderer’s greatest strengths is its weight. It is actually relatively light, with a hull weight of 291 pounds, making it pretty easy to launch and maneuver. Additionally, the Wanderer’s weight, or lack thereof, does not significantly impact its stability because it is quite a stable boat that is not prone to turtling. Overall, the Wanderer is a top-rated and fabulous boat that, while on the lighter side of things, is very stable and reliable. Cons of Cruising in an Wanderer Sailing Dinghy While the Wanderer is a great boat for sailing, a potential downside to this dinghy is the need to have multiple crew onboard. While sailing a Wanderer can undoubtedly be done solo, for most sailors, having some extra hands on deck will make sailing the 2-3 person Wanderer dinghy much more pleasant. Of course, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a multi-person sailing dinghy - for many it's the perfect choice - but it does eliminate the possibility of solo sailing, which can be quite relaxing and fun once you are competent and experienced.