Brands

[Berkay]

Hello,
So from my previous post I got a lot of knowledge on how to go about getting into sailing. My research for my first sailboat purchase has me thinking about brands. I heard a few mentions on more common brands and less expensive parts since they are more common. But would this only be for expensive large boats? I’m looking to get my first boat to sail under 20 feet, would brand matter at these levels, especially for a boat that won’t be doing anything serious anytime soon?

 

[JohnShannon]

In the under 20 space you have "classes" which are boats built to a set of dimensions many builders building identical(ish) boats. The Lightning dinghy is such a thing. Then you can have builders doing their own design and not sharing like say Hobie builds Hobie cats and nobody else does.

Smaller boats are cheaper to buy, store, maintain, and they teach you to be a better sailor.

I think you first have to decide what you plan to do with the boat and then suggestions can come

West Wight potter is a tubby little boat that folks love
Lighting is about the same size as the potter but much faster
Or you could try a foiling Moth one of the fastest sail boats above the water

Many many choices

 

[rgranger]

If cruising is what you think you are leaning towards the Catalina 22 is a good starter boat. They made many thousands of these and new parts are still available ... you can almost guarantee one in decent shape is for sale near you. You can comfortably camp on them for a week at a time, They sail well enough and they are cheap.

 

[rgranger]

And the Mac 22 is even cheaper

what’s your budget and are you a cruiser, gunkholer or racer? With that you will get more informed advice.

 

[garymalmgren]

Hi Berkay
There are a few problems with asking for brand recommendations.
These include loyalty and the brand might be an indication when a boat is new, but age, neglect and wear and tear over the years can make a huge difference to a brand name boat.

Firstly, before you buy a boat, get your sailing skills up to scratch.
Then, try to get experience on a few different size and types of sailboats.

You are the only one to make the decision on which boat you will purchase, so the more you know the better equipped you will be when you open your wallet (again and again and again).

gary

 

[shemandr]

It's always good to buy into a brand, class or design that has large numbers of boats still on the water. Especially if the boat you find is older, which it is common for a first boat. Parts, help and camaraderie will be more available. That's why we see certain boats like the Catalina 22, Catalina 25, Hunter 26 Hobie 16 or Mac 25 be so popular. Catalina is still supporting its boats and that is a big deal. That's not to say there aren't great smaller boats out there. I was very impressed with the Albecore 20 which a saw while doing RC work last winter. But they are kind of a regional thing. If you're in the region - great.
A lot of one design "Dingys" were created for racing, particularly for the clubs on LI Sound, but also Scow's of the lakes, the Pelican of SF Bay and many others. Some of these boats once had large fleets but as new designs came out sailor's moved on. You can pick up one of these stale designs - usually for low prices. You just have to be creative regarding parts if you should need them.
Most of all find out what people where you want to sail are sailing. Chances are there is a good reason.

 

[Kings Gambit]

It's always good to buy into a brand, class or design that has large numbers of boats still on the water. Especially if the boat you find is older, which it is common for a first boat. Parts, help and camaraderie will be more available. That's why we see certain boats like the Catalina 22, Catalina 25, Hunter 26 Hobie 16 or Mac 25 be so popular. Catalina is still supporting its boats and that is a big deal. That's not to say there aren't great smaller boats out there. I was very impressed with the Albecore 20 which a saw while doing RC work last winter. But they are kind of a regional thing. If you're in the region - great.
A lot of one design "Dingys" were created for racing, particularly for the clubs on LI Sound, but also Scow's of the lakes, the Pelican of SF Bay and many others. Some of these boats once had large fleets but as new designs came out sailor's moved on. You can pick up one of these stale designs - usually for low prices. You just have to be creative regarding parts if you should need them.
Most of all find out what people where you want to sail are sailing. Chances are there is a good reason.

The best overall 20-ft boat I’ve owned and sailed is the Cal20. It’s a stable keel boat, fractional rig, still popular in Southern California. In the Long Beach area there’s a large one-design class of Cal20s. My other 20 ft boat was a HotFoot 20. Built in the PNW of Canada, it’s a light (1000#) class racer. Fractional rig with a lock-down keel that can be pulled up for trailering. Much fun to sail. However, neither of those builders are still producing yachts.

 

[shemandr]

Maybe I'll start another thread that could develop into a database of boats from 18' to 25'. Oh wait! SBD.com already has that. Unfortunately it's 70 pages. Maybe a thread could be boats in that range that posters actually have experience with. It would be interesting and maybe helpful for new comers who are looking for a boat. I'd never heard of the HotFoot 20.
Here's the SBD.com search:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat?paginate=25&filter%5Blonger_than%5D=16&filter%5Bshorter_than%5D=25&units=imperial&sort=name

 

[rgranger]

Maybe I'll start another thread that could develop into a database of boats from 18' to 25'. Oh wait! SBD.com already has that. Unfortunately it's 70 pages. Maybe a thread could be boats in that range that posters actually have experience with. It would be interesting and maybe helpful for new comers who are looking for a boat. I'd never heard of the HotFoot 20.
Here's the SBD.com search:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat?paginate=25&filter%5Blonger_than%5D=16&filter%5Bshorter_than%5D=25&units=imperial&sort=name

That would be a fun read....

Here is where I could contribute....Boats I've owned in that range...
Rhodes 22
MacGregor 21 & 22
Coronado 23 & 25
Hobie 16

Boats I'd love to spend some time on ... someday... and would love to read more about...
Compac 16 or 23
Montgomery 19
Marshal Cat Boats
NonSuch 19

 

[SailingLoto]

I would hit Craigslist and FB marketplace... who cares what brand. Find a cheap starter boat on a trailer. Check the basics, is it complete? are the sails good?, am I falling through the deck? Make a minimal investment, learn your boat and take it out and learn. Make sure sailing is for you before investing tons of money.

 

[Ken Cross]

My experience says the condition of a boat for a given price is the thing you are looking for.
You can find free boats (which usually cost more than safe ready to go boats.) Your own time and abilities will help dictate how much elbow grease and money you want to invest before your hoist the sails.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Berkay, I see you are in the NJ area, I'm with Ken, the condition of the boat is key, but there are brands, like the Catalina 22

that are plentiful and have strong active support where other brands, such as the Vivacoty 20

that are rarely seen. Some boats are distinctly regional. Surf City Yacht Club, for example, and to be true to what Gary said, has a large number of Mariner 19s. They are nice boats that sail well and have a very active class association of which I am the VP of Communications, so it is no wonder I would suggest one.

However, I haven't read your other thread, if you tell us a little about what you're interests are, we would be happy to recommend more specific approaches to your search.

Many many sailors first learned to sail as kids on Optimist Prams or Sunfish. I trailered a Hobie 18 all up and down the East Coast for years and grew up on a 56' schooner. All these boats are fine boats to learn to sail on. You are doing a lot of research, that's great, I've know plenty of self-taught sailors, but a mentor is highly desirable. I would suggest touring the local yacht clubs, talk to them, check out their bulletin boards, maybe attend a race or two and volunteer as crew, although the Covid times may not be good for that.

-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[cb32863]

Just gonna put this here..... Beneteau First 235 - A pocket racer with cruising aspirations! beneteau235.com

Hell of a lot of fun too and Beneteau is still in business.... over 135 years actually. I would put it up against ANY of those other small boats in people's lists. Plus its LWL is just over 20' but, I would not try to trailer sail or dry sail one. Maybe after you get comfortable and want to move up to something you can overnight in and have a mooring ball or slip.

But for around 20', there are a lot of fun boats out there. Hunter 216, Catalina Capri 16.5, maybe an O'Day 19 but, O'Day wouldn't be a recommendation for me,. For various reasons.

 

[capta]

If you want to race, then find a boat with a big class in your area. If you just want to mess about on a boat, there are only a couple of things I would consider important in a small boat like that.
Resale value if you are going to be "movin' on up..." and/or condition if you want to start sailing immediately. Most project boats cost much more than a good boat in the end, and you miss out on all the sailing when you are working on the boat.