Pre-beginner sailor

[oldiesrocker2001]

The last three posts by INARATHEE, etc. are the best options for a complete newbie. I started out with a little Snark 11ft. not very fast but you had to learn to feel and read the wind. Still some excitement there, though. I didn't have much time or $$ back then.
The next few: 17 ft, 21, were fixer-uppers (still have the 21 and added a 15 ft one) but took more time to rig and required a clear knowledge of what I wanted in my boat.
Take some lessons(try to get your family involved as well), see how well you adapt to sailng, then think about HOW you want to sail - on a lake, on the chesapeake, on a bay, etc. and progress through easy-fun-affordable boats until you get the "one"

 

[arknoah]

"There is a free boat launch less than a mile away from my house on the Anacostia River in Maryland."

That statement offers a simple "boat show" for you any time the weather is acceptable. Go to the ramp and watch other sailors rig, launch, sail, and retrieve their boat. The difficulty or ease that they experience will probably give you ideas of what size and type of boat that a beginner could handle. If you see an opportunity to offer help you might be surprised how willing people are to talk about their boat.

A sailing course through a boat club, USCGA, or a sailing school would be time well spent and can get you sailing in a short time. It will also save time by helping you avoid some mistakes and misunderstandings.

Best Wishes

I can't comment on the concern about the Anacostia not being a sailing river, though agree with everything in this post. Taking a look at boats being launched will give you a great perspective and give you more information you can use to make some good decisions. Also, you might find a sailing club that offers instruction and rents boats so you can practice -- a great option!

And yes, most of us are happy to talk about our boats -- anytime and anywhere....

 

[Zed]

Having been in your place with some exceptions, I'm not sure that I would even suggest you do it. I sailed a lot 50 years ago, and crewed a bit in between, and felt the call also. I bought a boat that I always drooled at at the Annapolis Sail Boat Show every October: a West wight Potter 19. She sails very well, and easily.

But the things that I have had to learn to sail this easy to sail boat here in Maine, near the ocean, have been daunting and astounding---as well as expensive. While I enjoy sailing when things go well, I have had a number of experiences where it has not gone well(one with the Coast Guard rescuing us). I will persevere, but quite honestly if I could talk to my self of 3 years ago, I would tell him to pass on buying the boat.

So many things to learn that often you can only learn the hard way because there is nobody to tell you, or because they have been doing it for so long that they don't remember what you might not know. Or maybe you have a sailing teacher who has no concept of: "If I do this, what will happen next?"