first boat
I would recommend the Sandpiper as a first boat. However, every small boat is a compromise of price, performance, portability(including launch and recovery ease), towing weight, accomodation, seaworthiness, resale value, etc. Furthermore, one's choice is also determined by what's available. I think around 1200 Sandpipers were built, so there's usually one available somewhere. Then there's the matter of rigging. If you do everything alone, then the lighter the rig, the easier it is to step the mast etc. Some years ago, I owned a West Wight Potter 15, and rigging and launching was total simplicity. I next owned a Siren 17 and found the rig easy to pop up single handed without any lifting mechanism. The Sandpiper rig is a little heavier again, but can still be raised by one person. However, I would like an additionl person available during mast raising and launching. Towing weight is also an issue. A Sandpiper with trailer, gear,and outboard could weigh around 1600 pounds or more. This is at or beyond the towing limit of some four-cylinder cars. With my Potter, it was an easy matter to launch for a short afternoon sail. Launching the Sandpiper for a short sail is more of a time commitment. Learning to sail one of these boats is not difficult. I would suggest finding someone who knows how to sail to go along with you a couple of times in order to learn the technique. As for maintenance, it really depends on how fussy you are about appearance and whether the boat has been looked after by the previous owner(s). I keep my boat under a full tarp in the off season and keep the boat cut-polished and waxed. I also keep all the woodwork varnished and have added many little "improvements"; consequently, I probably do more maintenance than others. Would I take the boat offshore? To some degree, yes, but I think boats like the Sandpiper are really designed as coastal boats, so in my opinion, a sixty mile offshore trip might be pushing the limit. (I have the indulgence of a second boat--a twin keel British Westerly--if I want to venture farther). I have equipped my Sandpiper with reinforced stanchion and rail supports and complete lifelines etc., but would still think twice about straying too far offshore. After all, the Sandpiper has a fairly light rig. People have sailed smaller boats across oceans, but they are usually VERY experienced, and the boats are usually modified and reinforced to some degree. Good luck on your search for a Sandpiper.