DaySailer.org Forum

Not sure if this is the correct place to post this question. But Im looking for a dinghy size sailor that can fit these categories.
What size does a dinghy sailor have to be;
To sit on a side bench to sail and not the floor?
To be able to launch a boat trailer from a beach and not a ramp?
To have 3 or 4 people aboard when sailing?
To carry a small outboard while sailing ?
Thanks
Ron
20 years of 'big' sailboat ownership

A DS is big enough for 6 people in a crunch, it can be sailed with 3 quite comfortable and larger numbers work better if your crew is small of stature.

The DS is too heavy for the trailer to be moved by hand across a beach, but it can be launched from a (firm) beach if you are allowed to use your car. Coming from the water, it can be beached easily and then launched again, like when you want to stop for a picnic or camp overnight.

2.5HP will get you to hull speed, but even a 0.3 HP electric can get you going at 3knots.

A DS will give you the Dinghy sailing experience, w/o being too twitchy. If you are used to larger boats, you'll find the DS gives you that fraction of a second longer to respond to gusts, etc.

The DS is big enough, and has a protected cuddy to bring a week's worth of supplies, water and gear for two people, in case you like to go on excursions. It's no slouch if you want to sail it round the buoys.

Good luck with finding your ideal boat.

PS: I suggest you look at the "Cruising" section here, where you'll find a few trip reports.

Thanks for your response GL.
I currently have a passagemaker dinghy, that I primarily use as a tender but have been doing some adirondack lakes and ponds as well. At a hundred pounds, i can back up the trailer into the water and just pull it off. I think the DS would be fun to take out at some of these locations I was just trying to figure if a 300# boat could be coaxed off a trailer in a foot of water, or would it need a ramp.

The DS is more like 600# than 300#.

I back my trailer to the hubs for launch and to the depth of the rear-most roller for retrieval (that's a bit further in, but not by much: I do not float on the boat, I winch it on).

Your mileage may vary.