IS Daysailor for me?

[Guest]

Looking for a small boat for family afternoon sails in Narrag. Bay. Is a DS stable enough? Does it easily capsize? What are good alternatives?

amy (amyluks-at-aol.com)

[Guest]

I have a Day Sailer II that I sail singlehanded on Buzzards Bay, and would say that a Day Sailer would be a very good boat for your needs! You did not say what part of Narraganset Bay you plan to sail, but with proper care and caution.....you will really enjoy the Day Sailer. I would recomend that if the boat you buy does not have it already, add a reef to the mainsail, this has added great peace of mind to my sailing trips. A reef will allow you to reduce the area of the main if the wind is blowing over about 15 knots, and this will make sailing under those conditions more comfortable. Also the boat should have a boom-vang to control the tendency for the DS boom to lift especially when sailing off the wind, the vang will flatten the sail and reduce heeling (tipping) and reduce (but not eliminate) the chance of an uncontrolled jibe.
You should also think about getting a small (2-4hp) outboard for the boat, many will brand me as a "heretic" for this suggestion, but it is a good addition to the boat. I have met a fellow DS owner who lives near where I moor my DS in Wareham, Ma. and he has a 3.3hp Mercury on his DS I. This allows him to easily motor out of the creek where he lives, and to furl the sails and power in if the sailing gets to be too much for his family. I often use my 4hp Johnson to just go out for a ride under power if the wind is too strong for sailing, or too light. Sure, I prefer to sail.....but the motor is still nice to have!
So, if you have any questions about the DS, just let the people on this discussion forum know...and you will get a good cross-section of answers!

Rod Johnson (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)

[Guest]

Check out these articles at the class association web site, they will give you some information to help you make a decision about ifthe Day Sailer is for you.

http://forum.daysailer.org/ds_newbie.html

Bob Hunkins (rhunkins-at-pdq.net)

[Guest]

The real question is how big is the family and what ages? A DS fills up pretty quickly with three being a crowd although it holds more. But, once you get even a second person in the boat they have to help with the sailing, particularly with moving the jib which is hard to reach with someone on the bench next to you. So the passanger needs to be old enough and willing enough to be of help. With small kids, even one, you really need two adults, one to sail and one to watch the kids and respond to kid emergencies.

Best,
Steve Max

Steve Max (75264.153-at-compuserve.com)

[Guest]

I second Steve's point of view. Evaluate the family situation. Long legged teens might enjoy a Lightning more or a large, young family (like mine) might do well with the DS in short, near beach trips rotating kids between the boat and the playground / beach. This requires a couple of adults and so it's a big outing. (But for a family of seven every day out is a big outing.) We have several pics of the kids at about 1 yr. to 2 yrs. of age, wedged in their life jackets between the CB trunk and seats, sound asleep. Several times we've prooved that the DS sleeps three under the cuddy. And; we've shown that too many people on the high side on a gusty day can cause undue stress on the rigging... we demasted in a gust because of old faulty shrouds and a too-stiff boat. DS can be just the right boat for you if you are flexable to sailing conditions. I myself like stiff breezy days to rip up the lake! I probably won't do much of that for the next few years though. Enjoy!

MAKurtis (Emak41-at-excite.com)