New to sailing hopefully advice

[quiggers]

Hello all,

I am in my 40s and have always lived next to the ocean and have regrettably never learned to sail.
I have windsurfed quite a bit.

I have two young boys and am not going to let that opportunity pass them by.

I live in Florida and am interested in a used escape rumba.

For those of you that sail in Florida, or elsewhere, what are your opinions on that boat.
I would like to take myself and my two boys, and perhaps my wife on occasion.
Am I asking too much of the boat ?

I asked on another forum about repairs and parts, given its age, but as it's rotomolded and in good shape I shouldn't have too much to sorry about.

Any areas of concern with it.

I have been on the lookout for some thing I can get from my drive and in the water quickly. A five year old and seven hear old are not fond of waiting.

Thanks in advance.

[GreenLake]

Hi,

you stumbled into a forum for the O'Day DaySailer, which, in fact would be a boat that easily does what you would be asking of it.

Whether anyone here is familiar with the Rumba, I don't know, but we have people from Florida.

I know that when I fist tried to find a boat, I considered a Rumba (new) at the time for a bit, before being introduced to the DS (used). That was long ago and I've never looked back.

[quiggers]

Apologies. Now I know what daysailor I/II etc means..whoops.

The O'Day is a boat that I have thought about also.

I was concerned being new to sailing and perhaps being the only adult on board, how easy it would be to right.
Should I end up sideways. Is that a valid concern or not ?

Are they (O'Day) easy to rig at the boat ramp and then take down for transporting ?

[GreenLake]

You can definitely rig the boat at the ramp: I take my DS to the lake every week for a 2hr fun race, and other times just to mess about on the water. Setting up single handed takes a bit more time than with help from someone used to the boat, but even that remains acceptable.

The DS is not the easiest to right, but it's also possible to sail it without capsizing (many never have). It's a bit heavier and that makes it a bit more forgiving. For example, you can stand anywhere on the boat without it going over - try getting forward of the mast on some other dinghies and you'll end up in the water. It's not so responsive that you don't have time to react.

I and many others have found it the perfect family boat.

If you are the only adult, you would effectively be singlehanding with passengers. Although even a five-year old will be able to help out in those moments when you wish you had three hands.

Much of it is knowing your limits at any time, and those limits change with experience.

They way you describe yourself sounds much like how I got started. I did have a second boat, an 8' one with a single sail that was a great way to practice the basics, but when I got the DS, a friend came along the first time out on the local bay to show me how to rig the boat and how to use a jib - the next trip after that, I went out in much calmer conditions on a lake, but with five-year old as crew.

Kids love the cuddy cabin on a DS. A perfect place to retreat to when the novelty of being on the water has worn off.


In the right conditions (not much wind, close to shore) it can also be great for birthday parties:


(clidk images to enlarge)

[tomodda]

Hi quiggers!

Welcome to sailing, wish you many happy days on the water. GL is right, the O'Day Daysailer is a great family boat, and a great boat to learn on. That is exactly what George O'Day developed it for, 60 years ago! I took a quick look at used Rumba prices on Craigslist, and I can assure you that you can find a used DS for the same $1100-1700 range. Obviously, everyone on this forum is pre-disposed to recommend a DS, so I'll just give you my opinion on choices for your first boat, fwiw.....

I think it boils down to two main points: 1) A boat you can sit IN, rather than on and 2) A boat that you can grow along with your skills. What I mean by in/on is that you just have a lot more space to move around and places to sit if you want to get "out of the action" (tired kids!) on a Daysailer. On a small dinghy, such as the Rumba, you and everyone aboard have to sit in exactly the right place or it flips. The Daysailer is way more forgiving. It's the difference between riding a scooter vs riding in a small car. Tired kids? Go lie down in the cuddy. Want to bring a cooler? Stick it in the cuddy. Want to lie down? Lie down on the seats. Etc. The Daysailer is large enough to give you that freedom, without losing the advantages of a dinghy (light, maneuverable, beachable, easy to rig). Likewise, as your skills grow, you can add a spinnaker, extra sail controls, etc. The Rumba is what it is, pretty much set in stone. IMHO, you'll quickly outgrow it.

Now, with that being said, any of the larger dinghies has the same advantages as the DS. Last weekend I was helping out a newbie on an American 14.6, nice boat! These types of boat are relatively cheap and easy to handle. Big advantage of the DS is the cuddy - you have a "Below decks" space without all the weight/expense of a keelboat. Honestly, it's about as much space and headroom as being underneath a dining room table, but it beats having nothing at all. O'Day put it on specifically for family-friendliness. Big disadvantage of the DS is that it's 550lbs and you'll need to think a bit as you rig it and move it on/off trailer. Something like the Rumba, you can rig with one hand and then hop on and go. Again, pretty much like a scooter vs a car.

If you had no sailing experience at all, I could see getting the Rumba and then switching to a large dinghy next year. But you already know windsurfing - the Rumba is a windsurfer you can sit on instead of stand on, so you wont be learning much anything new. Go for the bigger boat

Tom

[quiggers]

. I am glad I stumbled onto this asking about the rumba.

I have seen the daysailer and I know they have a solid pedigree.

I am hoping this is something myself and my kids really get into.
I do agree as you have all said that although it may take a bit longer to get rigged, once we're out the kids won't feel so confined and therefore we can sail longer.

The idea of having a cooler and shade onboard is a winner

Thank you everybody so far. I am going to try and sail some kind of a daysailor at least this weekend and be on the lookout for a semi local good boat.

Perhaps someone that as part of the purchase will take an afternoon to give me a quick start guide.

Other than a forum such as this and Craigslist, what would be a good resource for finding a DS?

Glad I found this resource.

[GreenLake]

Happy you found this useful. Answering the question you didn't ask is one of our specialties here

There's a site called SailingTexas that lists boats for sale across the US, they've listed DaySailers before.

Good luck!

[jalmeida51]

Try sailboatlistings.com

[tomodda]

https://www.searchcraigslist.org/

Search for daysailer and daysailor (people mis_spell it).

[quiggers]

Brilliant. I have already begun my search.

Hopefully I will be able to report back.

In the meantime I have started reading through the posts to help me pick a good'un.

Many thanks