Thom Stewart wrote:

Sounds like he should be looking at the
O-Day Day Sailer.

Nice boat, practical, a bit pokey IMHO.


I like the Stuart Knock-about. If I was back East I think I would
finish my sailing day in a Knock-about but out here you need something
to protect you from the weather.

Has he looked into the Soling? The Snipe? Even the Penquin? Lightning?
The Star (With a Conn. Rig)

What might be considered a good boat would depend on the circumstances. Is
it to be trailered often? Ramp launched? Kept at a club or other facility
with mast raised? Kept in the water? How many people to take along, and
how much provisions?

For strictly learning to sail, I favor smaller flightier boats. You're
less distracted by social niceties and given a lot of instant feedback. A
420 or Lark or Coronado 15 or or Tasar, one of the newer boats I like a
lot is the Capri 16.5 and of course the Johnson 18.

A Lightning might be too much for a beginner but is a great daysailer/camp
cruiser/class racer. The biggest drawback is the complex rig. A Star with
a cut-down rig would be a lot of fun too, but they are quite small in
terms of capacity, smaller cockpit & less stowage than a Lightning even
though they are keelboats & several feet longer overall.

The tool should be suited to it's use.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King