DSK wrote in message ...
Mike Silva wrote:
.... Safety is a
concern, but I'd also like something with a touch a thrills. I
discovered the Sonar, which looks like it might be a nice boat, but a
bit big and heavy and a pain to tow. I also discovered the
Highlander, and that boat intrigues me as well. Cheaper, too! Note
that at this point I haven't seen either of these boats in person...

Given my situation, does anybody have opinions on either of these
boats, or others? Many thanks!

The Sonar is a keel boat. In SW Florida you might find it a bit
cumbersome. But it's sporty and fun to sail.

The Highlander is one of my favorites among these type of boats. It's
fast and very roomy, among the most stable ballasted centerboarders, and
IMHO a handsome boat. The worst thing about trailering one is the
non-kick-up rudder, which can be improvised around.

Thanks for all your comments. The reason I mentioned both a keel boat
and a centerboarder is that I really, really don't want to end up
dumping my family in the water, and I'm not sure how far I want (or
need) to go to assure that. When I sailed as a teen the only times we
capsized is when we were pushing too hard, and I'd never do that on a
daysail. But that's no guarantee, right?

So, maybe a good question I need to ask is, is a bigger centerboard
boat (say 18-20 feet) a "safe enough" choice for daysailing with the
family? I would tend to think yes, but my experience doesn't really
allow me to answer the queston by myself.

Mike