On 2008-07-15 12:22:09 -0400, "txmxrider" said:

Please forgive me for asking a newbie question. I'm considering getting a
smallish (19'-23'), swing keel, water ballast, sailboat for family
recreation on local lakes.snip
Obviously it would be more involved than launching say a bass boat, but
really, how much trouble is it? Is the idea totally impractical? Are some
models easier than others to launch?

First, what do you want to do?

If it's only daysails, boats such as the O'Day Daysailor and Island 17,
to name two I've sailed a lot and had a LOT of fun on. There are a
number of mostly-open boats with a tiny overhang in the front for
stores and such in the 13-20' range. If it rains, you get wet, and you
at most can throw a tarp over the boom for overnights. These are pretty
much ideal for small lakes, say up to a couple or 5 miles long. The
boats others mentioned would soon run out of space.

Did I say they're FUN! And manageable by kids. Letting them take their
friends out "alone" can really hook them. I've raced against teenage
crews, learned to race with a 15 year-old who'd won that class's
Nationals the year before.

That sort are not much slower to launch than the bass boat. It takes a
bit longer to put any boat down after a long day in the sun, but most
people don't notice that.

Stepping up:

We had a Macgregor 21 for a decade, trailed it for 8 years. Two adults
and 1 or 2 kids can get by overnight, but it's tight for more than the
adults. (Better: "park" where the kids can pitch a tent on shore.)
Surprisingly capable, and can be towed by a small car. We used a '78
Datsun B210, 1400 cc of roaring squirrels. I'd say that others' timing
assessments are about right after practice. Half an hour after we hit
the parking lot, we were sailing, but a lot of that was the drive,
launch, and

Setting up and putting down each time *does* put a slight damper on
things. We used the boat twice as much and starting doing regular
weekends once we put her on a mooring on the Chesapeake, within reach
of dozens of interesting anchorages and places to go.

Re-reading yours, it sounds like there's one particular lake. If that's
the case, you may well be able to moor the boat cheaply and have the
best of both worlds: Able to do sunset sails if the mood strikes, yet
able to haul it to a vacation somewhere else.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-à-Deux -- Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI trips & tips: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/