Re: Beginner Sailor...

Posted by David Bixby on Mar 13, 2005

duke,

I completed a Skerry kit last spring and I love it.

There are many choices out there. You might have to think about what you want to do with your newly acquired sailing skills.

When I was a teenager, I had a Minifish. My definition of sailing was zipping back and forth across the lake hanging by my toes from the hiking strap, getting wet, and trying to beat my friend's boats.

When I chose the Skerry, I had a whole different type of sailing in mind. I wanted to explore the scenic lakes around Western Montana with my family in a dry and comfortable boat without a motor. I wanted to be able to cary picnic and camping supplies. I also wanted the boat to be pleasing to the eye.

The Skerry met my adult goals well. I found its rowing capablilty to be essential in the fickle mountain winds where I sail. It can haul quite a load of camping supplies and keep them and the crew dry in choppy conditions.

You deffinatly have to ask yourself whether you WANT to build a boat. You certainly don't have to build one, and it is definatly not cheaper to do so. I wanted to build a boat. I enjoyed the process so much that I keep finding excuses to modify, or add to it.

I also keep finding myself looking for the "next" project. I look forward to building another boat someday, but I have yet to find one that would meet my goals and my current situation as well as the Skerry.

There is a Skerry building forum at the link below.

You can also read some trip reports by Skerry sailors there to get a flavor for the type of sailing one might do in a Skerry.

I think that the Skerry is fairly easy to sail for the beginner sailer. My only reservation here is that since it is an entirely open boat, one needs to have a well practiced capsize plan in place before it ever becomes necessary. I have never come close to capsizing my boat accidently, but I a have heard of others that have.

In Response to: Re: Beginner Sailor... by LeeG on Mar 13, 2005

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