Sailing Dinghies are the most common introduction to sailing basics – and the best teachers.
Sailing dinghies are the most popular sailing boats, responsive and not expensive – good for sailing basics, fast – good for the experienced, relatively easy to store and available inexpensively second hand or build from plywood from a sailing dinghy plan.
People sail with their families, go on picnics, some race, some cruise or go on expeditions and adventures, some go camping.
Here are sailboats getting ready for the Texas 200 mile event. A non competitive event over 5 days for small boats.
Below I have a rundown on different ways of getting low cost sailing dinghies and how to make sure it is a boat that fits your needs and works well with minimum extra expenditure.
Here are some of the sailboats you can build from our plans, but read the text below to fill in general information about buying used sailing dinghies, restoring or even building your own.
Sailing basics to experienced doesn’t need to be expensive in a Sailing Dinghy
The sailing dinghy boom was in the 1960s and 1970s. In many countries it was powered by the growth of the middle class with an increase in leisure time and some spare money from the paycheck.
Most of these sailboats were built at home using new methods that allow prefabrication of sailing dinghies from relatively large flat pieces of plywood rather than lots of small pieces of timber.
This is how our oz goose sailing dinghy goes together – actually all our plans work this way. Everything is made of the flat and the hull goes together in a short time.
And the result of the easier methods of building your own boat was the boom in sailing dinghies in the 1960s and 70s.
Sailing basics and more on the cheap in modern times
So it seemed for some time that sailing would finally become a pasttime everyone could afford. Within the sailing mainstream this was a promise that was lost with lots of money thrown at very small increments in performance – but there are alternatives.
But there is a boom in inexpensive sailing outside the expensive mainstream. Maybe the new mainstream! From sailing basics in a simple boat to expedition sailing in groups like the RAID group below.
However there are several ways of getting an inexpensive sailboat for you, your friends and family can use. You can also introduce your kids to sailing.
Sailing Classes in your own sailing dinghy
There is an implicit trap in sailing classes. They can be cheap or expensive, but often when people finish the classes they find few realistic ways of continuing to sail either individually or as a family group.
Sailing classes with a sailing club are often a cheaper way and then there is often support for helping you be into participating in the club. You may find the sections below on choosing a second hand boat useful as well as all the links to restoration of an older boat.
Commercial classes often tend to be more problematic. They are very simple to enroll in. But often afterwards there is no real route into applying the sailing basics once the sailing class ends.
Whether with a Sailing Club or recreational sailing on your own, your own small affordable sailing dinghy can be the best option.
Because not everyone has sailing instruction available I have put together a sailing course – Click to view lessons.
All Free Online Sailing Lessons – Index
- Sailing Upwind with less effort
- Increase confidence in Stronger Winds
- Downwind with less distress
- Gusts, Gybes and tacks easily
- Not hitting other boats and more
Three main routes into sailing on the cheap using inexpensive sailing dinghies
- To Buy a sailing dinghy Secondhand ready to sail – which usually means a test sail. We have an article on things to look for and to look out for when buying a used sailing dinghy.
- To Restore an older sailboat – which can be hit and miss. If you find an older racing dinghy then you have to work out whether to keep it or burn it. Some are really big bargains – A group of case studies and advice about fixing up an older sailing dinghy.
- Build a sailing dinghy. Many plans are setep by step and the skill requirement is unintimidating. There have been huge leaps made to make boats that go together much easier and faster to put together with limited skills, tools and time.
- The glues allow gaps to be filled easily
- Plywood boats are often considerably lighter than fibreglass ones
- Modern plywood sailboats have very low maintenance
- Modern takes on traditional rigs make boats cheaper and fast to setup.
- Don’t need many tools – Usually a jigsaw, a cordless drill to drive in temporay screws while the glue sets up, a sander saves time, but after that it is rulers, pencils and so on
- You don’t need huge numbers of clamps – boats can be stitched together with cable ties or temporary plasterboard/drywall screws.
See the assembly of a simple canoe which can be used for paddling or sailing. The important principle is that the panels are cut out and directly assembled into the canoe shape.
Video image can take a moment to load.
That’s what we do. Excellent plans and excellent building support online or direct.
NEW – Viola 14 – Sailing Canoe Plan
A sailing canoe to make dinghy sailors happy – 75lbs
Viola 14 Sailing Canoe is fun and exciting. Easier than a sailing dinghy to transport and store. Canoe performance and Dinghy stability.
Viola is extremely stable allowing the crew to stand up and step and unstep the lug rig mast while on the water. Try that in a symmetric paddling canoe hullform!
Three Sailing rigs with two piece masts 4.7 and 6.0sqm full batten rigs. 6.3m balance lug with three reefs. 75lb hull. Four sheets 4mm plywood
More about the Viola 14 Sailing Canoe Plan here
Goat Island Skiff Plan
Simple, light, Easy build sailboat and great sailing by yourself to four adults.
Justifiably famous.
Simple to build but light, fast, pretty. Rows and Motors and will sail rings around other character boats.
If building a sailboat build something extraordinary. Visit the Goat Island Skiff group on Facebook.
More information about the Goat Island Skiff Plan
Oz Goose Light Simple effective DIY sailing boat
Low Cost Family sailing, Regattas and Teaching
The Oz Goose is a small sailboat that is a super easy to build, has excellent club racing performance sailing with 1 or 2 in the boat. Boat speeds are very matched for excellent tactical racing when not heading off for a family picnic with two aduts and a bunch of kids aboard
For training the goose will carry an instructor and two adults to sail with good sensitivity and speed. In stronger winds we commonly see downwind speeds of 10 to 13knots and sometimes much more.
Also visit the Oz Goose Group on Facebook
More information about the Plywood Oz Goose – see the website
“BETH” Sailing Canoe – Elegant plywood boat plan
Simple, brilliant performance – one person cartop
A touch of the 1870’s but fast about as much fun as is possible on a plywood boat. Yawl Rig with speed – a wooden canoe that can scare the Lasers at your local club. Racing dinghy experience recommended!
A small sailing dinghy for amateur boat building that is light enough for one person to roofrack 70lbs plywood canoe hull. Sailing Canoe boat plan
Click here for more about the plywood BETH Sailing Canoe Plan
Two Versions of the 8ft Oz Racer
While we strongly recommend the 12ft Oz Goose above as it has much better performance and can carry three adults or two adults and three kids with the same sail and other components as the 8ft OzRacers
The RV has an leeboard built into the side airtank
The Mk2 has a dagger centreboard case for more performance
Sailing Canoes
Click if you like the idea of sailing Canoes which are even more compact than sailing dinghies. canoe are easier to store and transport. And usually use even less building materials.