Posted by Mike Field on 9/28/99 from 203.87.22.213 via proxy cache.net2000.com.au:
In Reply to: Buying A Boat posted by Ted on September 25, 1999 at 15:47:01:
Ted, given you're in the UK whcih your address indicates, I'd be looking at older-style dinghies like a Sabot (at 7'-11"), International Cadet (10'-7"), Heron (11'-3"), or GP Fourteen (at, would you believe, 14'-0") -- boats you sit in, rather than on. (More modern dinghies tend to be more oriented towards racing, and they're generally more difficult to handle.)
These four all have some form of decking, which means it's easy to build in permanent additional buoyancy (any you see will probably already have it.)
Be careful about open boats like Swallow or Amazon, where it's a good deal more difficult to provide extra buoyancy. The problem with boats like these is that if you happen to dip a gunwale under it's quite likely you'll fill up and sink if ballasted (qv the Pike Rock episode in Swallowdale,) or else float just awash and thereby be unbailoutable.
I'd be prepared to spend a few weekends visitng clubs which have off-the-beach classes, just to see what the son-&-heir himself would like, as well as what's available.
Make a point of visiting www.iws.net/wier/sanda.html before you start.
And good luck!