dingy for a ten year old to SAIL

Thanks for that and will go 6 inch fore with mast and forget the jib.

Will need to expand fore decking back to fore of center to secure mast with room for seating aft of mast and place dagger board aft of center. does this sound good?

The stern will need less seating and more room for her to duck on tack.

Weight/ balance still seems like it will work.

Thank you and I really gotta get this going and just send pics with this thread.

 

Again, place the board just under the CE, possibly slightly aft of the CE, as much as the full board width aft. Guessing will just cause you difficulty later. Asking a novice to sail an unbalanced boat is cruel, if not dangerous. What happens if your novice sailor falls overboard and your "self designed" masterpiece suffers from a bad lee helm? She's swimming back to shore while the boat is sailing merrily away. A well designed sailboat will have a natural weather helm so this doesn't happen and the boat instantly rounds up and doesn't leave the soggy sailor stranded.

Within a few weeks of sailing the "little" rig, your novice sailor will wish for a faster, bigger rig. Even if you hold the bridle a season, maybe even next season too, the little sailor will still want to graduate into the bigger rig.

In other words, don't limit your options. Set the boat up as a cat, with the ability to move the mast to a second step location and hoist a jib. It'll offer more sail area to work with and more strings to pull on.

I have a fair number of small craft designs to my credit, most incorporate this very feature. I consider it a safety element, so the jib can be doused and the mast moved for reduced area in strong winds. The other way around for a beginning sailor is also true, as I've mentioned and others have noted.

 

Thanks for the input. I think I can do what you are saying here.
firebug link helped too.

I'm off to build now.

 

Williamt

You could also consider a Mirror Class Dinghy which can be sailed both with or without crew (singlehanded) for your 8 yrs old son. just a thought.

 

BHOFM,
I think this is it for starters. Then go for the 8' yacht/ O boat baeckmo and others have put forth here.

PAR,
I'm starting to see how you get the stability with the large sail, sleaker hull and a fun safe little craft from seeing these plans and pics. Your warnings on the self design were heard here. (can't be getting these kids in too much trouble)