Need suggestions for first sailboat

I want to learn to sail. I dream of living on a sailboat and adventuring to far off places. But first I gotta find out if the reality fits the fantasy

I live near Lake Champlain, so I have a great place to learn. I have good skills with tools, some professional carpentry experience, and have a good technical background. I'd like to build my own.

What's a good size to start with? What's a good material that will allow me to be stupid and beat on the thing? I enjoy bad weather, at least on land Will fiberglass hold up to some mistakes, or should I use something else like aluminum or carbon fiber? I'm guessing steel is too heavy for a small boat?

I'd like to be able to take at least one passenger and our gear in addition to my own 230lbs. I'm 6'4". I'd like to be able to row it and not need a motor.

Thanks for any help!

 

Ken Swan designs

Here's a shameless plug for a good friend of mine.
Check out www.swanboatdesign.com
I'm sure one of his designs will suit you fine.

 

A good plan is to build or buy a small sailboat before going for a cruiser type. Gilbert has referred you to a good plan source. Consider the Swan Winterhawk as a good starter boat that is simple, capable, and has modest cost. There are numerous other reasonably priced plans for simple boats, by established designers. There are aso a bunch of free plans at your disposal. Check out Duckworks.com Your only problem will be to select one from the many offerings.

Living near L. Champlain means that your sailing season is short. It's a little late in the year to start a construct with hopes of sailing this season. A new build will make a good winter project though.

 

Why not get an inexpensive old fiberglass boat to play with, learn on, and see if you like it...first?! An 18 to 22 footer would be a good size.

 

I agree, start with a small boat.
You will learn more from a small boat and have smaller problems.
There are many boats for sale, so you have to figure out how much you want to spend.
Just one example of listings,
http://www.boatquest.com/Sail/Manufacturer/Category/25/Feet/USD/1/boat_search.aspx

and one I like, if you can spend 7000USD,
http://www.boatquest.com/Sail/Manufacturer/Category/Length/2367/Feet/USD/1/boats.aspx

Or just start with a dingy, that's the best way to learn sailing..

 

Welcome aboard, Vermonter

So you want to build a sailboat.
You want to find out if sailing is really for you, without spending a fortune or wasting months in the shop.
You want to have some fun building and using your craft, without worrying about anything expensive or complex while you learn the ropes.
Sound about right?
If the above description is more or less what you're thinking of, I suggest you take a look at Phil Bolger's "Instant Boats" series. They're not really instant- the name refers to the way Bolger has managed to greatly simplify construction by designing the boats to go together perfectly without any jigs. And most of them are really, really nice boats. Plans are easiest to come by through Harold Payson, http://www.instantboats.com/boats.html . The gorgeous, fibreglass-over-plywood Gypsy is designed for both sail and rowing (you can build it for under $1000 if you go cheap, $2k if you want the boat to be glossy-cover-photo quality). In pure wood construction Phil's selection expands somewhat. My current runabout is one of Phil's designs; the plans are excellent and everything fits together perfectly. You'll end up with a nice, relatively inexpensive and very distinctive boat on a very short timeline, that will serve you well for years.

Now, if you just want to get out on the water without the fuss of building, dig out a bit of cash and get yourself a used, slightly faded/scratched dinghy in ready-to-go condition.

 

Matt nailed it. Bolgers Gypsy is a shrewd choice. The plans are cheap, the construct is simple and quick, and the boat performs remarkably well. It is good looking in an fashioned sort of way. Do an old fashioned yankee craftsman job on it and you will get rave reviews as well.

 

Thanks for the info everyone! I'm planning on building it this winter. Would the Gypsy be ok for a couple people? 15' is a nice length, just under the requirements for title etc. in Vermont.

 

Crew of two would be fine in that boat. She'd be able to carry three and some gear if you slow down a bit, but you obviously can't have three people crewing a 15-footer- one will have to sit down out of the way.
Careful about building anything involving fibreglass over winter. You can do the wood parts in winter but the fibreglass will have to wait until temperatures are holding above 12-15 Celsius overnight, or else you'll have trouble getting it to cure properly. Or you'd have to heat the shop, which gets expensive.