Dragons

What makes a Dragon more difficult to sail than other keelboats?

 

Nothing. They are actually well balanced and predictable boats; a real joy to sail.

 

They do breath fire on you occasionally, if you screw up, especially upwind.

 

Then they are kind enough to put it out again......being rather wet boats...

 

I read that they are easy to sail, but difficult to sail well.

I would expect an Olympic boat to reward expert sailing, so it would make sense that the upper end would be difficult.

I was curious if something was actually different about them.

 

Sailing is easy and generally intuitive to most folks. Sailing well requires talent and serious experience, sailing with talented and experienced same boat competitors and remaining consistently at the front of the fleet is an extraordinary effort for most.

Simply put, anyone can sail a Dragon, who's self extinguishing upwind properties are well understood. Sailing one in the groove, longer than most of the experts around you, is to say the least, fun. They're great boats.

 

Jammer, you have a good source to buy Dragon plans? I'm going to buy Dark Harbor 12 & 17.5 prints, but would love to consider the Dragon as well.

 

I got the Dragon plan through Anne Garrett, at nadragons.org.

I bought the Dark Harbor 12 plans, and comparing the two sets of plans is extremely interesting.

Other boats in the running are the International One Design and the Luder L-16.

 

The Luder-16 was the first design I saw that made me fall in love with classic day-sailer/racers. I would love to build any of the boats mentioned in this thread. My current dilema is not available shop space as far as length or width, it is over-head. My ceiling is just shy of 10 feet and doors are 8 x 9. Basically, I don't have room to build a full keel boat! Foiled again!

Next time I buy a house (which will proab be never uness I win the lottery) I have to remember I need a minimum of 12 feet high with a 10 foot high door...