PAGE 20 • AUTUMN 2007 THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SAILING ASSOCIATION
AUTUMN 2007 • PAGE 21
BUYING THE RIGHT SAILBOAT FOR YOU • PART TWO
By Captain David C. Bello, Fair Wind Sailing School
T
his article is the second of a four-part series on the
process of buying a sailboat. Unlike most boat
Over
purchase advice, written by manufacturers, the
125,000
suggestions in this article are written from the perspective
of a sailboat buyer and are drawn from the collective
Great Sailors
wisdom of my dozen or so sailboat purchases as well as
and Counting
conversations with many, many other sailboat buyers. This
Annapolis Sailing School has been rated
Educating Self-Reliant,
“Number One” by:
article will focus on applying the buying process to
Confident Sailors
purchasing an appropriate vessel for light air sailing.
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The Buying Process
Adult Courses from Beginning
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to Cruising and Bareboat Certification By Our Students
In Part One, we introduced a multi-step process to
purchase a sailing vessel. Our emphasis was on assuring
KidShip
®
Sailing School for
ages 5-15 in our Annapolis location
that purchases were based on a detailed description of
how and where the vessel would be used and then
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identifying the best set of vessel characteristics for the Offering Over 25 Sailing Courses
specific type of sailing to be completed. We also on the Chesapeake and Tampa Bay
introduced five vessel characteristics to be considered in
the purchase. In this article, we apply those five
characteristics to light-air sailing areas.
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Let’s start by describing light-air sailing areas. Light-air
TAMPA M P A BA B AY, FLORIDF L O R I D A
areas are sailing areas that average 10 knots of wind or
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less. Moreover, winds over 15 knots will rarely be
This sloop rig has a high aspect ratio main sail along with a fin
experienced either due to lack of wind or lack of desire
keel, perfect for light air.
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by the owner to sail when stronger winds are present.
As we did with keel design, we will lean toward more sail
area and sacrifice a little stability. Racers will want the
Vessel Characteristics for Light Air
most sail area (SA/D over 20) while cruisers may opt for
To begin, we assume you have already identified your slightly less sail area (SA/D 17-20). Either way, assuring
usage in detail as we recommended in Part One. Next, it’s a generous sail plan is key to good boat speed. Also, we
time to find a vessel that best fits the usage in light air will want sail area high off the water where there is more
areas. Our primary consideration in light air areas will be wind. This means the sloop rig is the winner over both
to trade some stability and weight to gain speed and the multiple mast rigs and the cutter rig.
maneuverability – exactly how much depends upon our
desired usage. This does not mean sacrificing safety. Finally, we consider displacement. Heavier vessels
accelerate and move more slowly in light winds, so we
Our first vessel characteristics are keel design and will want a light vessel for light winds. The balance will
depth. While cruising in light air, we look for be to assure that we preserve sufficient space to
maneuverability and responsiveness more than stability.
comfortably accommodate the typical number of
Given this trade, a fin keel boat provides better
passengers on a normal trip. Don’t forget to plan for
maneuverability and quicker response at slower speeds
space for safety gear, tools, spare parts and provisions.
than a full keel boat. So, for light air – fin keels win over
full keels. In addition, cruisers should also lean toward a
Summary
shoal draft keel to reduce weight and gain access to
When sailing in light air, a primary consideration is
more anchorages. Racers have a more difficult dilemma.
assuring we have a boat that can move at a comfortable
While racing in light wind, we will still prize the
speed and maintain maneuverability in the light-air
maneuverability of a fin keel, but shoal draft keels don’t
condition. While we never sacrifice safety, light air
perform as well up wind. Racers will need to balance
means reducing some stability (compared to an ocean-
upwind pointing ability against weight and downwind
going vessel) to gain performance. The best design is a
speed when selecting keel depths.
fin keel vessel with a sloop-rigged sail plan.
The next variable to consider is sail area and sail plan.
Displacement will vary depending upon the average
In light air, we will want a generous amount of sail area.
length of trip and number of passengers, and the keel
depth may vary based on usage (cruising vs. racing).
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