At Boatshed Essex we have dinghies, traditional cruisers, trailer sailers, production cruisers, long-distance cruisers, cruiser-racers and multihull boats and catamarans for sale.

Dinghies are very responsive to the wind and waves and to the movements of the tiller and sheets. This makes them a good choice for learning the basics of rigging, launching and sailing manoeuvres. There are hundreds of types of dinghies and small keelboats available. They can be both strong and lightweight offering a boat with performance potential that requires minimum maintenance. If you are just learning to sail a general purpose boat will be the thing to choose. It’s a good idea to practice in some different types of dinghies or small keelboats before you buy your first boat. After buying you could join the class association to help you meet other owners, join in class racing and learn more about your particular type of boat.

If you’ve already learned to sail you may be ready to cruise longer distances, perhaps even heading for foreign shores. If you want to learn new skills you may be thinking of choosing a cruiser. Some are only a little bigger than a dinghy although they have a cabin for the crew. Most have a weighted keel; although cruising catamarans rely on their large beam instead. Small cruisers are less expensive and easier to handle and maintain than larger boats. You will need to find a compromise between cost, performance and comfort. If you have a career and a family ashore then you probably do not need a luxurious ocean cruiser just for weekends and short holidays.

For shallow waters you may choose a cruiser with bilge keels or a centreboard. If you want to race this will affect the type of sailboat you choose. Before buying your own cruiser it’s best to get some experience in different types of boats on both short and long passages so that you know what suits you. If you’ve tried a number of different designs and rigs and understand the type of cruising you plan to do you will be in a better position to choose a boat.

You can get a good idea of what’s available by browsing our selection of boats for sale in Essex.

If you have a boating or sailing story to tell contact us: we’d be happy to share it on our blog.

Chesapeake Skiff Maryland Tonging Skiff for sale (pictured) at Boatshed Hayling Island.

Peggy Melmoth

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