Sailing dinghies - major types of dinghies

Small sailing cruisers (often called recreational boats) are designed in many forms, varying from dinghies, day sailers and mini-yachts either with fixed or drop-keels. When boom tent is added, and different type of cockpit, there is option for over-night passage, week-ending, or for even longer periods. One-day sailing boats can quickly be converted for longer cruising by incorporating cuddies or lifting cabins. If you want to spend a bit more money, there are especially designed trailer sailers such as the LaserPico, MacGregor 26 or Etap 21.

The very definition of a sailing dinghy is a small boat with sails, usually powered by only two or even one person. The most important thing about it is that it has no stabilized and fixed keel and it has no cabin. More than any other boat it depends on the skills of the crew, because through their actions they control its movement - the weight of the crew and the positioning of the bodies has a big impact, too. The helmsperson has to take decisions all the time, unlike the big keel boats, where sometimes the helmsperson can stick to a course and even use autopilot. The crew leaning to different sides even outside of the boat helps in turning left or right and controlling the speed.

For over a century the sport dinghies underwent different design improvements, and even though there is big likelihood of capsizing in strong weather (or when the helmsperson is completely skill-less), sailing with them is relatively safe, great fun and you can learn a lot for the physics and dynamics of sailings - in case you want to take up bigger cruises after that. Before you start with a bigger sailing mission, you should have mastered the dinghy.

Different types of dinghies:

Wooden - boats with wooden hulls are loosing popularity fast. Still, there are people keen on especially wooden dinghies and they even order them customarily made. The difference comes from the alternative methods of planking, for example carvel and clinker. (The latter is still used, whereas the former is less and less used). Traditional clases are the National 12, Merlin Rocket, Salcombe Yawl. Other famous classes done with laminated wood included Firefly, Finn, Flying Dutchman (Olympic classes). Even some of the new generations of the most popular class of dinghy, the Optimist, are done of wood. However, for common use, wood gave way to fibre and plastic.
Fibreglass - Glass reinforced plastic (GRP) - it started to be used in the 1960s. Its construction principles are the same, even though the design of boats made with it changed through time. Sheets (or plates) of woven glass fibres are laid in a hull mould, and you lay more and more layers until you reach the desired thickness. When this is done the sheets are laminated with a so-called catalyst, which actually is polyester or some material related to it. The greatest advantage of fiberglass is that it does not need much keeping/ repair- no need of rubbing down, painting or varnishing (which wooden dinghies require each year).
Plasticglass - Plastic as building material for dinghies entered not so long ago. The so called rotomoulded dinghy is made of different layers of plastic and foam. Its greatest advantage is that plastic is economic and durable. Nowadays the variations in different plastic materials and designs are enormous and you can have very efficient boat. You just need to know what you will use it for - whether speed or space is your priority, for example. Fibreglass has different specifications and it may be changed for a even better high-performance woven material. Additional hull reinforcement can be installed - a tubular frame for support. Carbon gives way to alluminium here, because alluminium is better for complex joints.