Hi all-

Buzzards Bay without a boat is simply unthinkable! My wife grew up sailing out of Padanaram and we share her ancestral family summer house there. She started with a beetle cat and graduated to a Rhodes 19, both great for their time in her life. Since then, we've shared a Vanguard Nomad 17 which was fun when things didn't break, but didn't catch on with the rest of the family. So we're thinking about a daysailor that could be launched from the beach, rigged quickly and sailed by one or two people. My son has official wooden boat building credentials and training, but has no time to build one.

Fred did send me an advert for a used Penquin with fiberglass hull, needing finishing of a new centerboard and rudder. That got the juices going...

I suspect this boat would be good until the peak of a typical 15-25 knot afternoon breeze/chop in Buzzards Bay, but maybe I'm just getting wimpy in my old age.

Any other suggestions? Dave Evans... what are they sailing out of Onset?

We may snoop around to share another boat, keeping in mind that it should be one that can be quickly launched, rigged, sailed, even rowed.

Oh yeah... and it needs to be reasonably durable and seaworthy... a bit more so than the little one pictured with Fred at the steering oar.

The photo is a 3-day wonder son Fred made a few years ago starting with some plans he found online. It folds flat for transport and storage. The transom and bow are heavy canvas made waterproof, the transom is held open by a plywood piece which also support the all-purpose out of proportion steering oar. A leeboard gets jammed onto the appropriate side as needed. This rows okay but racks ominously under sail. It's a deathtrap with two grown males aboard. But what do you want for a boat that can be trailed folded to the beach on a homemade trailer behind a Raleigh 3-speed? Oh yeah... he didn't win the race against the red catboat. {grin}

Ideas greatly appreciated!