Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500

For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices

- Clive Marsh

Looking at the prices of good traditionally-styled GRP quality sailing dinghies recently I noticed that it was easy to spend well over £20,000 on a good one. While the standard of finish of these top models is superb it's still possible to buy old lesser-known GRP boats made 30 or 40 years ago that are in excellent condition for just a few hundred pounds. Often, they have been languishing in garages for decades unused by their owners.

Responsive day boat

One such boat is the Foreland sailing dinghy. I came across my Foreland in online new and used boat sales pages and I travelled across to Hampshire to take a closer look. Tucked up in a garage under sheets, she was owned by the skipper of a South Coast ferry and pleasure boat. He'd sailed the Foreland dinghy now and then but had little time for her and being on the water all day he tended to spend his leisure time ashore. Being ex-Merchant Navy like me we had plenty to natter about, and it was some hours before I eventually trailed my new little boat away.

She's a most attractive traditionally styled dinghy: good for sailing, rowing or motoring with a small outboard clamped onto the transom. The GRP hull is smooth which has certain advantages when launching and recovering onto your trailer because clinker-type hulls can get caught and damaged by the edge of a roller if not carefully aligned. Smooth hulls are less prone to this. She has a good strong tow eye for recovery.

The Foreland dinghy was made by Foreland Marine of Folkestone about 40 years ago. My model had an overall length of 10ft 6in and they also made a 12ft 6in version. To my eye, the 10ft 6in boat has better lines. She has a wooden mast and spars and is very well fitted out in hardwood. She has a gunter rig and light blue sails made by Rockall. I particularly like a gunter rig since it enables the mast to be stowed inside the hull when towing.