Laser 16 cruising dinghy

A solid and stable day sailer for comfortable explorations

- Clive Marsh discovered small boats while working for Canadian Pacific Steamships and is a past Commodore of the Merchant Navy Association Boat Club. In this series he shares tales from his 50 years of boat ownership.

Being a keen small-boat sailor, I'm always on the lookout for a good hotel which is close to a launching site or a boat hire facility.

I also like an outdoor pool for a dip and just by chance found that the Lodore Falls Hotel, on the banks of Derwent Water in the Lake District, provides a good outdoor pool while also being close to a slipway/marina. It is also an excellent hotel with an amazing restaurant and spa facilities.

So, if you are keen on sailing but your partner prefers a good walk and being pampered for a few days, arrange a good hotel-this could be the perfect solution.

We don't all have a partner who is keen on boating. Moored astern of me at Rye was an extreme sailing machine, owned by a lady who liked speed. Her husband suffered boats for years.

Having previously sailed and rowed on Lake Windermere and Coniston, I thought I would try Derwent Water for a change. It was quiet, in fact the only other boats around were a couple of little Luggers being filmed for a Swallows and Amazons production. I kept out of their way because the last thing they wanted was a modern GRP Laser 16 in the background.

Confidence-building

When we think of a Laser, a single-handed wet racing dinghy comes to mind, but a 16 is nothing like that. It is more of a cruising dinghy, a boat where Brenda and I could spread out and relax, that still has a good level of racing dinghy performance without the spills. Thrills without spills thanks to a heavy galvanised centreplate.