Seaotter5
Well-Known Member
In either the Sunfish or the Minifish it is socially acceptable to pad the bottom and back of the cockpit with life jackets, dry packs, etc. The you sit your butt down the the cockpit, with your legs on the fore deck, and just lounge yourself across the water as if you were at home in your recliner. You could probably do that in a Laser, but then all of the other Laser sailors will ostracize you forever. That's kind of me just trying to be funny, but it's also kind of true. A Laser jockey wouldn't be caught dead just relaxing while sailing. Altho, to be honest, trying to relax in a Laser probably isn't a smart thing to do!
Both 'Fishes can handle a fair amount of weight in dry bags attached to the mast. Certainly enough for cruising and camping for a couple of days. Check out the camping topics on this site.
Both 'Fishes can handle a fair amount of weight in dry bags attached to the mast. Certainly enough for cruising and camping for a couple of days. Check out the camping topics on this site.
Wow, good to know!! I wouldn't have thought to check that. Okay, so I could get a trailer hitch, which would eliminate the weight restriction. But then I would have to buy a trailer in addition to the hitch, which adds to my expenses so that might be more for the future. I have thought about going to visit the Panther with a scale but I'm not sure how you would actually weigh it.. could you just bring a standard people-bathroom-scale and balance the hull on it's edge?
I'm still torn between that and the Minifish! I wouldn't say sailing with a partner is a must, just a big plus. The thought of ripping around on a tiny but fast minifish sounds great provided it isn't that uncomfortable for my legs. But at the same time the added cockpit room of the Panther means I could bring a small bag of snacks, water etc. and go on longer voyages around Oneida Lake for example, and take a break and lounge quasi-comfortably . I'm a bit stressed because when I go to the estate sale with the Minifish I feel like I'll have to decide on the spot if I want it or not, or risk someone else snatching it up. I guess I'll have to wait and see how much they're asking.
It seems that if we ignore the weight and cartopping troubles, the Panther might be more what I'm looking for. But then the Minifish is likely a more quality boat, and if I have the opportunity to buy one in great shape for a bargain it would seem foolish to pass that up and go with an imitation brand instead...
Can you tell that I'm bad at making decisions? Again, thank you all for your input. I've been refreshing this page every 10 minutes today!