Hello everybody, I'm new to this computer text thing, so if it takes a while for me please forgive an old retired man. I want to learn to sail while I'm till young enough to enjoy it(LOL). I'm looking for a type of boat that would be good for the Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding rivers, inlet marshes, etc. I'm looking real hard at the sea pearl 21, the drascomb 21 or any similar boats. Any thoughts of these two crafts? I' looking for a boat that will be easy to learn, east to maintain, reasonably safe, and hopefully grow older with me. John

Hello CapnJohn.

This is not a very hard question to answer IMHO. There are lots of good small boats of all kinds on the market. You need something that sails with a reasonnable draft. Something that you can manage by yourself completely: Raise the mast, rig, take in and out of the water etc... You are a retired man and you need something that gives you some freedom, not a chore of obligations and work to keep her sailable.
You have to think about if you need a small cabin to get out of weather if needed. It is very practical for a lot of reasons.
Starting at arout 17' there are lots of mini-cruisers with cabins that are worth a good look.
And most important, you want a boat that you own, not the opposite around!

Read Small Craft Advisor and some good books on the subject. The very best are on sale on this website.

Good luck in your search and try to keep us posted about your progress.

Lots of possible boats to choose from.
The Small Craft Advisor is of course a very valuable resource.
You can't study too much.

Since your near the Chesapeake Bay I'm going to suggest getting up with these guys;
http://www.clcboats.com/

Check their News and Events section, for met ups, sailing, and boat building events. Getting on someone elses boat is a good first step to seeing if you like a boat.

Also, there should be numerous boat sailing classes near by at competitive prices. Get a good foundation of knowledge.
Good luck, and keep a weather eye.

When I was younger, I spent most of my weekends walking docks and talking to people. Often I was invited to sail on the kinds of boats I was interested in.