Thinking of buying a Minilandyacht?

• Where are you going to sail it ?
• When are you going to sail it ?
• Where are you going to store it when it is not in use ?
• Who is going to be sailing it ?

If you have ready answers for those questions, then you have clearly given it some thought.

If you have an inland site in mind, it is best to ask permission before you have bought the yacht. If it is a beach, don't forget the tide - it is Not out at the same time every weekend.

Some yachts are bulky - you might need a trailer to cart it about, and that might pose additional storage problems, especially if you live in a city centre flat. If it is only you that is going to be sailing it, then that will simplify things nicely... and you can buy what you want.

If it's Racing, do check and make sure there are races available for you to sail in.

If it's for fun, will you be planning ahead - going to the beach on Saturday 16th, say - or will you look out of the window one morning and think Right, it's windy, so I'm going sailing today ? If it's the latter - or you won't go unless there is wind - then you can make do with the basic single sail option, and keep things nice and simple. If you're going Racing - or will be going to the beach on a specific date regardless of the forecast - then you will need more than one sail, to cover the various different wind strengths that you might encounter. You might need a smaller sail for when it's really windy... or you might need a bigger sail for when the wind is light. There is nothing worse than going to the beach and not being able to sail because your sail is not big enough, especially if you then have to watch other folk with bigger sails actively enjoying their sailing.

If you're on the Heavy side, and / or the diet isn't working, you will probably find sailing a lot easier with a bigger sail. Similarly, if you are a thin, skinny lightweight, perhaps a smaller sail might be more manageable.

Before you decide what type of yacht you should you buy, do be warned that your options are somewhat limited.

If you want New, you may be forced to look at the yachts made by Seagull (landyachting.com), Plume (plumefactory.fr) and Libre (libra.de), as our Potty Minilandyachts may be of limited availabilty.

If you want Secondhand, your only option is eBay. If you need advice, contact one of our Local Experts.

Against this lack of availability, you may be forced to consider the Blokart. At least they are readily available and, once you have one, you can start sailing.

If you are a practical person, and can either weld - or have friends who can weld - then making your own could be an option. If so, inspiration could be found on the seabreeze forum where there is a section devoted to landyachting - seabreeze.com.au - along with the pictures of our Potty Minilandyachts.