Sunfish are great, especially if you're learning, but I found that I quickly tired of the Sunfish because you couldn't *do* anything on the boat, except sail. I love to sail - been doing it since I was 8 years old and now I'm 49 - but I like to do more with the boat, too. It's nice to be able to go somewhere with a nice picnic lunch, for example, or to eat out on the lake... or to occcasionally take a few friends with you or to carry supplies. Lack of room is was a killer for me, plus you're pretty much always going to be wet for the entire sail on a Sunfish... kind of kills sailing on chilly days unless you suit up, and even when it's warm I just got tired of having a wet b*tt!
)
I've owned a Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6 for 20 years now, and although it's an older boat, if you can find one in good shape - and most have been kept pretty well - then this is truly the Mercedes of daysailors. See
HERE for more information.
These were *very* expensive boats when new - over $7,800 in 1978 dollars - but they're as sturdy as you'll ever get and they sail better than any other small boat I've
ever sailed - and I've sailed a *lot* of them! They were designed by the guy that designed the C&C race/cruisers (*nice boats*) and then built by BW, so the quality was definitely top shelf. Plus, they are *very* safe boats - they almost never turn turtle an have a light weather helm (they point into the wind if you let everything go) so if you fall out the boat will wait for you and not run off.
Fair winds to all,
Kevin