Bay Raider Expedition as a stable boat?

[Tina]

I'm new to the group -  may I ask a couple of questions.
We are pretty new to sailing and thinking about a Bay Raider Expedition as a stable boat for the river dart and once we have more experience a little further.  The Cardiff team don't have a BR expedition for us to try is there anyone in the group who has one on or near the river Dart?  Or perhaps the Lymington area.  Would love to make contact. Thanks

[MarkDarley]

Tina, 
I am pretty sure there are one or two BREs on the Dart so you may hear from someone.  There certainly were a couple of years ago.  You could also contact the Swallow yard for owner contact info on the Dart or Lymington areas.

Failing that, I have a wooden kit built Swallow Bayraider which will be on the Dart by mid May.  It's very different but you are welcome to come for a sail.  Contact me via the message board or markdarley(at)mac.com

Mark
"Pippin"

[boomerangben]

Stable is fairly subjective and it's easy for an experienced sailor to consider a boat stable and forgetting that first experience with tippy boats.

Is the BRE stable?  In my opinion yes it is, especially compare with a dinghy and certainly has a solid feel when stepping aboard. 

For reference a group of BRs and BREs have explored the Inner and Outer Hebrides for a number summers, circumnavigating Mull and the Islands south of Barra. So yes they are good stable boats capable of ambitious plans with a good forecast. I have also used one to take novices out with the local sailing club.  I'm not familiar with the Dart but would highly recommend a BRE for estuary and coastal sailing.

[Sea Simon]

I would say, with waterballast in -  yes, very much so.

As above, depends what you mean by "stable". What do you mean?

Sailing manners are good, safe and steady. Self righting etc.
I've dipped the gunnells a couple of times when sailing alone (trying too hard in a blow?) and the boat has looked after me.
We've been out in some v strong winds, with a young, fit experienced crew.

See also some of the recent posts by user "anyone can uk" wrt disabled/restricted abilities usage.

As a picnic/beach boat  -  again yes, stable. You can get up and walk around in the cockpit as you like, with no fear of stability issues. The boat feels solid. Not dinghy-like at all.
I'm about 90kg dressed, and can safely climb all over the boat, including side, fore deck, and aft decks without any concerns about "tippiness".
We take a lot of non-boating friends for trips out, generally motoring (as sailing would probably freak them out on grounds of "string everywhere"?) No complaints of tippiness.
The Tideway we had years ago was quite the opposite. Wayfarer, Gull etc are similarly tippy.