14' RS Sailing Quest

RS Quest Sailing Dinghy

This is billed as a family / training dinghy by the manufacturer. The reviews are all very positive, and it would be an excellent boat for young sailors learning the ropes. The roller jib is brilliant, it makes deploying the sail super easy. The high boom reduces the chance of getting whacked in the head; at 6'1" and with a long torso, I've never cracked my head with it. It will plane if conditions are right, even without the downwind sail (an option I did not purchase). The sail is extremely tunable, lots of adjustments can be made to it which is great for learning what works and what doesn't. It is easy to right after capsizing, and easy to climb back in to. The hull is a rotomolded plastic; I'm usually not a fan of this material, but it is done to a high standard and looks good. It is also very durable.

As good as the boat is for young sailors on protected waters, it is not the right boat for me (an overweight 46 year old newbie sailor) where I have been using it (the Straits of Mackinac). I bought it in 2022 during Covid, when there weren't any real alternatives; now that other boats are readily available, I will be looking for something bigger.

The boat comes with the 2022 Genesis trailer I bought when I picked it up. It has spent three Northern Michigan summers on the beach (2-3 months in the sun each summer); otherwise it's been kept in a barn out of the weather. Everything works, the only wear is scuff marks / scratches on the bottom from launching off the beach (we usually used large inflatable rollers, which worked fairly well). The hiking straps are slightly faded from the sun. The jib was rolled up on the forestay when not in use, the mainsail was always rolled up and bagged between sailings.

It pulls easily behind a 2018 Outback, seems to reduce fuel economy by 2-3 mpg. It is fairly easy to rig (I can easily handle the mast, but need someone to secure the rigging) and very easy to launch and recover. It has a plate for a motor mount, but I never installed one.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.