Interested in a Lightning?
(A First Time Buyers Guide)
What Do I Need to Know to Get
Started?
How do I learn more?
On the front page of the website
www.lightningclass.org in a box entitled Lightning Information
you will find a red link to Find a Fleet maps. Follow this link and
you will be able to locate fleets and most importantly Fleet
Captains in your area. Call your local Fleet Captain to find out
about racing opportunities. The focus of the Class organization is
on competitive sport, not recreational sailing. Some fleets are
more race centered than others. You don’t have to be rabidly
competitive to participate, but expect the top tier of sailors in
any District to be world class competitive sailors.
Also note that most organized sailing venues are clubs. These clubs
vary in facilities, activities, and cost. Know the local club
situation before you buy a boat.
If you are interested in restoring an older boat we have a very
active group, to communicate with this group on the front page of
the website, top navigation links, find Resources, then the bottom
link will be Wooden Boats. Follow this link to a wealth of
information and resources.
What do I need to know about the boat?
The Lightning was designed in 1938 as a wooden planing sloop. The
boat saw very rapid growth until 1942, again in the early 1950’s and
then in the 1960’s as sailors turned to fiberglass hulls.
What is perhaps unusual in the boat is that the designers, Sparkman
and Stevens, gave the Class association not only rights, but
ownership of the design and the name. All royalties for many of the
boat’s components, including the hull, mast, and sails go to the
International Lightning Class Association, who also regulates the
design and the Class activities. This fact is probably the biggest
single reason for the continued success of the Class. It is also
the reason the boat gets but limited “press” in the various journals
or shows. Class ownership means limited manufacturer control and
fewer paid advertisements.
Over time the boat has evolved into a superb match of the needs of
the rig and crew to the capabilities of fiberglass shapes. About
the only thing which could benefit greatly benefit from the
tremendous shaping advantages that glass offers over wood is the
bottom, especially the flat forward entry. However the hull shape
is what defines the boat. That shape is the hallmark
characteristic.
The rig itself is very capable and in many ways was front runner as
a modern, backstayed, flexible mast design. While rig changes,
including sails, reefing etc, are infinitely possible, the rig is a
great performer as it is. Simply put, the rig is under powered
below 8 knots, perfect from 8 to 15 knows, overpowered but
controllable to 25 knots and requires considerable skill above 25
knots.. As will all sailboats, one should look at the prevailing
wind velocities where they plan to sail before deciding the
Lightning is the right boat for them.
A very strong point is the strength of the rig. Lightnings, with 70
years of road testing, seldom have wind related failures. Most
equipment damage is due to neglect, improper capsize recovery, or
collisions.
Capsizes can and do happen. The Lightning is a centerboard dinghy,
albeit a big, stable one. The modern, post 1980’s boat is self
bailing and largely self rescuing. The boat can be sailed dry. It
can however turtle. If this occurs, external help will be needed.
Don’t buy a Lightning if you don’t EVER want to go swimming or get
wet, but don’t be afraid of a capsize either, particularly in a post
1985 boat.
Other details the first time buyer should know about include
saltwater. Saltwater is hard on boats…period. With lots of
freshwater boats out there, take a harder look at any boat based in
saltwater. In northern climates, also look for damage and
delaminations.
Generally speaking, because of the flat bottom and lack of reefing,
Lightnings are more common on inland lakes and many coastal bays
where light to moderate winds prevail during the sailing season.
Water where the sailing season is defined by howling wind and chop,
such as the US west coast from San Francisco north, do not see many
Lightnings. Many larger bodies of “calmer” saltwater, such as the
Chesapeake Bay and Biscayne Bay do see fleets of Lightnings.
At present there are few competitive wooden hulls. Buy them as
daysailors, project boats, or show pieces. Most of the early
fiberglass boats are also non-competitive. Some of the 1970’s boats
could be competitive but were built with foams that absorbed water.
By 1980, most of the bugs were worked out of the fiberglass hull
designs. Evolution since then has been to make the boat more
comfortable, more sensitive, and easier to recover in a capsize.
Some changes to the rigging, including the location of the upper
shrouds in 1986, means that tuning guides and sails focus on boats
newer that this.
Buy the newest boat one can afford. Unless you have seen or know
the boat, don’t shop for a boat older than 1990. Sails last for a
year or two for the top sailors and stay competitive for 5 years in
fleet races. THE source for used boats and sails is ILCA website
www.lightningclass.org Classified Ads. THE thing to know is
that the classified go on the internet first. Really hot stuff,
like newer used boats are often sold the night the ad shows up on
the web and long before Flashes is printed. This means that buying
a good used boat from a private individual requires regular checking
of the web page. This will also help you understand the pricing of
the used boats.
Another solution is to buy from a broker. One of the best is Joe
Dissette, in Michigan. Joe has a barn full of reconditioned
Lightnings. He gets a good buck for his boats, but you can be much
more certain that “good condition” is exactly that.
For nearly all used boat transactions, legal trailering home, if
bought on a weekend (when the seller’s DMV is closed), can be
difficult. Forethought and creative approaches in getting the boat
back are needed.
How do I read the ads in the
class newsletter or web page?
First, get help from a local
sailor. This is especially true if you are new to sailboats.
The ads are listed by hull/sail
number.
Next is the name of the
manufacturer ( Allen, Nickels, Lippincott, Mueller, etc.). Go for
the one most common to your fleet.
Then come the details:
Hull/deck color- If you are
serious about racing, get a white hulled boat. Remember that
colored gelcoats finishes are hard to match and fade out over 10
years. Try not to get a white deck as the glare is brutal. Other
items include the color of the bootstripe, deck stripes, etc., which
varies from boat to boat.
Rigging- Look for the
following:
Oval mast and boom by Allen,
Bryant, or Nickels.
Harken or Ronstan fittings
(almost guaranteed on boats 14200 and up)
Stainless steel centerboard (SS
board- also std on 14200 newer boats)
Full, modern side controls (std
on 14300 and up)
Spinnaker twings
Drums- These are winches to take
up the board and vang. Avoid them unless they are in good shape.
Trailer- Look for a galvanized OEM trailer. There are lots of rusty
homebuilts out there.
Sails- Look for the sailmaker's
name common to your area. Used sails vary a lot. If they are more
than 6 years old, probably get newer ones.
Accessories- Covers, spare
rudders, etc. can add value, but vary widely in condition. Full
covers for a Lightning can cost over $1000 new, but typically add a
few hundred used. Look for a mooring/deck cover and a compass.
Weight- The class minimum is
700 lbs. ( with certain things out of the boat ) The more
competitive you are and the more you pay for the boat, the more you
should insist on 700 lbs. Being a few pounds overweight is not as
critical as other things, like good sailing. Most boats are built
light and ballasted. Changing the ballast can mean revising the
measurement certificate. Occasionally the ballast is removed or
modified when it should not be. The current weight on a used hull
is often not available.
Price- Price is subjective and
is greatly affected by age, condition, the race record and the
seller's expectations.
Note that the older the boat,
the more variable the condition and hence the price. Newer used
boats are in hot demand. Sellers usually get their price almost
immediately. The older the boat, the longer it takes to sell and
more negotiating room exists.
Contact- Finally the ad tells
where to call or e-mail and what state the boat is from.
For a new boat or sails:
The Lightning has two builders, Allen Boat Company located in
Buffalo, New York and Nickels Boat Works in Fenton, Michigan. The
best advice to the newcomer is to find out what is the predominant
boat in your area and use one of those. That way the “free advice”
necessary to learn the boat will be on target.
The Class has the usual one-design sailmakers, and several smaller
lofts. North Sails, Quantum, Vermont Sailing Partners are all
common and competitive, but note that the tuning for each is very
different. A note on the North sails, not all North’s are alike.
They sell an M-5 or a Fisher design.
See the Lightning Flashes or the website
www.lightningclass.org
for contact information for boat builders, sail makers, covers,
rigging etc.
Summary-
Set your expectations about
competitiveness. Balance that with your boat handling experience
and your budget, and start shopping!
Good Luck,
Steve Little
Fleet 484
