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Step 1
Find a boat with a simple sail plan that has one sail with a low aspect (the sail is low to the water). A gaff-rigged single sailboat or a sloop-rigged single sailer that has a fixed sail and a slot-in mast makes getting ready to sail faster and easier for the beginner.
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Step 2
Make sure that the sailboat you buy as a beginner can fit two adult sailors since you want a boat that you can get into along with an instructor or sailing teacher. The beginner boat should also be tiller steered to teach the new sailor the basics of boat handling.
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Step 3
Search for specific boats that meet your requirements as a beginner by looking at boats such as sabots on sites like sabot.com.au. Alternately, you can speak with a local yacht club about buying a used or new dinghy sailer from the club.
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Step 4
Consider buying a beginner sailboat kit if you're good with your hands and want to put a little bit of a personal touch into the boat. The 14' Herreshoff Biscayne Bay daysailer is a good boat to build from plans that offers not only a fun project but also closer knowledge of the boat's parts.
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Step 5
Take a daysailer or baysailer off of someone's hands by visiting a local marina or looking in local boating magazines. Since all you need is a beginner's sailboat, a wide variety of boats will suit your purposes as you don't require anything large or particularly ocean-worthy.
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Step 6
Have an expert take a look at the sailboat before you buy. You don't need to do a full survey (though it's probably worth your money) but a very serious sailor's opinion will matter before you buy or even accept a free boat.
