who knows about sailing and sailboats?

[MMMMMM]

You're suggesting some serious numbers for someone who "only wants to get his feet wet."

Do you need a boat you can sleep on, and how many people must it carry?

If you just want something for summer day sports, perhaps the Sunfish which is just great for one or two.

Catamarans are a blast, too.

If you want more space and the ability to sleep overnight on your boat, you could end up spending more. But check around. Unless you've just got tons of money to burn I can't see that it would be necessary to spend that kind of dough if all you're looking to do is get your feet wet and have some fun.

Check used (or near-new) prices for various sailboats on www.ebay.com

Do an eBay search in category "boats" using criteria "sail" or "sunfish" or "catamaran" or whatever. Remember that last-minute auction prices can jump, but a Buy It Now price is fixed if that option is utilized.