So i am wanting to learn how to sail when i move to North Carolina. I have a Ram 1500 v8 and want to know what size agonist would be towable. My pick up does have a towing package and a refitting of 10500 lbs (i think). If anyone can help me out. Thanks in advance.
Eager to learn.
- Thread starter bran1371
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Welcome to the SBO site.
I think you are asking, "How large a sailboat can I pull with my truck?". That may not be the most important question to answer because the truck will be able to pull a much bigger boat than you might want to have for your first boat.
Find where you might like to sail and spend some time watching the activity at the boat launch ramps on weekends as the weather improves. Towing may be the easy part! Rigging, launching, sailing, hauling out of the ramp, and de-rigging the sailboat all need to be considered. Also, investigate the existence of sailing clubs in your chosen area. You might find offers to go sailing with a member. You will certainly get ideas about the handling of various size boats.
Search this site's older posts using search words like: first sailboat, trailering an Oday/Hunter/Catalina/ or whatever boat you think is appropriate.
Best wishes, Phil (BTW: Our first sailboat was a 12 ft foam-filled plastic "bath tub" called a Lockley Sea Witch. It helped me learn what all those parts were called and what they were supposed to do. We threw it into the back of an old Chevy El Camino. The boat I do not miss, but I sure would like to have that truck!)
I think you are asking, "How large a sailboat can I pull with my truck?". That may not be the most important question to answer because the truck will be able to pull a much bigger boat than you might want to have for your first boat.
Find where you might like to sail and spend some time watching the activity at the boat launch ramps on weekends as the weather improves. Towing may be the easy part! Rigging, launching, sailing, hauling out of the ramp, and de-rigging the sailboat all need to be considered. Also, investigate the existence of sailing clubs in your chosen area. You might find offers to go sailing with a member. You will certainly get ideas about the handling of various size boats.
Search this site's older posts using search words like: first sailboat, trailering an Oday/Hunter/Catalina/ or whatever boat you think is appropriate.
Best wishes, Phil (BTW: Our first sailboat was a 12 ft foam-filled plastic "bath tub" called a Lockley Sea Witch. It helped me learn what all those parts were called and what they were supposed to do. We threw it into the back of an old Chevy El Camino. The boat I do not miss, but I sure would like to have that truck!)
Jacksonville would be about an hour drive to New Bern. My email is slogannc@gmail.com . Sometimes i cant find anyone to go with so let me know.
We've done our fair share of towing our C-22 MK-II version around the country. The boat is set up just for my wife and I,(and our little dog), so your situation may vary. But she's extremely comfortable for us, easily trailed behind our Dodge Ram, and easy to rig all by myself with the factory mast raising system. She's been to the gulf a couple times now,(Florida and Texas), and over to Arizona several times, and some coastal navigation up and down the Southern California Coast, and numerous crossings to Catalina Island. Now that we're retired, we'll be departing on an extended trailering adventure starting next month with ports of call in Florida, Oregon, and Michigan. Plus the C-22 has a strong National Association with races and cruises around the country. The Association also has the C-22 Tech Manual, 40+ years of information on just about any maintenance or repair issue, rig tuning, modifications, and lots of other useful information.
The photos show us crossing the Colorado mountains, cruising on the intracoastal waterway in Florida, and cruising down the strip in Las Vegas.
It's just turned out to be about the perfect cruising package for us, and the adventures are just starting.
Don
The photos show us crossing the Colorado mountains, cruising on the intracoastal waterway in Florida, and cruising down the strip in Las Vegas.
It's just turned out to be about the perfect cruising package for us, and the adventures are just starting.
Don
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3kBran1371;
Jacksonville. Sounds like you are in the Marine Corps. I use to be one of the largest trailerable sailboat dealers in the country but now retired in Virginia from Zebulon, NC. The base has a decent marina. I pretty much know the area and of course trailerable sailboats. If you would like to have some imput, feel free to email me at davecondon@mindspring.com and I will send you my phone number.
Jacksonville. Sounds like you are in the Marine Corps. I use to be one of the largest trailerable sailboat dealers in the country but now retired in Virginia from Zebulon, NC. The base has a decent marina. I pretty much know the area and of course trailerable sailboats. If you would like to have some imput, feel free to email me at davecondon@mindspring.com and I will send you my phone number.
Welcome to the site. Dave's right, you'll certainly have no problem pulling anything out there. I tow our 260 with an F150. You know it's back there but it's no issue. Good luck in your search.
If I interpret your question, which is basically what do towable sailboats weigh, an answer is 2,000 to 10,000 lbs.. If you can tow 10500 lbs., a typical 30' sailboat with rigging and supplies would approximate that weight with some to spare. A Catalina 22 stripped with a centerboard is about 2,200. If you don't want overnight capability you can find many day sailers which weight much less.
Here's the advice part. Make a realistic judgement of how you will use the boat. Don't spend extra money buying for what you might use the boat for someday. Learn to sail on a fairly simple, yet safe platform. Then, as you learn what you want to do with a boat, like go screaming fast on an adrenalin storm, or anchor in a quiet gunk hole, buy a boat for that. If there's a lady involved, a head with some privacy is pretty much mandatory - even for daysailing. Try to get the best sails you can to avoid trying to learn with rags which will frustrate you and will be a minus in the fun area.
Here's the advice part. Make a realistic judgement of how you will use the boat. Don't spend extra money buying for what you might use the boat for someday. Learn to sail on a fairly simple, yet safe platform. Then, as you learn what you want to do with a boat, like go screaming fast on an adrenalin storm, or anchor in a quiet gunk hole, buy a boat for that. If there's a lady involved, a head with some privacy is pretty much mandatory - even for daysailing. Try to get the best sails you can to avoid trying to learn with rags which will frustrate you and will be a minus in the fun area.
Might want to take a look at the American Sail 14.6 or 18....I had a 14.6 and sailed it for 5 years...learned all the basics, from how to sail to how to rig a main and jib. Now I own a Catalina 28 (with all the maintenance of a bigger boat, sometimes I wish I stayed with the 14.6).
And American Sail is located in Charleston, SC...not sure how far that is from you, but a day trip to the factory might be valuable.
And American Sail is located in Charleston, SC...not sure how far that is from you, but a day trip to the factory might be valuable.
Take a look at the Compac 23. They are pretty tough trailer sailors. They are comfortable for 2 people but, if you have to, you can sleep 4. It is light enough to trailer and the rig is okay for stepping. Another nice feature is the 2'3" draft, no centerboard.
Agonist is really a great word. It's not really what it sounds like but can describe the relationship between a sailboat and it's sailor. I don't know if it passes the radio test for a boat name but it's not bad. Sure beats "Breaking Wind."
agonist |ˈagənist|
noun
1 Biochemistry a substance that initiates a physiological response when combined with a receptor. Compare with antagonist.
agonist |ˈagənist|
noun
1 Biochemistry a substance that initiates a physiological response when combined with a receptor. Compare with antagonist.
We love our H260 with roller furler and wheel steering. Tiller steering is good, too. Each has its own advantages. We tow it with a Ford Expedition which apparently is comparable to an F150 in towing capacity. The mast steps easily and leaving 2,000 lbs. of ballast at the ramp makes for reasonable towing. (It's a water ballast boat.) This boat may or may not be for you. It works quite well for us. Good luck!
Attachments
Don't mean to highjack the thread but, Kermit, do you tow with your bimini up like in your photo? Also, I like your longer guide posts. I might have to adopt that idea to.
Bran,
You can tow anything towable with that set up so the question is what type of agonist you should buy. What do you want it for? Friends, family, overnight, swimming, scaring the ladies so they will sob in your welcoming arms? Then decide what features would be best for you. Are you tall? Look for head room. Shy crew? Make sure there's an enclosed head. Overnighting? You'll need some berths. Will you be trailering every weekend or trip? Make sure it's launchable from a trailer. Pick up a copy of The Complete Trailer Sailor by Brian Gilbert. He has TONS of info on everything you'll need to know. BUT . . . in the back he has specs, photos, sketches and the like on about 50 small boat form 15 to 28 feet. It can help you figure out what you love, what you hate and what you never knew you always wanted. My recommendation
24-26 foot shoal keel (we sail a Lancer 25)
enclosed head
4000 lb range
8HP outboard
dually trailer with brakes
Gin pole for stepping mast
Be sure NOT to get a full keel or a project boat. Be sure it has shallow draft and can sail immediately. Nothing wrong with a project boat. They can be quite rewarding. But starting out with one will make you hate sailing before you start sailing. And a full keel will preform better but will modify your personality every time you launch. Which is fine once a year but every time will get old for you every time.
When are you buying? Tell me in the fall! If you can wait, you'll save enough cash for a new suit of sails. People don't want the hassle of hauling and winterizing a boat they don't want anyway so the prices drop with the leaves. We bought ours on December 28 for $2200 in sail away condition with good sails, an outboard, a dinghy, two batteries and all the safety gear. I bought and modified a dually trailer for another $1200. Now we have about 3500 miles under our keel.
Don
You can tow anything towable with that set up so the question is what type of agonist you should buy. What do you want it for? Friends, family, overnight, swimming, scaring the ladies so they will sob in your welcoming arms? Then decide what features would be best for you. Are you tall? Look for head room. Shy crew? Make sure there's an enclosed head. Overnighting? You'll need some berths. Will you be trailering every weekend or trip? Make sure it's launchable from a trailer. Pick up a copy of The Complete Trailer Sailor by Brian Gilbert. He has TONS of info on everything you'll need to know. BUT . . . in the back he has specs, photos, sketches and the like on about 50 small boat form 15 to 28 feet. It can help you figure out what you love, what you hate and what you never knew you always wanted. My recommendation
24-26 foot shoal keel (we sail a Lancer 25)
enclosed head
4000 lb range
8HP outboard
dually trailer with brakes
Gin pole for stepping mast
Be sure NOT to get a full keel or a project boat. Be sure it has shallow draft and can sail immediately. Nothing wrong with a project boat. They can be quite rewarding. But starting out with one will make you hate sailing before you start sailing. And a full keel will preform better but will modify your personality every time you launch. Which is fine once a year but every time will get old for you every time.
When are you buying? Tell me in the fall! If you can wait, you'll save enough cash for a new suit of sails. People don't want the hassle of hauling and winterizing a boat they don't want anyway so the prices drop with the leaves. We bought ours on December 28 for $2200 in sail away condition with good sails, an outboard, a dinghy, two batteries and all the safety gear. I bought and modified a dually trailer for another $1200. Now we have about 3500 miles under our keel.
Don
