What size to Trailer?

[slaterman5]

Hey There,

My wife and I are dreaming of a new boat, never had a sailboat before. We are going to take some lessons, but have one question before we begin.

We would really like a mid-sized sailboat that we can trailer. I subscribe to bigger is better philosophy, but we really can't afford to keep it at the marina for weeks at a time. We would like something that we could spend a long weekend or vacation on, and trailer it back home (50 miles) when we are done. What is the maximium size I could realistically think about to accomplish this?

Any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

Shawn

 

[Mark Hartong15325]

Hey There,

My wife and I are dreaming of a new boat, never had a sailboat before. We are going to take some lessons, but have one question before we begin.

We would really like a mid-sized sailboat that we can trailer. I subscribe to bigger is better philosophy, but we really can't afford to keep it at the marina for weeks at a time. We would like something that we could spend a long weekend or vacation on, and trailer it back home (50 miles) when we are done. What is the maximium size I could realistically think about to accomplish this?

Any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks,

Shawn

I think you will find that the largest you can reasonably expect to be able to tow is 25 feet.... and at that you are talking about having to have a tow vehicle that can haul about 5 to 6 thousand pounds. I would recommend that you look at what is the maximum towing capacity of the vehicle you will have available a that will set the upper limit on the size of the boat that you can haul.

Also, you should take into consideration that the larger the vessel you have, the longer it will take to rig and launch as well as recover and de-rig for towing.

Another question you should ask is what type of sailing do you intend to do? Racing? Cruising? Day-sailing? A boat that is well suited for one isn't necessarily well suited for the others.

 

[Banooma]

I agree that 25' would be the largest. Other trailering options/necessities might be water ballast and a swing keel. The weight of a boat with permanent ballast, and maneuvering into and out of the water with a fixed keel are disadvantages of trailering you'd probably prefer to avoid. Raising and lowering a mast can be tricky, especially if you and your wife never had a sailboat before. My advice is that if you're of the "bigger is better" crowd, consider what's the biggest you can afford while also paying for a slip. Especially in this economy, you might be able to find some empty marinas with good deals. Start with the biggest that is reasonable for you as new sailors. One of the least enjoyable parts of the trailer sailing experience can be stepping and de-stepping a mast at the ramp. I know there are many who throughly enjoy trailering their mid-size boats, and the opportunities it affords them to sail in different places. My personal preference and experience is that above/after about 17-19 feet, trailering (and stepping and de-stepping the mast) can sometimes take away from the enjoyment of a day trip. Lots of people have done exactly what you plan to do, but my suggestion would be to ease into it by trailering something smaller. Take shorter trips as you learn to sail, and get used to learning to plan your sailing around the weather. After a couple years, step up towards your goal. You will be spending a lot of money on this investment. In my opinion, it will be better to understand what you're getting into before you're all in.

 

[Clark]

IMHO, maximum size and trailerable would be the water ballast Cat 250 or Hunter 260 (the Hunter is huge inside). With that size though, you need to make sure trips are for a long weekend or vacation. Otherwise, as others have suggested something like a Catalina 22 swing keel or Precision 21/23, Compac (several models) - to just to name a few - would be a nice starting point. Fairly easy to trailer and set up if you are reasonably fit and agile. Compac has some neat trailerable models but can be pricey as can the Precisions.