long distance trailering

Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I don't know SoCal geography very well. How far is it from San Diego to Santa Catalina Island? Or San Clemente Island? It seems like a significant sail in the Ocean. But I can't find a scale on Google Maps.
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
I just pulled our 260 home yesterday. We plan to tow it from SC to VA for a week of sailing the end of September.
 

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May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
Catalina Island is just offshore of Long Beach 23 miles. San Diego is 100+ miles south of Long Beach. San Clemente is 55 miles from Long Beach and 68 miles from San Diego. San Clemente has a US Navy base/airfield on it and there are restrictions/schedules for the island.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,040
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Catalina Island is just offshore of Long Beach 23 miles. San Diego is 100+ miles south of Long Beach. San Clemente is 55 miles from Long Beach and 68 miles from San Diego. San Clemente has a US Navy base/airfield on it and there are restrictions/schedules for the island.
So from San Diego where do you go? One poster from San Diego said he just returned from the islands. 68 miles is doable; but in a 22' boat in the ocean it might be a bit adventurous. I don't know. Port to port was said to be 20 to 30 miles. That's 4 to six hours in ideal situations. Long upwind slogs in others. So, on a 22' boat do you sail in the ocean or are you pretty much restricted to the inland waterways. I sail in inland waterways mostly and remain quite satisfied. I do love going East. I just think someone who is thinking of trailering a boat to San Diego should have a realistic view of its use there in order to make a decision regarding moving the boat or selling and buying something more suitable for the local area and the sailing that that person will actually do.
 
May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
San Diego bay is huge. No reason to ever leave it. Mission Bay is just around the point. Leaving San Diego and going due south is a small goup of islands just over the Mexican bouder.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
I just pulled our 260 home yesterday. We plan to tow it from SC to VA for a week of sailing the end of September.
Hey Kerm
ya heading to SML? If so and if you have any questions... let me know.

r
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Hey Kerm ya heading to SML? If so and if you have any questions... let me know. r
Yep. We arrive 9/27 and set up the boat. My First Mate's sisters from Upstate New York arrive the next day. We plan to sail a bunch and also visit some wineries.

I keep forgetting just how much there is to do to set up the boat and how daggum heavy it is. I got 10 mpg bringing it home from Wateree. You might want to buy a few gas stations along our route.
 

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
There's plenty of sailing for an Oday 23 in the san diego area... Catalina is a long uphill slog.. but you can harbor hop going up and run the spinnaker on the way home. It's a little too much for a weekend on a sailboat. You cannot go ashore at San Clemente Island, but the diving and fishing are pretty good. The Coronados, 15 miles south of Pt Loma are popular full day sail. You can anchor on the east side of the largest island, in front of what used to be a casino, and is now a Mexican Navy base. You cannot go ashore without a special permit. If you have lots of time... The Channel Islands are fantastic. A trip to Ensenada is about 60 nm south... very popular destination... a super nice marina/resort .... some nearby excursions like islas todos santos.

But on your Oday 23 you'll find lots to do in Mission Bay and San Diego Bay... Plus you can sail in the ocean, which kicks ass over putzing around on a lake or bay dodging fishermen and PWC crazies. I've been sailing out of mission bay for over 20 years, and on the most crowded holiday of the year, a quick 1 mile run out into the ocean, then sailing up and down the coast off Pt Loma, Pacific Beach and LaJolla.... you'd never know it was a holiday. Plus... the launch ramps are free!
 
Nov 19, 2008
2,129
Catalina C-22 MK-II Parrish, FL
I was probably the one posting about Catalina Island. We've been there twice on our Capri-18 out of Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. Our group usually motors to a way-point NW of Two Harbors then the wind is up by then and we sail into Two Harbors. GPS indicates this trip is usually about 33 miles under our keel. Done this several additional times with our MK-II wing keeled C-22. We've also sailed our C-22 out of Mission Bay up to Oceanside,(~30 miles), then up to Dana Point.(~30 miles), Dana Point direct Two Harbors,(if I remember it was around 42~ miles, 9 hours). Coming home we sailed direct to Oceanside,(68 miles, 16 hours), then back to Mission Bay. Our most recent trip we sailed out of San Pedro to Avalon, I believe the GPS said it was 25~ miles). Then motored to Two Harbors with a detour around Ship Rock, (~15 miles), then Two Harbors back to San Pedro, with a detour up in the harbor to see the festival of sail going on. The GPS said the entire trip was slightly over 66 miles under our keel for the week. We've also sailed our C-22 out of Mission Bay down into Mexican waters passing the east side of the North Los Coronados Island, down around the south tip of the South Los Coronados Island, and back into San Diego Bay, and our GPS logged 82 miles in I believe it was like 17 hours or better,(it was along day for sure, and was the deciding factor in getting another autopilot,(had a Raymarine ST-1000 on the C-18, have an ST-2000 on the C-22), and a Rudder-Craft rudder to replace the barn door from Catalina Yachts. The trip from Mission Bay into San Diego Bay usually takes us about 5 hours, but we go way out to deeper water,(which is a better ride, and well clear of the kelp beds), and NEVER come into San Diego Bay inside of bouy #3,(San Diego Bay entrance faces almost due south). The MK-II version of the C-22 makes a GREAT cruising boat for the wife and I. Extremely stable, comfortable, roomy, and easy to trailer and rig. Bring that boat, lot's of GREAT sailing out here. San Diego Bay offers great sailing in protected waters with lot's to see. We hang around with a trailer-sailor group and we have weekend outtings about every month around SoCal. This coming weekend they will be up in Oxnard and will visit Anicapa Island,(I have to work Monday so we'll be on the boat in Mission Bay).

Here is a link to my Flickr album with photos from our most recent rip to Catalina Island:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/captdon/sets/72157646863748265/

Don
 
May 25, 2004
958
Hunter 260 Pepin, WI
I recall returning from a week of diving the Coronado islands. I had a 30' pilot schooner with a British Seagull outboard . We started into San Digeo bay just as the tide was starting to ebb. It took me about 10 minutes to realize that I was not making headway! That very large bay all flows through a very narrow entrance.

We dropped anchor next to the jetty and waited for the ebb to finish.



While the Charoltte Anne is 30' LOA, it is only 18' at the water line and is hard chined. That is my 4 year old son standing in the cockpit. A tiny cabin. This low aspect sail plan really did well in heavy weather. It was very poor in light winds. I loved to take her out when Small Craft Warnings were up.
 
Dec 6, 2018
40
MacGregor 19 Lake Isabella
On a cross country journey, say from Los Angeles, California to Houston, Texas, how do you find parking for your rig. Truck and Trailer length of 50-60ft? Do you use rest stops? Walmarts? Truck Stops? RV Parks?
 

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,657
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
On a cross country journey, say from Los Angeles, California to Houston, Texas, how do you find parking for your rig. Truck and Trailer length of 50-60ft? Do you use rest stops? Walmarts? Truck Stops? RV Parks?
We don’t use the boat as an RV when on the trailer. The one time I needed to park it overnight I confirmed with the hotel that it would be ok to use their lot. They were totally fine with it.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
We used our Mac as a camper all the time. You get the stink eye from the hardcore RV types when you put it Ina spot, but we actually have the upper hand, they are stuck in the RV spot while we get to float away !
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
When I trailer sailed I used the boat as a pup tent. Worked great. Camp stove in the cockpit. Boom tent to keep the rain off the food.
 
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Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
I tried to convince my wife that we not only now own a sailboat, but a tow behind camper. She doesn't want to be on the receiving end of the "stink eye":snooty:

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Why not? The accommodation in the boat is better than any hotel. You can’t bbq off the balcony in the hotel, and we have a saying up here; screw ‘em if they can’t take a joke.
 
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Likes: Will Gilmore
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
And, I would suspect, strongly, that the socio-economic aspects of rv ownership is in some respects similar to boat ownership. If you don’t have the mkV dual 700 Caterpillar pusher with the extend-o-roof option, you are not worthy.
We had a Mac 26c behind a blue Astro van with the dinghy on the roof.
Get over it people. :)
 
Jul 1, 1998
3,062
Hunter Legend 35 Poulsbo/Semiahmoo WA
I've got one other thing to possibly bring besides spare bearings. Back, way back, when I was younger and got discharged from the service (Navy) after my two-year stint, we loaded up our [edit: 1963] Falcon [car] and towed our 16-ft Falcon daysailer from Wickford in Rhode Island back to the west coast. We took the scenic route up to Michigan, over the Mackinaw Bridge (on the other side of the bridge the windshield got plastered with mosquitos ... add one more thing: "Off"), visited the headwaters of the Mississippi, took Interstate 2 across North Dakota to Red Lodge in Montana, detoured via Yellowstone over a 10,000 ft pass, then headed for Lake Tahoe via Nevada.

Everything went fine until we were about in the middle of Nevada (read: No where!). I mean miles of nothing. That's when I started to hear a little chirp. Back then those who worked on our cars had a good idea what it was ... U-joint gong bad. Solution was to slow way down, take it easy, and stop at the next town. Fortunately it was a week day afternoon and there was a Ford garage. Pulled into a side street, disconnected the trailer, then drove to the shop. Met the service manager and asked what it would cost to change out the U-joint. Price was regular shop rate, they had the time, and we were out in an hour. Whew!!! Hitched up the trailer and away we went.
That's it: I'd add a spare U-joint to the list, along with spare belts. Vehicles are much more reliable today than they were back then.

You never said what your tow vehicle was or if it was capable of towing the trailer but since you upgraded the brakes one could assume it was reasonably adequate. Personally, I'd tow it, and like others have said, use it as an RV at stops along the way. Interstates have rest areas and places for the semi's to stay overnight so the parking spaces are extra long. If you've got kids and a dog then another option may be better.
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Do what RV folk do. Check out Walmart. In some locations you can park in their lot for the night. Eat a the store in the morning and be on the road before most folk are waking up. If you want.