Advice on Getting a Boat

Feb 9, 2021
1
None None Virginia
Owned a Rhodes22 on the Chesapeake. Moved inland and had to sell her. Found a small lake within driving distance and ready to sail again.

Loved the Rhodes. Didn't need a trailer but will need one for my next boat, just to get in and out of the marina once a year. I'm a daysailor and didn't need all the cruising amenities. Liked the furling main but don't need one. I do want a furling headsail. Want a tiller not a wheel. Want a boat with some ballast; a retractable keel is fine. Liked the keel/centerboard of the Rhodes. Would prefer dry sailing as opposed to spray in my face. Would like to stay under $40K (way under if possible) including trailer and motor. New or used is fine.

Considering:

Another refurbished Rhodes22: Trailerable. Large, comfortable cockpit. Can sail with the poptop up making the saloon an extension of the cockpit.

Catalina22. Over 16,000 sold but only about 50/year over the last decade. Prefer fin keel but looks like it might be difficult to launch/retrieve. Like the wing keel and probably wouldn't get it stuck in the mud. Like the weighted centerboard but not sure about maintenance (freshwater shouldn't be as corrosive). Like that you can still buy parts.

Precision21. Haven't sailed one yet but looks good on paper. Similar to Rhodes with keel/centerboard.

Corsair750 Sprint: Haven't sailed one yet but looks good on paper. Never sailed a trimaran. Their 600 Pulse looks like it would get you wet.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!
 
Nov 30, 2020
79
Macgregor 22 Dania, FL
Macgregor 22 or Venture 2-22. With or without a pop-top. The swing keel makes it easy to trailer, and almost impossible to run hard aground. We love ours.

Chip V.
s/v Sand Dollar
 
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Likes: George_NJ
Oct 19, 2017
7,733
O'Day 19 Littleton, NH
Let me get a plug in for my favorite trailersailer, the Mariner 19. A little smaller than what you're use to, but Stuart Marine of Rockland Maine still builds them new and they have a thriving class association (Home - Mariner Class Association) with an annual rendezvous in Connecticut and racing, usually in the New Jersey area and beyond.

The cb version sits low on the trailer, no stub keel) with a roomy 7 foot cockpit
1612899935199.png

and four bunks below for the occasional overnight. She sails like a larger boat and reportedly exceeds her hull speed regularly. For a versatile lake cruiser, I can't think of a better choice.
1612899809535.png

You should be able to stay well below your budget.

-Will (Dragonfly)
 
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Likes: TomY
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
O'Day 25 is a lot of boat in a smaller package. Handles high winds and waves well. Very dry cockpit in average conditions
 
Aug 10, 2020
511
Catalina C25 3559 Rocky Mount
Your budget is way, way, way more than mine. I would peruse Craigslist and FB marketplace for trailer sailboats. I got my 22 for free... Not that it's nice boat, but there are a lot of them out there for cheap. if you aren't overnighting, who cares what's in the cabin?
 

bmorr

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Apr 5, 2009
75
Hunter 26 Pueblo Lake CO
I like my 96 Hunter 26. With the water ballest it drops the weight for the annual to and from the slip but is very comfortable, Don;t be afraid of the water ballest, when the wind pipes up it holds its own.
 
Jun 14, 2010
2,082
Robertson & Caine 2017 Leopard 40 CT
Corsair750 Sprint: Haven't sailed one yet but looks good on paper. Never sailed a trimaran. Their 600 Pulse looks like it would get you wet.
Not familiar with that boat, but I’ve owned 3 trimarans contiguously, starting in 2001. Tris are fast and fun, and sail like a dream even in light air. Unlike cats, you have enough heel to easily gauge how hard the boat is being pressed, but not enough to need to brace yourself. In my boat, typically 5-10 degrees of heel, max. You won’t enjoy cats or monos the same way, however, so you will be spoiled.
Imagine a planing monohull that sails level, and goes effortlessly faster as it gets on plane without any “squat” as it reaches and surpasses its theoretical “hull speed”.
 
Aug 5, 2019
92
Macgregor 26 S NJ
I regularly take my Macgregor 26S to a local small 520 acre electric-only lake with a shallow ramp. Every time I take it there I'm asked "how big is it?", "How did you get it in here?" by people surprised to see a boat that big on that water. They are used to seeing nothing bigger than Sunfishes up to 17' day sailors. My Macgregor has a fully retractable swing centerboard, they say it could float in 14" of water. Folks are even more surprised to hear that the boat can sleep 5 with a galley & head and that I'm sleeping over onboard anchored out on their little lake. I just swap out my Sailpro 6Hp for my 48Lb thrust trolling motor for small the electric-only lakes. For $40K, you can buy a very nice used Macgregor 26S ($6-9K) and a brand new tow vehicle too, being the Mac & trailer only weight 2200-2400LBs.