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Sounds like a good plan!
Hi Mike - First off, WELCOME! You'll find plenty of support here and we look forward to hearing how you progress through education, purchasing, and the learning (& fun) curve thereafter. Feel free to post specific question you have as they come up. Have fun through the process! Trevor
Hi Mike - First off, WELCOME! You'll find plenty of support here and we look forward to hearing how you progress through education, purchasing, and the learning (& fun) curve thereafter. Feel free to post specific question you have as they come up. Have fun through the process! Trevor
Yacht Transporting
I am having a Oceanis 370 shipped from Milwaukee WI to Portland OR. Does any one know of a good yacht transporting company that will do a good job? And any help on do's and Don'ts?
I am having a Oceanis 370 shipped from Milwaukee WI to Portland OR. Does any one know of a good yacht transporting company that will do a good job? And any help on do's and Don'ts?
Frank - you'll want to repost
Frank - You'll want to repost as an article; not a reply. I'd try Joule Yacht Trasnsport (See related link below). This company routinely ships new Beneteaus from the factory in S. Carolina to the West Coast dealers in Seattle and Portland. Best, Trevor
Frank - You'll want to repost as an article; not a reply. I'd try Joule Yacht Trasnsport (See related link below). This company routinely ships new Beneteaus from the factory in S. Carolina to the West Coast dealers in Seattle and Portland. Best, Trevor
Exterminate the Zebra Mussels
Frank - re request for do's and dont's on shipping from back east: Oregon State web site: http://www.boatoregon.com/Clean/ANS.html Insure that somebody exterminates the zebra mussels. If you look me up in the "Owners" directory and send me an email I'll be glad to send you some articles on boat transporting in "Word".
Frank - re request for do's and dont's on shipping from back east: Oregon State web site: http://www.boatoregon.com/Clean/ANS.html Insure that somebody exterminates the zebra mussels. If you look me up in the "Owners" directory and send me an email I'll be glad to send you some articles on boat transporting in "Word".
Hunter 240 or 260
Hello Michael, I kind of followed your path although I sailed dingies for over 30 years, but I moved from them to a Hunter 260 a year and half ago. The transition was very easy. The 260 is probably the largest (inside volume) trailerable available. It accomodates 5 to 6 people reasonably. I took mine this summer to the Pamlico sound and sailed for four days with four teen agers on board *yks With that said either the 240 or the 260 take about an hour to set-up and launch or retreive, which I find too cumbersome so I do have a slip
Additionally you should consider the towing vehicle. The 260, trailer and motor probably weigh around 4000 to 5000 lbs depending on equipment, and I am not sure about the 240 although it is lighter. I towed mine with a 2004 Nissan Qwest minivan. It did fine but I would not want to tow up the mountains with that vehicle. The advantage of the 260 or 240 is that they are water ballast boat with a retractable center board. This allows you to launch them from just about any boat ramp. Good luck in your search and let me know if you need more info on the Hunter 260
Hello Michael, I kind of followed your path although I sailed dingies for over 30 years, but I moved from them to a Hunter 260 a year and half ago. The transition was very easy. The 260 is probably the largest (inside volume) trailerable available. It accomodates 5 to 6 people reasonably. I took mine this summer to the Pamlico sound and sailed for four days with four teen agers on board *yks With that said either the 240 or the 260 take about an hour to set-up and launch or retreive, which I find too cumbersome so I do have a slip
Additionally you should consider the towing vehicle. The 260, trailer and motor probably weigh around 4000 to 5000 lbs depending on equipment, and I am not sure about the 240 although it is lighter. I towed mine with a 2004 Nissan Qwest minivan. It did fine but I would not want to tow up the mountains with that vehicle. The advantage of the 260 or 240 is that they are water ballast boat with a retractable center board. This allows you to launch them from just about any boat ramp. Good luck in your search and let me know if you need more info on the Hunter 260 Hi Mike
Here is my advice Mike. I'm a newbie like you too, reading as much as possible every day. Most people on this list recommend a survey of any boat you are interested in buying. I'm not sure if that goes for new boats, but definitely used ones. Secondly, I've read a lot about people running aground, so I'd recommend finding out what kind of boat you need for the ICW and make sure you don't get out there and find that there's too much draft or that it is hard to haul it around because it's too heavy for your auto. I'm partial to the water ballasted because they are so light trailer and are good for weekend trips.
Here is my advice Mike. I'm a newbie like you too, reading as much as possible every day. Most people on this list recommend a survey of any boat you are interested in buying. I'm not sure if that goes for new boats, but definitely used ones. Secondly, I've read a lot about people running aground, so I'd recommend finding out what kind of boat you need for the ICW and make sure you don't get out there and find that there's too much draft or that it is hard to haul it around because it's too heavy for your auto. I'm partial to the water ballasted because they are so light trailer and are good for weekend trips.
4 or 5 on a Mac 26
Hi Mike, I love my Macgregor 26D as it's so easy to trailer. It launches easy, even from a shallow ramp, and the 1200 lbs of water ballast keep her very stable. The interior design is still much the same as the 2004 26M. I find the interior roomy enough, yet compared to the Hunter 260 I'm cramped. The 260 is truly a beautiful boat, well laid out and a more finished look. ($) Maybe that's why the Mac 26M has a revised interior this summer. While looking over the various specs, check the hull/trailer width. I've read that some trailerables are too wide to be freely towed in some areas. Also measure the on-trailer ground to waterline height. That will show you how deep you have to be to launch. MacGregor loves to show this off vs. their competition. The greater the height the farther out the trailer has to be. That’s why some marinas have those twenty-foot-long tongue extensions. (It makes less difference on a steep ramp.) Greater height and/or width will also affect the gas mileage. Check the head arrangement. Many new trailerables have an enclosed head. A friend has a Chrysler 22 with a porta-pottie under the v-berth. There is no such thing as privacy on a sailboat, but an exposed porta-pottie is not very convenient with guests aboard. My M26D is great for two people on a long trip. Over a weekend it'll comfortably hold four. The manufacturer says it'll sleep six... I've heard it said that it'll only hold six if there is a lot of alcohol involved.
Hi Mike, I love my Macgregor 26D as it's so easy to trailer. It launches easy, even from a shallow ramp, and the 1200 lbs of water ballast keep her very stable. The interior design is still much the same as the 2004 26M. I find the interior roomy enough, yet compared to the Hunter 260 I'm cramped. The 260 is truly a beautiful boat, well laid out and a more finished look. ($) Maybe that's why the Mac 26M has a revised interior this summer. While looking over the various specs, check the hull/trailer width. I've read that some trailerables are too wide to be freely towed in some areas. Also measure the on-trailer ground to waterline height. That will show you how deep you have to be to launch. MacGregor loves to show this off vs. their competition. The greater the height the farther out the trailer has to be. That’s why some marinas have those twenty-foot-long tongue extensions. (It makes less difference on a steep ramp.) Greater height and/or width will also affect the gas mileage. Check the head arrangement. Many new trailerables have an enclosed head. A friend has a Chrysler 22 with a porta-pottie under the v-berth. There is no such thing as privacy on a sailboat, but an exposed porta-pottie is not very convenient with guests aboard. My M26D is great for two people on a long trip. Over a weekend it'll comfortably hold four. The manufacturer says it'll sleep six... I've heard it said that it'll only hold six if there is a lot of alcohol involved.
Advice and Intro
We've all been where you are now. Take your time and explore the options. IMHO the sailboatowners.com archives are the best place to start. The unique thing about buying a trailerable is that the boat is only half of the equation. You also need to settle on what sort of vehicle you have, or are willing to buy. The worst thing to happen is to buy the perfect boat and then find that you can’t safely tow it. Start by finding your vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the sticker located on the back of the driver-side door. This GVWR is the maximum amount of weight that your vehicle is designed to support. This includes actual vehicle weight, fuel, passengers, equipment, and any additional weight. Over loading your suspension and braking systems, tires, and bearings past the weight indicator can result in disappointing malfunctions. Remember that manufacturers are often optimistic and give you the maximum, not the recommended, towing capacity. Also, consider a weight-equalizing hitch that distributes the boat trailer’s hitch weight to both axles of the tow vehicle and improves the stability and handling. Once you understand what is involved with towing a boat, start working on the boat itself. Again, the archives here have lots of information that will require several days of sorting through. There are lots of trailerable daysailors, but I understand you are looking for something you can spend a weekend or longer in. The cruising trailerable list is sorta short; C22/C25/C250/M26/H26/H240/H260 are the most often mentioned. For what it’s worth you’ll find some comparative data on these boats at this site: http://webpages.charter.net/gkobernus/H260_web/default.html
We've all been where you are now. Take your time and explore the options. IMHO the sailboatowners.com archives are the best place to start. The unique thing about buying a trailerable is that the boat is only half of the equation. You also need to settle on what sort of vehicle you have, or are willing to buy. The worst thing to happen is to buy the perfect boat and then find that you can’t safely tow it. Start by finding your vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) on the sticker located on the back of the driver-side door. This GVWR is the maximum amount of weight that your vehicle is designed to support. This includes actual vehicle weight, fuel, passengers, equipment, and any additional weight. Over loading your suspension and braking systems, tires, and bearings past the weight indicator can result in disappointing malfunctions. Remember that manufacturers are often optimistic and give you the maximum, not the recommended, towing capacity. Also, consider a weight-equalizing hitch that distributes the boat trailer’s hitch weight to both axles of the tow vehicle and improves the stability and handling. Once you understand what is involved with towing a boat, start working on the boat itself. Again, the archives here have lots of information that will require several days of sorting through. There are lots of trailerable daysailors, but I understand you are looking for something you can spend a weekend or longer in. The cruising trailerable list is sorta short; C22/C25/C250/M26/H26/H240/H260 are the most often mentioned. For what it’s worth you’ll find some comparative data on these boats at this site: http://webpages.charter.net/gkobernus/H260_web/default.html
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