I am going to sail on a big (22,000 Acre) lake, that is shallow, and doesn't have a marina with a sling and cradle capability. Thus my "musts" include trailerablilty (but probably launch in April and retrieve in October) and shallow draft. "My wants" are a wheel, a big cockpit and not having the traveller cross the companionway entrance to the cabin. I am going to purchase used. I am considering a Hunter 26, Hunter 26.5 and Oday 272. Any thoughts, or other suggestions?
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Hunter 26.5
I have a 26.5 and I love it. I think you'll find it meets your "musts", but as far as your "wants"; mine has a tiller my guess is most of them will. I wouldn't call the cockpit large; while you can fit 4 in there, they all will have a job while under sail as all available seating in the cockpit will be taken and you'll wish you had your wheel. Finally, the traveller goes right accross the companionway, but it's tucked nicely near the bulkhead and when not under sail can easily be moved to one side or the other. All this said, I really enjoy my boat. Fair winds.
I have a 26.5 and I love it. I think you'll find it meets your "musts", but as far as your "wants"; mine has a tiller my guess is most of them will. I wouldn't call the cockpit large; while you can fit 4 in there, they all will have a job while under sail as all available seating in the cockpit will be taken and you'll wish you had your wheel. Finally, the traveller goes right accross the companionway, but it's tucked nicely near the bulkhead and when not under sail can easily be moved to one side or the other. All this said, I really enjoy my boat. Fair winds.
Big maxie Trailersailer
A C&C Mega 30' is 4500lb.lift keel ,built 175+ 1978to1980 and draft of 2'up & 5' down,but can sail at 3.5',can be put in at a ramp,but has tiller. Wife & I love it,but she just rides!as I sail! web site for them below! <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mega30sailors>
A C&C Mega 30' is 4500lb.lift keel ,built 175+ 1978to1980 and draft of 2'up & 5' down,but can sail at 3.5',can be put in at a ramp,but has tiller. Wife & I love it,but she just rides!as I sail! web site for them below! <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mega30sailors>
Hard to Call...
Dick, This one is a difficult one to call. All three boats are tiller boats from the looks of it, a wheel may be possible to find or added later. I have a 26.5 and LOVE IT! As much as I like my 26.5, it looks like the O'day 272 has more of the features you specified. The cockpit on the H26 looks to be a little bigger than all the rest, it is definitely wider than the 26.5 and looks to be the same length as that of the 272. (I'm just going off the photos on the Hunter and O'day websites for the 26 and 272 info.) The 272 is a mast head rig and looks to carry more sail than either of the Hunters as they are both fractional rigs. The 272 has the traveller over the top of the companionway forward of the sliding hatch while 26.5 and 26 have the traveler right at the entrance to the companionway. The 272 looks to be slightly stiffer than the 26.5 and about the same as the 26 if you just take a look at the capsize screen. If you are interested in doing any racing, the 26.5 has the lowest PHRF rating out of the bunch. But, as much as I love my 26.5 it sounds like the 272 may be the boat you are looking for if you want a big cockpit and the traveler out of the way. Just a couple of thoughts on the matter. I would definitely recommend getting your hands on all 3 boats if you can find them in your area. Good luck, Clayton S/V Walkabout
Dick, This one is a difficult one to call. All three boats are tiller boats from the looks of it, a wheel may be possible to find or added later. I have a 26.5 and LOVE IT! As much as I like my 26.5, it looks like the O'day 272 has more of the features you specified. The cockpit on the H26 looks to be a little bigger than all the rest, it is definitely wider than the 26.5 and looks to be the same length as that of the 272. (I'm just going off the photos on the Hunter and O'day websites for the 26 and 272 info.) The 272 is a mast head rig and looks to carry more sail than either of the Hunters as they are both fractional rigs. The 272 has the traveller over the top of the companionway forward of the sliding hatch while 26.5 and 26 have the traveler right at the entrance to the companionway. The 272 looks to be slightly stiffer than the 26.5 and about the same as the 26 if you just take a look at the capsize screen. If you are interested in doing any racing, the 26.5 has the lowest PHRF rating out of the bunch. But, as much as I love my 26.5 it sounds like the 272 may be the boat you are looking for if you want a big cockpit and the traveler out of the way. Just a couple of thoughts on the matter. I would definitely recommend getting your hands on all 3 boats if you can find them in your area. Good luck, Clayton S/V Walkabout
Trailerable Boat
As aprevios H260 owner, one thing that you MUST consider, the steepness of the ramp in which you launch and water depth at the ramp. It take about 5' of water at the ramp launch a 18" draft boat. If this is a shallow lake the ramps probably are not very steep. I think anything with a keel may be diffifult to float off of the trailer by ordinary means (you could winch a trailer into the water).
As aprevios H260 owner, one thing that you MUST consider, the steepness of the ramp in which you launch and water depth at the ramp. It take about 5' of water at the ramp launch a 18" draft boat. If this is a shallow lake the ramps probably are not very steep. I think anything with a keel may be diffifult to float off of the trailer by ordinary means (you could winch a trailer into the water).
Macgregor or Seaward
Consider the Macgregor 26X or 26M. If you really want big, look at the Seaward Eagle 32.
Consider the Macgregor 26X or 26M. If you really want big, look at the Seaward Eagle 32.
Shallow Draft Consider Multihull
If you want trailerability, roominess, and shallow draft consider a multihull. With the boards up typically they can go into really shallow water. Corsair is a well respected multihull and the trailerable versions have folding armas. On a lake the winds are typically fluky which means they shift in direction and intensity where as on the ocean the winds are typically constant in direction and intensity. A multihull might provide some measure of ability to ride out the wind changes without getting knocked down as much provided one can dump the wind out of the main quickly. If the winds are typically light then a monohull would probably be a better choice because multi's don't do well in light wind. Editorial comment with regard to lake sailing. It doesn't take much of a boat to make a lake seem really small. We sailed the length of Lake Tahoe in a 16 footer in an afternoon. Launched at North Shore at noon and anchored at South Shore that evening. Link to a Corsair dealer site: http://www.lavidastarships.com/Workbook/2wb_whybuy.htm
If you want trailerability, roominess, and shallow draft consider a multihull. With the boards up typically they can go into really shallow water. Corsair is a well respected multihull and the trailerable versions have folding armas. On a lake the winds are typically fluky which means they shift in direction and intensity where as on the ocean the winds are typically constant in direction and intensity. A multihull might provide some measure of ability to ride out the wind changes without getting knocked down as much provided one can dump the wind out of the main quickly. If the winds are typically light then a monohull would probably be a better choice because multi's don't do well in light wind. Editorial comment with regard to lake sailing. It doesn't take much of a boat to make a lake seem really small. We sailed the length of Lake Tahoe in a 16 footer in an afternoon. Launched at North Shore at noon and anchored at South Shore that evening. Link to a Corsair dealer site: http://www.lavidastarships.com/Workbook/2wb_whybuy.htm
O'Day 272
Great info...thanks! I have seen O'day 272's with a factory installed wheel with an outboard rudder. The ones I have seen were 272LE's..don't know where LE is the designator for the wheel version, or just coincidence. Anybody know what the difference between a 272 and an 272LE really is. I also have not seen a wheel with a trailer...again don't know if this is coincidence, or some design aspect that precludes trailering...
Great info...thanks! I have seen O'day 272's with a factory installed wheel with an outboard rudder. The ones I have seen were 272LE's..don't know where LE is the designator for the wheel version, or just coincidence. Anybody know what the difference between a 272 and an 272LE really is. I also have not seen a wheel with a trailer...again don't know if this is coincidence, or some design aspect that precludes trailering...
Maybe a Mac 26 ?
As I understand, the MAC 26X (water ballast) would be just what you're looking for. A lot of inboard room. Fairly lightweight construction - helps with trailer-ability. Fairly large cockpit which helps with the following item......... Available in wheel steering. Capable of handling larger HP engines in case you need to get off of the shallow water (read big, sharp waves in a storm)lake quickly. Excellent headroom. Don't know about the traveler. Easy to launch even off of a shallow graded ramp. Trailer-ability -- One of our club members trailered his back and forth from Western SD to the Brownsville, Texas area every year for quite a while before upgrading to an F-27 multihull. I see several of them on the LOWISA event each year (see "WWW.LOWISA.COM") and Lake of the Woods ~is~ fairly large (65,000 miles of shoreline).
As I understand, the MAC 26X (water ballast) would be just what you're looking for. A lot of inboard room. Fairly lightweight construction - helps with trailer-ability. Fairly large cockpit which helps with the following item......... Available in wheel steering. Capable of handling larger HP engines in case you need to get off of the shallow water (read big, sharp waves in a storm)lake quickly. Excellent headroom. Don't know about the traveler. Easy to launch even off of a shallow graded ramp. Trailer-ability -- One of our club members trailered his back and forth from Western SD to the Brownsville, Texas area every year for quite a while before upgrading to an F-27 multihull. I see several of them on the LOWISA event each year (see "WWW.LOWISA.COM") and Lake of the Woods ~is~ fairly large (65,000 miles of shoreline).
Best trailerables
There are a few trailerables I like best and they must sail well or else I'd rather have a trailerable house boat with a sunfish strapped to the roof. I like the Hunter 260 and 26. These are a little wide and heavy but they offer the most comfort for the money bar none and they sail very well. I like the Seaward 25. I think these are kind of pricey for what you get but they look very traditional and some folks just cannot get past how some of the modern brands look. I'd be happy with an ugly Mac if it sailed as well as my boat. Old Mac 25 - this boat is a classic that is worth fixing. you can buy one in terrific shape for about 5000 and redo the keel and rigging and paint for about 4000 and you will have a wonderful boat. I've seen many that have the original riggin and keel hardware so once this is redone the boat could be good for another 20 years. Balboa 26 same as Mac 26 but more weight more room and harder to tow. Still the classic boat is often worth fixing. Keep in mind the there are a lot of old boats that are no bargain and if you plan to keep a boat for five or more years you will have to plan to spend a lot of money and time on one of the 20 year old boats. PS if you see a tiller steered H26 out their and don't buy it let me know about it.
There are a few trailerables I like best and they must sail well or else I'd rather have a trailerable house boat with a sunfish strapped to the roof. I like the Hunter 260 and 26. These are a little wide and heavy but they offer the most comfort for the money bar none and they sail very well. I like the Seaward 25. I think these are kind of pricey for what you get but they look very traditional and some folks just cannot get past how some of the modern brands look. I'd be happy with an ugly Mac if it sailed as well as my boat. Old Mac 25 - this boat is a classic that is worth fixing. you can buy one in terrific shape for about 5000 and redo the keel and rigging and paint for about 4000 and you will have a wonderful boat. I've seen many that have the original riggin and keel hardware so once this is redone the boat could be good for another 20 years. Balboa 26 same as Mac 26 but more weight more room and harder to tow. Still the classic boat is often worth fixing. Keep in mind the there are a lot of old boats that are no bargain and if you plan to keep a boat for five or more years you will have to plan to spend a lot of money and time on one of the 20 year old boats. PS if you see a tiller steered H26 out their and don't buy it let me know about it.
Shallow?
I'm not sure what your defination of shallow is, but I consider my C27 at 4'6" draft to be relatively shallow. Other than the wheel steering it meets all your criteria. We've been trailering her for 5 years now and can trailer launch or recover within about an hour. Initialy I designed our trailer for use with a crane or travel lift, but over time, with a little ingenuity and info I gleaned from the net, our trailer was modifyed to be totally self sufficient. Have good look at the C27 it's a lot of boat. Echo Gulf sv SeaRaven
I'm not sure what your defination of shallow is, but I consider my C27 at 4'6" draft to be relatively shallow. Other than the wheel steering it meets all your criteria. We've been trailering her for 5 years now and can trailer launch or recover within about an hour. Initialy I designed our trailer for use with a crane or travel lift, but over time, with a little ingenuity and info I gleaned from the net, our trailer was modifyed to be totally self sufficient. Have good look at the C27 it's a lot of boat. Echo Gulf sv SeaRaven
NOT=4 feet 6in draft ramp launch ,Hay Echo
4 feet 6 in. draft=wow you need to back trailer for 1/2 mile down ramp? or drive off dock with rig to get boat to float? ramps are not that long for that deep! wheels over deep end is called stuck! was that a joke,or some really odd ramp you use some werd way?
4 feet 6 in. draft=wow you need to back trailer for 1/2 mile down ramp? or drive off dock with rig to get boat to float? ramps are not that long for that deep! wheels over deep end is called stuck! was that a joke,or some really odd ramp you use some werd way?
How to Get Boat in Deeper Water
I helped a friend launch a Hunter 25 with a shoal keel, approximately 4 feet of water needed. He had an extension made out of a square peice of steel about twenty feet long. It had a male hitch connector for the trailer end and a female hitch connector for the truck end. He backed the trailer until the wheels were in the water. He then blocked the trailer wheels and disconnected from the truck. He pulled the truck forward and put in the extension. The dolly wheel on the under the trailer hitch supported the front of the trailer. He then allowed the trailer to pull the truck down hill until it was deep enough to launch. I asked about the inability to steer the trailer. He said it had never been a problem. There would be a limited amount of steering available by steering the dolly wheel. Dan McGuire
I helped a friend launch a Hunter 25 with a shoal keel, approximately 4 feet of water needed. He had an extension made out of a square peice of steel about twenty feet long. It had a male hitch connector for the trailer end and a female hitch connector for the truck end. He backed the trailer until the wheels were in the water. He then blocked the trailer wheels and disconnected from the truck. He pulled the truck forward and put in the extension. The dolly wheel on the under the trailer hitch supported the front of the trailer. He then allowed the trailer to pull the truck down hill until it was deep enough to launch. I asked about the inability to steer the trailer. He said it had never been a problem. There would be a limited amount of steering available by steering the dolly wheel. Dan McGuire
I've seen that trailer tongue extension
It works. So does unhitching the trailer and using a long piece of two-inch poly rope between the trailer and tow vehicle. The biggest problem is getting stuck in the washout beyond the end of the ramp. First check for a dropoff using the boathook. If there is one, tie all your fenders to the trailer before you back in to drop off the boat. The extra buoyancy will usually help the trailer back over the edge when you pull out. If you're retrieving the boat, tie lines on floats to both sides of the trailer forward of the main winch location on the boat before you go in. Back in and drop the trailer off the edge, then pull the boat forward into the bow chock. Now retrieve the two floating lines, take one to each winch and start cranking. The lines keeps the boat wedged in the bow chock, but more importantly they are also lifting the trailer up off the bottom. Once the trailer is up far enough, you should be able to pull it forward over the edge of the ramp...and you won't even get your feet wet. Peter H23 "Raven"
It works. So does unhitching the trailer and using a long piece of two-inch poly rope between the trailer and tow vehicle. The biggest problem is getting stuck in the washout beyond the end of the ramp. First check for a dropoff using the boathook. If there is one, tie all your fenders to the trailer before you back in to drop off the boat. The extra buoyancy will usually help the trailer back over the edge when you pull out. If you're retrieving the boat, tie lines on floats to both sides of the trailer forward of the main winch location on the boat before you go in. Back in and drop the trailer off the edge, then pull the boat forward into the bow chock. Now retrieve the two floating lines, take one to each winch and start cranking. The lines keeps the boat wedged in the bow chock, but more importantly they are also lifting the trailer up off the bottom. Once the trailer is up far enough, you should be able to pull it forward over the edge of the ramp...and you won't even get your feet wet. Peter H23 "Raven"
Foot in mouth?
For those doubters and for the information of the genuinely interested, I've attached a photo of SeaRaven (C27) being launched using the trailer tongue (20 ft) extention. This same equipment is used to launch some 30 footers as well. Of note, are the wheels welded to the end of the extention, These support the weight of the trailer tongue during launch and recovery. Also this bar is designed to fold down to half it's length so it can be more easily moved to another location. As for water depth, it is evindent in the photo that I have the minimum of 5 1/2 feet needed to launch. This system is very common in this end of the country, in fact, a large number of boat trailers have extention bars incorporated into them. As of yet no one has gotten stuck here. Echo Gulf
For those doubters and for the information of the genuinely interested, I've attached a photo of SeaRaven (C27) being launched using the trailer tongue (20 ft) extention. This same equipment is used to launch some 30 footers as well. Of note, are the wheels welded to the end of the extention, These support the weight of the trailer tongue during launch and recovery. Also this bar is designed to fold down to half it's length so it can be more easily moved to another location. As for water depth, it is evindent in the photo that I have the minimum of 5 1/2 feet needed to launch. This system is very common in this end of the country, in fact, a large number of boat trailers have extention bars incorporated into them. As of yet no one has gotten stuck here. Echo Gulf
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