Biggest boat to feasibly tow/launch with a 1/2 ton

JoeWhite · Apr 3, 2010

After looking for about a year I settled for 1984 hunter 25.5 for $ 10K in 2004. Since then I have installed a 9.9 HP engine and new bracket, roller furling, 2nd battery with switch, bilge pump, charger, 4 new trailer tires, Desighed and built mast rasing system, built a 13' extension for the trailer, new depth and knot meter and ST60+ display. If you find one I highly recommend it. I have trailered it with a GMC 2500 with a 10,000 hitch. Its beam is 9' 1" - no one has stopped me. Have fun.

MrUnix · Apr 3, 2010

If you don't absolutely have to have a galley or marine head, you can really save some money by looking at the older 17-21 foot swing keels. When we were your age, our first sailboat was a (MacGregor) Venture 17, and we probably had more fun on that boat than any other we have owned since (and only paid $500 for it!). It was light enough to be towed behind our 6 cylinder Camaro, took maybe 20 minutes to load up and rig for launch, and had enough cabin to make overnighters comfortable. The wife and I did many long weekends on that boat, a friend of mine and I did lots of 4-6 day cruises down around the Florida Keys, and we even raced it in a couple Columbus Day regattas (2 day races) at Key Biscayne. When we had our first child, we upgraded to a V21, which was also fun but a bit more work to tow and launch.

Since it will just be you and your girlfriend, do you really need something that will sleep 5-6? The wife and I found that most of the time was spent in the cockpit sailing or at anchor watching the sunset, with very little time spent in the cabin.. mostly just to drop down and make another rum and coke or at night to bunk down. A galley for us was also just a total waste of space.. we brought along a portable propane stove that was used in the cockpit and stocked burgers and steaks in a cooler. And we haven't yet found a really good reason for having a sink! We did have a little porti-potty that we brought along 'just in case', but found that we rarely used it and preferred just 'going for a swim'

Hey, that's what being young is all about!

The only reason I bring this up is that you can find older boats in excellent condition in the 17-21 foot range for very reasonable prices everywhere. Being your first boat, they would be easier to learn on, easier to tow and launch and give you the ability to go sailing on a whim (not to mention easier on your pocketbook). You can easily find a nice used boat in that range for just a few thousand, already well equiped (radios, depth finders, extra sails, new cushions, motor, trailer, etc..). If you maintain it properly, when you are ready to move up to something larger, you can generally recover most of what you paid for it since the older boats typically hold their values pretty well. Just something to consider.

Cheers,
Brad

soling42 · Apr 4, 2010

Brad said it......I totally agree(except swimming to get relief. Not everybody lives in the tropics

). Keep It Simple.

Although this started as "biggest boat to tow w 1/2 ton truck". Your budget is an even greater limiter. All this said, I'd highly recommend a Catalina 22. Light, well designed, versatile, enormous following and there are tons of them available in varying states of repair easily within your budget.

cephius (Dave) · Apr 4, 2010

Hawk,
I love sailing. I love helping others enjoy sailing. I always engage people who are walking the marina docks looking interested, regardless of their age.

If someone expresses an interest in sailing I offer them lessons. My fee is lunch. What I have found is that young adults have busy lives. The minute they leave the marina they forget all about sailing. They never contact me. I usually end up with students who already know how to sail and want more time building their skills.

So, yes, walk the marinas. Talk with any who look approachable. You may end up with a mentor.

Sumner · Apr 4, 2010

hawk232 said:
Well the reason that I was asking how big of a boat I could tow was to simply know the upper range of what I should be looking for (seems to be 25 or 26'). I have a feeling that if I got something small I would almost immediately wish I had gone bigger (I have three footitus before even buying my FIRST boat lol). I am the guy that you see at a campground with an 8 person tent for two people! I like to have overadequate storage space, so I feel that a bigger boat would provide me with all of that as well as some room to grow, the trade off is that it may be harder to learn to sail. I like challenges!

We were sailing, not great, but could get were we wanted to go withing 6-7 days on the water with no help. You can do it if necessary.

I'll put in a couple more plugs for a Mac. You will find that it is going to be about as light as any conventional boat over 18 foot or so and will be faster than them also in almost every instance if that matters later. Now because it is lighter than say most boats that are shorter doesn't mean it is easier to tow as it is longer load and that does make a difference. I'd definitely add brakes to a trailer if it didn't have them and later a second axle if you start loading it down like we have.

A lot of Mac owners are in the water in 30-45 minutes as the mast is easy to step. We take a couple hours since we set the inflatable up and do a lot of just slow messing around since we will be on the water for some time.

It is nice having some room below if the weather turns bad, but you will spend most of your time in the cockpit and it has a large one and the lazarette in the stern is probably larger than any other boat in its class and a great place to put PFD's, line, anchors, you name it.

You could find a nice S or D in your price range with some money left over. Just take your time looking and don't be afraid to travel some distance for the right boat.

Here is a good place to look nationwide and regionally for a Mac or any boat.....

http://www.jaxed.com/cgi-bin/mash.c...c=&fil=&ys=&ye=&ps=&pe=&pgs=100&submit=++++go++++

...and is where we found our Mac, Suburban, Zodiac and outboard for the Zodiac.

If you do consider the Mac and are going to be sailing in any shallow water I'd strongly suggest the S with the swing centerboard (keel) over the D with the dagger board. I don't think you can find a boat that is as versatile and has as much to offer for the money as a nice S. Day sail it or go for a month

.

Good luck with whatever you decide on,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

Shooter II · Apr 4, 2010

yes, a 1/2 ton will do the job.
3/4 and bigger is better.
the wheelbase is critical to the experience.
longer tow vehicles don't get pushed around as much.
your electric brakes on the trailer, which you WILL NOT tow without will actually stop the rig. Adjust them to grab nanoseconds before the truck brakes. Works great.
Remember, long wheel base.
Don't exceed manufacturer's weight limits.
You'll be fine.
we have towed horse trailers up and down the east coast and car trailers from maryland to missouri and here to tell you - longer is better and set the brakes.
transmission cooler is a MUST. Good tread on the tires helps on wet grassy surfaces. On the boat ramp, you may wish you had 4wd but 2wd tows more.
Weight distribution hitches do help. Try not to "let off" the gas when others are passing or there are oncoming trucks. Get a floating sensation that is unnerving.
For further info, call a trailer dealer. They know towing better'n anyone.

Shooter II · Apr 4, 2010

sorry Hawk, I answered a question you didn't ask.
I'd guess 26' would about max it out.

INOV8TN · Apr 4, 2010

Hi Hawk -
Congratulations on getting started in sailing and using the collective intelligence of the 'hive' to help sort out some of your questions - and probably sort out some of the questions.

I've owned and trailered a bunch of boats and seen and been part of lots of people starting sailing so I thought I'd toss in my $0.02.

Several responders have suggested that you start smaller than the maximum and I agree emphatically with that suggestion for the following reasons:

1. As you push up against the edge of 'the envelope' your margin for error diminishes rapidly.
2. Bigger boats respond more slowly than little boats but with much more certainty. Think inertia. It goes up rapidly with LOA - the function is generally more in line with the cube of the LOA than not.
3. Mistakes on a bigger boat/trailer/engine/sails/etc. are more costly - think cube again.
4. When things go bad, and they will, relationships can be strained and that could mean that you won't go sailing with your significant other again - especially if they go really bad in the beginning.

To wit:

I strongly suggest that you get a really simple older day sailor and spend at least one season with it. You'll sort out sailing to where you'll get the basics down without risking the rent (you won't learn everything about sailing but you'll learn caution and nail the skills in a boat that will teach you much more and faster than a bigger boat.

By example: I started in a Penguin in 1952 (yes, I'm a geezer.) If you can find one it is only 11.5 feet long, has just a main sail, and a centerboard. I sailed it alone as a preteen and up through my early/mid 20's. I took lots of people out sailing and I sailed on several other (larger) boats during that time. I raced it with my dad who was learning along with me. He bought it and a 'How to sail' book on the same day, set sail with a following breeze and figured out how to get home before dark.

One day a group of friends asked me to take them all sailing together. This required a charter. So I drove from the south shore of Long Island to the north shore to charter a boat. They asked me if I had any experience and I said "Yes, over 10 years sailing on the south shore". They didn't ask about LOA and I kept my mouth shut. A couple of weeks later we all showed up and I sailed away with my friends on a 56' stay sail schooner - and returned in the same condition!

Your 'mileage' may vary but IIWY I'd get something really small (no engine, no electrics, a main sail and *maybe* a working jib) and learn it through and through. Granted it won't give you the instant gratification that we have become accustomed to but I promise you that you'll avoid a lot of risks - some of which could do more than just ruin a day's sail.

Take some lessons. Research the schools. There are some that issue diplomas but don't teach their students how to sail. I managed a sailing center. Many a time 'graduates' of these schools would drop by to rent because we were more convenient. We had a Rhodes 19 (good starter boat by the way - especially if you can find a racing fleet) and would just ask them to take it out of the slip sail the length of the dock and bring it back. The prevailing winds were rock solid dependable so if one knew how to sail this was easy - and most of the 'graduates' had to take a skipper/trainer with them until they 'got it'.

Oh yes, if you can get a little boat that has a great racing fleet and race regularly. That's where you'll *really* learn how to sail. We raiced the Penguin in 'one design' races on the north shore and in handicap races on the south shore. We were in the middle on a good day on the north shore but usually took first and first overall on the south shore.

Good luck what ever you choose to do and keep asking those questions.

mark_swart · Apr 5, 2010

Hawk -- Jumping in late here. But for one of your comments way way back, I'd love to see more 25 year olds walking the docks and asking questions. I'm 37 and started sailing my own boats when I was 28-29. I think a lot of people over-estimate how much it would really cost to have a sailboat and don't even consider it until they are older. Which is fine too, but you just hate to miss all of those years on the water!
My only trailer experience was with a Luger 16, which is an open boat. I disagree about needing to get a very, very basic boat like that. I had it for less than 6 months before I bought an O'Day 23 (which I highly recommend, BTW). 23-25 feet should not be too intimidating, just make sure to go out on relatively light-air days at first. Talk through EVERYTHING with your girlfriend BEFORE you launch the boat (what you expect her to be doing with the tiller when you are trying to get the sails up, how to approach the dock when you come back, how to tack, etc.) The first sail will be about her more than you, and the impression it makes will color what she thinks of sailing. Keep a game face -- always be calm and in control, even if you aren't. I tell you this because it's something I've learned the hard way!
Hunter also made a 25.5 and a 23.5 in the mid-80s that are trailerable and nice looking boats and are in your price range. Both have poptops. O'Day 23s can be had for $3K or less, 25s should go for around $5-7K, and the 240s were good boats too. They all had a hinge at the base of the mast and there is a mast-raising system available through O'Day (now D R Marine) for a couple hundred bucks. You use the mainsheet and boom to pull the mast up (somehow). S2 made a 25-26 footer that has a lifting keel but was probably meant more for racing than cruising.
Most Macs will come with a trailer, those other ones may or may not. So that will probably have an impact on what you can find.
I think 23-25 is fine, you're young and your back can take it! I had a LOT of fun on that size boat, sometimes when it's too windy to get my big boat out of the dock, I still wish I had a smaller one. Plenty of time to go bigger later. Best of luck!!

Scubajeep · Apr 5, 2010

Hawk232....

Take a look at Hunter 23.5 or 240's... I have a 1996 23.5 and we truly enjoy it. We usually sail on the lake every weekend, and trailer it to Gulfshores 2 times a year. (and we tow it with a Toyota 4runner, yes the trailer has brakes)

I sent you a pm. Well try to work something out and get you on the water.

Also.... your a biologist... Who do you work for? Im at OCPR (LA. Dept. Natural Resources)

later
Todd

Bad Obsession · Apr 6, 2010

Hrm..... I have been sailing since I was 8. Owned boats since I was 12 (if my sunfish counted). At 25 I was sailing a Hunter 22 around the Chesapeake Bay in a similar situation to you, except I did have a bit of experience and I would take longer cruises.

At 32 I am now in a Catalina 30. I wouldn't want to go back to trailer sailing as the set up and take down time costs you a bit of sailing time. Once every two years I pull the boat out and do the big maintenance to it (sanding, painting, and other fun stuff). I can get to my boat (it is 5 minutes from my house) and be out of the slip in less than 10 minutes.

Trailer sailing, what I did for a few years, was okay but you always had to have help and the boat was small for long trips. I ended up putting my boat into a slip for my last year of owning the Hunter 22 because I was wanting to single hand more (my ex didn't like the boat much) and I was tired of raising and lowering the mast.

If you don't want to slip the boat and you don't want to raise and lower the mast constantly, find a marina that will let you store your boat on the trailer and be able to keep the mast up. This is probably the best way to trailer sail and it is cheaper than being in a slip.

Will they take you serious if you are 25 and walking into a marina? YES! It is good to get new blood into the sport and most sailors will gladly welcome you into the rowdy crowd! I was never scoffed at because of my age. You will find that sailors are a very diverse bunch but they all come together over one thing....sailing. If you don't mind being the youngest person in the crowd then you will get to meet some interesting people.

If you end up having bigger water and liking the cruising, then you will start looking towards bigger boats in the future. Don't let the boat scare you. They are not nearly as complex as they look and most of the maintenance is pretty straight forward. When I moved from the Hunter 22 to the Catalina 30 I was a bit nervous with all the systems that I have (pressurized water, diesel, more in depth 12V system, and a marine head). All of these systems, including the diesel, aren't that complex when you begin to look at them.

Don't forget that the cost of owning the boat can be kind of high. You have the boat purchase and those kind of things in the first part, but there is always something to do on them. You will have yearly maintenance like Woodwork, Sail repair, and other things along with bigger repairs that you will run into. It is similar to owning a car, but things tend to be more expensive. Budget for these items early on and it will help.

When I began to put my boat into a slip I began budging my tax return to cover this. My tax return covers my yearly slip fees, my haul out, my painting, and one other thing for the season.

Check you www.yachtworld.com for a source on finding good boats. Craigs list is always there. Other sites are www.usedboats.com and www.boattrader.com

Good luck and enjoy. Learn all that you can about the boat and the waters that you are going to sail. Don't be afraid to stop and ask questions as most sailors are extremely helpful and will gladly give you some knowledge and share a story or two.

Don3098 · Apr 6, 2010

Hunter 26 is Great for Us

We have sailed our H-26 for 10 years now and have no complaints. The boat is large enough for my wife and I to cruise extensively, and is easily towed by our Toyota Tundra 2.8 liter half-ton. Loaded, the boat weighs in at about 5,500 lbs on the trailer. We tow the rig about 700 miles to our favorite cruising grounds in the San Juan and Gulf Islands of Washington and British Columbia, and have never had a problem.

The down side of this boat is that it takes time to rig and launch - a minimum of three hours. The plus side is that the boat is extremely roomy and comfortable. The main sleeping area beneath the cockpit is as large as a queen size bed, complete with opening portlight, and a reading light. We have added a 30 gallon water bladder, LED lighting, a solar panel, shore power, and a chartplotter. Last summer, we were able to anchor out for up to four days before visiting a marina. Our cruises have been incredibly great. If you are curious about what it is like to cruise on a H-26 and see our pictures, check out my blog at www.sailingthesanjuanswithdonanddonna.blogspot.com.

You should be able to find a used H-26 or its sister ship, the H-260 for under $17,000, including a trailer with surge brakes.

Drew13440 · Apr 6, 2010

Lots of great advice here. Virtually any sailboat designed as a "trailerable" can be safely towed with a 1/2 ton pickup, as long as the trailer has (working) brakes. Take the "small and simple" advice and you won't regret it - it's not the same as the *cough* ring *cough* situation - you can trade the boat up or out anytime, no penalties! Good luck.

Paul Brinkley · Apr 6, 2010

Gotta put in a plug for my choice. My sailing exprerience was limited to canoes with homemade sailing rigs until I went out on a friend's Mac 26S twice. After researching similar sized boats, and considering where I expected to sail (NC lakes and coastal rivers and sounds) I decided the Mac 26S best met my needs. I knew I would be trailering (I live about 80 miles from the three nearest places I would want to sail). I knew that some of these areas have some thin water, so a centerboard would be good. I have a light truck (Ford Ranger), so water ballast was a prime consideration. I found a 1990 26S in NYC, went up and looked at it and bought it. Had some repairs to make, and some mods I wanted. Did enough repairs in about a month to take it out the first time, and haven't regretted it at all. My wife and I have had it on rivers, a large lake, several sounds, and a short jaunt on the ocean- and have been very happy with it. If a tree falls on it, I'll look for another one just like it. I see no problem with this boat as a first boat; it is easy enough to learn on. However, if you have absolutely no sailing expreience, you may want to go with someone experienced a few times, or have them go with you the first few times. Have fun! -Paul

timebandit · Apr 7, 2010

I'm sorry but what are these mystical lessons to be learned from sailing little boats that some how relate to ballasted, motorised larger boat that can't be learned on the larger boat?

Three come to mind.

Little boats tip over, how to right a little boat that tipped over and don't step on the the side of a little boat while getting in(see the first two).

Racing little boats makes you a better sailor just like driving a Grand Prix car makes you a better truck driver.