Buying a Trailer Cruiser

[mark_swart]

Raocon -- O'Day also made a 26, very similiar to a 25 with the shoal/swing keel but a little sleeker cabin design (outside) and a little better layout inside (it has a nice quarter berth). Some of them also came with an inboard diesel. I had one and really enjoyed it, however O'Day produced many more 25s than it did 26s. Still it's worth a look and can often be found well within your price range. I sold mine a couple years ago for $8K and it was nicely equipped (diesel, self tailing winches, bimini, pressure water, stereo)
Beneteau 235s also look like very cool little boats, but I'm sort of partial since my boat is essentially the larger sister ship!
-Mark

 

[Gare Bear]

Having just purchased and done some work on a 1984 MacGregor 25M, I am impressed with the quality of the workmanship and how good of shape I found mine to be in when I got everything cleaned up and a few items done by a local chandlery. The boat I got had not been cared for in years and appears to have weathered the neglect O.K. I think due to quality initial construction. To be within your criteria, look for a 1985-1987 MacGregor 25. I've seen some for sale that were in better shape than mine, and I'm guessing you may be able to purchase for far less than the 10K figure you gave. Make sure the keel and keel bolt are serviceable. New keels are hard to come by. Check the deck for any rotted plywood core. Any other questions, give me a holler. On another note, check the digital dumpster dive forum -- there was someone (nearly) giving away an older Catalina 25 that they had done some work on. It was listed out of Connecticut.

 

[Bill Jones]

I own a Hunter 23.5 and enjoy the boat very much. It is quite roomy for a 23.5 length, however, as it is water ballasted, it is a tender sailing boat. The fact that it is water ballasted, makes it a very easy boat to trailer and Hunter has developed a mast raising/lowering system easily done by one person.

 

[DStegs49]

With your horse, you can pull a bigger wagon. With that said, I had an S2 8.0A shoal draft that made a good trailer sailer. At least from my perspective sailing on Lake Michigan. (I was going to say great but you have to choose what you your requirements are to make that determination) It was trailerable. I could launch and step the mast with my wife. It had an Atomic 4 inboard. I installed wheel steering. It had standing headroom (I am only 5'7" so you have to evaluate that statement). Shoal draft 2'6", displacement 4600, ballast 1800, beam 8'. Not the fastest on the lake but not the slowest either. If I could find another, I would consider getting back onto the lake with one. Another one that S2 made in this size was the 7.9. Faster but more spartan. Whatever your choice or requirements, enjoy the water!

 

[bria46]

Larsen Marine has a Bayfield 25 w/trailer and Yanmar. Check out their brokerage listings. This one is in Racine, Wisconsin

 

[Stu Jackson]

Hello all,


- Hunter 23.5 or 25.5
- Rhodes 22
- Cat 22 or 25
- West Wight Potter 19
- Oday 25

Rob,

Welcome to our wacky world. Glad you found us.

You're really describing two whole different ranges of boats.

The difference between a C22 and a C25 or O'Day 25 are like night and day. We lived weekends on our C22 on a lake during the summer, only daysailed during the winter on SF Bay 'cus the C22 was too small for cold weather (we used the pop top during the summer which made sitting up quite possible). The C22 is good for two people to overnight, but that'd be about it. The C25 that came next for us was, at first, like driving the Titanic after our C22. The boat is TWICE the volume. We spent weeks in a row on that boat.

The WWP, while a great boat, is spartan even compared to the C22.

The Bayfield 25 is a great boat and makes the C25 look spartan, because the Bayfield finish is so darned good, specially down below.

So, check what YOU want to DO with the boat. Daysails means smaller is just fine. Overnighting, you'll need size to make it enjoyable instead of a weekly challenge.

Then start narrowing your search down.

Good luck.

 

[rgranger]

I have chartered a Rhodes 22 for a 4 day cruise about two years ago. I've owned three MacGregors and two Coronados, sailed an O'Day 23.5 and a Catalina 22.

The Rhodes 22 is by far my favorite pocket cruiser. They are (however) much more expensive than the other boats just mentioned.

 

[Ron20324]

Rob, when I sold my O'Day 222, I went looking at 25-foot boats. Then I saw The Beneteau 235 and bought it. Marine head was a selling feature, but the deck hardware is strong. A guy came to me looking to buy a 235, I sold it, bought a B323. The 235s have a really nice web site, too.

 

[raocon]

Much Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who added their guidance and suggestions! I really appreciate the assistance.

I went sailing again on a Rhodes 22 and again liked it. I do know what some of you are saying about pocket cruisers and day sailors being just that when compared to the slightly larger trailer sailors. I may bump my size up now that I started looking heavily again.

Still looking,
Rob

 

[tkaser3210]

Buying a trailer sailer

I have owned a Cat 22 (wing keel), Potter 19, O'day 222, and now a Hunter 26.

I just bought the Hunter in Oct, so haven't sailed it yet, but of the other boats, I would rate them this way for value;
O'day 222 - available in the 5-7 thousand dollar range - solid boat, sails well
Cat 22 - probably available in the same range as O'day, maybe a thousand more - great all around boat - you can't go wrong if you find one in really good shape
Potter 19 - my least favorite - very cramped interior, hard to move around due to the retracting keel arrangement - sails well, but not as well built as the others - very easy to trailer and launch/recover