Daysailer: Mostly Dry?

[Texsinbad]

I previously held 100 ton Captain's license and sailed on many boats from the Sunfish up to CT56, which I was Captain on for 3 years, but I haven't sailed for 20+years and never looked at daysailers.

Looking for suggestions for a daysailer that is mostly dry, fairly stable, and a small cabin in the 14-17' range. I don't have a truck to pull it; so, I need to keep the weight down.

Thanks

 

[shemandr]

My nephew just bought a Compac 16, which he is having a ball with.

 

[Johnb]

West Wight Potters have a rabid following.

 

[John Nantz]

For something that is both light-weight for trailering with a small car and a reasonably dry sailing boat (read: not a sport boat), look at the Falcon 16 (15ft 10 ins - good for avoiding the 16 ft threshold) and the O’Day Daysailer (also somewhere right arund 16 feet).

These are both older designs circa the mid 1960s, fractionally rigged, and weren’t tricked out for competitive racing. They culd be rigged for a spinnaker.

We bought ours in Rhode Island and towed it out west with a 100-hp Falcon, even going via Yellowstone over about a 10,000 ft pass. Sailed her out to Block Island in late September, the length of Lake Tahoe in one afternoon, and out the Golden Gate then down the coast. Had 4 adults and one child on board at one time (but not on those trips).

These boats, today, can be had for a fraction of what their replacement cost would be but probably would, of course, need some TLC to if you wanted to bring one up to looking new.

 

[Texsinbad]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Jackdaw]

If you can find one, the Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 is a swell boat.

Cuddy or non-cuddy versions. Unsinkable.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Jackdaw;

I recall the smaller boats in manufacturing were required to have positive foam flotation but not sure where it cut off in length of boat. I believe this was required per Regs in order to have a valid hull number. Do you know the cut off?

 

[Summitboy]

I have a Montgomery 15 and absolutely love it.

They have a 17 footer as well.

 

[31seahorse]

I replied to your Vagabond post. We owned one for about 5 years.

Daysailer: My personal favorite is a PEB Celebrity. P. Evanson Boat Works. Dry storage in the bow and the stern, storage under each gunwale, 20 feet long, very stable, Class boat with distinctive hull lines, easy to trailer, fun to sail, found on Craigslist from time to time.....$1K to 4K.

No offense intended, but avoid the Lugar, homemade boats. One owner of a daysailer said his boat "sailed like a brick". I figured that couldn't be a good thing!

 

[Zed]

Really hard to get wet in a WestWightPotter19. The freeboard is very high, and the sail heel is rarely more than 10%. Very stable boat with a hard chine a wide beam for length. Very easy to sail, even for a rank beginner. But lots to learn if you want to sail her really well. Kind of like learning to play a saxophone: anyone can play one, but to be really good its just as hard as any other instrument. Hull speed is about 5.5 knots, but on a run you can actually get about 1-2 knots above that.

And yes, I own a WWP19(and also a saxophone).

 

[Gene Neill]

I don't have a truck to pull it; so, I need to keep the weight down.

Thanks

A Potter 15 weighs under 500 pounds ...

 

[Zed]

I don't have a truck to pull it; so, I need to keep the weight down.

I don't have a truck either. A Potter 15 is really light. But a Potter 19 is still pretty light at 1225 lb. with a 500 lb trailer.

Regardless, you have to consider the trailer weight too, and any gear that you have like an OB.

 

[Texsinbad]

Many thanks for all the suggestions.

I recently bought a 1982 Vagabond 17 Weekenders. Boat is about 900# and trailer about 350#.

I didn't have any problems towing it to my home--about a 50 minute drive. I did take it nice and slow.