Great Interest in Trailerables out there....

[dvideohd]

I was towing the Mac26D to the lake this evening. While in a parking lot (getting the last minute supplies) - two cars of people stopped by to chat. One was a fellow that was going to sell his V22 and (I think) trade up. The second car was of folks very interested in how big the boat was - and the sailing characteristics...

I think there is a lot of interest in sailing trailerables now... I hope this is good news for Macgregor, Hunter, and the Freedom Boat Works folks (who help sponsor this site)...

There seems to be a lot of genuine interest out there....

--jerry

 

[porsche]

I see it also

When I take my cat22 to one of the lakes nearby or even to the coast. People are surprised that a sailboat this size can be kept on a trailer as apposed to a dock and paying the big bucks. Almost every time I sail some one stops by either on water or by the ramp and asks questions which I am more than happy to answer to the best of my ability. Alan

 

[Jim Kolstoe]

Nothing really new

When I started sailing many, many years ago, there was a non-power boat show at a local mall, which my yacht club took part in. We had a Santana 20 and a dingy on static display. An amazing number of people stopped by to ask questions about sailboats and sailling. I see similar interest at the ramps and along the sidewalks going by the marina (there is a campground adjacent to the marina). Everyone is aware of sailboats, but for most people sailboats are mysterious things they don't expect to see up close and can't visualize themselves on, or especially, affording. I'm glad to hear you're doing your part to make sailing less mysterious to the general public. Keep up the good work.
Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo

 

[josh]

The primary feature of a trailerable.

I fail to hear from this forum that the primary feature of a trailerable sailboat is its ability to be transported to different and distant sailing venues in a short period of time. If only sailed at a single location the stepping and unstepping of the mast, set up and launch/retreival gets old real quick. Also a lot of the boating experience is lost in not having a mooring or a slip. Don't forget you get what you pay for but taking in the view at a distant harbor may be priceless.

 

[Roger (Ninette Manitoba)]

Re: The primary feature of a trailerable.

One of the things I look forward to as I approach retirement, is the ability to take the boat south with me for the winter. I would only have to rig it once down there, as I would hope to be able to get a slip or anchor out, for the few months I am taking in the sun. We like to stay in one spot generally, and as you note, get to know the local area like a second community.

 

[okawbow]

Re: The primary feature of a trailerable.

It seems like almost everyone I talk to would like to go sailing. Most people have a romantic idea about sailboats. Probably that's why there are so many sailbaots for sale all the time. When people see a trailerable sailboat, it puts it up close and more practical than the idea of a big, expensive sailboat at a marina.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Trailerable sailboats

I guess when I think of a practical trailerable sailboat, it is a vessel that you not only can trailer down the road, but also can launch and retrieve yourself, step the mast yourself and can rig yourself. That is the ultimate description in my eyes. Obviously you can get a deep fin keeled boat on a trailer and take it anywhere, but will not be able to launch (maybe), but for sure not retrieve (not likely easily) yourself unless you have a very deep ramp and a very good trailer with keel guides, a properly positioned winch to pull the boat up to the correct location on the trailer and probably rollers rather than bunks to ease the operation. I happen to own two deep fin keel boats on trailers. One is a little 22 foot racer with a keel stepped mast, which I do not take anywhere except my local sailing area in the spring to launch and the fall to retrieve (and I have a marina travel lift do the work). The other is much larger on a triple axle trailer and I do haul that 250 miles each season to get her on one of the Great Lakes, but again, I leave it there during the sailing season and bring her home at season's end. Neither, in my opinion are practical trailering vessels. Either one is capable of going long distances (the second at great expense) and I have given it thought to bring her to Florida and the Bahamas some time (but with today's fuel prices I probably won't). I have done lots of sailing in those areas on other boats.
I haven't seen Precision Boats mentioned in the trailerable venue. They are quite nice, I think, with the best keel config for a trailerable boat (winged keels are not very efficient especially to weather), they sail very well and have a decent amount of room for each model offered. Happy trailering. There's a lot of water out there. Go find them.

 

[jackhartjr]

Actually Josh...

...the stepping and unstepping of the mast is more priceless to me when I remember I am not paying someone for very stupidly and outrageously slip fees!LOL
And the part about going to distant shores is why I went the way I did.
Jack

 

[oldiesrocker2001]

One definition of trail is 'to follow' . Wherever you're going, your boat can follow. While my boat is, to me, a bit labor intensive to step and unstep the mast and bend on the sails, It's worth it if we're going to a particular destination for more than a few days. The rest of the times, it's dry sailed at a home lake - mast still stepped, motor locked onto mount. 10 minutes after arrival to our 'parking' spot, I've loaded our "toys" onto the boat, pulled the main cover and we're heading for the ramp. While We may be moving next year to a lake that doesn't get drained 10-20 feet by the middle of August and possibly a mooring, I'd still take a slip or dock if it's available(though a private slip could cost more than I paid for the boat..).
BTW, regarding fuel prices for traveling, While my venerable Chev Venture(answers to mis-adventure) only gets about 17-18mpg while towing, a couple of years ago with gas prices higher than they are THIS week, it STILL cost more to keep our pesky mutt in a kennel for three weeks than to tow 4,000 miles to Florida and back.

 

[biorapper]

Virgin territory is [to me] priceless. And having to work for a living...the only way I get to see alot of new, unexplored by me waters- be they fresh or salt- is with my trailor sailor. Once I get to an area; I find that I go to the same places the majority of people with large moored or docked boats go. They just usually go out and back in the same harbor. [for me] The spirit infusing ability to see new areas keeps my passion for sailing strong.

 

[JWH2050]

I'm From Northwest Arkansas and I sail on Beaver Lakemost of the time. I have a 82 M25. Last June I took it to Ft Morgan Al for a week of sailing and from there went to my daughter's wedding in Arlington Texas. By the time we got home we had driven over 2000 miles with little trouble. I pulled it with a 03 Chevy Silverado. Gas milage was lousy but we had a good time. In September a friend and brother-in-law launched at Gore Ok in the Arkansas River and went 105 miles to Ozark Ar in about 3 days. We did this on less than 7 gal of gas. Next we want to launch at Memphis and go to New Orleans down the Mississippi river.

 

[Lee and Karen]

JWH2050,
Would love to hear about your Memphis to New Orleans trip. I have talked to
my wife about doing the same ,but after our near miss with a barge on the Tn.
river she said no way.