Lake Hopping

topcat0399 · May 27, 2015

That's pretty much how we operate. Naturally we have a lake that we call "home" but we have a trailer sailor so we check out other waters. With the internet today even the problem of unknown launch sites are somewhat solved. We always anchor out.

The key is to get your rig and your launch down to the minimum effort. For example - in years past it would take us up to 2 hours in the parking lot before the boat floated and now its 30 minutes tops. Slide mast back and pin it, toss on gin pole and up mast, pin the forestay - rigged. Slap on sails load goodies and launch. If I could leave the motor on while trailering I could probably cut it down more. I have it down where I only go up the step ladder from the ground once after getting to the site.

WayneH · May 27, 2015

When we had our 21 footer, it stayed at the house. So every sailing trip involved setting up and tearing down. The Admiral and I had our own parts to play in each. With a 5 part tackle on the gin pole, the Admiral did the mast raising while I kept things clean and clear. The mainsail stayed on the boom so all we had to do was run the luff slugs onto the mast. The outboard motor stayed on its lifting bracket but was tied tightly to a stern cleat for travel. And we traveled. Quite a few 500 mile one way trips. Our first launch time was about 2 hours but we did work it down to about 30 minutes. I remember one trip where we had to set up twice at the lake. LOL. We set up and backed down the ramp only to find out that the bottom of the ramp was too shallow to launch. De-rig, drive about 25 miles to a different ramp, re-rig and launch finally. We had a great weekend in spite of the earlier SNAFU.

Chief RA · May 27, 2015

I owned a 26' Clipper Marine for 16 years. It was relatively easy to raise the mast by myself and thus used it a lot for weekend type sailing. Now have a Catalina 250 which is much like yours I would think. It is wing keel and also a tall mast model. It is not a mast that I would want to raise and lower for a couple day sail. It is usually launched once, retrieved once for the season.
I think your wife is right, like they usually are. ha, Chief

Jackdaw · May 27, 2015

Chief is right; there is a HUGE difference between a 21-22 footer and a 25 on land. I've owned both a Cat22 and a Cat25, and while the 22 was an OK dump-and-go-sail boat, the 25 was a monster and everything seemed slightly hard and slightly dangerous at the ramp. I would never want to go lake to lake with it.

Not saying you can't, but it would take a special breed of cat.

topcat0399 · May 28, 2015

yeah you're right his 25 is bigger than my 25 - but I'm fairly certain we have the bigger cock pit...

Chief RA · May 28, 2015

topcat: you need to look at a 250. 12' tall on the trailer 6000lb load. Chief

kito · May 28, 2015

You don't say how long you plan on staying at the same lake. If it's for an extended time then it may be worth the effort. I will only trailer my little C22 if it's for at least a weekend. I got tired of being on the lake all day in +90 temperatures only to have to tear down in the blazing heat. Plus seeing the Admiral sweating and complaining that my trucks a/c wasn't cold enough. More power to you if you enjoy it. I know if I had a 25 footer, it would be towed twice each year......in and out.

Meriachee · May 28, 2015

With a carefully crafted raising system and attention paid to the details of controlling the boat and trailer across the variances of different ramps, there's probably no limit to what can, and can't be done. Up here in the frozen north, we don't have the latitude of anything but trailer operations, and we have the ability to set up or pack up and go very quickly. The only outstanding item on the list is the vang, which seems to want to extend itself into the middle of next week when you take the bolt out, and getting it back in is a dance that took 20 minutes this year for some reason.

Here's the new dolly wheel in action. Version 2 worked like a charm, and it doubles as a spare tire too.
https://youtu.be/mUXYqxIjiec

Saxacussionist · May 28, 2015

We have a 1990 MacGregor 26 S that we have owned for 4 years. It's great boat but a pain in the butt to launch and retrieve. We plan on 2 hours to go from travel ready to sailing and vice versa. I keep it in a slip most of the time on the Illinois River but a couple times a year we take it to either Kentucky Lake and/or the Great Lakes.

My personal goal is that we stay a week or more before I consider it worth all the effort. I have streamlined everything I can think of: Genoa stays on the roller furler which stays on the mast, main stays on the boom, 9.9 Merc stays on the transom, bimini stays on, etc. I have the latest mast raising system with the gin pole and brake winch. It still takes 2 hours...

That being said, by keeping it in a slip just 10 minutes from work, I get to sail at least 2 - 3 times a week with no effort at all. When we take it on vacation, we live on it quite comfortably. I installed a C-Head composting toilet which is great but since it doesn't have a shower we usually stay at marinas along the way.

Since we sail the Great Lakes, I consider a 26' at the lower end of safe for those size lakes. Yes, they say that if you are a good sailor you could sail around the world in a bathtub with a sail, however, theres the whole comfort and safety thing...

Hope these few thoughts help!

Meriachee · May 28, 2015

Saxacussionist said:
We plan on 2 hours to go from travel ready to sailing and vice versa.

Really? 2 hours? Four bolts, the mast, the mast crutch and the rudder and cable. The best we ever did was 20 minutes flat, but most times it was in the 35-40 minute range. That said, the baby stays stayed on the mast all the time, the sail stayed on the furler (the FF2 is a pita to load the sail into, and there was a bracket on the front of the trailer that the Honda went for travel. The 26s was easier to rig than any other boat we've owned, and all the lessons got applied to the Catalina, which, given 2 Loos gauges and a lot of back and forth, takes an hour and a half.

Saxacussionist · May 28, 2015

Yep - 2 hours. But notice I didn't say 2 hours to launch, rather, 2 hours from the time we arrive at the marina, travel rigged for 8 - 10 hours of driving, to the time we are sailing and vice versa. That includes not only raising the mast (you are right, 30 min or so) but all the 'stuff' inside and outside the cabin as well. I'm sure we are heavily penalized by both of us being OCD about neatness, but that's what we do...

justsomeguy · May 28, 2015

Two hours is reasonable. I'm in no real hurry.

Ready, GO!

sesmith · Jun 4, 2015

We keep our Seaward 25 in a slip, conveniently between work and home. We do take it other places at least once a year (Lake Champlain, Ontario, etc). It takes us a couple of hours to launch, so for anything less than a week's trip it's not worth it to me, but it's great to be able to go other places. This year's trip is going to be a couple of weeks on the North Channel of Lake Huron. Can't wait.

topcat0399 · Jun 5, 2015

Saxacussionist said:
Yep - 2 hours. But notice I didn't say 2 hours to launch, rather, 2 hours from the time we arrive at the marina, travel rigged for 8 - 10 hours of driving, to the time we are sailing and vice versa. That includes not only raising the mast (you are right, 30 min or so) but all the 'stuff' inside and outside the cabin as well. I'm sure we are heavily penalized by both of us being OCD about neatness, but that's what we do...

So you rig the trailer somehow different for a 10 hour drive as opposed to just down the road or something? Just wondering what the difference might be.

I would find 2 hours to launch or recover excruciating at this point.

Chris & Lenore · Jun 23, 2015

We take a good three hours but that includes food, ice, water, clothes, parking trailer and van etc. We typically sail for two weeks at a time, everywhere from the North Channel of Lake Huron to Pensacola Florida (just returned from the BEER cruise there).

I find it relaxing to take my time getting everything ready, especially if it's a long cruise to the "middle of nowhere". Even then I have forgotten things like sail battens and beer

Chris

Saxacussionist · Jun 24, 2015

topcat0399 said:
So you rig the trailer somehow different for a 10 hour drive as opposed to just down the road or something? Just wondering what the difference might be.

I would find 2 hours to launch or recover excruciating at this point.

I agree with you, I would probably not sail nearly as often as I do if I had to trailer locally (2 - 3 times a week) That's why I spend the $$ to keep her slipped at the marina close to home. Leave work and be sailing in 15 minutes!

When I do trailer, we travel a minimum of 6 hours on the road, mostly to the Great Lakes. The only damage I have experienced in the 4 years of sailing so far has been because things were not tied down as securely as possible or, for example, the furled geona strapped to the mast was rubbing against a bolt head and frayed a bit of the UV cover. I have a system, which admittedly may be a bit overkill, however nothing ends up worn or damaged. We have even gone so far as to make covers out of old blue jean material to prevent some wear and tear.

The last thing, much like Holdech mentioned, is that we are usually packing for 2 weeks at a time. That's a lot more "stuff" than a weekend sail.

So for us, sailing local - keep it on the water. Sailing someplace distant - plan on 2 hours launch and recovery and stay at least 2 weeks to make it all worthwhile!

BTY to all - If you subscribe to Blue Water Sailing magazine, watch for my article on sailing the Apostle Islands this July.

Chief RA · Jun 24, 2015

2 hrs sounds reasonable to me as well. Thats why I always say these bigger trailer sailors are not a good boat to do weekenders with. In and out a couple times a year is fine as long as you intend to stay in the water for weeks at a time. We plan to trailer down to San Luis Obispo this fall and go to Catalina Island and play around the general area a few weeks. From there back to Bodega Bay for a 2nd launch of a month or so. Late October puts Compass Rose back in her boat house here up behind Lake Oroville Ca.
Chief

Jackdaw · Jun 24, 2015

Saxacussionist said:
BTY to all - If you subscribe to Blue Water Sailing magazine, watch for my article on sailing the Apostle Islands this July.

Cool!