I’ve never had a trailer sailer before. There is nice Precision 18 and a 23 for sale nearby. I’m wondering if setting up and unloading the smaller boat is much easier or quicker. I like the idea of the bigger boat for carrying passengers occasionally, but 90% of the time it will be just me.
Launching a Precision 18 vs. a Precision 23
- Thread starter Driver50x
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If you expect you will raising the mast everytime you go sailing, the 18 will be significantly easier. You can probably push it up by hand with no tackle. The 23 will probably need a gin pole and tackle rigged, which will become annoying quickly if you have to do it everyday.
If you can store the boat with the mast up at your launch or if you can keep in in the water, the 23 will be more comfortable, especially if you want to spend some nights on board.
If you can store the boat with the mast up at your launch or if you can keep in in the water, the 23 will be more comfortable, especially if you want to spend some nights on board.
If there are waves in the bay, the 23 will be significanly more pleasant on the water
I have owned both àn18 and a 23.
Setup is significantly easier with an 18. We needed 3 people to deal with the 23 and at least an hour to do it. I would never want to rig and unrig each trip.
Setup is significantly easier with an 18. We needed 3 people to deal with the 23 and at least an hour to do it. I would never want to rig and unrig each trip.
I sold the boat but I'll create a drawing of it in the next few days. Send me a PM if I don't post it by EOD Tuesday
Just to add my 2¢, everything mentioned so far is true.
Small Craft Advisor magazine has an axiom that says that right around 1500lbs of displacement, a boat gets to be too much to trailer to a lake for a daysail and bring it home the same day. I’ve found that to be spot on. At just a pinch more than 1500lbs, my Capri 18 really likes at least one night in a marina. Rig and launch on Tuesday, pull it out on Wednesday. We've done it in one day, but it’s a lot.
By contrast, my Hunter 170 (at 450lbs or so) was 20 effortless minutes at the boat ramp. We used to make one day trips on that boat all the time.
That 23 is a thousand lbs heavier than my Capri. I’m assuming it’s some real work to rig and launch.
If I had a slip in a marina, but wanted the option to drag the boat to another location occasionally (once a year or so), I’d want the 23.
Small Craft Advisor magazine has an axiom that says that right around 1500lbs of displacement, a boat gets to be too much to trailer to a lake for a daysail and bring it home the same day. I’ve found that to be spot on. At just a pinch more than 1500lbs, my Capri 18 really likes at least one night in a marina. Rig and launch on Tuesday, pull it out on Wednesday. We've done it in one day, but it’s a lot.
By contrast, my Hunter 170 (at 450lbs or so) was 20 effortless minutes at the boat ramp. We used to make one day trips on that boat all the time.
That 23 is a thousand lbs heavier than my Capri. I’m assuming it’s some real work to rig and launch.
If I had a slip in a marina, but wanted the option to drag the boat to another location occasionally (once a year or so), I’d want the 23.