Looking for the largest trailerable sailboat

[Sail123]

Towing has been mentioned by several people. I own two trucks. A F-550 4x4 and a kenworth T-2000. Both rigs will pull 20,000 easily. The T-2000 can go up to semi load weights of 50,000 +.

I want to go fetch a big boat and return it to my lake here in Nebraska.

 

[Jackdaw]

The Hobie 33 is a lot of fun to sail! Weak on livability 'though

Amen. And with that gonzo SA/D of 28.1, she a big step up from the McGregor....

 

[bffatcat]

Trailer sailers vs trailerable boats my 2c

Ive got a pearson 26W displaces 5200 lbs draws 4ft this is a keel boat but it came with a good
trailer and I have trailed it 200 mi But when you arrive at your sailing destination you need a crane. If you are leaving the boat in one place 9 mos and have access to a crane where you launch you might consider a keel boat you can trailer, vs a trailer sailer They sail much better than a shallow draft boat. Everything is a trade off Your decision

 

[Sail123]

I like the clipper marine 30 because it uses a sail drive inboard that is easy to work on or remove to have serviced. It drops into the water just like an outboard kicker but does not show as it is inside the boat.

I just missed one south of me and I think this is the boat I want. However there are so many boats in the world, I may be missing something I would like better.

The clipper marine 32 is also something I may like. One version of that has a seperate stern berth and an additional mast.

 

[Cool Beans]

come on. . .you know you want a multihull

http://www.f-boat.com/pages/news/F33newyork2.html

My grandad built a trailer-tri 680 back in the day. . .that's what got me into sailboats (not sure if that is good or bad, Lol). We could launch and rig it in and hour, and have be ready to get on the road after sailing in 2 hours. . .fast boat, very fun and lots of deck space. inside was tight, but how long do you plan on hanging out in the boat?

 

[sea_casper]

We had a hunter 26, I could raise and lower mast single handed, it was easy to launch, roomy for 2 people on weekend trips. Water ballast, reduced tow requirements.
Look at H26 or newer H260's, and see if they work for you.

 

[CHARLIE STAGE]

I think the Seaward 32K is a sweet answer I have never sailed one but I spoke to an owner several years ago towing his with a full size truck no doolies and he swore buy it. He had owned three others and he and his wife used this one as a motor home also. Good luck with your search.

 

[Freedom77]

The problem with getting a longer, 30ft plus, trailerable is that the beam is usually wider. Anything wider than 8 ft requires a permit to haul in most states. Usuallly on cruising boats the ratio is approx 3 to 1 for stability. So a 30 ft boat beam would probably be about 9-10 ft. Also a boat that large is gonna weigh a lot. Unless they have changed the design the old Clipper 30 had a very short mast and 8 ft beam which made it very tender and underpowered. The old Balboa 26 is a great boat with lots of room, but any boat that big is going to require a pretty beefy vehicle to tow it. Fair Winds and Full Sails....

 

[Sail123]

I would be happy with a 10 foot beam, so I could move it around with just wide load signs. Anything wider and it becomes just too much hassle.

Found two Clipper Marine 30's today. Both a far piece away, but that is a boat I want to try for a season.

There is a 3rd and 4th one, but both are too far away, and they are 32 foot models. I dislike where the sail drive is in one, and the other has a diesel engine in it.

 

[taichi]

Gary - Maybe you didn't catch my previous post - I owned a clipper marine 26 for 8 years. While I owned it i learned alot about Clipper Marine corp and Bill Crealock - great architect doing a stint designing very low budget production boats - big embarrassment for him compared to Pacific seacraft.
I'm truly suprised that your finding that many Clipper Marines in existance - the one I owned 18 years ago - the hull and deck were both saturated and rotten, the base of the compression post was rotten and by-the-way the saildrive works like a sea anchor when your sailing. Oh, and I also remember some very fun times when the cable to the centerboard broke - I had to run the boat up on a beach to get it to kick up, then we had to dive under the boat and position a strap around the whole boat keeping the centerboard up in order to get it back on the trailer - then we had to drop the mast and hire a travelift to raise the boat in the air to get up inside the centerboard trunck to remove the broken hardware and replace it. The day I sold that boat was truly a happy day, - took 2 years to sell it and I had to practically give it away.

Have fun with your Clipper Marine is all I can say.... If you only plan on keeping it tied up to the dock and use it as a floating camper it might be OK. Have you actually been on one yet?

 

[Sail123]

Interesting post above. The 26 is a far different boat than the 30. While I appreciate the issues you mentioned, it does not mean all clipper owners met the same fate you did.

That sail drive being an anchor must be the same problem everyone would have if they left their stern mounted kickers in the water.

If I could afford a hunter 30, I might look at them. I do not have 20 grand to invest in a sailboat just now.

I have a limited budget, and I want a project boat. Early CM 30's were built like a tank. Very thick hulls. I have looked into the sail drive entry point and the fiberglass is an inch thick or maybe more. Everywhere you pound on the hull, it feels like you are pounding on a boat from a major player in the sailboat business.

CM 30's are largely regarded as being an average speed boat that is handsome to look at. With my budget, I can live with that. This coming year will just be my second year back on the water. Last season (just ended), I purchased a Mac 25 in October, so that was a short season. While the Mac 25 was a good starter boat, I desire something larger to slip and sail. I also need something larger as I am 6'7" tall and over 400 pounds.

I think the heaviness, large length, 8 foot beam and modest price will make a great first full season boat on my smaller lake of 1800 acres.

I am not surprised going from a broken down boat, to a well maintained Hunter you think you are much better off, but one must compare apples to apples.

 

[taichi]

Well that's just my two cents from someone who has actually been on one - I paid alot of attention to Clipper Marine history and met whatever othr owners were out there at the time I owned mine and my issues were actually quite common because it was such a lightly constructed boat - were are you getting that's it's heavily built? A good rule of thumb for construction is diplacement/length. Generally 30 foot boats are in the 10,000 pound range, the clipper 32 is what 5500? what does that tell you? very light constructiion in a 40 year old boat. Like I said; if you only plan on using it as a floating camper it might be OK. I feel much safer in my little Hunter 23 than I ever did on the clipper.
If you looking at big trailerables from the 70's there are better choices out there. Find one with a diesel that's been repowered. And has a newer set of sails. Also keep in mind the reality of trailering - you can theoretically trailer anything but can you do it yourself legally? and what will you pay a crane to step the mast and launch for you? If your now willing to use a crane that puts you back in the 26-27 foot range. The O'day 272 is about the biggest that is commonly trailered, and you can step the mast yourself that is cheap to find - there have been alot of other posters shoot you names of boats that are leagues away pricewise to a Clipper 30 or 32. Seawards are nice, but expensive. I've seen many Hunter 28.5's trailered, but again you will pay for riggers and a lift.
Theres' an old adage i heard about boats that over 30 years has proven to be very true - The size of the boat is inversely proportional to the amount of time you spend on it. i.e. a daysailer gets out more often than some big boat tied up to the dock because the owner has to be at work all the time to pay for it, or it is waiting for time and money for repairs that a small boat owner could have done himeself. It's true...
And if you are dead set on getting a 40 year old boat then you will be in for much more time repairing things than sailing.

 

[MrUnix]

A good rule of thumb for construction is diplacement/length. Generally 30 foot boats are in the 10,000 pound range, the clipper 32 is what 5500? what does that tell you?

Interesting observation! According to sailboatdata.com, the CM 32 has a displacement of only 4500 lbs., and the CM30 weighs in at only 3500 lbs.! That is just 300 lbs more than a Hunter 22 (3200lbs). Compare that to a same era Hunter 30 at 9700 lbs, and a Catalina 30 at 10,200 lbs.! I can't imagine how they could have made them that light, but then again, they were designed to be trailered.

Cheers,
Brad

 

[mklein@iowatelecom.net]

I have only had 3 sailboats. My 1st was a Chysler 22. I loved that boat, but it was a tank! Difficult to trailer and set up. Spent as much time preparing to sail as sailing... My Clipper 21 was spartan! But it was and is well constructed. Very easy to trailer and sail. My Mac 25 is sooo much easier to set and sail than the Chrysler, and roomier as well. If the 30 and 32 Clipper are as good as my 21 I would not worry. Weight means everything when it comes to trailering.

 

[bmorr]

In 2010 I went from a Mac26s waterballist to a Hunter 26 waterballist. There are things I miss about the Mac, but I sure love the room on the hunter-inside and out. However it is just enough bigger that everything costs just a bit more. The important thing is my wife loves it and I have to admit the added freeboard is easier on my back when down below.

 

[Sail123]

There is another forum that has a huge Clipper Marine thread from years ago. Google clipper marine and it is on the first page. That forum also has people that love that boat and people that tell everyone that will listen how horrible it is. Lots of rock throwing and the mods got involved to break up the fights.

Funny how passionate we all get about stuff, even sailboats.

I need a sailboat that fits my size, fits my pocketbook, and I kind of want a rebuild project so a little work does not bother me. Not looking for turn key boat.

I think I would be happy on any 30 footer I could afford.

 

[tommays]

The type of ballast with water being one example as my Cal 29 weights a not trailer friendly 8000# BUT with 3400# being full time lead

At 4600# and water ballast tanks it would not be as stable BUT far more possible to trailer

A hobie 33 at 4000# and 8' beam is sure more friendly BUT they do suffer on long windy upwind legs

 

[Sail123]

The hunter 23 guy:

Get on a forum with $200,000 sailboats and watch your ears turn red as they knock your boat. I do not have a 30 footer yet, but for people that do have a 30 foot CM I would think your remarks about their boat would be insulting. I think you could gently conveigh your personal thoughts about your boat that sound like you or the previous owner did not maintain it very well. However to paint every CM with a broad brush saying they are junk or trash, or implying such, is unfair and unjust. I think you should retract your statement and apologize to people that I am sure will take offense to your comments.

 

[Sail123]

Just took at some of these boats on you tube. Impressive, yet out of my budget. I am trying to get out of debt, not maintain more of them.

The type of ballast with water being one example as my Cal 29 weights a not trailer friendly 8000# BUT with 3400# being full time lead

At 4600# and water ballast tanks it would not be as stable BUT far more possible to trailer

A hobie 33 at 4000# and 8' beam is sure more friendly BUT they do suffer on long windy upwind legs

 

[Scott T-Bird]

If your goal is to get out of debt, then I would advise against purchasing any sailboat. If you are dead-set on getting the boat you describe, then by all means go get it and stop with the pretense of asking for advise. taichi offered a very thoughtful and unobjectionable review of his experience with a boat that he owned. It sounds like you object to his comments because you are really just looking for reassurance regarding something that you already decided upon. Stop badgering taichi to change his opinion.