Poll -How far do you trailer

caguy · Mar 2, 2010

200 yds round trip.

LloydB · Mar 3, 2010

B>=@4 to 6 gal. no salt yet

LooseDiamond · Mar 3, 2010

Well, I don't anymore. Was B. 90 miles one way to coast. Did this for one season. 1 1/2 hrs. one way. 1 hr. to rig. Sail. Repeat. Took to long to justify a day sail. Got a slip for 2 seasons now. Still drive 90 miles, but crank motor, slip lines, and sailing!

Paul Brinkley · Mar 3, 2010

My trips so far range from about 60 miles to around 110 miles, so B would be my answer. -Paul

r.oril · Mar 3, 2010

jimmyb said:
Trailere sailors - For those of you who have to pull your boats most times you sail ...on average how long is your tow to your boating destination (one way).

A- 1 hour or less
B- 1-2 hours
C- 2-3 hours
D- 3 hours or more

A..........Short trip to Pyramid Lake 20 miles from home. This summer will be D. as we plan to travel to Shaver, Lake San Antonio and other local waters.

sailingdog · Mar 3, 2010

0. I only use my trailer for winter storage and hauling/launching the boat for the most part. I find that leaving the boat in the water on a mooring often means that I can get an evening or afternoon sail in when time is limited. Having to launch and haul it each time, even if the boat was left rigged would make that too much of a hassle.

Sumner · Mar 3, 2010

caguy said:
200 yds round trip.

Smart A**

.

For us it is a long ways. First trip to Lake Powell the jeep motor blew up about 25 miles west of town on a couple mile long grade climbing over 2000 feet in elevation. That trip ended with the jeep and boat being towed back into town :cry:. When Ruth and I met she had AAA and I tried to talk he into dropping it. Well after that free tow that subject doesn't come up anymore

. The jeep blowing up was no real surprise as it was on its last legs and I had a new rebuilt crate motor for it sitting in the shop. I had just been to lazy to put it in.

So a week or so later we borrowed a friends .....

....pickup and went over 90 miles to McPhee Reservoir north of Cortez, CO. The first time either of us had ever sailed...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-trips-1/04-09-McPhee.html

....we floundered around on the lake for 5 days probably doing every dumb thing you could with a sailboat before returning home. After using the pickup we also gave up on the jeep for a tow vehicle. It was the long wheel base Scramble, but still not safe to pull something as big as the Mac. We found a really nice Suburban in Phoenix for under $4000 and love it. About 11 mpg towing the boat and 17-18 without it. You can pick these up cheap now and they will go 275,000 to 300,000 miles pretty easy.

Now that we were accomplished sailors

the next trip was 3000 miles round trip..............

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/Macgregor Trips-2-Priest/Priest-Kootenay-index.html

..... to Priest Lake in Idaho and Kootenay Lake in Canada. What a great trip and we would sure recommend these lakes to anyone.

Next trip was 190 miles round trip to the very north end of .....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor-trips-1/2009 Powell Fr-Mia.html

.....Lake Powell for a couple days with friends from Belgium. Nice trip, but too short.

Then the last trip was about 200 miles down to Page, AZ to launch there and try to sail (not motor) the length of Lake Powell. What a......

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/MacgregorTrips-3-Powell09/Powell-2009-index.html

...... trip that was for 18 days. We didn't make the end of the lake, but we made 90+ miles to Bull Frog/Halls Crossing where our friend came out with the Suburban and picked us up.

This year we will probably only go out 3 times, but hopefully those 3 times will put us on the water for 3-4 months and one of those to south Florida will be the furthest we have trailered so far.

Life is good with a boat that goes on a trailer :dance:.

Now I know you just wanted me to mark A, B, C, or D, so I got carried away, sorry. Not much else to do sitting here waiting out a cold. Wanted to be in the shop.

c ya and most of the time it is D,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

kenn · Mar 3, 2010

...oh yeah?

caguy said:
200 yds round trip.

Heh. I think our normal trailering trip is maybe 100 yds round trip... including the length of the launch ramp. We 'drysail' our boat at a yacht club (though I've recently become good at begging empty slips for a week at a time)

But we have towed our boat for up to 5 hours away from home, and this year we might be towing her 8 hours. This is absolutely the best reason for owning a trailerable cruiser - it's very easy and economical to explore new sailing areas.

Sumner · Mar 3, 2010

kenn said:
.......... This is absolutely the best reason for owning a trailerable cruiser - it's very easy and economical to explore new sailing areas.

I was talking to my friend Hooley the other day on the phone. We run his Stude at B'ville. He wanted to know when I would get back to work on my Bonneville car and I told him I wasn't real sure with this sailing thing in our life now. He said "you guys are really enjoying this I can see".

Then I told him the number one thing that sailing gave us what what you said above "it's very easy and economical to explore new sailing areas". Exploring new places by boat is our number one joy with sailing. Seeing places like you can't ever see them if you just drive to them. Also by picking different destinations we have to learn about the geography of them, the history of them, the weather patterns there and so on. So having to trailer to different places has made us become aware of places we never would of without the boat.

Then I told him that number 2 was learning all about sailing and making modifications to the boat and trailer so that we could enjoy the extended trips.

Coming in third was the actual sailing. We like and enjoy the sailing, but to be honest with you if there was a fairly large lake just out of town that we could easily get to and sail on time and time again we might become bored with it. I can see though were for some the challenges of sailing and getting the last 1/4 knot out of the boat is the number one thing for them.

The sport is a complex one and we can all have different aspects of it that turn us on. That is a pretty great thing

.

c ya,

Sum

Our Trips to Lake Powell, UT - Kootenay Lake, Canada - Priest Lake, ID

Our Mac Pages

Mac Links

Joe11688 · Mar 4, 2010

jimmyb said:
Trailere sailors - For those of you who have to pull your boats most times you sail ...on average how long is your tow to your boating destination (one way).

A- 1 hour or less
B- 1-2 hours
C- 2-3 hours
D- 3 hours or more

I'd say A. I only have to trailer about 10 miles to the club in the spring. I use a mooring at the club. Once to the club and once home is enough for me. When you reach "Geezerdom" some day Jimmy, you'll understand.

Ahoy!
Joe

TiSmeB4U · Mar 4, 2010

For our regular weekend splash we are 68 miles each way. But we like to make at least one usually two to three long (between 340 and 952 each way) trips a year.

We really enjoy the variety and new discoveries that travel sailing has to offer.

Chad
B20
#367

sinnettc · Mar 4, 2010

It's about 45 miles from here to the lake. The first summer we had our Capri 16.5 we trailered down every time and spent 20-40 minutes at each end of the sail setting up and tearing down the rig. The second summer we got a slip and found that we sailed more. Half way through that summer we bought the Capri 22 and not only could we day sail, but we could sleep on the boat and make a weekend of it!

This summer's plan includes a 300 mile drive to spend a week sailing in the San Juan Islands and a 90 mile run to Portland for the Sail for the Cure Regatta.

RECESS · Mar 6, 2010

I used to have to keep it on the trailer at our club. Then one day while having some beers a club member asked why don't I tie my boat at his dock? Did not have to ask twice. I have it on the trailer now as it is a 20 minute drive to the lake and I find it hard to go out and tinker. I have become a fair weather sailer and more interested in tinkering than sailing during our brutal winters in south Georgia.

I am hoping to put some miles on the trailer this summer taking it to different ports, with an ailing Mother, it will remain hoping.

dscribner · Mar 7, 2010

Jimmy,

Still looking at the 16 footer? Trailering should be reasonable at that size. Mine is a 25 footer. Add her overhang and the trailer to the length of my F150 and we're over 49 feet long. That as long as many semis. We trailer every time and it's A) 1 hour or less. Often, we launch near the mouth of the Saco River and sail Saco Bay. That's 15 minutes away but three miles as the gull flies. Well, not as the gull flies because he'd stop at Wendy's, Mc Donald's and TJ's Pizza then on the OOB pier before wandering towards Wormwoods. NO, lets just say "due East." Last fall we discovered Bug Light Park on Caso Bay. That's about a 45 minute haul thru Portland but worth the travel.

Don

Biddeford, Maine

timebandit · Mar 11, 2010

About 70 miles---1 stop sign, 4 lights and a stop to pay ramp fees.

I like to take Friday off and leave Thursday night about 9 PM.

The freeways are empty and the ramp parking is well lit for setting up and then a night motor to the anchorage and a good nights sleep.

Some times there is a bit of a breeze and a night sail is great and what is so bad about sleeping untill noon??

kenn · Mar 12, 2010

Don't stress. there's a boat out there for you...

jimmyb said:
... Im about ready to plunk down some bucks on a Precision 18. I have 2 to choose from here. First one (1988) was neglected. No motor. Solid but never taken care of and would need a good amount of work for me to be happy with it. I've somewhat of a problem with perfectionism. The second (1993) is turn key and loaded but has no trailer. If I have to have one built im looking at a difference of about $4500 between the 2 boats. The only thing is by the time I get done outfitting the older boat I may be right back to the same money and less time to sail. Im pulling my hair out over this one. I will be forced to make a decision Sat. I will either have a boat or loose out on both of them. Didnt mean to hijack post but I started it so what the Hull.

I have tended to be a perfectionist too, but after I passed a certain age (and then another one after that) I've become a bit more of a believer in instant gratification.

The big question is - do you want to sail, or do you want to own a perfect boat?

Our boat is very similar to a P18. We found a cosmetically neglected but complete and sail-able one for ~ $3k (complete, including trailer and motor), and we were sailing her almost immediately, even though she wasn't perfect. Every year we fix or change one more thing over the winter, then just sail her all summer. It's been a big win for us.

Remember too that small boats have small problems.

It would be my choice to get a knowledgeable friend (or hire a surveyor) to check out the older boat, and if the boat is solid and price makes sense (after allowing maybe $800 - $1k for a good used motor & tank) , go that route, do a bit of fix-up and go sailing.

I had a quick look for used P18's and saw a 1985 one in OK City for around $3k (has trailer, no motor) so deals are out there.

We have a friend who's a bit too perfectionist. He's had a boat for 2+ years, wants it perfect, and he hasn't yet sailed it a whole weekend. Don't be that guy...