I have owned and sailed a Catalina 250 and a Catalina 28. Both of my boats were docked at a marina on the Georgia coast. After returning to school recently, I found I had little time to invest in the 6+ hour trip to the coast and sold my last boat, the C28. Now I am considering the option of trailering a boat. I am considering a Hunter 260. I know a good bit about the performance of my smaller trailerable boat(C250) vs. the larger boat (my C28). I also have weighed such issues as tiller vs. wheel, no-traveler vs. traveler, and headroom. I have listed possible advantages of trailering, e.g. no slip fees, more mobility, work on it at home, and disadvantages, e.g. waiting in line to put in, stepping the mast. I would like to get some personal experiences of those of you who trailer. What do you consider the advantages and disadvantages of trailering? What do you like about it the most and the least?
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Had the same questions. Spent a year looking
at many, many boats and bought a 95 H26. Felt it was a lot more boat for the money. Trailers beautifully with 1/2 ton truck and sails too perfection. Just returned 1 hr. ago from 4 days onboard. Liveable and exciting. Should be against the law. We tow 2 to 3 times a year and set-up or tear-down time is 1 hour each way but to do it often would be a pain. We leave it from 2 weeks to 3 months at a place. The boat is very well suited for a couple but busy with 2 adult couples. We have a marine head with 20 gal. holding tank and roller furling jib. Both are a must! This trip we were in 4 foot rollers with up to 35 mph wind gusts under bare poles for 1 hour. Hell of a trip. Hell of a boat. Now go get one! Ray
at many, many boats and bought a 95 H26. Felt it was a lot more boat for the money. Trailers beautifully with 1/2 ton truck and sails too perfection. Just returned 1 hr. ago from 4 days onboard. Liveable and exciting. Should be against the law. We tow 2 to 3 times a year and set-up or tear-down time is 1 hour each way but to do it often would be a pain. We leave it from 2 weeks to 3 months at a place. The boat is very well suited for a couple but busy with 2 adult couples. We have a marine head with 20 gal. holding tank and roller furling jib. Both are a must! This trip we were in 4 foot rollers with up to 35 mph wind gusts under bare poles for 1 hour. Hell of a trip. Hell of a boat. Now go get one! Ray
Pros and Cons
I had a trailerable boat that I kept at my house when not in use. I think this was a mistake. The set-up and recovery time was just too much for the amount of time I could spend on the water. If the boat cannot be moored or docked in a slip, try to find a dry storage lot near your launch point that will allow you to keep the mast up between outings. At least that will reduce your launch and recovery times. The other problem even with dry storage is that you don't have a regular place to overnight on your boat, as you would with a mooring buoy or slip. The bottom line is that the rigors of launch and recovery for every outing will wind up causing you to not go out at all except in ideal conditions. I usually found that ideal conditions seemed to only exist on Fridays and Mondays, but not on Saturdays and Sundays.
I had a trailerable boat that I kept at my house when not in use. I think this was a mistake. The set-up and recovery time was just too much for the amount of time I could spend on the water. If the boat cannot be moored or docked in a slip, try to find a dry storage lot near your launch point that will allow you to keep the mast up between outings. At least that will reduce your launch and recovery times. The other problem even with dry storage is that you don't have a regular place to overnight on your boat, as you would with a mooring buoy or slip. The bottom line is that the rigors of launch and recovery for every outing will wind up causing you to not go out at all except in ideal conditions. I usually found that ideal conditions seemed to only exist on Fridays and Mondays, but not on Saturdays and Sundays.
Back again, I agree with Ken. If you don't have..
a moorage to leave your boat at it would be a very taxing excersize to sail. We have a slip but when we leave it we know that for the next 102 miles we will either have to anchor or beach. That works for us,, but I would never even entertain pulling the boat after every trip even though I didn't have to drop the mast. Tillers IMHO are the only way to go in trailerable boats. Your dream to sail is filled with more obsticles than most. By my first post you aready know I'm biased, but, I'd still go for it. Ray
a moorage to leave your boat at it would be a very taxing excersize to sail. We have a slip but when we leave it we know that for the next 102 miles we will either have to anchor or beach. That works for us,, but I would never even entertain pulling the boat after every trip even though I didn't have to drop the mast. Tillers IMHO are the only way to go in trailerable boats. Your dream to sail is filled with more obsticles than most. By my first post you aready know I'm biased, but, I'd still go for it. Ray
Pros and Cons
Pros of trailerable boat Flexiblity for everything: Where you sail -- a much extended cruising area. Where to get repairs or Have the boat in the backyard to work on in your bits of spare time, without having to pack tools and materials in the car to take along (and you always need something you didn't bring) You can choose to slip, moor, lauch each time, leave the boat in the backyard -- at no cost -- at those times when life has other priorities. Move the boat yourself and save $$$$. Truely trailerable boats are 26 feet and under. This means they are less expensive to buy and maintain compared to 27 foot and larger boats that you would probably have if trailering wasn't a priority. Smaller boats are lighter, require less expensive equipment and can be easily managed by one or two people. Many (most?) Trailerable boats have floatation so that they won't sink Cons... Limitted size, storage, comfort features A larger, non-trailerable boat will have head room, more storage, and probably be more comfortable for extended trips with hot water, shower, etc. Fair winds... Tom
Pros of trailerable boat Flexiblity for everything: Where you sail -- a much extended cruising area. Where to get repairs or Have the boat in the backyard to work on in your bits of spare time, without having to pack tools and materials in the car to take along (and you always need something you didn't bring) You can choose to slip, moor, lauch each time, leave the boat in the backyard -- at no cost -- at those times when life has other priorities. Move the boat yourself and save $$$$. Truely trailerable boats are 26 feet and under. This means they are less expensive to buy and maintain compared to 27 foot and larger boats that you would probably have if trailering wasn't a priority. Smaller boats are lighter, require less expensive equipment and can be easily managed by one or two people. Many (most?) Trailerable boats have floatation so that they won't sink Cons... Limitted size, storage, comfort features A larger, non-trailerable boat will have head room, more storage, and probably be more comfortable for extended trips with hot water, shower, etc. Fair winds... Tom
Maybe smaller?
I just sold a C-250 and will probably buy a Hunter 240. No comparison in time to launch and raise the mast. If the choice is between staying ashore and thinking smaller, I would bet you would enjoy the 23.5 or 240. It has good room below and sails great. Look for my post entitled Goodby C-250. John
I just sold a C-250 and will probably buy a Hunter 240. No comparison in time to launch and raise the mast. If the choice is between staying ashore and thinking smaller, I would bet you would enjoy the 23.5 or 240. It has good room below and sails great. Look for my post entitled Goodby C-250. John
Trailering- for now, no other way
Most of what everyone has said is valid. I've been trailering all of my life. As much as I would love to have a slip or mooring I can't or don't want to pay that much money. My wife, Joan and I have been putting up and down everytime we sail and have a routine. The H260 takes us about 45 to 60 minutes up and down, the H19 took about 30, the Capri 14.2 took 15mins. We don't day sail, we go just about every weekend unless heavy weather and thunderstorms are happening. We usually go Sat morning and come back Sunday night. If it rains or thunderstorms while we are out, so be it, we ride them out. The things I like the boat is stored 15 mins from the house, home owners assoc won't let me keep it in the yard. I can bring it home to work on it and baby it anytime I want. Big thing is I can tow it anywhere and be in the water in 60 mins. I sail anywhere on the Chesapeake I want and if its to far for sailing, I just tow and sail - That can't be beat. Month of June has been a bust for sailing, as I type this I'm sitting in land locked Iowa wishing for my boat. My wife and I are realistice knowing that we can not keep doing this forever and will probably need to get a slip. Jim S/V Java
Most of what everyone has said is valid. I've been trailering all of my life. As much as I would love to have a slip or mooring I can't or don't want to pay that much money. My wife, Joan and I have been putting up and down everytime we sail and have a routine. The H260 takes us about 45 to 60 minutes up and down, the H19 took about 30, the Capri 14.2 took 15mins. We don't day sail, we go just about every weekend unless heavy weather and thunderstorms are happening. We usually go Sat morning and come back Sunday night. If it rains or thunderstorms while we are out, so be it, we ride them out. The things I like the boat is stored 15 mins from the house, home owners assoc won't let me keep it in the yard. I can bring it home to work on it and baby it anytime I want. Big thing is I can tow it anywhere and be in the water in 60 mins. I sail anywhere on the Chesapeake I want and if its to far for sailing, I just tow and sail - That can't be beat. Month of June has been a bust for sailing, as I type this I'm sitting in land locked Iowa wishing for my boat. My wife and I are realistice knowing that we can not keep doing this forever and will probably need to get a slip. Jim S/V Java
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