What is a good heavy weather trailerable boat?
- Thread starter Mergatroid
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Trailerable Boat
This could be a constructive discussion if you could first define "Trailerable" I believe you have to first define the tow vehicle then the fun can begin...somewhere between a Freightliner and a Ford Ranger?
This could be a constructive discussion if you could first define "Trailerable" I believe you have to first define the tow vehicle then the fun can begin...somewhere between a Freightliner and a Ford Ranger?
If I make a few assumptions..
Like you are meaning easily trailerable, and not Blue Water, just capable of handling nice moderately heavy weather in a bay of sorts, Then most any "Sea Pig" will do. Something that sails like a truck. Flicka, Compac, Montgomery, come to mind, but there are a number of boats that fit those specs. On sailCalc you can dial in Displacment ratio's, Ballast ratio's etc, and it will pick all the boats that meet the specs. http://www.image-ination.com/sailcalc.html
Like you are meaning easily trailerable, and not Blue Water, just capable of handling nice moderately heavy weather in a bay of sorts, Then most any "Sea Pig" will do. Something that sails like a truck. Flicka, Compac, Montgomery, come to mind, but there are a number of boats that fit those specs. On sailCalc you can dial in Displacment ratio's, Ballast ratio's etc, and it will pick all the boats that meet the specs. http://www.image-ination.com/sailcalc.html
Kind of a contradiction of terms...
Cape Dory, Pacific Seacraft...something with a large deep full hull and keel and very beefy rigging and heavy strong deck and cabin fittings. You can trailer these boats but they will be very hard to launch and recover.
Cape Dory, Pacific Seacraft...something with a large deep full hull and keel and very beefy rigging and heavy strong deck and cabin fittings. You can trailer these boats but they will be very hard to launch and recover.
Might want to consider launch, rig and comfort too
If you plan to keep your boat mostly on the trailer, rigging before each sail, you might want to consider the time and ease of rigging and launching. Some boats like the Mac 26 can be rigged in less than 30 minutes after you get the routine down. Others need a lot longer and need lots of muscle or a crane. Look for a good design for mast raising, as this is the most physical part of rigging. An easily detachable rudder gets weight off the stern for towing. Launching is another consideration. At one end of the spectrum, you have water ballast boats without a keel that sit low on their trailers, and therefore require less water to float off the trailer. The other end might be a full keel that requires a sling lift. You might consider where you will be launching from most of the time, and think about the angle of the ramp and if you will be able to easily launch. Water ballast boats are initially tender, but the offsetting benefit is that you haul less weight down the road. There is a vast difference in the roominess of say a Hunter 260 and some of the older designs. Boarding after swimming is much easier with the "sugar scoop" designs. There is standing headroom on the 260 for most people. You can see that I am biased towards the 260 as I own one. All sailboats are a tradeoff. You might want to look at the average conditions of the areas where you want to sail and determine if you really need a heavy boat. Lots of areas have winds of 10-15 knots most of the time, and most of the trailerable boats love this wind speed range. One bit of advice: make sure you go through the rigging and launch with the owner of the boat you are looking at before you buy it. Compare that launch site with the one you will be using the most. Good luck, Bert
If you plan to keep your boat mostly on the trailer, rigging before each sail, you might want to consider the time and ease of rigging and launching. Some boats like the Mac 26 can be rigged in less than 30 minutes after you get the routine down. Others need a lot longer and need lots of muscle or a crane. Look for a good design for mast raising, as this is the most physical part of rigging. An easily detachable rudder gets weight off the stern for towing. Launching is another consideration. At one end of the spectrum, you have water ballast boats without a keel that sit low on their trailers, and therefore require less water to float off the trailer. The other end might be a full keel that requires a sling lift. You might consider where you will be launching from most of the time, and think about the angle of the ramp and if you will be able to easily launch. Water ballast boats are initially tender, but the offsetting benefit is that you haul less weight down the road. There is a vast difference in the roominess of say a Hunter 260 and some of the older designs. Boarding after swimming is much easier with the "sugar scoop" designs. There is standing headroom on the 260 for most people. You can see that I am biased towards the 260 as I own one. All sailboats are a tradeoff. You might want to look at the average conditions of the areas where you want to sail and determine if you really need a heavy boat. Lots of areas have winds of 10-15 knots most of the time, and most of the trailerable boats love this wind speed range. One bit of advice: make sure you go through the rigging and launch with the owner of the boat you are looking at before you buy it. Compare that launch site with the one you will be using the most. Good luck, Bert
Heavy Weather Trailerable
Sorry I was not more exact. Trailerable= Able to comfortably, and safely, tow with the family truckster. Say, 7000 displacement boat add trailer, gear and crew for about 9000 lbs. of towed load. Heavy Weather= Costal water sea worthy. Or as I have heard it put, “the boat will take any weather I have the guts to sail into”. Shoal draft prefered.
Sorry I was not more exact. Trailerable= Able to comfortably, and safely, tow with the family truckster. Say, 7000 displacement boat add trailer, gear and crew for about 9000 lbs. of towed load. Heavy Weather= Costal water sea worthy. Or as I have heard it put, “the boat will take any weather I have the guts to sail into”. Shoal draft prefered.
A boat being moved by trailer is not the same as a
trailerable. A true trailerable sailboat is that which its primary design attribute is for it to be transported, rigged, deployed and retreived easily and economically. For some the attractiveness rests with no mooring or dock fees while for others is the lure of remote sailing venues. Although the design criteria is basically the opposite of that for heavy weather boats some trailerables can handle themselves in rough weather. My preference would rest with those that use a short keel centerboard combination. Those with iron swing keels would be to keen to self destruct and those with water ballast are overly tender. A boat with inboard propultion would be best as outboard engines loose their bite in heavy weather. A sturdy single piece rudder would be best although you may loose the ability to beach the boat or gunkhole. The uses of a trailerable sailboat do not usually entail heavy weather sailing but when you go on a trip at a remote destination you may encounter and need to handle some degree of heavy weather. I hope you are not thinking offshore but merely the ability to be able to handle some foul weather that may catch you in coastal or protected waters.
trailerable. A true trailerable sailboat is that which its primary design attribute is for it to be transported, rigged, deployed and retreived easily and economically. For some the attractiveness rests with no mooring or dock fees while for others is the lure of remote sailing venues. Although the design criteria is basically the opposite of that for heavy weather boats some trailerables can handle themselves in rough weather. My preference would rest with those that use a short keel centerboard combination. Those with iron swing keels would be to keen to self destruct and those with water ballast are overly tender. A boat with inboard propultion would be best as outboard engines loose their bite in heavy weather. A sturdy single piece rudder would be best although you may loose the ability to beach the boat or gunkhole. The uses of a trailerable sailboat do not usually entail heavy weather sailing but when you go on a trip at a remote destination you may encounter and need to handle some degree of heavy weather. I hope you are not thinking offshore but merely the ability to be able to handle some foul weather that may catch you in coastal or protected waters.
Is there a price range?
It may rule out the whole concept if unrealistically low. Too low and you're comparing a stout old beater/project to a nice boat like the Dana which is serious cash. Both of which will be a chore to launch. Maybe you're standing on the cusp of really wanting to move up but tied to the "trailering" ideal like we are(it's hurricanes and dock fees for us). I was only half kidding about the Beneteau in the link above. That guy has trailered it from Baja to the Fl Keys and keeps it in Colorado. You could keep it on a mooring/dock then pull it for the season and have it at home, or travel with it. It's a capable boat with far more room yet has a shallow draft and "could" be trailered with a reasonably normal truck. On the other hand, your 26 is truly one of the largest yet barely practcal trailer boats without becoming a huge issue to launch. It's far more capable than any typical small trailer boat and will get you home in a blow if you use discretion and rig appropriately. I know the conflict of wanting a tougher ride than your 26 but the compromises may not be worth the trip if trailering is in the mix. Good luck in your search Michael
It may rule out the whole concept if unrealistically low. Too low and you're comparing a stout old beater/project to a nice boat like the Dana which is serious cash. Both of which will be a chore to launch. Maybe you're standing on the cusp of really wanting to move up but tied to the "trailering" ideal like we are(it's hurricanes and dock fees for us). I was only half kidding about the Beneteau in the link above. That guy has trailered it from Baja to the Fl Keys and keeps it in Colorado. You could keep it on a mooring/dock then pull it for the season and have it at home, or travel with it. It's a capable boat with far more room yet has a shallow draft and "could" be trailered with a reasonably normal truck. On the other hand, your 26 is truly one of the largest yet barely practcal trailer boats without becoming a huge issue to launch. It's far more capable than any typical small trailer boat and will get you home in a blow if you use discretion and rig appropriately. I know the conflict of wanting a tougher ride than your 26 but the compromises may not be worth the trip if trailering is in the mix. Good luck in your search Michael
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