"txmxrider" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Please forgive me for asking a newbie question. I'm considering getting a
smallish (19'-23'), swing keel, water ballast, sailboat for family
recreation on local lakes. I don't know much about sailing but I've been a
power boat owner for 30 years. Big difference, I know, but bear with me.
For
budget reasons I prefer not to have to rent a slip and would like to keep
my
boat at home and trailer to the lake on weekends. In all of my years of
boating I have never seen anyone trailer a sailboat to the lake, raise the
mast, and launch. Every sailboat I have ever seen either came from a slip
or
at the very least, was sitting on a trailer stored at the marina with the
mast up and presumably launched right there in that manner. I see photos
and
ads for 'mast raising' systems but I have to assume that it's too much
trouble to trailer a sailboat on weekends or more people would be doing
it.
Obviously it would be more involved than launching say a bass boat, but
really, how much trouble is it? Is the idea totally impractical? Are some
models easier than others to launch?

Although I'm not a lazy guy, far from it actually, I'm still very
concerned
that a boat with a poor work-to-fun ratio will sit in the driveway and not
get used that much.

I appreciate any thoughts the group may have on this subject, pro and con.
--
Everett
'04 KTM 300 EXC (Treefinder)
'75 Kawasaki S3 400 (2-stroke triple)
'74 BMW R90/6 (Gentleman's Express)


I sold my Sandpiper565 last August because I couldn't get the wife
interested. (read... act as willing crew in raising the mast etc)
It was too bad because a lot of people love to trailer their mini cruiser
from spot to spot for a days (or weekend) cruising.
Last year I towed my sailboat about 2600 miles round trip to attend a
Rendezvous for our Sandpipers.
Bottom line...energetic people can rig a smaller (20 ft or smaller) boat
singlehanded, but it sure does help to have one crewmember there.