Trailerable Cruisers
 

I was forced to give up my live aboard lifestyle when hurricanes and
condominiums destroyed or replaced affordable Marinas. I moved away
from central Florida and live about 1 hour from the coast in South
Carolina. I never imagined how much I would miss the boaters
lifestyle. I don't think I will ever be able to live aboard again but
would like to spend extended periods on the water, mostly Carribien
and Intercoastal cruising. My question , Is there a trailerable( I
never want to be at the mercy of a marina again) sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

tt wrote:
I was forced to give up my live aboard lifestyle when hurricanes and
condominiums destroyed or replaced affordable Marinas. I moved away
from central Florida and live about 1 hour from the coast in South
Carolina. I never imagined how much I would miss the boaters
lifestyle. I don't think I will ever be able to live aboard again but
would like to spend extended periods on the water, mostly Carribien
and Intercoastal cruising. My question , Is there a trailerable( I
never want to be at the mercy of a marina again) sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.

This might give you some ideas as to what is available-
http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/listings.phtml?cid=248


DP

Trailerable Cruisers
 

"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
I was forced to give up my live aboard lifestyle when hurricanes and
condominiums destroyed or replaced affordable Marinas. I moved away
from central Florida and live about 1 hour from the coast in South
Carolina. I never imagined how much I would miss the boaters
lifestyle. I don't think I will ever be able to live aboard again but
would like to spend extended periods on the water, mostly Carribien
and Intercoastal cruising. My question , Is there a trailerable( I
never want to be at the mercy of a marina again) sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man


Probably depends how flexible you are.
People cruise weekends and even longer on very small trailerable sailboats.
I have a Sandpiper 565 that can accomodate a couple (or family with two
small children). If you have a half decent tow vehicle, you can go a step or
two larger. I'd stick with a retractable keel to make launching/recovery
easier at shallow ramps.
My boat: http://sailquest.com/market/models/spipe.htm
a step up.. http://sailquest.com/market/models/sirius.htm

Both boats very affordable and lots available used in central Canada.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

In article .com,
"tt" wrote:

Is there a trailerable( I never want to be at the mercy of a marina
again) sailboat that is suited to long distance cruising and extended
periods of living? By the way I am retired and not a rich man.

Depends on what you mean by "suited". And what you mean by
"trailerable", I supposed. Our Tanzer 28 (below) is, IMO, perfectly
suited, and she can be *moved* by trailer --a couple of of our sister
boats are moved twice a year-- but the required tow vehicle would pay
for a few years' marina fees.

When you're looking, I would look for two things: Standing headroom and
a permanent berth suitable to your needs. Not being able to stand up to
put your pants on gets old fast, but that pretty much requires a boat
over 26' or it gets too boxy for proper sailing. Most any boat will have
a sleeping dinette or something, but making it up and putting it down
each day gets old even faster.

If you want to self-launch, you pretty much limit yourself to a
centerboard boat.

Just thought: you might look into the trailerable trawlers like the
Nimble series. Only 8'6" wide and relatively light, but great for
getting out and about for pretty fair distances.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Trailerable Cruisers
 

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
"tt" wrote:

Is there a trailerable( I never want to be at the mercy of a marina
again) sailboat that is suited to long distance cruising and extended
periods of living? By the way I am retired and not a rich man.

Depends on what you mean by "suited". And what you mean by
"trailerable", I supposed. Our Tanzer 28 (below) is, IMO, perfectly
suited, and she can be *moved* by trailer --a couple of of our sister
boats are moved twice a year-- but the required tow vehicle would pay
for a few years' marina fees.

When you're looking, I would look for two things: Standing headroom and
a permanent berth suitable to your needs. Not being able to stand up to
put your pants on gets old fast, but that pretty much requires a boat
over 26' or it gets too boxy for proper sailing. Most any boat will have
a sleeping dinette or something, but making it up and putting it down
each day gets old even faster.

If you want to self-launch, you pretty much limit yourself to a
centerboard boat.

Just thought: you might look into the trailerable trawlers like the
Nimble series. Only 8'6" wide and relatively light, but great for
getting out and about for pretty fair distances.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's NEW Pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

There are always the McGregor Water Ballast boats, which have plenty of room
for their size and are quite trailerable -- though I wouldn't recommend one
to an enemy. I consider their ballast to be inefficient and too high,
creating a negative righting moment upon capsizing. This would probably not
be an issue in protected sailing conditions, though, so it may well be
suitable for purposes of inland, near-shore, and ICW sailing.

Flicka's are trailerable, with a decent-sized tow vehicle (F250 or so I
think would do it), and are proper sea going pocket cruisers. There are also
the Pearson Ariels and Tritons, though I think the Triton is pushing it as a
"trailerable" boat. I have seen them on trailers, though, in Southern
California. Then there are West Wight Potters -- the 19 could suit these
purposes, though I wouldn't want to live on one with another person for more
than a day or two.

Karin

Trailerable Cruisers
 

You might look at a folding trimaran - Although not exactly an ideal cruiser
a Corsair F-31 is trailable and easily rigged. I think they also have a
smaller model. Quite seaworthy too and can go into very shallow bays! But
not exactly cheap.

If you want a monohull in the 26-30 ft range (about max for trailering, you
will need a FS SUV or truck for towing. You will need something with drop
keel, keel-centerboard or maybe just shoal draft. They do exist - do a
search on the Yachtworld or Soundings sites.

There of course many power boats that might do the job, but.........

Good Luck

"tt" wrote in message
oups.com...
I was forced to give up my live aboard lifestyle when hurricanes and
condominiums destroyed or replaced affordable Marinas. I moved away
from central Florida and live about 1 hour from the coast in South
Carolina. I never imagined how much I would miss the boaters
lifestyle. I don't think I will ever be able to live aboard again but
would like to spend extended periods on the water, mostly Carribien
and Intercoastal cruising. My question , Is there a trailerable( I
never want to be at the mercy of a marina again) sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

On Jan 27, 7:57 am, "tt" wrote:
sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.

Hi: What you are say now is what I wanted when I was 20
somthing:Cheep, portable, and reasonably safe on the water.

The first question ya got to answere is how big a towing rig do you
have? If it is a 20 yo Suburu that will limit what hyou can tow.
ALthogh I trailored my 15' sailing dory from Oregon to the Sea of
Cortez and sailed the sheets off it on the RTs and there.

Now if ya got one of thoes beast with a Cat C18 or a kenworth with a
3408 now that really opens the door to lots of "trailerable" boats!

Bob

Trailerable Cruisers
 

On Jan 27, 4:02 pm, "Bob" wrote:
On Jan 27, 7:57 am, "tt" wrote:

sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.Hi: What you are say now is what I wanted when I was 20
somthing:Cheep, portable, and reasonably safe on the water.

The first question ya got to answere is how big a towing rig do you
have? If it is a 20 yo Suburu that will limit what hyou can tow.
ALthogh I trailored my 15' sailing dory from Oregon to the Sea of
Cortez and sailed the sheets off it on the RTs and there.

Now if ya got one of thoes beast with a Cat C18 or a kenworth with a
3408 now that really opens the door to lots of "trailerable" boats!

Bob

Boat Designer Michalak has a boat called a "Cormorant" that is sort of
like a sharpie but has water ballast. She is 32' long and
trailerable. She does NOT have standing head room. You might
consider either building it yourself or paying someone to build it.
My next boatbuilding project will either be a Cormorant or the Bolger
AS29 extended to 33'. However, the AS29 is NOT trailerable but does
have extreme shoal draft and easily lowered mast so she can be kept in
places few other sail boats can be kept.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 17:40:31 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Just thought: you might look into the trailerable trawlers like the
Nimble series. Only 8'6" wide and relatively light, but great for
getting out and about for pretty fair distances.

I like these better:

http://www.capelookoutyachts.com/new...246-sedan.html

Highly trailerable and very salty little boats.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

Northsea 27.
I can't afford one but maybe you can. I saw one on a triple axle
trailer pulled by a 60's International truck (maybe 450ci). They made
it with two couples from VanCan to San Carlos, Mex no problems. It has
an after cabin so there's some privacy of sorts.
I am puzzling this one out too. I bought a 5000 lb boat and after two
years have given up finding a cheap used trailer to modify. I can get
a double axle trailer built for about $3000 and a used tow vehicle of
unknown reliability for about the same price.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

tt wrote:
snip
try looking at one of these i used to own the 24 an loved it
still looking at the 28 as my other option

http://www.rlyachts.net/index28.asp
Shaun

Trailerable Cruisers
 

Check these out. The factory's in Stuart, FL. The 32' looks really
sweet. I have a much older version of the 26'

http://www.seawardyachts.com/

Also, for info on lots of trailerable options, check out
www.trailersailor.com

Mike

On Jan 28, 4:04 am, shaun wrote:
tt wrote:snip
try looking at one of these i used to own the 24 an loved it
still looking at the 28 as my other option

http://www.rlyachts.net/index28.asp
Shaun

Trailerable Cruisers
 

"tt" wrote in news:1169913476.931121.157230
@a34g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.


Hmm....Buzzard's Roost Marina on the Stono River in Charleston has the best
rates and a friendly atmosphere for retired sailors....with no bridges
other than the one over the middle of the marina which is high and new.

You don't need a trailer...(c;



Larry
--
Democracy is when two wolves and a sheep vote on who's for dinner.
Liberty is when the sheep has his own gun.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

I think a trailerable boat is fine for offshore cruising, but I think you have
to be careful about using one for ocean sailing to the Carribean. You will
really have to
pick your weather when crossing the Gulf Stream. Trailerable boats do not have
the stablility of fixed keel boats and tend to get knocked around a lot in heavy
seas.
I am not saying this from personal experience, since I never owned one, but I
have
done lots of cruising from my former base in the Florida Keys, with cruises to
the
Bahamas and Jamaica. I looked at trailerable boats carefully before selecting
my
22 foot fixed keel Westerly. Don't let the size fool you, as this boat was
built for
the English Channel. It didn't ride out the storms as comfortably as a larger
boat, but
I never had concerns about it's seaworthyness. I think a trailerable boat would
have
fared much worse in the storms I encountered. Just a thought you should
consider
when picking a boat for the cruising grounds you are contemplating. I also
heard that trailerable boats do not sail as close to the wind as fixed keel
boats.

Sherwin D.

tt wrote:

I was forced to give up my live aboard lifestyle when hurricanes and
condominiums destroyed or replaced affordable Marinas. I moved away
from central Florida and live about 1 hour from the coast in South
Carolina. I never imagined how much I would miss the boaters
lifestyle. I don't think I will ever be able to live aboard again but
would like to spend extended periods on the water, mostly Carribien
and Intercoastal cruising. My question , Is there a trailerable( I
never want to be at the mercy of a marina again) sailboat that is
suited to long distance cruising and extended periods of living? By
the way I am retired and not a rich man.

Trailerable Cruisers
 

sherwindu wrote:
I think a trailerable boat is fine for offshore cruising, but I think you have
to be careful about using one for ocean sailing to the Carribean. You will
really have to
pick your weather when crossing the Gulf Stream. Trailerable boats do not have
the stablility of fixed keel boats and tend to get knocked around a lot in heavy
seas.


I have and have put mine through weather that you probley would not even
bother getting out of bed for,
as for pointing that's a load of crap .....i raced a gainst a 32
contessa in light breezes just b4 i sold mine and he gave up and motored
because i was beating him.
Any small boat will get knocked around fixed keel or not.
read about the righting momentum of the RL24 and be suprised
the 24 lacks the head room tho......sigh
the reports on the 28 say she is tender due to beam but firms up quick
at about 15 to 20 deg
, but I
have
done lots of cruising from my former base in the Florida Keys, with cruises to
the
Bahamas and Jamaica. I looked at trailerable boats carefully before selecting
my
22 foot fixed keel Westerly. Don't let the size fool you, as this boat was
built for
the English Channel. It didn't ride out the storms as comfortably as a larger
boat, but
you just said it right there


I never had concerns about it's seaworthyness. I think a trailerable boat would
have
fared much worse in the storms I encountered. Just a thought you should
consider
when picking a boat for the cruising grounds you are contemplating. I also
heard that trailerable boats do not sail as close to the wind as fixed keel
boats.

Sherwin D.

tt wrote:



don't give up on a trailersailer they can be the best of both for some
people especially if you plan on coastal
Shaun

snip

Trailerable Cruisers
 

When you are looking for a trailerable, obviously you will be looking at
a substantially smaller boat than you have perhaps been used to with
your marina kept boat. If you are willing to compromise in certain
aspects, you should be able to find something you like and that fits
your budget. As a suggestion, go to www.boattraderonline.com and enter
"trailer" into the "keyword" when doing a search; lots of interesting
boats come up. If you are on a strict budget, I suggest looking at
something well below your price because as we all know, it will cost
more to get it "just the way you want it" and ready to go cruising...
Try looking at outboard powered, retractable keel boats around 26' or
less. At less than $10,000, an older Balboa 26 or Chrysler 26 are not
bad boats and are certainly trailerable with any full size pickup or
van. An O'day 240, Beneteau First 235 or something similar might also
work for you and can be obtained on a budget. Remember though, that
once you get the boat to the water, you have to step the mast and some
boats aren't as easily rigged as others. You may want to look at one of
the MacGregor 26's also. I personally don't care for them, but their
ease in trailering, mast stepping and amount of interior room for their
size cannot be overlooked. What you are describing as your search
criteria is exactly what MacGregor had in mind when he built these and
he sells a ton of them...
Another consideration is racing. If you have any experience and/or
desire, racing is a blast and there are several yacht clubs and sailing
centers that will allow racing boats to be kept as "dry-sailed" boats,
on your trailer and fully rigged; I know several couples that race their
boats and then stay the weekend on them. There are lots of
possibilities open to you... -DK

Trailerable Cruisers
 

shaun wrote:

sherwindu wrote:
I think a trailerable boat is fine for offshore cruising, but I think you have
to be careful about using one for ocean sailing to the Carribean. You will
really have to
pick your weather when crossing the Gulf Stream. Trailerable boats do not have
the stablility of fixed keel boats and tend to get knocked around a lot in heavy
seas.


I have and have put mine through weather that you probley would not even
bother getting out of bed for,

You are making some big assumptions there. Have you ever crossed the Gulf Stream
in a Norther, or taken your boat north through the Windward Passage in the dead of

Winter? Unless you have sailed through a hurricane, I don't think you have
experienced
anything worse than I have.


as for pointing that's a load of crap .....i raced a gainst a 32
contessa in light breezes just b4 i sold mine and he gave up and motored
because i was beating him.

That may have been due to your superior boat handling. Most trailerable boats have

shorter keels, hence they have more difficulty holding the boat into the wind which
has
the effect of pushing the hull off the wind.


Any small boat will get knocked around fixed keel or not.

It's a matter of degree. The lightness of the trailerable hull relative to the
balast and the
shallower hull makes things worse.


read about the righting momentum of the RL24 and be suprised
the 24 lacks the head room tho......sigh
the reports on the 28 say she is tender due to beam but firms up quick
at about 15 to 20 deg
, but I
have
done lots of cruising from my former base in the Florida Keys, with cruises to
the
Bahamas and Jamaica. I looked at trailerable boats carefully before selecting
my
22 foot fixed keel Westerly. Don't let the size fool you, as this boat was
built for
the English Channel. It didn't ride out the storms as comfortably as a larger
boat, but
you just said it right there

I'm not disputing a bigger boat rides better, but the fixed keel boat probably
rides
better than the same size trailerable boat.



I never had concerns about it's seaworthyness. I think a trailerable boat would
have
fared much worse in the storms I encountered. Just a thought you should
consider
when picking a boat for the cruising grounds you are contemplating. I also
heard that trailerable boats do not sail as close to the wind as fixed keel
boats.

Sherwin D.

tt wrote:


don't give up on a trailersailer they can be the best of both for some
people especially if you plan on coastal
Shaun

I'm not down on trailerable boats. Just trying to warn the original poster that if

he plans to take this kind of boat across the Gulf Stream and do ocean sailing,
he better watch his weather. It's not just a question of comfort, but safety.

Sherwin D.



snip

Trailerable Cruisers
 

sherwindu wrote:

shaun wrote:


sherwindu wrote:

I think a trailerable boat is fine for offshore cruising, but I think you have
to be careful about using one for ocean sailing to the Carribean. You will
really have to
pick your weather when crossing the Gulf Stream. Trailerable boats do not have
the stablility of fixed keel boats and tend to get knocked around a lot in heavy
seas.


I have and have put mine through weather that you probley would not even
bother getting out of bed for,


You are making some big assumptions there. Have you ever crossed the Gulf Stream
in a Norther, or taken your boat north through the Windward Passage in the dead of

Winter? Unless you have sailed through a hurricane, I don't think you have
experienced
anything worse than I have.


as for pointing that's a load of crap .....i raced a gainst a 32
contessa in light breezes just b4 i sold mine and he gave up and motored
because i was beating him.


That may have been due to your superior boat handling. Most trailerable boats have

shorter keels, hence they have more difficulty holding the boat into the wind which
has
the effect of pushing the hull off the wind.


Any small boat will get knocked around fixed keel or not.


It's a matter of degree. The lightness of the trailerable hull relative to the
balast and the
shallower hull makes things worse.


read about the righting momentum of the RL24 and be suprised
the 24 lacks the head room tho......sigh
the reports on the 28 say she is tender due to beam but firms up quick
at about 15 to 20 deg
, but I

have
done lots of cruising from my former base in the Florida Keys, with cruises to
the
Bahamas and Jamaica. I looked at trailerable boats carefully before selecting
my
22 foot fixed keel Westerly. Don't let the size fool you, as this boat was
built for
the English Channel. It didn't ride out the storms as comfortably as a larger
boat, but

you just said it right there


I'm not disputing a bigger boat rides better, but the fixed keel boat probably
rides
better than the same size trailerable boat.



I never had concerns about it's seaworthyness. I think a trailerable boat would
have
fared much worse in the storms I encountered. Just a thought you should
consider
when picking a boat for the cruising grounds you are contemplating. I also
heard that trailerable boats do not sail as close to the wind as fixed keel
boats.

Sherwin D.

tt wrote:


don't give up on a trailersailer they can be the best of both for some
people especially if you plan on coastal
Shaun


I'm not down on trailerable boats. Just trying to warn the original poster that if

he plans to take this kind of boat across the Gulf Stream and do ocean sailing,
he better watch his weather. It's not just a question of comfort, but safety.

Sherwin D.
Thank you!
All fair comments
Shaun