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Old 20-10-2016, 11:07   #1
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Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

I have a F-150 with a towing package. I would like to purchase a sailboat that I can Trailer to various places. What is the largest recommended sailboat size to trailer with the F-150? Are there any additional licenses required?
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Old 20-10-2016, 11:17   #2
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

No licenses I'm aware of. F150 is fine usually but you need 4wd for sure. I trailed a 26 full keel with an F250 diesel. Wasn't fun. Sat real high on the trailer. More important I think is swing keel or shallow draft. You could trailer a ultra light Mega 30 readily. For most boats I'm guessing 25-26' shallow draft is max what you want to do comfortably. Check the towing weight rating of your F150 and include the heavy trailer weight and your boat weight.
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Old 20-10-2016, 11:36   #3
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

Towing? Not too bad. Launching? Big problem!
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Old 20-10-2016, 11:50   #4
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

Only extra license is if you exceed width limits. Everywhere is slightly different so just check your area.
The biggest holdback for trailering is setup time. If the boat is easy to rig and launch, you will use it a lot more.
Mine has a 4 1/2' fin keel, and a heavy mast. Not fun to set up. But we have a slip so all good.
I would look for a shallow keel and some kind of mast raising system. Lots out there, looking is half the fun.
Also, try to not exceed 75% of your tow limit. It helps for spring road bans, strains your truck a lot less and makes the steep or muddy boat ramps so much easier.
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Old 20-10-2016, 11:54   #5
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

I tow a Parker Dawson 26 around with my Toyota Tundra V8 4X4 (also with tow package) It's a small but fairly substantial boat that does sit low on the trailer and launches fairly easily. I have pulled it all round since there is really no fun place to cruise local to me and I am not keen to charter someone else's boat when I could be sailing my own.

My advice would be to consider both the boat and the trailer when buying. I have a fairly nice trailer that for instance allows me to shift the axles (and therefor the center of gravity) backwards and forwards which allows me to keep a decent amount of tongue weight so everything tracks well back there. I also service the trailer before every trip and carry many trailer spares as well as a serious jack some good blocks for soft ground, jack stands, a complete spare hub ready to go and a cordless impact along. Never needed any of that stuff but I want to keep time on the side of the road to a drop dead minimum if there is a roadside emergency.

I would not want to tow with a cheesy trailer and I would be mortified towing a full keel boat any of the places I like to cruise since I am sure low hanging branches would be a constant threat.

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Old 20-10-2016, 12:04   #6
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

If you are asking about types of boats that a F150 can trailer...

Check out a Hobie 33. They can be trailered, sit low, and are light weight boats. Fast, relatively narrow boats designed for sailing fast and light. May be suitable for "boat camping" but not really designed for extensive cruising. Think light, think fast.
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Old 20-10-2016, 13:05   #7
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

What are Ford's figures for maximum pounds to be towed? That's a good starting point. I certainly wouldn't exceed that, and would prefer to have a comfortable margin. I would also factor in how often and how far I planned to tow. Twelve blocks twice a year is one thing, and regular towing of 20+ miles is another.

Ford also has a figure for maximum tongue weight that shouldn't be exceeded.

There are plenty of people who will advocate exceeding the limits and will cite towing their 26 footer their Subaru Outback. That's a club I wouldn't join.
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Old 20-10-2016, 13:59   #8
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

Quote:
Originally Posted by sea-escape View Post
I have a F-150 with a towing package. I would like to purchase a sailboat that I can Trailer to various places. What is the largest recommended sailboat size to trailer with the F-150? Are there any additional licenses required?
How much can the F150 tow per the manual?

How much of the weight will be tongue weight meaning weight carried by the truck which counts on the payload of the truck? Seems like 15-20% of the towed weight was a good rule of thumb. You have to balance the payload weight limits as well as the towing weight limits. I don't know of any place in the US that would require an extra license for anything a F150 can tow within its ratings.

The weight of the boat AND trailer counts as part of the towing weight.

There are other options to connect the trailer to the truck other than the hitch. Goosenecks, fifth wheel, Hensley and Pullrite for example that are easier to tow compared to a hitch but they cost more money.

Later,
Dan
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Old 21-10-2016, 05:24   #9
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

I haul a MacGregor 25 with a Dodge Ram 1500 2WD. The only thing I've added is an extender for the ball hitch. The front support of the trailer is too close to the tailgate otherwise. On a greasy ramp, I need a little weight in the back end of the truck but that's what friends are for.
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Old 21-10-2016, 05:57   #10
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

+1 on the trailer. Make sure you have the right trailer. The trailer needs to fit the boat well and not allow the boat to shimmy and slide at all. It also needs to carry the full load over the axels. It's pretty common to find used boats with mismatched trailers. Just don't do it!

Make sure the trailer tires and breaks are good but consider upgrading both soon after purchase.

The story is too long but 1st hand experience proves a harrowing experience. I still shudder when I think of it....
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Old 21-10-2016, 06:23   #11
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

The amount an F150 can tow varies wildly depending on year, engine and other criteria.

Biggest issue is the hassle. With a power boat, drop it in the water, start the engine and you are off (a little more but not much). With a sailboat if it's set up right and you do it often, it might be a solid half hour each way once you are at the launch. If it's not set up well or you don't do it often plan on an hour or two each way.

Unless you plan on 2-3 big trips per year, plan on getting a slip if you want to use it for day trips or weekends.
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Old 21-10-2016, 09:23   #12
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

yes set up time adds up, and will limit the time you go sailing, if you want to sail different areas, leave the boat a a marina rigged, on the trailer then all you have to do in launch and put back on trailer, when you want a different area put the mast down and go
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Old 21-10-2016, 09:30   #13
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

Someone mentioned this, but I want to expand on it. Apparently most places allow up to 8.5 feet width of the boat and trailer. Some roads (not highways) have an 8' width limit (some historical districts for example). I stuck to an 8' limit for myself when shopping.

Another issue is how the boat handles. My truck, a 2015 Tacoma 6 cyl 4WD has a 6500 LB towing limit and max 650 tongue weight IF one uses a weight distribution hitch. My boat without the trailer weighs about 5000 lbs, so I would almost for certain be over limit. However, I only tow the boat a distance of maybe 3 - 8 miles when I tow it. For a long haul I need an 8 cyl truck with tow package. When I bought the boat (26' swing keel Chrysler), I rented a truck from Uhaul to haul it the 6 hours I needed to go. With the weight distribution hitch, it trailered very well at 60 to 70 mph. I did not try it without the hitch. BTW, I bought a Blue Ox hitch after reading reviews, but other are available for half the price.

Reading about other people who compared towing using a weight distribution hitch after they had towed without one convinced me to get one. Some people talked about harrowing experiences pre hitch, to hardly noticing the boat attached with the hitch.

Finally, setting up and launching will take a lot of time (mast raising, tightening all the shrouds and stays, and actually launching). I use a 20' strap attached to the truck to roll the boat and trailer into and out of the water.
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Old 21-10-2016, 09:38   #14
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

I used to own an F-150 with a 351 V8 engine. Used it to tow a San Juan 23.

I did the same thing that you are doing. I asked myself, "what's the biggest boat I can tow around with this thing?" What I realized after a few years was that I was asking the wrong question. I should have asked myself, "what is the smallest boat that will serve my needs?"

Especially with a boat that you are towing, there is more than just pulling it to a sailing spot. You have the setup and launch before you can get going. Then you have the retrieve and takedown afterwards. There is all the maintenance on the boat, but also the trailer (and the bigger the boat, the bigger the trailer, and the more closely you need to watch things like tires and bearings). There is also the issue of whether or not the ramp will accommodate you. What I discovered is that there are ramps all over the state of Florida, but most of them are intended for smaller powerboats. With a boat as big as mine, I needed a fairly deep ramp to launch it, and that cut down the number that I could use by a LOT!

The end result was that I used the boat a lot less than I had expected. A lot less! So I eventually sold it and got a smaller, lighter boat that wasn't as comfortable for taking out for a week at a time, but was MUCH easier to use for daysails and weekends. I used it much more than the larger boat, and so got much greater value out of it.

Now I own a little 15' daysailer that I use quite a lot. When I want something bigger I do bareboat charters. One of these days I'll buy a bigger boat again, when I am ready to really use a boat like that frequently enough to make it worthwhile. In the meantime, I have learned my lesson and so I think in terms of the smallest boat that will fill all of my needs, instead of the very biggest boat that I can manage.

Good luck.
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Old 21-10-2016, 09:59   #15
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Re: Practicality of Trailering a sailboat

BTW , trailers are made with adjustable axles so you can adjust for the tongue weight once the boat is on the trailer by moving the axle forward or back. We used to do that al the time.
It seems to me the perfect trailerable would be a free standing mast/cat boat. Easy setup. Slide the mast into the hole! As mentioned above people often forget about the setup time on trailerable sail boats. It's a PITA. Climbing up and down onto the boat, attaching things, adjusting tension etc etc. By the time you get sailing you are worn out. Then you get to reverse the process after sailing!
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