Most Wife Friendly Weekend Sailboat?

[David M]

I'm thinking the same, trailer sailing is a lot of hard work for the pleasure gained. The boats are big compromises in order to get them on a trailer as well. They are also relatively uncomfortable and sail poorly. I think the chances of getting burned out on towing a trailer around and then having to rig and de-rig the boat are pretty high. I live in an area with a lot of boats and I very rarely see a trailer sailboat on the road.

I really don't mean to be a party-pooper but I think this is the reality of it. For this to work your wife has to end up liking all this work and relative uncomfort.

[jim767]

Might be easier to buy the boat you want then shop for a wife that likes the boat.

Just a thought.

[islander20]

A trailor sailor is a lot more work...though my dads boat is 20 years old, he never has to paint the bottom and the maintenance is minimal since it spend most of its life under cover. Also he has saved thousands in marina fees that he would have had to pay for.

Don't get me wrong there are a lot of compromises with a trailor sailor, but a lot of great benefits as well. Hard to understand how nice 5" of draft is till you bring the boat into a lagoon that has never seen a sailboat before.

Cheers

[finleyg]

I second the vote on a corsair/farrier f28 or f31. The 31 has a fair amount of space and a separate head. I have the 28 and my wife likes the speed and smooth, level sailing of the 28. It's exciting and that keeps her interested. Plus she can snooze or read on the nets while we ghost along in light airs. 5000 pound towing capacity can tow it. Minimal accommodations but stove, fridge, head, stereo, gps, its' good enough.

[Hermanns]

Agree with Garbone, after buying a PIA 33ft hole in the water (great learning experience) and chartering over half a dozen boats she did NOT like, we took the Mahina offshore school with John and Amanda Neal.

They spend a long time on boat selection an how to best choose a cruiser.

My Wife ended up helping to pick the ideal boat and stepped us up to a minimum of 42ft (that's what she liked!).

Symbiosis not brute force seems to always be the path of least resistance for me

[bstreep]

I agree with Garbone and Jer & Erika.

You won't find the perfect boat, because it's not possible. I think going with a trailerable boat will be a mistake unless she REALLY likes camping.

In our boat shopping, she had 2 "have to haves":

1) Separate shower from the head

2) A bed where someone doesn't need to climb over the other to go take a leak.

[GrowleyMonster]

All very good suggestions, about a bigger boat and all. I do think it would be the better choice, getting an offshore boat big enough to really live aboard, but the OP did mention daysailing, trailerable, lakes, etc and being transportable. The biggest boat I can think of that is towable behind a midsized car or truck would be the MacGregor 26. Sails like a pig to windward, that is true, but scoots pretty good going downhill, and it has other advantages others have pointed out, like radically shallow draft (without the water ballast) and beachability. A 4HP outboard will push it if you arent stemming a sea or bucking a strong breeze, and anything over 20HP you could probably waterski behind with the right prop. I wouldn't do an ocean passage in one, (though some folks have,) but it would be a great little boat for lakes, bays, and sounds. Now... are there any roomy offshore boats that are practical for trailering? Maybe a West-Wight Potter 19, but that would be pretty crowded with just mee, myself, and I in it. Hate to think about a couple cooped up in there, unless the missus was already a hardcore sailor girl, or else the backpacker/adventuress type. I think a modest little weekender would be a good introductory boat for the OP, with an eye to upgrading to a water-bound keel boat at a later date, if all goes well with the la esposa in the trailer queen.

And one thing for sure, even though they would probably end up liking their "real" boat better, they would never forget their gunkholing adventures in their skinny-water centerboarder.

Originally Posted by justwannadoit

Hello:
I am trying to make my wife agreeable to living/cruising and besides introducing her to daysailing this summer, I would like to buy a trailerable weekender that I could plop into a very large inland lake or sail for a long weekend at the coast (I am in New England) during the summer months. Any experience and suggestions as to which boats are the most comfortable/roomiest below decks as well as transportable would be greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Kent

[Kache Walk]

I offer another vote for a Nonsuch - either a 26 or 30. I am a woman and the relatively new owner of the latter. You won't find a roomier 30 ft boat out there. Heck, I sometimes just go and hang out on the boat in the slip, using it as a floating get-away cabin. The 30 Ultra gets around the dreaded V-berth with a rather normal looking double Pullman berth. One sail. Easy to singlehand.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by wingNwing

Rather than trying to "make" your wife do anything, (which sounds rather manipulative, doesn't it?) why not just go daysailing? Then ask HER what's important to her, instead of a bunch of strangers on the internet?

And you say "manipulative" like it is a bad thing .

I just read OP as wanting some pointers on making the "learning to love boats" experiance as pleasant as possible for his wife , rather than making her learn the hard way (which approach folks think is best I guess is a personal matter ).........Plus also no doubt a degree of not wishing to accidentally shoot self in the foot by learning from others - including those with missing toes .

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Trailerable? Inexpensive? single-hand capable? Space below? Lakes and inshore mostly? Consider the humble McGregor 26. The models without an inboard engine have quite a bit of room down below for a trailer sailer. Not much of an offshore boat, and not as zippy to windward as some other trailer queens, but a pretty reasonable compromise if you understand its limitations.

It must be a warm day in January (oh, hey...) because I'm concurring with the love for a Mac 26, a boat I consider a bit of an abomination, but quite appropriate for a set of inland lake "training wheels".

I would, however, say that the most "wife friendly" boat is the one she is currently helming, meaning the sooner she is too busy sailing, she is too busy to dislike sailing...or to have it even occur to her.

I would recommend putting her in the crew bank as well. Even if she's just rail meat, she will experience the movement of a race boat and the speed of intensive sailing and boat handling.

[FlyingCloud1937]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

It must be a warm day in January (oh, hey...) because I'm concurring with the love for a Mac 26, a boat I consider a bit of an abomination, but quite appropriate for a set of inland lake "training wheels".

I would, however, say that the most "wife friendly" boat is the one she is currently helming, meaning the sooner she is too busy sailing, she is too busy to dislike sailing...or to have it even occur to her.

I would recommend putting her in the crew bank as well. Even if she's just rail meat, she will experience the movement of a race boat and the speed of intensive sailing and boat handling.

I asked my then girlfriend aboard a 1947 48ft. Stephens, for the weekend. She had only been aboard various of ski boats before. The weather was nice the water was well swimable at a brisk 68 F.
We had a BBQ for the 4th.

I next set sail for 2 weeks, cell phone void, into the the Broghtons, BC., when I returned to cell coverage. I thought self... is she worth it.

Back to reality... 2 weeks latter, I'm thinking I love this girl. End of summer.

The following season starts in May, a couple of events aboard, we are very heavy.

So I say, how would you like to go North Again...caveat this time ending in, Victoria, BC for the LaborDay WoodenBoat Festival. Cool she says.

Back in Seattle, October, she has the bright Idea that we should have a Classic Yacht, be Married, and Live Happily Ever After.

That was 12 Years ago, and the dream has come true for us both.

Lloyd

[Factor]

Originally Posted by David M

I'm thinking the same, trailer sailing is a lot of hard work for the pleasure gained. The boats are big compromises in order to get them on a trailer as well. They are also relatively uncomfortable and sail poorly. I think the chances of getting burned out on towing a trailer around and then having to rig and de-rig the boat are pretty high.

You sailed a Corsair 2428/31 There are few boats that sail better

[Kache Walk]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

I asked my then girlfriend aboard a 1947 48ft. Stephens, for the weekend. She had only been aboard various of ski boats before. The weather was nice the water was well swimable at a brisk 68 F.
We had a BBQ for the 4th.

I next set sail for 2 weeks, cell phone void, into the the Broghtons, BC., when I returned to cell coverage. I thought self... is she worth it.

Back to reality... 2 weeks latter, I'm thinking I love this girl. End of summer.

The following season starts in May, a couple of events aboard, we are very heavy.

So I say, how would you like to go North Again...caveat this time ending in, Victoria, BC for the LaborDay WoodenBoat Festival. Cool she says.

Back in Seattle, October, she has the bright Idea that we should have a Classic Yacht, be Married, and Live Happily Ever After.

That was 12 Years ago, and the dream has come true for us both.

Lloyd

That may be the best post of the series so far, and certainly a nice one to start the day with. It would seem that any boat works when the love of sailing is shared.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by FlyingCloud1937

I asked my then girlfriend aboard a 1947 48ft. Stephens, for the weekend. She had only been aboard various of ski boats before. The weather was nice the water was well swimable at a brisk 68 F.
We had a BBQ for the 4th.

I next set sail for 2 weeks, cell phone void, into the the Broghtons, BC., when I returned to cell coverage. I thought self... is she worth it.

Back to reality... 2 weeks latter, I'm thinking I love this girl. End of summer.

The following season starts in May, a couple of events aboard, we are very heavy.

So I say, how would you like to go North Again...caveat this time ending in, Victoria, BC for the LaborDay WoodenBoat Festival. Cool she says.

Back in Seattle, October, she has the bright Idea that we should have a Classic Yacht, be Married, and Live Happily Ever After.

That was 12 Years ago, and the dream has come true for us both.

Lloyd

I'm with you! In 1969 I scratched out the plans for the cabin layout of a 30' boat in the beach sand for a young lady that I admired. We've been living aboard and cruising for 42 years.

[Cheechako]

You're asking a lot in a trailerable boat. Oday 25 comes to mind, or any other trailerable that has the most beam you can get. A Freedom with the unstayed rig would be a plus and I think are pretty beamy.