Sailboats that can be trailered easily.

[sesmith]

Since you have the tow vehicle, you can get whatever you want (think Norsea 27). That said, we have a Seaward 25 and love it. We do keep it in a slip during the summer at our local lake, but pull it out and trailer it for vacations away from the vacation area we live in. Great boat for that, but as mentioned already by someone else, if we don't have at least a week for sailing in another area, I'm not interested in the hassle.

Previously, we had a Hunter 23.5. Also a good choice, though much more tender than the seaward when the wind pipes up. The Hunter 240 and 260 would be good choices, as well. It really comes down to where you want to sail, how much time you want to spend rigging, and how much space you want inside, type and location of head, type of engine, etc.

[phydeaux]

An older generation MacGregor 25 would be my first choice. We sailed ours around SoCal waters, port to port and back and forth to Catalina (on some interesting days). Easy to rig, easy to launch and tow. Plan 2 would be a Hobie 33. Slightly roomier, much faster, and can be launched and sailed away easily - Hobie Alter was smart.

[kelbylinn]

Might look into a Precision 21 or 23. We had a 21 for a while in New England, and while the mast was a pain to set up and take down, my wife and I were able to handle it ok. I believe they are manufactured in Palmetto or Ellenton, FL. Precision Boat Works

[Chinook92]

Water ballast sailboats shouldn't be anything to.consider. boats like the mcgreggor are hemaphrodites. They give you the best of.both worlds, but don't do anything.particularly well. Walmart quality at best, aimed at consumerism, made to target the guy walking thru the boat show with his wife unsure if he really wants a boat at all, but something the wife chimes in on and makes a point that just reeks of compromise and indecison... "Oh look honey, we can try sailing, and if we don't like it, we have a big motor". Simply put boats like that shouldn't exist. Sure they may be fun, as are fat chicks and mopeds, but what does owning a boat like that say about you as a person?

[Ungvar]

Whoa, MacGregor's aren't that bad, no where near. They have a niche they fit well.

Sent from my XP7700 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[jeepbluetj]

Yaknow, the humble Mac 26 (M or X) always gets slagged a lot on forums. But they seem to be used quite often. There's one at my marina that I see all the time when I'm out, and I'm out every weekend.

Sure, they're a crappy sailing powerboat. And a crappy powering sailboat. But they're usually available for cheap. They're reasonably easy to trailer and setup (since the rig is pretty small). And they're roomy.

There's a podcast (Sailing Rode) where the folks that put it on own a Mac 26. Their stories of weekend trips all over Florida really opened my eyes to the advantages of cruising at freeway speeds.

[Yonder32]

If you can find one, the Freedom 21 is worth looking at, unstayed Carbon mast. Sails well with just the main, and has the option of a roller reeling jib and an unusual spinnaker boom through a gunmount on the pulpit. Comes either with a shoal or deeper keel. The deep keel points a little better. Has cuddy and good for weekend cruising. Sets up in 10-15 minutes. Mast easily handled by one person. Some models have tabernacle mount, others keel stepped. Check out YouTube for video on Freedom F-21

[adoxograph]

Originally Posted by Irsikm2016

... what the opinions are on what boats are easy to trailer and move from lake to lake in the US.
Thanks

Depends entirely on the trailer

[DivingOtter]

I have a Santana 2023 that is water ballast and has a swing centerboard. I use it on the bay and inshore sailing and keep it berthed in a slip all season. Great boat for trailering and has ample cabin space if that's what you're looking for. Before the wife and kids I would disappear for up to a month at a time on her.

[kbudd]

What you want is a catboat with a mast tabernacle. Easy to rig, tons of cabin space, shallow draft, and easy to trailer. And they are fast.

[DivingOtter]

My Santana 23. Easily trailered and easily beached if so desired.

[tomfl]

Did not notice any mention about the price point you are looking at. Also no mention about just how far you intend to trailer a boat or some idea about where you intend to sail it; the Midwest is a big place.

Part of the problem with towing a boat is that it can be common for the boat to be longer than the tow vehicle which can cause problems on some roads even for experienced drivers.

My experience has been with fboats and one of those would be my choice. Lots of folks tow the C31 and it is big enough to qualify as a serious cruiser in some folks minds. People take them to the Bahamas for months at a time. The C28/27 are not quite as much of a cruiser but are capable of blue water sailing if you are sure of the weather window and they have crossed oceans. The C24 has various flavors but is a lot easier to tow and take apart and put together. The various Farrier designs in the 20 foot range like the Tramp are easier still to not only get in the water but easier on the budget as well.

There are also some catamarans that can be taken apart and put on a trailer, but Farrier/Corsair are generally recognized as the best known folding boats. They have a lot of street cred and hold their value well. They are often the fastest boat in the area, easy to sail, comfortable compared to other boats that can be towed.

The advantage multihulls have is that they are designed to be light which is usually an advantage when towing. Not saying there are not monohulls that may well provide more bang for the buck something like a Corsair 750 Sprint or Dash would be my first choice if the money allowed it.

[Spring_Chicken]

How are Newport '21's?

[ptrailsail]

Hi
Since I dont know the US market reality, I'll just give you some pointers that helped me on my quest...

Complete This Survey Before Buying A Trailerable Sailboat...
Pocket Cruiser ShortyPen Sailboat Guide
20FeetOrLess2.htm
What's The Ideal Sailing Rig?

One note I'll leave, is that you may not find your "ideal" boat ready for sale when you're looking, but keep in mind, that maybe a good fit now is better than an excelent fit in a year or two...

My 2cents...

[Irsikm2016]

Great responses, answering a lot of my questions.

Price range: I really would not look at anything over 20k.

Been reading a lot about advantages to each boat manufacturer and wanted some input. I thought it would be wise to look at one that was easier to sail solo. I believe a Beneteau came up with being easy to sail solo with where rigging was located....thoughts??

Cabin is important as the wife will want that. Mainly something with some features that make the space more comfortable.