Comfortable Trailer Sailer

[Steadman Uhlich]

Another Com-PAC boat that is noteworthy is different from most on the market, but is also acclaimed as "Boat of the Year" by Sail Magazine in 2012.

The Com-PAC 23 Pilothouse.

CP 23 Pilothouse, A Trailerable Cruising Sailboat from Com-Pac Yachts

Here is the surprising Sail magazine article, and it includes praise by the reviewer and a video. Noteworthy is the headroom inside the boat, the ENCLOSED head, the v berth that was comfortable for the 6'3" reviewer, the dual steering stations, etc.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Com-Pac CP 23 Pilothouse - Sail Magazine

[Cheechako]

Mega 30, light and fast, no draft to speak of.

[Dirk Williams]

I opted for a Hunter 25. For my lake adventures. I find it comfortable, we are able to cook, sleep and BBQ on the stern rail. The boat was a steal at 3 k, with a brand new 9.9 Mercury four stroke motor. Got a head, sleeps 5/6 and a killer sound system.

The ex owner was an engineer, and did a fantastic job re enforcing the trailer. He passed suddenly, hence the sale. The wife put a new set of four high end tires on the trailer the day before I purchased it.

I purchased a used dodger on Craig's list, and some Bimini hardwear, to mount and add 4 100 watt panels. So far, so good.

My last boat was also a decent boat for our family adventures, a Coranado 25, a big ol heavy bruiser didn't do anything great, but was decent and tight, in weather. Lots of week outings on the local lake an a bit of racing with the yacht club.

I'm also new to water sailing">blue water sailing, I have no illusions of simply getting on my 33 Mistral and checking out, a learning curve is going to be steep.

Have fun on your great adventure.

Dirk

[craboutofwater]

Thanks for the thoughts Dirk

[Dirk Williams]

Your welcome, this subject matter, is one of the few I have a bit of an idea about. I'm like you, and needing a great adventure. i feel at home on a sailboat, and appreciate the ability to use the wind to explore.

I feel free when I'm on my boats. " we're also white water rafters for the past 20 plus years"

Best to you on your journey.

Dirk

[sesmith]

Another vote for a Seaward 25 or 26RK, but then I'm biased. It's very stable, sails well, and has a lot of room and storage inside. It also has 8 opening stainless ports for great ventilation, and ours has a diesel inboard.

Other possibilities we've seen in our travels...Hunter 26 /260, Oday 26.

[over40pirate]

You didn't mention weather you need a boat that can be launched at a boat ramp. That makes a big difference in boat choice.

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by Dirk Williams

I opted for a Hunter 25. For my lake adventures. I find it comfortable, we are able to cook, sleep and BBQ on the stern rail. The boat was a steal at 3 k, with a brand new 9.9 Mercury four stroke motor. Got a head, sleeps 5/6 and a killer sound system.

The ex owner was an engineer, and did a fantastic job re enforcing the trailer. He passed suddenly, hence the sale. The wife put a new set of four high end tires on the trailer the day before I purchased it.

I purchased a used dodger on Craig's list, and some Bimini hardwear, to mount and add 4 100 watt panels. So far, so good.

My last boat was also a decent boat for our family adventures, a Coranado 25, a big ol heavy bruiser didn't do anything great, but was decent and tight, in weather. Lots of week outings on the local lake an a bit of racing with the yacht club.

I'm also new to blue water sailing, I have no illusions of simply getting on my 33 Mistral and checking out, a learning curve is going to be steep.

Have fun on your great adventure.

Dirk

I have to agree with Dirk the trailerable Hunters from the early 90's to current are a reasonably good value (sometimes great value) on the market so their worth a look. When I was working yacht insurance we had a late 90's Hunter 260 that had the sails torn and debris broke thru the portlights in a windstorm. The boat was totaled and the salvage was bought (with the trailer) for under $800.00.

[dceggert]

Originally Posted by sesmith

Another vote for a Seaward 25 or 26RK, but then I'm biased. It's very stable, sails well, and has a lot of room and storage inside. It also has 8 opening stainless ports for great ventilation, and ours has a diesel inboard.

Other possibilities we've seen in our travels...Hunter 26 /260, Oday 26.

Ahhh, fellow Seaward 25 sailors!

To add to your list...the O'Day 272LE. Saw one on sailboatlistings yesterday for less than $20k with the trailer and an inboard diesel. 'Power' mast raising system on the trailer. I do not much care for the 'look' of the boat but it does look like it has a chine like the Seaward and it also looks pretty roomy. May be a good value.

Edit: I hope this does not violate the rules but I found a Catalina 28 with trailer (I am always browsing on my lunch time). This makes for a good comparison of how one could transport a larger boat not made to be trailered on a trailer. The boat would need to be put on or lifted off via travelift. This boat is too pricey for me right now but it illustrates that there are people out there doing it.

http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/59651

[Colin A]

Originally Posted by dceggert

Ahhh, fellow Seaward 25 sailors!

To add to your list...the O'Day 272LE. Saw one on sailboatlistings yesterday for less than $20k with the trailer and an inboard diesel. 'Power' mast raising system on the trailer. I do not much care for the 'look' of the boat but it does look like it has a chine like the Seaward and it also looks pretty roomy. May be a good value.

The 272 is a nice boat but a bit large for a Trailer sailer (9' beam and fixed shallow keel) but for an occasional trailer haul not bad. I had a customer with one about 15 years ago, they have a nice layout inside and sail well for the shallow keel and short length. You can find them for a lot less then 20k I have seen some very clean one's here in New England for around 12k with the diesel.

[Sailmobile]

Another vote for the Seaward 26RK. The retractable keel makes a huge stability difference when in windy or choppy conditions. My previous trailer sailboats (Cat22 and Hunter 240) have always seemed a little ginger in conditions above 15 knots. An inboard diesel and wheel make it feel like a bigger boat than it is.

[Grith]

Hi All I am rebooting this thread as I am in the process of creating a multi week trailable cruising platform with my new yacht. It is a European built Imexus 28 power sailer inspired by the Macgregor power sailers but built up to a higher finish and capability standard in many areas.

At 28 foot long and fitted with a 180hp diesel inboard, 730 liters of water ballast and having most of the original posters specific requirements covered I feel it is a more capable all rounder than the Compac 23 Pilothouse featured in some posts.

Unlike some other maxi trailable yachts it doesn't have any on road towing width restrictions and features several innovative single handing additions like permenately mounted multi purchase A frame mast raising and lowering which allows both launching and on water mast handling by a single person.
It has berths for 5 adults all over 6 foot 3 and one additional child sized, features 6 foot 1 standing headroom and has an enclosed shower toilet compartment.

It sails well and whilst no around the cans racer it will outperform very many cruising oriented yachts.

As a powercruiser under engine it is capable of 25 knots fully laden and around 30 knots empty whilst consuming around 1.6 liters per hour at 5.5-6 knots and about 18 liters per hour at 20 knots with a cruising load onboard.

My 140 litre diesel tank therefore gives it excellent range under engine.
With voluminous storage, side decks for accessing forward, quality timber highlights internally and well placed controls for single handing I feel it will perform the proposed extended cruising role (both on water and off) better than virtually any other comparable trailable craft.
The few test trips so far have been very successful with 3 people onboard and 4-5 people is feasible for more than just a weekend in my view. 2-3 for really extended cruising.

There are several large trailer sailers built over here in Australia with this type of use in mind like RL28's, Ross 830's and the like but the Imexus 28 is a new and innovative take on this concept inspired by the Macgregor 26x/m but taking this concept to another level.

https://imexusyachts.com/portfolio/p...1-square-book/

Regards Graeme NSW Australia

[stainless guy]

I have a 27' catalina. With a trailer and have done a significant amount of work to it over the past year. My spouse decided. Last sunmer that now is a good time to cut loose so we are selling everything now

Setup to self step the mast

I am a long ways away from you though in southwestern canada

[Grith]

Hi Stainless Guy All the Catalina 27's I have seen over here in Aus are wing keel boats be it with relatively shallow draft ones. Is yours one of these or have some a retractable keel?

My cruising destinations include very large tidal areas where you dry out when the tide goes out and also significant multi day road trips where sleeping on board on land significantly cuts accommodation costs.
Also many of our launching ramps are very shallow and designed for fishing dingys and boats and you would not be able to launch a keel boat from them. Great boats the Catalinas just with a different bias. Nearly all trailables here have swing or retracting vertical with bulb keels.

Regards Graeme

[stainless guy]

Fin keel with 4.5' draft, i always just launch with a travel lift as the boat spends most of its time on a lake with a trip to the west coast for 4-6 weeks each year

The previous owner used to use a long strap to back the trailer into the water far enough to launch