Ideal 18 or similar

[Knotical]

Hi all,


I want to get a small sailboat to teach my kids sailing, trailer it to different waters and extend my season a little when our big boat is out of the water.


My requirements for the boat are -

1. It has to be small enough that I can trailer and launch every time (don't foresee doing it >12-15 times/year)
2. Don't want a dinghy, I have sailed Sunfish and Lasers but they are too sporty for our needs, and want something sturdy
3. Can fit 3-4 comfortably
4. Not looking to race


Looking at a few small boats I think Ideal 18 fits the bill but I don't know what else is out there. It doesn't necessarily have to be a keelboat but I don't want a dinghy that requires hiking to keep it stable. I initially started looking at 12-14' boats but couldn't find something similar to Ideal 18. Flying Scot 19 would be easy to trailer but how sturdy will it be, can it handle 3 people?


Finally, any leads on Ideal 18 for sale in the Northeast US, I am based on western LI sound.


Thanks.

[rslifkin]

It's a little bigger, but a Sonar might also fit that bill. If you want some pictures of either a Sonar or Ideal 18 to get a better sense of them, let me know. There are always a few on trailers around here, as the marina we're docked at is the distributor for both.

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

It's a little bigger, but a Sonar might also fit that bill. If you want some pictures of either a Sonar or Ideal 18 to get a better sense of them, let me know. There are always a few on trailers around here, as the marina we're docked at is the distributor for both.

Thanks, I know Sonars very well as I learned sailing on them and raced them regularly, still do on a friend’s boat. They are quite big for my needs and I can’t imagine trailing one regularly. There are a bunch of Sonars and Ideal 18s in our local waters but none for sale.

[NPCampbell]

The ones that I looked up at the last Annapolis boat show were:

Topaz Omega
Malbec 18
RS Venture
Hunter 18
Catalina 16.5

[Knotical]

Originally Posted by NPCampbell

The ones that I looked up at the last Annapolis boat show were:

Topaz Omega
Malbec 18
RS Venture
Hunter 18
Catalina 16.5

Thank you, I will look them up.

[rslifkin]

To add to the list, there are also the Precision sailboats. I saw what looked like the 18 foot version on a trailer today. And unlike the Ideal 18, Sonar and some others, the Precision is a keel/centerboard so it's much lower on the trailer and can be reasonably ramp launched. The full keel boats are usually better suited to being launched with a hoist.

[Lake-Effect]

Montgomerys, and Sage Marine boats (many designed by Jerry Montgomery). I like the Precision and the small Catalina boats too.

We love our Sandpiper 565 (19'), there may be a few in the US north.

[OldManMirage]

I have owned 3 different trailer sailers and I really enjoyed them all. We started on a Skipper's Mate 17, fun little boat. But I've also (briefly) owned a Compac 16 and we had a Catalina Capri 18 for a couple years.

All 3 of these are easy to rig and easy to launch. I was always able to raise the mast by myself. Of the 3 the C18 was definitely the best performer. That was a great little boat.

[psk125]

Ideal 18 may be difficult to trailer and launch easily because of the keel. You'd need a hoist. Something like an O'Day Daysailer might be easier for ramp launching. They're relatively stable centerboarders with enough heft to punch through in conditions that might give an Ideal 18 palpitations.