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warren5421 · 16-02-2021, 13:54

With heart problems, I have sold my ketch, as a life at sea is not in my future. I am kinda looking for a trailer boat. I know very little if anything about them! I think I want the biggest and heaviest that a Dodge 3500 with a Cummings can pull, it's rated at 14,000 lbs. I want a inboard diesel. Most of the time I will be the only one on board. It will be in lakes, rivers, and the Gulf, wherever my vacation is (retired), south in winter and north in summer. Would like to be able to do the mast by myself. I don't know about draft, probably under 4.5' but I have not done a center board. I just need pointed to some names and sizes that fall into my, I think I want. A head would be nice so a lady wouldn't find the bathroom arangement a putoff for a weeks adventure.

valhalla360 · 16-02-2021, 14:36

If you are going to be using launch ramps, you probably don't want anything deeper than a 3ft draft...even that will have difficulty at many launch ramps.

If you are dead set on sailboat, I would probably look at something like a mcgregor but really, for this type of use, I would switch to power boat.

Chotu · 16-02-2021, 15:07

You can put pretty much anything behind an Escalade:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKro9nqD...d=jdzmt4levy5o

(Joke, not on topic. Sorry OP)

Lake-Effect · 16-02-2021, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren5421

I am kinda looking for a trailer boat. I know very little if anything about them! I think I want the biggest and heaviest that a Dodge 3500 with a Cummings can pull, it's rated at 14,000 lbs. I want a inboard diesel.

Seaward 26RK

warren5421 · 16-02-2021, 15:40

I thought it would be lift in and out. Summer it will be Lake Erie or Michigan, winter will be along one of the Gulf states. I will rent dock space where ever I am. The water is my service thing so I don't need a dog. Would like to stay around $30,000 or less

sailingabe41ds · 16-02-2021, 16:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Seaward 26RK

I went through this 25 years ago...and again 5 years ago. By far IMHO...Seaward 26RK. It has a wheel, legal width of 8'4", towing wt 6000lbs, diesel engine and cant beat a draft of 18"! It is a big boat in a small package. Good one may be a bit higher in price than what you are looking for, otherwise I think it is perfect for what you want. I did not buy one because I am by the Pacific Ocean wanted to use the boat as a second home so I went with a bigger boat. I am also getting a little old to be putting up and taking down the mast. Both times I bought a nice SUV will the pull package....never used it.
You can also look at a Seaward 25 older model which is closer to your price range ... but you need to do your homework about structural issues and retracting keel issues.
I am not affiliated at all with the company but there are three boats that get my attention....Regina 43, Hylas, and the Seaward 26.

Good Luck..

Abe

wingssail · 16-02-2021, 17:17

Many years ago I had a similar quest.

I bought a 30' trailerable sailboat (a C&C Mega 30). It did not have a diesel but it had a head and a galley and good sailing characteristics and the 4 stroke Honda outboard was good engine. It had a raisable centerboard/bulb keel.

I sailed it a lot on lakes and all over the salt water areas of the Pacific North West including the West side of Vancouver Island. It was a good boat for a trailerable.

Here are the issues.

Mast. The mast is a pain to raise and lower. You better be strong and agile. I dropped mine on a car once and left a big dent. Another time I hit a light standard and broke the mast and put the entire town out of street lights for a day. It was always scary.
Lift on and lift off. Many marinas have cranes for trailerable boats but they won't handle your bigger boat. So then you will be limited to boat yards with travel lifts or launching rampss
Travel lifts at boat yards are going to be expensive. Add the mast crane and it is going to be very expensive.
Launch ramps are possible but it is not a "one man" operation unless you are very competent and atheletic.
Trailering. Even with your huge truck, cruising down the highway with a big sailboat is not without dangers and risk. This is not like hooking up your ski boat and going to the lake. It is a big operation and you will be the unusual man if you get to the point where you do it without trepidation.

My advice, to keep the exertion level down, charter boats. You can fly there (or drive) and get on the boat, do some fun sailing or just cruising, and get off. It's easier than trailering a sailboat.

Augi · 17-02-2021, 08:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren5421

With heart problems, I have sold my ketch, as a life at sea is not in my future. I am kinda looking for a trailer boat. I know very little if anything about them! I think I want the biggest and heaviest that a Dodge 3500 with a Cummings can pull, it's rated at 14,000 lbs. I want a inboard diesel. Most of the time I will be the only one on board. It will be in lakes, rivers, and the Gulf, wherever my vacation is (retired), south in winter and north in summer. Would like to be able to do the mast by myself. I don't know about draft, probably under 4.5' but I have not done a center board. I just need pointed to some names and sizes that fall into my, I think I want. A head would be nice so a lady wouldn't find the bathroom arrangement a putoff for a weeks adventure.

Checkout Seaward 32 RK if your rig can pull it well enough for your needs. Maybe a Corsair Trimaran 880, 28 or 31 depending on your needs, wants and desires. People have trailered Corsair 37's also but it is another degree of difficulty than the other corsairs listed above. A photo of a Corsair 37 on a trailer is attached.

sailingchiro · 17-02-2021, 08:20

I have seen guys pulling a Catalina 30 to the ramp but had a tongue extension.

Sailnav · 17-02-2021, 08:41

A few years back I had a 1985 Catalina 25 w/Universal diesel and marine head.
Headroom was a bit too low, but it had a pop top that worked okay once anchored.

Jack C · 17-02-2021, 09:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by warren5421

With heart problems, I have sold my ketch, as a life at sea is not in my future. I am kinda looking for a trailer boat. I know very little if anything about them! I think I want the biggest and heaviest that a Dodge 3500 with a Cummings can pull, it's rated at 14,000 lbs. I want a inboard diesel. Most of the time I will be the only one on board. It will be in lakes, rivers, and the Gulf, wherever my vacation is (retired), south in winter and north in summer. Would like to be able to do the mast by myself. I don't know about draft, probably under 4.5' but I have not done a center board. I just need pointed to some names and sizes that fall into my, I think I want. A head would be nice so a lady wouldn't find the bathroom arangement a putoff for a weeks adventure.

With heart problems I would look at the easiest boat to launch and rig, especially by yourself. Also a boat light enough so that you can push off a dock.

For me this translates into a Macgregor. Probably a 26x or 26m. They have decent heads with a door. My mentor Ed, whose was then in his seventies could rig and launch and sail his Mac26x alone.

Why drag a heavy boat just because you have a truck with high capacity? Why have a diesel engine?

Center board and water ballast and a 40HP outboard and built in floatation. Its good for safety and health especially with a heart condition.

joelhemington · 17-02-2021, 09:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Augi

Checkout Seaward 32 RK if your rig can pull it well enough for your needs. Maybe a Corsair Trimaran 880, 28 or 31 depending on your needs, wants and desires. People have trailered Corsair 37's also but it is another degree of difficulty than the other corsairs listed above. A photo of a Corsair 37 on a trailer is attached.

Those a very cool boats but unfortunately well outside his $15.000 budget - at least the ones I've seen.

warren5421 · 17-02-2021, 09:22

Have started looking at codo's in Florida with deeded docks. Maybe get a 32' and just keep it there and pick up a trailer sale boat to use on the lakes. That way I could keep the house near the kids and still sale and go to Florida in the winter and still sale with a larger boat and not trailer the boat back and forth.