Need trailerable daysailer recommend

[Lemsteraak]

I would recommend looking around and seeing if there is a small boat sailing club in Montreal. See what boats they are sailing and join up. Gives you a place to keep your boat and they can help you learn to sail well. Don't confuse these with yacht clubs which tend to cater to larger boats. We teach adults to sail in 420's, because they are so responsive.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Ungvar

I recognise Milton Island above^^^

Of the boats listed above, I would lean towards the Sandpiper and the Siren.

Wayfarers are great cruising dinghies, but not really a boat I would want to sleep aboard at a marina.

There are very few boats over 20 feet I would consider for week end trailer sailing. Rigging and launching is just too much work on most.

The hardest part os always the rigging. Boat rigs are generally proportionate to the boats weight.

In other words, light is good, not just from a trailering and launching perspective but also from a rigging perspective.

Personally I would look for a boat under 1500 pounds. Under 1000 might be even better.

Good eye to recognize Milton I in those pics above! The skipper slept on the boat there, and the crew slept in tents at the campsite close to the dock. We used an origo 1500 single burner portable stove to cook ashore. All the fun of sailing and camping, without any long car ride to get out of town.

To make rigging and launch more enjoyable, we would NOT hurry at all. We would take our time and enjoy the setup. From arrival at the marina (towing the boat behind our honda fit) until we were ready to cast off and sail away, was usually 1 hour. The mast goes up with just a push, no crane. Only 3 stays (2 side, one fore).

According to spec, the Siren weighs 750 pounds, of which over 200 in the swing keel. We took it out in 1 metre waves, and winds up to 20 knots. Exciting, yes...and we felt safe and in control at all times. But it was much more relaxed with winds around 10 knots and flat water.

Highly recommend this class of boat for beginners on a budget. You will learn a lot without spending a lot. And kids love small boats. In every cartoon series, they go off on a boat at some point....Dora, Care Bears, etc. If you have kids, they will want to sleep on the boat in the driveway the day you buy it. And why not? Its all fun!

[Rol1964]

Originally Posted by Lemsteraak

I would recommend looking around and seeing if there is a small boat sailing club in Montreal. See what boats they are sailing and join up. Gives you a place to keep your boat and they can help you learn to sail well. Don't confuse these with yacht clubs which tend to cater to larger boats. We teach adults to sail in 420's, because they are so responsive.

Yes. This is where I did my intro to basic sailing course. There’s a Tanzer 22 there for sail and it comes with a berth (otherwise could be lengthy delay for a place) so this may have to be the solution. But it is a “club”, not a marina. So although the total annual fees are less of a burden, you are expected to be “on deck” to help out with all that goes into the operation and this is where I will fail due to work / family obligations. So I’m a little conflicted on which way to go.....?
Thanks BTW for all the suggestions.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Rol1964

Yes. This is where I did my intro to basic sailing course. There’s a Tanzer 22 there for sail and it comes with a berth (otherwise could be lengthy delay for a place) so this may have to be the solution. But it is a “club”, not a marina. So although the total annual fees are less of a burden, you are expected to be “on deck” to help out with all that goes into the operation and this is where I will fail due to work / family obligations. So I’m a little conflicted on which way to go.....?
Thanks BTW for all the suggestions.

Tanzer 22's are great boats.


We belong to a "self-help" yacht club. We have to put in a minimum of 35 hours a year, but overall, I think membership is a plus. We get a slip, made some new friends and mentors, and we get reciprocal privileges at other clubs! You can get your family involved in the club - eg weekend activities, sailing school, social evenings.

[Dan Mosby]

Originally Posted by Chuck Hawley

M
Neither are sleep-aboard though....

They're ALL sleep-aboard....some are just more comfortable than others.

[Adelie]

With a trailerable boat keep in mind that trailer and gear aboard need to included in weight calcs for tow vehicle. I’d figure 750 for trailer and 500 for gear. That means 2250 lightship for boat. Living near where you will put in you could probably stretch boat weight to 3,000 but then you probably wouldn’t want to ever try going long distance with boat in tow.

[Barrettscv]

I can recommend the SeaWard Fox. Mine is about 18ft, it displaces about 1350 lbs. It’s towed behind my Ford Fusion, which is rated for 2000 lbs. The boat is very well made and affordable. It’s capable if moderate seas and feels like a much larger boat. Raising the mast is a two man job but not difficult. The later versions have a stay less carbon fiber mast which simplifies rigging. Most of the boats made prior to 1988 have a centerboard, but later boats have a one-piece winged keel with lead ballast. It has about a 4 ft draft with the winged keel.

[Ungvar]

Stayless rigs do make a huge difference for trailering. I have a stayless rig on my boat and it literally takes about 60 seconds to step the mast. No farting around with turnbuckles, forestays, shrouds, self furling gear.... gin poles....

"Compac" makes some really nice trailerables with easily stepped masts.

[avnbuff]

While "trailerable" sounds like a good idea to keep you boat for less expense. I suggest that you consider a mooring or slip..

I started with a mooring and moved to a slip when I bought my first boat. YES it was more expensive. However, it cut two hours off the make ready time to get into the water... My kids and wife would accompany me up to the lake on Friday evening and we could

...just step aboard... to either have an evening sail after our drive or settle down for a rest and sail the next morning...

This progressed to a slip as I saw the advantages of being near power and a walk to the facilities on shore.

Just a thought... to many would be sailors 'kill' the desire with the prep and set up and take down required for a trailerable.

The Aviation Buff

[dadster3]

I too recommend looking at a Catalina 22. They are stiff and forgiving, and the swing keel version can expand your capabilities for fun since you can drive right up to the beach. This is a real plus if you have kids. You can find them on Craig's List in the $3-7K range and often come with a trailer and outboard. I saw one today for less than $1K, but I think you get what you pay for so be wary of a too low price. A friend had one that he pulled with a Ford Explorer.


You might also consider a West Wight Potter, a small pocket cruiser with a good reputation.


If you want something that's less work to sail, look at some cat rigged boats. Marshall and Compac both make outstanding ones. I've seen more Compacs on the used market that Marshalls.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by avnbuff

While "trailerable" sounds like a good idea to keep you boat for less expense. I suggest that you consider a mooring or slip..

I have to agree. My daughter bought a SIREN 17. The first year we dry sailed it from our driveway. It was always a big day when we took the boat out...with towing, setup, launch...then sailing...then everything in reverse. It encouraged us to always go overnight, at least. No such thing as a casual daysail.

For a short time we had a dry mooring at the marina. This meant we could leave the rig up, but we still had to launch and haul every sail. This was a lot better, but still trouble, especially weekends when the ramp was busy (think CORK at POH).

So this year, I found her a reasonably priced med mooring to leave the boat in the water, fully rigged and ready to sail. This summer we could just step onto the boat and 10 minutes later were sailing. It was wonderful (except that for most of the summer the dock was underwater because of high water levels, but that's a whole nother thread). With a proper slip, we were able to use the boat MUCH more and with much less effort. Well worth the cost.

The bad news is that my daughter liked it SO much, that she wants to get a much bigger boat, with a proper head and galley so she can sail even more, and stay aboard overnight at anchor.

[werners]

Look at the West Wight Potter 19. Great little boat

[Ungvar]

Originally Posted by avnbuff

While "trailerable" sounds like a good idea to keep you boat for less expense. I suggest that you consider a mooring or slip..

I started with a mooring and moved to a slip when I bought my first boat. YES it was more expensive. However, it cut two hours off the make ready time to get into the water... My kids and wife would accompany me up to the lake on Friday evening and we could

...just step aboard... to either have an evening sail after our drive or settle down for a rest and sail the next morning...

This progressed to a slip as I saw the advantages of being near power and a walk to the facilities on shore.

Just a thought... to many would be sailors 'kill' the desire with the prep and set up and take down required for a trailerable.

The Aviation Buff

2 hours to set up just means the boat is a poor choice for frequent trailering.

If buying a trailer sailer buy one suitable to the task.

My boats mast is unstayed on a hinged tabernacle. 5 minutes to step the rig, trailer with the sail on.

Time from trailer to sitting in the water with the rig up 15 minutes.

Any trailering set up involving gin poles and tongue extensions is a bit of a questionable choice for a trailer sailer.

[Rol1964]

Honestly I’m going in circles with this. I agree that a mooring or a slip is the better option. I guess I’m just trying to figure out a way around the annual fees. I’d rather sell my house and buy a waterfront property with a wharf than pay marina fees for years. That adds up to a lot after 10 years.

[Ungvar]

If you go with a trailer sailer, go with something designed to be sailed off a trailer every day, there are lots out there.

But if you are going to go with something like Catalina 22 or CS22, or a bunch of similar older designs, I wouldn't bother, just keep it in the water somewhere. Not worth the hassle of dealing with the weight, draft and rigs on that style of boat.