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Old 16-01-2015, 14:12   #1
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trailerable sailboats

Hi
I was wondering if anyone could recommend any trailerable sailboats in the 25 ft range, My wife and myself are going to take sailing courses but we have a power boat already that we keep at a marine and want to keep for our canal trips.
I was thinking of a Macgregor 26, seaward or a hunter.
any advice would be appreciated.
Rob
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Old 16-01-2015, 14:20   #2
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Re: trailerable sailboats

There are about a gazillion of them, encompassing the full range of pros and cons. Very difficult to say, without an idea of the use to which it will be put, and conditions it will face.

My suggestion would be to start reading Small Craft Advisor, which is the best sailing magazine still being published, and is all about trailerable boats.
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Old 16-01-2015, 14:57   #3
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Re: trailerable sailboats

We are power boaters that are interested in learning to sail, so we have decided to take a course on sailing this year. If we like it we would like to get a small 25 ft range sailboat to practice with. The bay we are in is small and shallow 7 to 20 ft ,so it would be used for day trips and if we get adventurous overnighting
We were thinking trailerable so we could avoid slip fees. I like the concept of the retractable keel of the seaward boats.
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Old 16-01-2015, 17:44   #4
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Ok, here's a vote for Seaward...I'm biased.

As far as a slip goes, if we didn't keep our boat in a slip we wouldn't use it much. Kept in the water, we use it all the time. Even though it only takes an hour or hour and a half to rig and launch the boat, that gets old real fast if you have to do it on a regular basis.

The beauty of having a trailerable sailboat is being able to take trips to cruising grounds you normally wouldn't have time to boat to, not just save on slip fees. We normally find a couple of weeks in the summer to haul the boat to other places to cruise. You do save considerable money in the winter on storage fees, though (if you're unlucky enough to live in an area that gets frozen and cold). It's currently near 0 out and our boat is patiently waiting for spring in our yard.
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Old 16-01-2015, 17:58   #5
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Quote:
Originally Posted by rob67 View Post
We are power boaters that are interested in learning to sail, so we have decided to take a course on sailing this year. If we like it we would like to get a small 25 ft range sailboat to practice with. The bay we are in is small and shallow 7 to 20 ft ,so it would be used for day trips and if we get adventurous overnighting
We were thinking trailerable so we could avoid slip fees. I like the concept of the retractable keel of the seaward boats.
Hi Rob,

As was said there are a gazillion boats that meet your needs. Most all the trailerables have centerboards so they can be raised or lowered. I've sailed on Ventures(Magregors) and Catalinas and West Wight Potter 19s in that size range and prefer the Catalina. I don't know the Hunter well.

My advice would be to get what brand is supported in your area of sailing. If you go to a local sailing school then follow their lead and get the absolute most popular that you find locally. The reason is that you'll find a lot of parts available and folks who have worked on and sailed them

Good luck
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Old 16-01-2015, 18:11   #6
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Re: trailerable sailboats

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Originally Posted by SkiprJohn View Post
Hi Rob,

As was said there are a gazillion boats that meet your needs. Most all the trailerables have centerboards so they can be raised or lowered. I've sailed on Ventures(Magregors) and Catalinas and West Wight Potter 19s in that size range and prefer the Catalina. I don't know the Hunter well.

My advice would be to get what brand is supported in your area of sailing. If you go to a local sailing school then follow their lead and get the absolute most popular that you find locally. The reason is that you'll find a lot of parts available and folks who have worked on and sailed them

Good luck
Adding to that thought, a locally popular design will be easier to sell when you inevitably want to change boats.

If it should happen that you don't take to sailing and want out, this could be important too. But then, if you have that rare resistance to the sailing disease, medical science would like some blood and DNA samples to help in the effort to develop a vaccine against the disease. There are some grumpy spouses and SO's who wish their partners were immune!

Good luck and enjoy!

Jim
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Old 16-01-2015, 18:35   #7
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Quote:
Originally Posted by rob67 View Post
Hi
I was wondering if anyone could recommend any trailerable sailboats in the 25 ft range, My wife and myself are going to take sailing courses but we have a power boat already that we keep at a marine and want to keep for our canal trips.
I was thinking of a Macgregor 26, seaward or a hunter.
any advice would be appreciated.
Rob
Howdy Rob.

I think it would help to know where you are going to sail. Location of water. Lake, river, bay or ocean? North or South (cold or warm waters).

_______________

And, budget always matters too. Give us an idea of budget and whether you mind if it is used boat or must have a new one.

And, how many people will you want to take sailing? Just two. Kids? Older folks like me (50s) or even older?

_________

The ubiquitous Cal 27 may suit some, but it is not my favorite. Still, they can be had used for about $5,000 or so (some a little less).
_________

The brand of boats that have caught my eye are made by Compac Yachts. They will cost more than the typical used Cal 27.

Com-Pac Yachts: Trailerable Cat Boats, Trailerable Cruisers, and Cruising Sailboats

I think the catboats they make look great. By "catboat" I don't mean a catamaran. The catboats have a mast located near the bow of the boat.

They make some catboat models for day sailing (big open cockpits that can hold a lot of people) and some with a small cabin that allows one to use it for cruising (a few berths, portapotty, small galley, etc.).

If you want to do some "cruising" and overnight on the boat.

My favorite model, the Horizon Cat has a small cabin. The Horizon Cat Week-end Cruiser from Com-Pac Yachts

If you only want to do daysailing with friends.
Check out their "Horizon Day Cat" as it looks like a lot of fun to me. It has the simple to learn and use "cat" rig, is roomy cockpit for a small boat (the cockpit is 10 feet long on a 20 foot long boat), has swing (lifting) keel, shallow draft, and is trailerable.

For Trailerable Boats:
One of the most appealing things to me about the Compac boats is their method of raising (stepping) the mast when you arrive at your sailing destination by trailer. You can read about their method on their site. It appears that anyone could do it and looks very easy. That is something to consider as one gets older like me, especially those who must single hand or don't use a big crew.

Note: I have no connection to this brand or sellers. I am simply posting information about a boat I admire and would consider as a nice day sailor or pocket cruiser.
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Old 16-01-2015, 19:37   #8
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Steadman
We are located on the Bay of Quinte which is on the Canadian side of Lake Ontario. Water depth is between 7 to 20 ft in channel.

Looking for something that can fit 4 adults for a day cruise but will only sleep 2 if we decide to overnight. I'm 47 and my wife is younger than me( can not disclose age due to security concerns about my safety)

We would prefer to go used hopefully under $5000.00 cad (so that's about 50.00 Us the way our dollar is falling.)

I have not seen many trailerable boats around here

C&C yachts got their roots only 15 min from where I live in Belleville Ontario starting in 1969, so they are plentiful .
Tanzer is another popular boat around here.

Com-pac yachts are definitely cool,

Basically we are looking for a starter boat,
As for resale value I really don't like to factor that into the equation, I'm not good at predicting what the value would be in 2 to 3 yrs if we want to upgrade.

See we have a goal to spend our winters down south by the time I hit 50 and one of our options is to buy a sailboat keep it Florida. Drive down and sail from Dec to March. But to do this we need to learn to sail first and I figured a small trailerable boat would be the best way to get practice on .

I hope this makes sense
Thanks Rob
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Old 16-01-2015, 21:07   #9
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Re: trailerable sailboats

rob67,

You live in a great part of the lake for cruising / sailing. We were up your way with our seaward the year before last. Didn't make it up into the bay, but stopped at Waupoos, not far from you.

Our seaward 25 is a nice sized boat for sailing on Lake Ontario, but with your price range you probably won't be able to find one, except possibly a very early model, and the retractable keel 26 is priced much higher. We used to have a hunter 23.5, which can be found in your price range and is a fun boat to sail and learn on. It would be fine on the bay, but wouldn't inspire confidence out on the main lake, though.

Have fun learning to sail. Ontario is such a great place to have a sailboat. We also had power boats for many years. We took a lesson on a sailboat about 10 years ago, and never looked back.
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Old 16-01-2015, 21:51   #10
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Tanzer 22's are good little boats and there are a lot of them around Ont. They sail pretty well, are well built, trailer-able, and should fit your price range. I've sailed on a few Tanzers, but didn't love any of them except for the 22. There's also a class association which helps for a variety of things. Worth a look, IMO.
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Old 16-01-2015, 22:51   #11
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Quote:
Originally Posted by rob67 View Post
Steadman
We are located on the Bay of Quinte which is on the Canadian side of Lake Ontario. Water depth is between 7 to 20 ft in channel.

Looking for something that can fit 4 adults for a day cruise but will only sleep 2 if we decide to overnight. I'm 47 and my wife is younger than me( can not disclose age due to security concerns about my safety)

We would prefer to go used hopefully under $5000.00 cad (so that's about 50.00 Us the way our dollar is falling.)

I have not seen many trailerable boats around here

C&C yachts got their roots only 15 min from where I live in Belleville Ontario starting in 1969, so they are plentiful .
Tanzer is another popular boat around here.

Com-pac yachts are definitely cool,

Basically we are looking for a starter boat,
As for resale value I really don't like to factor that into the equation, I'm not good at predicting what the value would be in 2 to 3 yrs if we want to upgrade.

See we have a goal to spend our winters down south by the time I hit 50 and one of our options is to buy a sailboat keep it Florida. Drive down and sail from Dec to March. But to do this we need to learn to sail first and I figured a small trailerable boat would be the best way to get practice on .

I hope this makes sense
Thanks Rob
I understand. And I like your sense of humor too.

As for small "starter-I wanna learn" boats, I only have a couple of suggestions since you have spouse and must make sure she is happy too, especially if you have plans to continue sailing as a couple:

1. Pick a boat that allows for some privacy and has a place for a portapotty or marine toilet. Some "day sailors" have small cabins (usually so low one must crouch), but any private spot is better than none when on the water. This is usually appreciated by female guests and crew, more so than by the salty dogs who tend to pee over the side. In mixed company it is not usually socially acceptable. My Suggestion: Provide the pot and the private spot.

2. Pick a boat that has some cockpit seating that has back support one can lean back into while sailing. Some smaller boats are uncomfortable because they are geared to racing and may not be comfortable for mature folks (like me) as much as other boats that have cockpit seats that support one's back (at least some). Also, buy some nice cockpit cushions with closed cell foam that will cushion the tush. This is much nicer and more comfortable and most female guests appreciate this on a boat. Old salty dogs like it too, but they tend to remain quiet about creature comforts.

Finally, O'Day makes a range of smaller boats that can be trailered and are lower cost than what I recommended earlier.

Good luck on your choice and happy sailing to you!
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Old 16-01-2015, 22:51   #12
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Re: trailerable sailboats

Macgregor 26M or 26X are fantastic boats and have a really good user. Ok unity and forum. They get bashed by couch sailors but that doesn't stop their owners from loving them.

I and a 26M and we had tons of fun on it and smile every time we see a Macgregor. We used it just as you intend to get a feel for cruising. The cross between. Power boat and sailboat has its advantages for cruising allowing you to put the hammer down if needed or just kick back and sail. 16 knots in a sailboat is pretty crazy!

It's disadvantage is that it does. It sail as well as something like a Catalina 25. I am not a fan of the Seward or the Hunter Edge. The Sewards have tended to have quality issues and the Edge is just ridiculously expensive.

The are earlier Macgregors that would compete with the Catalina 25 that were better sailors.

Our 26M gave us our taste of cruising and we moved up to a catalina 36 MKII and love it. The resale on my Macgregor was really good but I did take really good care of it.

Good Luck!
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Old 16-01-2015, 23:04   #13
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Re: trailerable sailboats

You can trailer a Santana 525.

Best regards,

Mike
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Old 16-01-2015, 23:48   #14
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Re: trailerable sailboats

If you're looking for something inexpensive (which would mean older) and your sailing will be close to shore or on the lakes late 70s to mid 80s O'day 25 with a swing keel would make a good alternative to all the boats listed above. Easy to sail, roomy for a 25footer, great owners community online and good price/quality balance. One can be picked for under $5000 and sometimes even under $3000 or less in decent shape. I am biased of course as I own one (but with a fixed keel with 4.5' draft which makes her less suitable for trailering although not impossible) and it is for sale due to a change in plans and a need for a diesel instead of an outboard.

Similar to O'day 25 and also with swing keels versions would be Catalina 25, Lancer 25, US25 or its reincarnation Pearson 25. If 25 is too big all or most of those also have 22-23 foot versions which are sturdier than their size implies.

For some types of sailing Macgregor26 would also be a good choice but only if you don't expect company and/or don't expect to venture more than few miles from shore.
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Old 17-01-2015, 05:30   #15
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Re: trailerable sailboats

So in my area there is a 1969 O'Day mariner 2+2 . I know its only 19' but its only 1800.00 with 2 yr old sails, and a trailer , it has the 3' 3" fixed keel and a small cabin for privacy while you tinkle.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-view-image.ht...ationFlag=true

Any advice on this boat.

Year of boat not a concern my power boat is a 1966.
Thanks Rob
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