Towable Sailboat "Trailer Sailing"

[Scott Brady]

Well, all this talk of sailing and the fact that Steph is gone for the weekend has left me researching towable sailboats. I focused on several that could actually sail the Gulf (though that depends on the season and the sailer)

Catalina 18'


The 25' is nice too and starts with some basic amenities like stove, head, etc.

Potter 19'

You can get a "Baja" trailer with it too.

Fun stuff!

[paulj]

There are a couple of Baja trip descriptions on the NW Potter site:
http://www.nwpotters.org/priortrips.html
Probably more on other clubs.
There's an Alaska Inside passage trip at
http://www.wingo.com/billsvoyage/Alaska1.html

[VikingVince]

I found this article informative in terms of general pros and cons or trailering

http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...d=caldwell0032

(Darn...the above addressisn't going to the right article...so just type "trailering" into the search box and read the article by Caldwell)

I too have been spending lotta time on this...a new world!!! LOL
Check out this cool MacGregor 26...I know nothing about sailboats/sailing...and at this point in time I'm as interested in the interior as its sailing capabilities, which I know nothing about anyway...LOL...pathetic I know...I like this one though


http://www.macgregorsailboats.com/ma...-interior.html

Yesterday I went into LA to look at a 26 foot sailboat in Redondo Beach Marina...the owner wants to rent it out as as apartment for a year for $625/month!!!...so I went to look at it just for the hell of it...it was kinda run down and didn't have much more room than my Flippac!!!!

[paulj]

I couldn't quite figure out what was special about the Potter 'baja' trailer. They talked about larger wheels, wider track, and the boat riding lower (in Spanish, 'mas bajo'). This all seemed to make the trailer and load more stable, and possibly easier to launch. I don't know about it being more suitable for rough roads.

Given my experience with towing a boat on Vancouver Island gravel roads, I am somewhat interested in the question of what it would take to make a boat trailer suitable for rough roads. Increasing tire size helps, but you have to address fender and boat clearance. The axle can be repositioned to give more clearance (e.g. below the springs rather than on top), but then the trailer has to be backed further into the water to float the boat. I wonder if there is some sort of adjustable trailer suspension - high for road use, low for launching.

At the very least one should pay attention to the load rating of the tires.

Another consideration is how the trailer supports the boat, since on rough roads the boat will be bouncing around quite a bit. Gear in the boat also has to be secured well.

Road dust is also an issue. 50 miles on a gravel road will leave quite a coating of dust on a trailered boat.

Trailer electrics can be a headache.

Especially around salt water, the extra cost of a galvanized trailer is worth it.

Sometimes it is helpful to have a tow hitch on the front of your truck - for maneuvering the trailer in tight conditions.

paulj

[Jonathan Hanson]

The Sea of Cortez is a fantastic sailing area. I owned a 21-foot sloop for a few years, and sailed around the mainland side. Raced in the San Carlos to Guaymas rally, and had a blast even if the real contenders were all over the horizon while I was still adjusting sail trim.

A perfect Sea of Cortez boat is the Montgomery 17 or 23. They were actually designed for those waters by Lyle Hess, I believe. The West Wight Potters are also very capable boats.

I'm in the early stages of thinking about building an open sailboat suitable for beach camping and exploration in Mexico. This one:

http://www.classicmarine.co.uk/details.asp?Name=Tirrik

. . .is tempting. Light weight, speaks to my Norse heritage, very seaworthy. You could haul it up the beach to avoid squalls.

[paulj]

The Sea Pearl 21 that I described on the other sailboat thread had two standing lug sails, synthetic fabric but in a traditional tanbark color. It was a bit longer (21 ft) but about the same beam. Not quite a double ender, but close.

While it could rest comfortably on the beach, at 600 lbs I could not haul it out of the water, or shove it back in if the tide was out. When camping in tidal waters I experimented with placing an anchor in deeper water, and using a pulley system to pull the boat in and out.

paulj

[Jonathan Hanson]

Paulj, the Sea Pearl is a beautiful boat! And I miss the Small Boat Journal, although the newer Good Old Boat is a pretty decent magazine.

I think the 250 pounds of the Tirrik (with sail rig) might be manageable for beaching with two people. My fully loaded sea kayak exceeded 150 pounds frequently.

Beachability, to coin a word, would be handy in spots where no sheltered anchorage was available, a common situation in the Sea of Cortez. Otherwise if hit by a chubasco the old adage applies: "When in danger or in doubt, hoist the sails and bugger off out!"

[VikingVince]

Jonathan...that sounds like some very cool adventures sailing around the Sea of Cortez...that's something I'd like to do, especially after just having spent time on her shores...I just have to learn how to sail and buy a sailboat Re buying a boat - I've been surprised to learn how relatively afforadable a 26' sailboat is...I mean, it's about the same amount of money I have in my Tacoma and mods. And building your own?...that looks very cool...but I think a little beyond me

[Scott Brady]

Jonathan,

I knew you would come back with some cool little sailboat ideas. I really like that Montgomery 23.

[Scott Brady]

Any thoughts on the MacGregor 26?