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Wife says "GET A BIGGER BOAT"

4K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  merttan 
#1 ·
You just have to love it!!!
The Catalina 21 was just great for day sailing up to a week, when I pushed it to 2 weeks up in the San Jaun's she said all right you can get a bigger boat. The problem is we still want to trailer. We have been in 26'ers but still want to go a little bigger.
Would like any info and help on 28'-32' shallow draft, under 3' if possible. Do know about dragging around a big trailer and all the problems as I have to do that on occasion for work, have 1 ton crew 4x4 with full bed. 40 acre turn ration!!!!!!!!!
Boat will be in slip in the local reservoir until it drys up the first of July, after that we like to go for 1-4 weeks up to the San Juan's maybe south to the Sea of Cortez.
Would like to stay under $20,000 if possible.
Is all this possible?
Any ideas on boats?
Fair winds
J
 
#6 ·
J105's are trailerable, and staying with in the 8.5' width issue. You just have to turn them slightly sidways! Being as the OP is form here in the NW, hopefully he has seen how the unlimited hydros are hauled around, they are over 12' wide, and fit legally on the road at 8.5'

Not that a J105 is the most comfortible boat around, a boat wider tha 8.5' is legally trailerable if one thinks out of the box! There are a couple of custom trailer builders in Bellingham that can make a wider boat legal!

You will want a reasonably size DOT class 2 or 3 truck tho! ie over 8500 GVWR to upwards of 12K!

marty
 
#8 · (Edited)
Heres a thought! Keep the 21 on the res. get a real keel boat for the coastal crusing! Bet you never go back to the trailer sailor. (IMHO)

I had a trailer sailor for 11 months and sold it.... realized real quick the labor intenseivness of rigging, de-rigging.. etc. Bought a 30ft keel boat. it's 12 - 16 hrs to the ocean from here but someday I'll find the time . good luck!

ps don't show this post to our trailer sailor friends! (don't wanna get yelled at lol)
 
#10 ·
I think I have to agree with Denise on this one . Once you get to a certain point in your sailing experience , that trailer sailor will get old . I have a little daysailor myself and thats just so I can keep sailing right now . Its a temporary measure . I have owned two full keeled boats myself and crewed on I dont know how many others of varying hull designs . It sounds like its time to step away from the trailer and get a beefy bugger with some ballast .

As I said Im a trailer sailor myself right now , however I dont think a day has gone by in the past two years that I havnt been on line shopping for my next cruiser .

Best of luck with it ,
Paul
 
#17 ·
As I said Im a trailer sailor myself right now , however I dont think a day has gone by in the past two years that I havnt been on line shopping for my next cruiser.
You'll be sooory!! ;) Apart from the $$$, all those antifouling issues, bird-poo on the upperworks, serious effort required just to get to the boat to work on it, risk of getting blown ashore in a storm, or some idiot stink-potter ramming it or pinching stuff from it... it'll rot on the mooring just like everyone elses!.. :eek: :D :D

A thought for the original poster: On our last cruise to the Lakes we came across one couple in a 30' steel bilge-keeler that have their boat trucked from their "home port" to the "cruising port" (only a few hundred miles away) each summer. They bargained with a specialist transport company and got a really cheap deal based on regular patronage - and for a the cost of a cradle specially modified to fit the truck, they can leave it to professionals.

An option perhaps??
 
#12 · (Edited)
Denby-

They're training hulls dammit... ;)

Many of the folding sport trimarans are trailerable, and have the ability to raise and lower their mast without additional equipment.

The most popular of the folding sport trimarans is probably the Corsair line, which are based on Ian Farrier designs originally... but they've recently moved production off-shore, to Vietnam IIRC, and they've got some serious quality control issues. The 28' boats can handle offshore passages, but IMHO, the Corsair 28 is not a comfortable boat. The Corsairs are primarily designed for racing and don't have the amenities to make them a good cruising boat, until you get to the 31 or 36' models, which are not exactly street legal without a wide-load permit IIRC.

The one I'd recommend most is probably the Telstar 28, which is the boat I have. The Telstar 28's cabin is much larger than the C28s. The Telstars have a full galley and marine head with holding tank, which are options on the Corsair 28 IIRC.

However, I seriously doubt if you'll be able to find a good sport trimaran in your budget. If you have any questions, please let me know. :D
 
#13 ·
I want to know, why did she wait until the end of the season to say "get a bigger boat" ?
 
#15 ·
Women can have a perverse sense of humor that way. :D
 
#18 ·
Those have got to be some of the sweetest words ever " Honey, I think we need a bigger boat". When I heard them I immediately wrote them down, dated it, had her sign it and when we got to shore I had it notarized. I just knew there was a bright side to blasting through 10' short, steep waves! Good luck in your search, maybe we'll see you next year in the SJ's. John
 
#20 · (Edited)
Trailering Corsair 31

One of my dream boats, the Corsair 31UC is 8'2" folded, i believe its 8'4" on the trailer, which is a non-permit tow in most states IIRC. I know its legal here in Texas, but like i said there are some states that 8' is the limit. However SD almost has me sold on eventually trailering a Telstar instead. :)

The Telstar-28's run about 80-90k...i think... and a used Corsair 31 will run you about 100k which is way more than it sounds like you want spend, lol, and i know its way more than i can spend at the moment.

You may want to check if your state is 8' or 8'6" for non-permit trailering.

you could check out the Harstad 31, i dont know anything about them, but you could ask around. It seems to be close to what you want to spend.

http://www.sailingtexas.com/sharstad31a.html
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?currency=USD&units=Feet&currencyid=100&boat_id=1674135&ybw=&units=Feet&access=Public&listing_id=38664&url=

Good luck
 
#21 ·
Thanks for all the help and ideas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to agree with SD, you better do a double take when your wife tells you what you want to hear.
5 years of trailer sailing with a 22 (typo last time) does make you appreciate when you get out on the big pond with a little more leg room! John we might just see you down in the BVI'S, the Windward's were great last year.:D :D :D
Due to the short stack of fun tickets we muster up each year it will be a while until we can afford a big boat, BB Charters for now!
Back to reality, 8'6 is legal width here and for $43 a year we can pull up to 12' without a pilot car. After that you need a pilot in back to 14'. So I figure up to 32' x 10'6 around 6 ton I can pull pretty comfortably with the rig I have now. My backhoe weights in around 7.5t and it makes the squirrels whine when we go over the pass.
Now tri's are fun and fast, maybe I still need those training wheels when I get over 15 knots:D :D :D :D but I can't seem to find my pants with that deep of pocket. Keep the ideas coming I'm all ears. J
 
#23 ·
28' lancer

As far as my shopping for a bigger boat went, I found a couple of Lancers in 28 foot range those could be trailared... Check them out, they seem to be spacious...
 
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