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Daysailers: Mostly Dry?

9K views 35 replies 21 participants last post by  Florida Sailor 
#1 ·
Looking for suggestions for daysailers that keep you mostly dry that I can trailer using a Ford Focus. I live in Clearwater, Florida and only plan to trailer a few hundred miles at most.

About me: previously held Captain's 100 ton license; conducted charters, sailing lessons, 3 years fulltime captain on a CT 56, and previously owned a Coronado 25 for many years. I have sailed a variety of boats from sunfish up to the CT 56.

That said, I haven't sailed in the last 20+years and never looked at daysailers before.

All suggestions/comments appreciated.
 
#2 ·
Ford does not publish a towing capacity for the Focus. That means that you are going to want to keep it pretty light. Given that, I don't think I would plan on towing anything that has substantial ballast. And given THAT, the question of what can "keep you mostly dry" becomes quite interesting.

If you've sailed Sunfishes before then you know that a sudden gust can tip the boat over and send you for a swim. That is something that you just have to accept as a possibility in any small boat that has no significant amount of ballast. If the boat keeps you dry up until the moment when it goes over on its side, would you consider that "mostly dry?"
 
#3 · (Edited)
My Wayfarer was a very dry boat to sail, as it tended to pass over most waves, rather than through them. However, being a centreboard boat, it could capsize. Then you get wet!

Frank Dye towed his with a Renault 4 with 40hp. So you should be fine with any centreboard dinghy, which tend to be 500 lbs at the most.

Did you already check out hitches?
 
#5 ·
I'm in a club that has a bunch of Catalina Capri 16.5

You can tow them with just about anything. They're comfortable sailing with four people. They're pretty dry when sailing. They're very beamy so they're hard to tip, but not impossible, so if you really mess up you could get wet.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Looking for suggestions for daysailers that keep you mostly dry that I can trailer using a Ford Focus.
...
I have sailed a variety of boats from sunfish up to the CT 56.

That said, I haven't sailed in the last 20+years and never looked at daysailers before.

All suggestions/comments appreciated.
There are many sailing dinghies that might satisfy your towing requirements. I'll name a few that are usually raced in 1 Class fleets:
Lightning 19' (can be sailed fairly dry)
Thistle
420
Laser
Sonar - probably too heavy for your Ford focus to tow.
Catalina Capri small sailors

And there are some other brands of small boats that are meant more for use as pocket cruisers which would tend to be "dryer":
Compac sailboats
Montgomery sailboats
Cape dory Typhoon
West Wight Potter
MARINER 19 CB sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

A lot depends on whether or not you want to do technical sailing. The first group of boats I listed tend to be rigged for racing with lots of sail controls. The second group of boats are heavier, but drier as they have some ballast, kinda.

I owned and sailed a Lightning 19' for a few years that I kept on a trailer and towed with my Honda Accord, very few miles. I never let it capsize and never raced with it even though it was rigged for racing and flew the spinnaker. I think that qualifies as dry.

The other thing to note is that there really are no cabins for spending the night on them in the 1st group of boats. You need to consider if this is a requirement for you, or not.
 
#7 ·
By mostly dry, I meant while sailing. I am not too worried about getting wet if I capsize.

Regarding towing, the Focus isn't really rated, but I recently moved from South Texas to Florida and pulled a loaded 5x8 enclosed Uhaul trailer without any trouble. That said, I don't plan on towing very far.

I never was interested in racing. Meaning that I don't need anything for speed. I am just looking for something for my wife and I to spend an enjoyable day on the water.

Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions.
 
#8 ·
I recommend a subscription to Small Craft Advisor. It's a great mag. Lots of ideas for boats in there, some for sale. Maybe the last proper sailing magazine left. In fact, everyone should get one. They actually have stories of real sailing, in affordable boats, rather than reviews of 50ft catamarans. I don't have a small craft anymore, but I still get the mag.
 
#9 ·
The Sonar will be much too heavy and hard to launch.

If you're able to tow 750lbs + gear + trailer, consider the Siren 17. The Siren has a bigger cabin than, say, a Windjammer 17. You can actually get inside if it starts to rain.

If that's too heavy, you might find a fiberglass Cape Cod Mercury 15 -- the centerboard model, not the keel model. They are dryer than Lightnings and Sunfish, so long as you don't capsize.
 
#11 ·
What happens if you're involved in an accident when you're towing, and the vehicle isn't rated for towing?

I have no idea, but before I did it, I would check with my insurance company. Could they refuse to cover your claim?
 
#15 ·
Precision 15. Comes in centerboard or keel models. I have had both in the past and currently have a keel version. Love the 250 lbs of ballast on the bigger bodies of water. Keel draws 21 inches and centerboard (board up) is 6 inches. towing weight ranges from 500 to 700 lbs. Pull it with my mini cooper.
 
#16 ·
I would think that with weight limitations, that I should probably not go over 17' with a centerboard model.

Someone suggested the Siren 17, and it would be nice to have a little cabin to store a few things. Some might be ok for a weekend trip.

Being a senior citizen now, I don't enjoy getting wet that much or the thrill of hanging over the rails. I prefer something drier and more stable. Sure, there is always the chance of capsizing, but I have done that and been there. As I said, I have taught sailing lessons for many years to children in small boats with a lot of capsizes.

What other boats are there like the Siren 17 with a small cabin?
 
#20 ·
When you look at the same models being sold in Europe, and the United States, the European model will have a surprisingly high towing rating, while the US version will have none. This is for cultural reasons, not engineering ones. Americans are willing to buy huge trucks to tow small loads, while Europeans expect to tow their caravans and boats with small cars.

If Curt make a class 1, 2000 lb hitch, I would be happy towing up to 2000 lbs in any car you can buy these days. That's the weight of 5 large people, plus luggage. Ever seen a car which states you can't have 5 fat passengers and luggage?
 
#19 ·
Personally, I'd be looking for one of the small daysailers with at least a weighted centreboard. They make the boat a lot more stable. Now I think about it, a West Wight Potter 15 sounds ideal for you. Small cabin, weighted centreboard, 825 lbs with trailer.

https://www.westwightpotter.com/products/potter-15/features/

Another plus is that they are common, so relatively easy to find used.
 
#21 ·
I understand the concerns about towing with my 2010 Focus, but that is all I have. I have a Class 1 hitch installed by Uhaul supposedly up to 2,000 pounds, not that I plan to tow that much.

Before 2008, the Focus was rated at 2,050 pounds towing, but no ratings on the newer ones. I pulled the loaded Uhaul trailer from South Texas to Florida with no problems except reduced gas mileage. I am NOT worried or concerned about pulling a trailer with a small daysailer.

The West Wright Potter 15 looks like a nice boat.
 
#22 ·
Mark
No doubt you are right about our willingness to buy a 3/4 ton truck we don't need. I exceed the rating on my 19 year old explorer with some regularity, the transmission is cranky but hasn't failed yet. So this goes back to the question by Siamese. What happens if you have a bad day while exceeding your vehicle's rating by a significant margin (i.e. anything in my Focus). Can the insurance company give you the stupid award and walk away? I saw a guy loose his pick up at the ramp last month. He just had a plastic boat on the bed, but the transmission failed so DNR had to send in the divers. Would insurance cover the salvage bill if he had exceeded his gross vehicle rating?
 
#26 · (Edited)
I see you're in Clearwater. THE ADMIRAL and I sail a Mud Hen 17 in NY and that was made in your area by Florida Bay Boat Co. May be worth checking out if you spot one. Very dry - it has a 3" lip all around the hull that sheds spray. Ideal for poking in shallows and has an outboard well (motor can tip up inside & out of the flow) for those time you need one. Can also be rowed iff you add oarlocks and "deck" support.

It's really a terrific little daysailor. Weighs 650 lbs and our Jetta had no problems towing and stopping it. Currently I drive a RAV4 and it's like it's not there. The perambulator cabin (long dodger) is great for privacy or to use the porta-potti, and it has a good sized bimini as well. Really a little Swiss Army Knife of boats. Good amount of sail (155 ft2) and two reefs, plus in a disaster you can drop the yard and scandalize the main until you can get time to make better arrangements.

Can arrive at a ramp and be sailing in 15 minutes, and leaving takes the same time. We have a tonneau cover that buttons it all up for trailering and storage.

Here's a minute video on youtube:
 

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#30 ·
We owned a ComPac 16 (II) in the early 80's. If I had to do it over again I wouldn't hesitate a second . . . to buy a Montgomery 15 or 17 instead.

But then we're lake sailors and spend a lot of time clawing upwind. For freshwater the ComPac needs a foot more keel or a board and 25% more sail area.

Very solid, very well made, very stodgy. I will say I believe that bout could suffer severe conditions well.
 
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