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Shallow draft daysailer

8K views 35 replies 16 participants last post by  Gdbyrd 
#1 ·
I'm stuck in a good place. I'll be buying a sailboat sometime soon, most likely for next season although this close to the equator it's pretty much warm all the time. I'd be sailing in very far south Tx, about 2 hours south of Corpus.

My wife wants more of a fun boat her and I can run out to the beach and setup and sail for the day together...but I also have four small children, two of which will want to go sailing too when they can. The other two in a few years.

She wants a catamaran and I want something with a small cabin(O'day Mariner, etc.). The idea of doing an overnight, even if it was once or twice a year sounds awesome. No storage space on a catamaran is also concerning. The waters are warm and shallow, so the shallowest draft possible is ideal (I found a Montgomery 17 locally and I love the looks of the boat but the ~20" of draft are concerning).

This'll be my second boat and a way down my list of other hobbies...Budget is pretty tight but I have plenty of time to look....Looking for help making a decision. I want a small boat as I think I'll use it more. I spend a lot of weekends on the beach, so beach launching (not into the surf but the bay) is a nice feature. My wife is about 5' and under 100# soaking wet so I need to be able to setup and right pretty much solo.

Any advice?
 
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#8 ·
The plan is to trailer the boat. Renting a slip is an option for half the year, during the usable season..however right now that's not the plan.



I'm thinking of beaching or getting hung up on the bottom. If I got into trouble with something with a centerboard I could board up and push the boat off. I haven't sailed the area enough to know how much of a problem it will be but locals have said the shallower the better.
 
#4 ·
Something like a Sirius 21/22 swing keel maybe. Floats in about 1.5' of water board up.
I did the north channel in one many years ago, pop top makes it "livable".
Was a popular boat in Canada not sure about south of the border.
 
#34 ·
A catamaran would be hard to beat for what you want. Lack of storage should not be a problem.
When I was on Lake Superior last month I saw some people who had done that. We were surprised to see such a little boat out in the islands but I looked at a chart and we were only 4 miles from a boat ramp on the mainland, so I suppose they put in there and in a half hour were beached on the island. Unload their camping gear, then you can buzz around on the beach cat for the rest of your stay. Looked like great fun.

The only risk would be that the weather would turn and you'd have to wait a day to make it back to the mainland.
 
#6 ·
A catamaran would be hard to beat for what you want. Lack of storage should not be a problem. On my Sol Cat 18 I rigged a strong cargo net up front, going from the bridle chain plates all the way to trampoline. I carried stuff there in dry bags strapped tight. The extra weight slows you down just a little bit but also improves cat's stability. Some people strap their gear under the trampoline, but that extra cargo net up front comes in really handy.
 
#9 ·
Thank you for the information. I guess I never considered that as an option for storing gear.

There's a Prindle(18) and a Getaway within 6 hours of me. It is almost always VERY windy (20-30 mph) down here and I had a Nacra 5.0 for a short time. It felt like a lot of boat to solo (the others will be enjoying the ride while I sail). Especially with the low weight we'll have on the boat most of the time.

We sailed a Wave in Cozumel and absolutely loved it. It was so easy to rig and move on the beach plus it was small and easy to manage. When you can find them they go at a premium used and buying new isn't an option...
 
#7 · (Edited)
You might want to consider a 'lift keel' type of boat such as the Holder 20. The keel is retractable to allow approx. 12" of depth., has a cuddy cabin, large cockpit for daysailing, etc. These boats were originally built by Vagabond then bought out by Hobie (Cat) and were in production through the late 1980s
HOLDER 20 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
 

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#10 ·
If you're rigging it Everytime you use it my answer is different than in water storage. Stepping the mast every time you go sailing on even a 20' boat is a major PITA. If you plan on stepping every time, I wouldn't go much bigger than a Wayfarer/Albacore or similar.

You can carry 2 adults and 4 kids in either one I guess, plus some camping gear for overnight.

A boat with a cabin and no ballast would make me really nervous, especially with kids on board.

If mast stepping is only occasional, then I agree with above, a swing keel 22, like a Catalina or similar.
 
#13 ·
If mast stepping is only occasional, then I agree with above, a swing keel 22, like a Catalina or similar.
I'm on my third year with my Catalina 22. So far I've rigged and launched it seven times, and de-rigged it and pulled it six (it's in the water now). It's not something I enjoy doing, but it's not that bad. I have it down to about an hour on each end, assuming I haven't lost any parts or anything. A bit longer to rig than to de-rig.

I have system worked out for raising the mast so I can almost do it by myself, I just need someone on the ground to hold a line for about thirty seconds while I move around the boat, no strength required on the part of the helper.

I have read of people raising the keel and beaching a C22, but I would be reluctant to do so. If the waves pushed you a little further up than you thought suddenly you have a 2200 pound boat stuck in the sand. One tactic I read of that made sense was to anchor off the bow and then back towards a beach, and once you get shallow enough step off the back and wade into shore with a stern line so you have the boat tied off on both ends. Only in calm water.

I overnight on it a few times a month, and my wife joins me for some of those. It's cozy. I'm not sure how it'd work with kids, but I don't have kids so I'm not really sure how anything works with kids.
 
#11 ·
I would look into a Marshall 18' catboat. They draw 19" with the board up and have a small cabin for overnights. The cockpit is huge for an 18' boat and they sail very well. Best of all you can get them with a tabernacle mast which means you'll go from trailer to fully rigged in about 5 minutes. Awesome little boats!
 
#15 ·
Some marinas have storage lots where you can keep your boat on a trailer fully rigged. All you have to do is launch it from the ramp. This saves a lot of money compared to renting a slip, and a lot of time rigging and taking down every time you want to sail. Also keeps stuff from growing on your hull.
 
#21 ·
As far as I'm aware there isn't a dry storage there and I really want to stay with smaller. I can get a slip with electricity for $80/month so sticking it in a slip for half the year isn't a big issue. I really want a smaller boat though...I will certainly consider it because it'd probably be used more often if it was in the water and actually fit everyone comfortably. My wife is concerned that a boat like that would be boring for the kids and it wouldn't necessarily be exciting...she is really pushing for a cat...

I'm also concerned with the mast stepping process. Setting up that Nacra wasn't a lot of fun and I'm not sure my wife could help at all with that process. So I would need to setup a process where I could step it solo...
 
#23 ·
I'm also concerned with the mast stepping process. Setting up that Nacra wasn't a lot of fun and I'm not sure my wife could help at all with that process. So I would need to setup a process where I could step it solo...
I made two modifications which made mast stepping a lot easier and safer on my cat.
1. I put a bolt through the bottom of the mast and mast step on my Sol Cat so the mast would never jump out of the pivoting step. Once the mast is secured, the bolt comes out and the mast can rotate as designed (Sol Cats have rotating masts).
2. I put a hand winch on the mast support post on my trailer. The winch cable hooks up to the fore stay and even a small kid can crank it up, raising the mast easily and maintaining it's vertical control. All I have to do is guide the mast up, preventing it from swinging side to side. Once the mast is fully up, I connect the front wire bridle to the stay, disconnect the winch cable, and tighten the rig with a turnbuckle.
It is a very quick and easy setup that cost me less than $50 and a little labor.
 
#31 · (Edited)
I sail an Oday Mariner so my opinion is a bit biased. I needed a shallow draft daysailer and didn't have much options because the boat would be sitting on mud during low tide. The Mariner was perfect for my situation and has a very large cockpit and my girlfriend enjoys the cabin. My mariner has a furling jib, porter potty and a fresh water sink, plenty of storage and room for an overnight. Theres also a great owners association with an active forum and two different parts suppliers for the mariner. The only downsides I see is the low cabin height, its like crawling into a large tent. No room for a Bimini. And when the center board is all the way down the cable vibrates and makes a very annoying sound. Happy boat buying
 
#32 ·
Gdbyrd: You pose a difficult question. There may not be a single boat that meets your (you and your wife) set of criteria. I own a Mariner and decades ago I owned a Hobie16. My advice is: listen to your wife. She wants to experience the sportiness of a beach cat - holy crap, man, ride that wave as long as it's available! There will be plenty of time later for sailing a more conservative boat like a Mariner. How does she propose to take care of the kids while you are out on the beach cat?
 
#33 ·
Just fishing for people that might have some info on a newport 15' skipjack. I don't seem to be having any luck finding much info on this boat. Anyone out there that could help, I need it! Good looking boat I got for cheap, had a hole in it, fixed that, ready to go. Thanks, littledog
 
#35 ·
The ideal boat for this would be the Stilletto 27, but they may be a bit out of the price range. So go tract down a S23. Fast, trailerable, enough space for camping gear, and plenty of legroom. A Reynolds 21 would also be an awsome boat (more cruiser less racer).

But any of these will be a major step up for the wife compared to a Potter.
 
#36 ·
JWing you have some excellent advice. I think I'm pretty much sold on the cat idea.

I found a used getaway for a very good price but it is a days drive away. Crazy I live on some beautiful water with nonstop wind and I can't find a boat locally...There are two mid 80s H16s for sale about 3 hours away (1500 and 1800). Both say they are in sailing condition.

A stilletto would be great. My dad sailed one for many years and I have very fond memories of it as a kid. This is way down on the want list so right now I can't dedicate much money to this hobby.

My wife and I have arranged our schedules so we have one day off per week together. This is when we'd be sailing together. Otherwise on weekends we would tow it with us to the beach and launch it in the bay and I could take the boys out with me...or on the off chance the grandparents go with us we could take turns.

The getaway has the appeal that I could fit the whole family on it. It is entirely too heavy though. In the bay it is sometimes a half mile walk before you're in water that would float a boat. The ground is hard and it's a very gradual slope so I think cat trax would make it doable.

You guys are great help with thinking this out.
 
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