SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

20' to 22' swing keel with small cuddy

Tags
cuddy trailer
12K views 48 replies 25 participants last post by  Ziaduck 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello again,

I don't like redundant threads as much as the next guy, but in need of pretty specific information.

My dad and I are looking at going half-in on a small trailerable sailboat. I live in Vancouver, Canada, he is in inland WA state. We thought of getting something we could keep at a marina, say in Everett, during the sailing season.

Neither of us has much boating experience, so a forgiving boat would be preferred. Key is that it have a larger cockpit than an equal sized cruiser. Probably will be used for day outings and perhaps tow to other parts of the region....hence the swing keel. A small cuddy with room for two would be nice, definitely room for a portable head.

I'm thinking Tanzer, Catalina or early MacGregors would fit the bill, but are these not more cruisers? Suggestions welcome. My dad is eager to spend money, but I'd rather step back and do some research.

Thanks,
Matt
 
#2 ·
I would second your initial choices. Also consider a fixed shoal keel. With a long enough ramp you can trailer launch boats on trailers this size. I have seen people trailer launch boats up to 5' draft, but, you would need a particularly long/steep ramp.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Here's a YW search for 20-24 foot daysailers in the PNW and CA... some interesting ideas here.. some of these come with trailers.

Most will have more accommodation than you're looking for and many will have fixed keels or excessive draft for trailering, but this will give you an idea of what's on the market.

Something like an SJ 21 or C22 will probably provide most of what you're after and give you the option of overnighting on occasion.

If you're budget allows the Harbor 20s on this list look like fun, but I don't think they are available with a swing keel. From their class site, though, it seems many live on trailers...

In fact a search with 'swing keel' as a key word for the same area turned up zero results.

(Sail) Daysailer Boats For Sale
 
#8 ·
Too funny... when I read your OP I thought to myself 'I didn't know there was a Vancouver in California!"
Have you looked at the local Craigslist site for something?
 
#10 ·
I really like the Rhodes 22 (built by General Boats) -- that's what I'd have if I wanted to keep it in a marina. Large comfortable cockpit, plus lots of neat things that make setting off easier for a short handed crew. (in-mast furling, for one) You can add the new gizmos to the older ones. But they don't seem to be as cheap, and they aren't real plentiful. Being built in NC I bet they're even harder to find on the West Coast. I love my Venture 17 (MacGregor) The 21 and 22 foot versions are a lot of boat for hardly any money. They tow easily too. You didn't say what sort of vehicle you're going to be towing with. The Venture 21 could be towed with a transverse engine V6 car/crossover. The Rhodes you'd probably want a pickup truck or SUV to tow it any distance.
 
#12 ·
Being 6'3", I have certain biases, but check out a few 25 foot boats. For my purposes, the Macgregor 22 cabin was useless, I couldn't sit up straight in it. That being said, I had the boat for 9 years and loved every minute. Macs are much lighter than Catalinas or O'Days. Many Macgregors were not fitted with a full complement of sail controls, are likely to be less expensive to buy and maintain, easiler to launch, retrieve and tow. The best boat is one you will sail a lot. Pick the "easiest" (how ever you define easy) one and the one that makes you smile when you look at it. The more times you turn around to look at it as you walk away, the better that boat is for you.
Lou
 
#16 ·
Any thoughts on this listing?

To me this model looks to have both a swing keel, but also some shoal draft...am I correct?
Any comments on shoal keel vs. pure swing keel?
Yes, it has a short keel with a CB inside it.



Probably makes getting it on a trailer a bit more of an issue, but if the board is housed in a keel then the interior is more open because the cb trunk will be less of an intrusion, if at all. You'll also have some more directional stability with the board up.

One thing... if you are ever sailing with the board up, remember your rudder will be deeper than your keel.
 
#17 · (Edited)
I don't want to throw this tread off course, but quickly, how much stock should you place in vehicle recommended towing capacity? Reason I ask, the hitch for a given model of car gives a much greater load capacity than the car manufacturer does. Why would would a hitch manufacturer offer a higher spec than the vehicle it is designed for? If there is a thread already discussing this please send me there...
 
#18 ·
Mercedes-Benz USA says "DON'T TOW WITH YOUR CAR" while my same exact car in Europe is rated to tow over 4000 lbs. It's not the car you need to worry about. It's the lawyers. Seems like the automakers think we're going to try to qualify for Talladega while towing, and will tow the heaviest trailer allowed at 75 mph through the Rockies so they say "don't tow" or give a healthy car a low rating. When towing on the highway I'm in the right lane, going pretty close to the speed limit. (a little above in preparation for a long hill, and a little under toward the crest) I certainly wouldn't try towing a tri-axle with a Smart car of course, but check similar models or International specs -- maybe your car can tow more than you think. Just know you might be in some hot water if you're involved in an accident and your trailer exceeds the tow rating. My "DON'T TOW" car tows just fine -- it's Rear-wheel-drive, torquey, and has gigantic 4-piston fixed caliper disk brakes. It's like it was made to tow.
 
#22 ·
Precision makes a quality boat. The 18 has a large following in the trailer sailor world. Precision puts a little more emphasis on speed and performance than cruising amenities. I don't think you could go wrong if 18' is enough boat for you. They also make some larger boats and both the 21 and the 23 are quality boats.
 
#20 ·
If you're seriously interested in that Oday, let me know. My boat is on Eagle Mountain, and that Oday is at Harbor One, my old marina. I can swing by, take a look at it and take some better pics for you....if you want.
 
#21 ·
Take a look at the San Juan 23. Exactly what your looking for. had many trips to the San Juans, Gulf Islands and Puget Sound in this little gem....Heck, I even lived aboard for 6 months, before I got the big boat...
 
#23 ·
Try to locate a used Ranger 20, built in Kent,WA. It was called the "UNsinkable Molly Brown" until the movie copyright people got after them. Stub keel with CB, cuddy cabin with vee berth and room for a portapotty. Most have a dodger with aft canvas to enclose the cabin. I owned two of them, before and after a Catalina 25. It has a bridge deck with the traveler. A superb rig for single handing. My wife and I spent two weeks aboard in Desolation Sound, trailering from the Columbiia River.
 
#24 ·
I would recommend the Catalina Capri 22; it is basically a C-18 with 4 feet of cockpit added. Down below is a port-o-potti and 2 quarter berths, the rest is all cockpit.

I'm not sure about the keel configs available; I'm pretty sure I've seen Wing (2' 6") and Fin (3' 6"). The C-22 has a swing keel (2' 0" & 5' 0") so maybe that is available as well.
 
#25 ·
Chrysler 20, 22

We used to have a Chrysler 20. It was a well made boat that sailed well and had a swing keel. We always admired the neighbor's chrysler 22 as well. These can usually be found very cheaply.

A Catalina 22 has a bigger cabin though and there are generally more to chose from in just about any market.

In Florida Compacs are very popular. The compac 19 and 23 are very good boats and generally thought of as more seaworthy than catalinas and have full keels but a shallow draft. They are usually more expensive.

If you've got the dough. Check out the compac 23 pilot house. They are new this year. I checked it out at the St. Pete boat show and I have to say it was very sweet.
 
#27 ·
Thanks JoeDiver for the links and for checking out that boat! Thanks everyone else for your suggestions and pointers. Everyone seems a forgiving and helpful bunch. Been to other forums where after they find out you're a "newby", kindly suggest you go play somewhere else ;)
 
#29 ·
FWIW, I used to have a Catalina 22, and now own an Oday 23. An Oday 22 was docked across from me for several years and I know the boat fairly well.

I like the Oday stub keel/centerboard set up better than the Catalina 22 swing keel. The Oday board is controlled by a single line lead into the cockpit. No cranks, no ratchets. The ballast is safely and permanently encapsulated in the stub keel. The Catalina doesn't really have a centerboard; its really a swing keel. All of the boat's ballast is held to the boat by one pin. That keel is controlled by a crank/steel cable set up. Now, Catalina has made thousands of these things and have worked out most of the bugs, but it is still another piece of equipment subject to the harsh marine environment that needs maintenance and can fail. Don't get me wrong: the Catalina is a great boat. There are thousands of them with active owners' associations, and Catalina itself is still in business to support your boat. You won't go wrong with a C-22.

However, as I said, I like the Oday better. One other thing: the head in a Catalina is (at best) behind a curtain under the cusions of the v-berth. On the Oday, its behind a door in its own "compartment". Never underestimate the value of this feature when the ladies are aboard, even if its only for a daysail.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top