An Alternative : Trailerable Cruising Yachts

[Grith]

Now having completed several multi month cruises I can confidently state it is possible to have a comfortable inshore waters and inland waters extended cruising capable yacht that is still easily trailerable.
During our short stopovers in marinas and sometimes whilst at anchor we are often approached by larger yacht owners reminiscing about the travel freedom provided by their previous experiences owning trailerable yachts.
Many graduate to sailing much larger craft (often with then unfulfilled dreams of ocean crossings) only to find the time required sailing to relocate their craft to desirable cruising grounds from their home ports leaves little time for actual enjoyment and exposes them to arduous/challenging passages.
This results in them leaving their yachts in remote and sometimes expensive locations to return home by air and similar less than perfect solutions.
Most previously owned trailer sailers that were more suited to weekend or week long camping onboard rather than extended living and like the look of the larger more comfortable compromise we have chosen.
Our 28 foot trailer sailer manages standing headroom at the galley, a closed door shower/toilet compartment and both a very large v berth and even larger under cockpit queen sized double that are not required to be deconstructed for dinette/seating purposes like on many smaller craft.
It provides a comfortable living space for a couple for extended periods and even a bit of a cramped space for two couples or small family for a shorter period.
The ability to change cruising grounds in days versus weeks to even months makes escaping cyclones/hurricanes, sweltering heat or bitter cold conditions very easy.
Our 30cm ( 1 foot ) draft with flat bottom and retracting swing keel and rudders also allows access to many places denied regular craft and in higher tidal zones we often dry out and walk to shore.
In addition a very practical mast raising and lowering system (that is apparently quite common in Polish built trailer sailers) remains insitu and allows one person cockpit lowering of the mast for bridges and powerlines whilst underway under power.
This combined with its trailering ability opens up a huge range of very interesting inland waterways for extended cruising in these unique locations.
For those without the urge to cross oceans I feel it’s an alternative worth a look at.
Shown here moored in complete tranquility as the location precludes access to any craft with over about 60cm ( 2 foot ) draft.

 

[William_H]

"Sailing" encompasses a huge range of different styles of activity. From racing a dinghy or larger boat to cruising small boat or larger boat to around the world cruising. The really hard part is for a new comer is to find his own niche. I started aspirations from stories of around the world cruising. I ended up racing a small trailer sailer every Sunday for 2.5 hrs from a swing mooring. I can only say that it is apparently my niche after 43 years.
Grith seems to have found his niche in cruising a large trailer sailer. Perhaps much easier in Oz with more large towing vehicles available and cheaper fuel. I have cruised my 21ft TS a bit over the years. Always enjoyed it but seem to have a love of my own bed. I seem to have had a nervousness about getting home without drama. Anyway that is just me. Mast lowering launching and retrieval have never been a problem.
My point is every one is different when it comes to cruising or racing and viva la difference. But Griff has a point that a large TS can open up wonderful new cruising grounds. Well done. ol'will
That's ol'will supervising from cabin. Yes shock horror I did last weekend buy a tiny Honda 2.3 o/b It pushes us along nicely in no wind. Nice on the water that day but official max temp got to 43 so yes i should have had hat on. Pretty hot in cabin.

 

[Grith]

Having raced for many years myself I find extended cruising and around the bouys racing have some links but are quite different activities. It’s a bit like a days car racing versus a month out driving/living in a motorhome.
The other big differences in a larger cruising oriented trailer sailer versus larger cruising yachts are things like the ability to take your craft home ( for those of us with the space ) for maintenance, upgrades and cruise preparation and provisioning.
No ongoing expensive marina fees or even annual haul-out charges are another advantage along with not stressing what’s happening to your remotely located pride and joy.
Yes I agree those of us in Australia, the Americas and some parts of Europe don’t have the issues of the crowded and narrow roads of the UK and some parts of Europe.
Our set up is big and long under tow whilst still being within unrestricted road legal width and length and able to be towed by a large SUV or similar and rigged/launched singlehandedly at most local boat ramps.
We used to just tow with a VW Touareg but now have our apocalypse ready() AWD light truck and camper to tow our monster trailerable yacht.

 

[Greg2]

We are mobo types who also like to sail and we had a Norfolk Gypsy trailer sailer for a year or so but wanted something that we could spend a bit of time aboard with a view to trailing round the country for the odd trip. We sold the Gypsy and got very interested in a Haber 660 sloop that had been re-furbished and was very tidy. Really liked the concept and also the other models that they produce in Poland.

We didn’t make an offer in the end for various reasons and are now spending the money on a refit of our mobo but I still harbour thoughts of getting another trailer sailer.
.

 

[nevis768]

I had a small trailer sailer for15 years until last year, but the hassle surrounding launch and recovery, and also towing, led to me buying a small 28 ft yacht.

 

[Concerto]

Having raced for many years myself I find extended cruising and around the bouys racing have some links but are quite different activities. It’s a bit like a days car racing versus a month out driving/living in a motorhome.
The other big differences in a larger cruising oriented trailer sailer versus larger cruising yachts are things like the ability to take your craft home ( for those of us with the space ) for maintenance, upgrades and cruise preparation and provisioning.
No ongoing expensive marina fees or even annual haul-out charges are another advantage along with not stressing what’s happening to your remotely located pride and joy.
Yes I agree those of us in Australia, the Americas and some parts of Europe don’t have the issues of the crowded and narrow roads of the UK and some parts of Europe.
Our set up is big and long under tow whilst still being within unrestricted road legal width and length and able to be towed by a large SUV or similar and rigged/launched singlehandedly at most local boat ramps.
We used to just tow with a VW Touareg but now have our apocalypse ready() AWD light truck and camper to tow our monster trailerable yacht.
View attachment 172880

View attachment 172883

What's the sailing like at Coober Pedy?

 

[Grith]

I had a small trailer sailer for15 years until last year, but the hassle surrounding launch and recovery, and also towing, led to me buying a small 28 ft yacht.

Appropriate mast raising and launching systems overcome many of the usual complaints about trailer sailers and ours at 28 foot like your yacht is very capable of extended relatively comfortable cruising for a couple.
In fact our next big planned adventure requires us to be completely self sufficient for around 3 months due to the extreme remote nature of The Kimberley’s in North West Western Australia.
More importantly however sailing rather than trailering to that location from any state capital in Australia is a truely epic enterprise versus just towing the yacht to launch there.
Fully integrated one person mast raising system that stays insitu when the yacht is both trailering and on water.
Low water depth requiring roll on roll off trailer with remote vehicle controlled electro hydraulic stainless steel disc braking system on the light weight alloy trailer.
Dodger and Bimini structures with attached 920w of solar panels remain erected when towing the yacht.
I can manage the whole rigging and launching process and its reverse recovery by myself.
Having help isn’t required but obviously speeds the process.

 

[Grith]

What's the sailing like at Coober Pedy?

Well we were doing 50knots directly into a stiff breeze shortly after that photo but it wasn’t exactly sailing!

 

[Concerto]

Well we were doing 50knots directly into a stiff breeze shortly after that photo but it wasn’t exactly sailing!

I forgot you have a power sailer.

 

[Grith]

Shown here is our trailerable cruising yacht with most of the prerequisites for very extended comfortable cruising.
Multiple opening port lights and standing headroom, well protected cockpit with full length seats for outside sleeping to even fold out full sun protection.
Large cockpit lockers and internal storage
along with the ability to carry an inflated dingy onboard on the cabin roof.

 

[Grith]

I forgot you have a power sailer.

I wish that was on water! About 15knots heavily laden is our limit there. 50knots upwind was on trailer towing behind our vehicle!

 

[ylop]

During our short stopovers in marinas and sometimes whilst at anchor we are often approached by larger yacht owners reminiscing about the travel freedom provided by their previous experiences owning trailerable yachts.

You do have a sample bias because you don’t have the ones who are thinking - thank god we don’t have the hassle of putting the mast up each time, the inconvenience of towing etc.

Many graduate to sailing much larger craft (often with then unfulfilled dreams of ocean crossings) only to find the time required sailing to relocate their craft to desirable cruising grounds from their home ports leaves little time for actual enjoyment and exposes them to arduous/challenging passages.

I suspect many also realise they wanted a caravan and switch away from sailing all together and buy a caravan/camper van and perhaps enjoy some time afloat in a kayak or paddle board.

This results in them leaving their yachts in remote and sometimes expensive locations to return home by air and similar less than perfect solutions.

But they can go places where driving is equally as impractical. Potential A-B trips without worrying about where you’ve left the car and trailer.

Most previously owned trailer sailers that were more suited to weekend or week long camping onboard rather than extended living and like the look of the larger more comfortable compromise we have chosen.

Compromise is the right word because every boat from tender to superyacht is a set of compromises.

No ongoing expensive marina fees or even annual haul-out charges are another advantage along with not stressing what’s happening to your remotely located pride and joy.

But the advantage of a marina is you can tie up, plug in and basically go home. I used to tow a boat. Arriving at the slip then involved recovering the boat, preparing for towing, and a slower drive home. Most marinas probably do have the facilities to haul out that sort of boat (but perhaps not at all stages of tide) but it won’t be free, and the ever more limited public slipways will struggle. You’ll then have a trailer to maintain, need to own a vehicle suitable for towing a beast like that and space for storing it - in the UK I’ve noticed lots of bigger (but not 28 ft big) trailer sailers being stored in boat yards because typical houses don’t have that space (that’s probably true of most of Europe and big cities elsewhere).

But there’s no doubt there’s fun to be had in virtually all sizes of boat, some are more suited to particular adventures than others and marketeers are good at manipulating us to believe we want the one that makes their bosses the most money!

 

[Grith]

You do have a sample bias because you don’t have the ones who are thinking - thank god we don’t have the hassle of putting the mast up each time, the inconvenience of towing etc.


I suspect many also realise they wanted a caravan and switch away from sailing all together and buy a caravan/camper van and perhaps enjoy some time afloat in a kayak or paddle board.


But they can go places where driving is equally as impractical. Potential A-B trips without worrying about where you’ve left the car and trailer.


Compromise is the right word because every boat from tender to superyacht is a set of compromises.

But the advantage of a marina is you can tie up, plug in and basically go home. I used to tow a boat. Arriving at the slip then involved recovering the boat, preparing for towing, and a slower drive home. Most marinas probably do have the facilities to haul out that sort of boat (but perhaps not at all stages of tide) but it won’t be free, and the ever more limited public slipways will struggle. You’ll then have a trailer to maintain, need to own a vehicle suitable for towing a beast like that and space for storing it - in the UK I’ve noticed lots of bigger (but not 28 ft big) trailer sailers being stored in boat yards because typical houses don’t have that space (that’s probably true of most of Europe and big cities elsewhere).

But there’s no doubt there’s fun to be had in virtually all sizes of boat, some are more suited to particular adventures than others and marketeers are good at manipulating us to believe we want the one that makes their bosses the most money!

Each to their own and I completely understand those wanting to cross oceans or have the monster apartments on water and the like.
However putting up the mast and launching are generally way easier than haul outs and yearly anti fouling just for a start and the option of just sitting our yacht in a marina and paying the extortionate fees is still entirely available.

Having sailed on trailerable yachts for over 50 years I have seen all the issues related to mast raising and launching but the right yacht, trailer and systems go a long way to addressing these.

Yes we are limited by not being able to cross oceans but our range of sometimes unique coastal and inland cruising locations is actually far wider than any conventional cruising yacht and getting there decidedly easier, quicker and actually generally cheaper than sailing there.

We have never worried about our car and trailer security finding multiple secure ways to store our vehicle and trailer usually free or only requiring a case or two of beer to facilitate this. Local yachties with land space, yacht clubs with reciprocal membership, farmers paddocks, transport company yards and even police yards.
Caravanning does not compare in our view as our overnighting locations are free, direct waterfront, uncrowded and generally car van inaccessible.

Definitely inaccessible to cars and caravans and delightful.

When moored with our more conventional brethren we are almost always the smallest but also the closest in and most sheltered.
However we often have our anchorages completely to ourselves and sometimes like this one can just watch the keel yachts and powerboats bucking in the reflected swells out deep as we sheltered from 30knot plus winds. Our shallow draft has also allowed us to buy an exceptionally cheap waterfront home base as our forgotten somewhere nowhere marina/canal development has an average depth of only about 5 feet. It however also has mast erected trailerable access to our excellent local boat ramp (seen opposite) from our home for launch and retrievals.
That fact it is in a forgotten corner of South Australia doesn’t concern us as the best sailing locations in Australia are only a few days drive away in multiple directions and we are on The Murray River and close to the huge Lake Alexandrina.
The point of this thread wasn’t to criticise others choices it was to highlight an alternative that many may not have considered. I understand that the UK is perhaps one of the less desirable locations for a trailer sailer due to the whole place being overcrowded and sailing locations (and often conditions) not being so well suited for smaller lighter cruising craft.

 

[Grith]

Deleted a double post.

 

[Bouba]

Deleted a double post.

Talking of double post.....a trailer sailor is also a caravan...so why tow it with a motor home

 

[Grith]

Talking of double post.....a trailer sailor is also a caravan...so why tow it with a motor home

Just using the Trailer sailer on land as well was my original plan but as stated above, everything is a compromise!
My partner now of only four years is a dedicated Bushwalker who had never even previously set foot on any kind of boat before meeting me.
I have been extremely fortunate to repartner with such a capable and adaptable lady who has taken to yachting and kayaking like a duck to water but retains her need to push herself extreme walking and climbing.
The off-road capable slide on truck camper is so the yacht can now be left in coastal storage whilst we use the truck with camper to explore inland places and use it as a base camp for extended walking, backpacking and kayaking.
With the distances involved in traversing Australia just heading back to our home base to swap platforms often isn’t an option.
The combination unit even allow us to remain permanently on the road carrying much of our adventure equipment with us.
The camper and truck has our mountain bikes, inflatable kayak and backpacking gear along with being able to carry our fold a boat hard shell alternative to our inflatable dingy for The Kimberley’s on a side under tray mounted sup carrier.
The chance find of our current waterfront with jetty incredibly cheap home has however seen us now very regularly travelling from an interesting base.
We are currently 10 week touring Tasmania without the yacht due to the Spirit of Tasmania car ferry transport costs to also bring it but we are examining coastal locations with the thought of sailing Bass Straight to bring the yacht over here some time after the Kimberley’s trip.
I call the camper our land yacht and there is a lot of equipment and stuff that is transferred between which ever platform is in current main use.

The shower/toilet is better in the camper as is the headroom!

 

[Bouba]

Just using the Trailer sailer on land as well was my original plan but as stated above, everything is a compromise!
My partner now of only four years is a dedicated Bushwalker who had never even previously set foot on any kind of boat before meeting me.
I have been extremely fortunate to repartner with such a capable and adaptable lady who has taken to yachting and kayaking like a duck to water but retains her need to push herself extreme walking and climbing.
The off-road capable slide on truck camper is so the yacht can now be left in coastal storage whilst we use the truck with camper to explore inland places and use it as a base camp for extended walking, backpacking and kayaking.
With the distances involved in traversing Australia just heading back to our home base to swap platforms often isn’t an option.
The combination unit even allow us to remain permanently on the road carrying much of our adventure equipment with us.
The camper and truck has our mountain bikes, inflatable kayak and backpacking gear along with being able to carry our fold a boat hard shell alternative to our inflatable dingy for The Kimberley’s on a side under tray mounted sup carrier.
The chance find of our current waterfront with jetty incredibly cheap home has however seen us now very regularly travelling from an interesting base.
We are currently 10 week touring Tasmania without the yacht due to the Spirit of Tasmania car ferry transport costs to also bring it but we are examining coastal locations with the thought of sailing Bass Straight to bring the yacht over here some time after the Kimberley’s trip.View attachment 172938
I call the camper our land yacht and there is a lot of equipment and stuff that is transferred between which ever platform is in current main use.
View attachment 172939
The shower/toilet is better in the camper as is the headroom!

You have a great lifeand really take advantage of living in Australia

 

[ylop]

I understand that the UK is perhaps one of the less desirable locations for a trailer sailer due to the whole place being overcrowded and sailing locations not being so well suited for smaller lighter cruising craft.

there’s plenty of good sailing grounds in the U.K. for trailer sailers. Perhaps not one as big as yours to tow, launch, store but your boat would do well when afloat in much of the Uk.

However putting up the mast and launching are generally way easier than haul outs and yearly anti fouling just for a start.

haul outs - give key to boat yard they send me a bill, it couldn’t be easier! My experience of antifoul is it’s less hassle than trailer brakes and bearings!

Having sailed on trailerable yachts for over 50 years I have seen all the issues related to mast raising and launching but the right yacht, trailer and systems go a long way to addressing these.

without doubt well thought out systems will make a huge difference. How long from driving in to a boat yard to being underway afloat and vice versa? I think those are issues if you are a weekend user. For those with the luxury of longer trips they matter less - but then the downsides of a bigger boat may matter less then too.

The camper and truck has our mountain bikes, inflatable kayak and backpacking gear

should have bought a 40 footer - they’d fit easily there too!

10 week touring Tasmania without the yacht due to the Spirit of Tasmania car ferry transport costs

I suspect that’s an issue for many looking at using ferries to do the heavy lifting of repositioning a yacht - I know it used to be for us when we towed a dayboat; I dread to think what 28ft would cost!

But one of the things I do find fascinating is how boat designs evolve to their local circumstances. You only need to go about 50-100 miles along the coast a small country like the U.K. and you will see differences in the successful local designs of fishing and sailing boats but if you look at the GRP in the marinas they too tend to have trends, bilge keels on the east coast, cockpit tables and bikinis on the south coast, enclosures further north, etc. Your boat looks ideal for the world it grew up in - huge inland lakes of Poland, trailable to Baltic or Med. it may be you’ve coincidentally got the same requirements in Oz.

 

[Snowgoose-1]

I even went as far as buying an 18' trailer sailor with a nice trailer as a second boat.

In my retirement, I had great ideas of travelling and sailing to new areas to keep sailing fresh with new adventures.

It didn't happen. I sold the boat. I chickened out at having to buy a bigger car and seeing caravans and trailers swaying about on motorways.

It's great that others can make it work and I do envy them in a way.

 

[Grith]

Prior to fully rigging and modifying the yacht for extended cruising I had our arrival, rig, launch, car and trailer park and push off down to well under 45 minutes.
Now with needing to reposition the Bimini carrying the solar panels and the loading of the yacht for extended cruising including filling the water tanks, blowing up dingy’s and SUP and all the other pre cruise tasks it’s more like two hours including raising the mast and launching.
Also that’s not counting moving the vehicle and trailer to a secure location for a multi week/month leave which could add as much as a few more hours.
So granted I generally need to allocate half a day.
However we can now derig and completely prepare for towing whilst on water meaning reloading the yacht onto the trailer at the boat ramp and leaving is as fast as any powerboat with only attaching the towing straps needed before driving away.
I did the packup shown here entirely without stepping on land to prove it could be done at anchor.

The dingy actually then travelled still mounted here back to South Australia and the SUP was in a cockpit locker.
The anchors both bow and stern remained in place whilst towing and the fenders and lines also moved to storage whilst doing the short motor around to the ramp.
We then covered several thousand kilometres in four days of daylight hours only towing back from northern Queensland to southern South Australia due to needing to rush home to view a potential property purchase.
It had been intended to amble home stopping to cruise several times along the way but plans change.
Like you the trailer and engine annual maintenance can be as simple as driving to my local mechanic and picking up that afternoon but now retired I like to save the money and do them myself at home with all my workshop tools right to hand.
It also makes modifying and upgrading very simple and a joy when the yacht is right beside your house.
Having visited the UK several times and lived there for eleven months I think our both public and club boat ramps are generally both larger and much more frequent than over there and finding space, parking ( and perhaps life ) just so much easier here in Aus.
Also our distances between desirable cruising grounds can be huge in comparison.
I would love however to cruise the Polish Lakes, the Med and the like but whilst able to fit my yacht in a forty foot container ( the way it came to Australia ) the cost of return transport is prohibitive.
PS We live right next door to a 24 hour ferry across the Murray river at Wellington but that runs 24 hours on demand, can fit our truck towing the yacht and is free!