An Alternative : Trailerable Cruising Yachts

[Grith]

General internal arrangement of our yacht.
Small for an extended cruising but big for a trailer sailer especially considering having standing headroom at the galley without poptops or similar tricks.
I think the enclosed head/shower with opening window is a game changer especially for those of us getting older and wanting our ladies onboard.
The roll on roll off powerboat style flat bottomed profile and fully retracting swing keel and rudders may not be the most efficient upwind but they do allow a roll on roll off style trailer and much lower hull to road trailering height and shallow ramp launching and retrieving.
The other benefit is exceptionally low draft making gunkholing in uncharted waters possible. The self retracting swing keel also forgives the occasional navigation error or uncharted obstacle.
From bitter experience one of the keys to successful trailer sailing is a high quality well maintained trailer. After all the first word in Trailer Sailer is Trailer and replacing these can cost more than many older yachts!

 

[William_H]

Hi Grith I agree about trailer maintenance and for me concern when towing.
I find when raising mast the most difficult part is moving the mast aft from base over the pulpit to into the base on cabin top. I find it easiest with 2 people. I wonder if you have any tricks that I don't know about.I have even wondered about a track fromm cabin top to front with mast base permanently attached but it does seem a bit cumbersome for actual sailing. ol'will

 

[Grith]

Hi Grith I agree about trailer maintenance and for me concern when towing.
I find when raising mast the most difficult part is moving the mast aft from base over the pulpit to into the base on cabin top. I find it easiest with 2 people. I wonder if you have any tricks that I don't know about.I have even wondered about a track fromm cabin top to front with mast base permanently attached but it does seem a bit cumbersome for actual sailing. ol'will

I have a solidly mounted roller with cheek sides on my targa bar right at the back of the yacht. This also carries the mast when trailering.
My mast is fairly big but easy to pick up and roll backwards on that roller until the mast base lines up with the mast foot on the cabin roof.
It then just pins in place. The inner side stays actually exactly position the mast base as you move it backward coming onto tension at the correct position.
These then stay exactly tensioned as the mast is raised which along with the built in AFrame with multi purchase system on it and the bow with similar setup allow a one person very stable mast raise via a line back to a cabin top multi purpose winch.
I cannot claim credit for the system it is a Polish designed one very common on their modern trailerable yachts I believe.

 

[Grith]

Whilst it’s easy to be envious of others huge living spaces on much larger cruising yachts our space on our 28 foot yacht is adequate for multi month cruising for a couple.
It would take a special pair I feel to live permanently onboard our trailerable yacht but I could foresee it as possible especially when combined with time onshore when towing between cruising grounds.
Our particular setup with the tow vehicle being a small AWD truck and removable slide on camper is particularly well suited to creating a completely mobile lifestyle featuring most of the benefits of a nomadic life both on land and at sea.
We have set up our two rigs to transfer some essentials between platforms whilst out travelling.
The camper and truck carry the water when towing to reduce the weight in the yacht and the yacht’s water tanks can be filled if no easy water sources are nearby at launching by using the camper’s external long retracting shower pipe.
The reverse is available via the anchor well tap and a micro hose reel stored there as this can be switched from its regular sea water supply to pick up from the fresh water tanks and load fresh water back into the camper.
Our offgrid 240v power systems are powered by two EcoFlow Delta Max lithium power packs and these two also swap between the yacht and the camper depending on which we are using.
Being recharged by both solar and alternator these have allowed the luxury of self supplied 240v power on both land and at sea or inland waterway.
In both the yacht and camper they have been plugged into the shore/grid 240v systems and just have a change over switch in the fuse boxes of both.
These are in addition to the regular batteries supplying the 12v systems in both though in the yacht we also power the refrigeration and freezer via the 12v outlets on the EcoFlow power packs finding this more efficient than using the regular 12v systems for this.
We have not needed to plug into external 240v power for a couple of years on our extended travels now and on our recent nearly 4 months sailing/backpacking and touring trip we left our suitcase generator behind finding it unnecessary.
Whilst currently restricted to travelling in Australia I have investigated the cost of shipping/containerising our yacht to New Zealand , the US and Europe and it is feasible with just buying and selling a tow tug in those locations and going back to the original using the yacht as a caravan whilst on land.
We have a lot of Australia yet to explore and may get game enough to do short ocean hops yet as my confidence in its heavier weather capability has grown with each use.
We have currently left our yacht at home ( due to the high cost of the ferry to Tasmania ) but are investigating anchorages down here with a view to a Bass Straight crossing with the Imexus by sea to access the beautiful ( summer!) coastal sailing down here.
Yesterday’s overnight camping spot beside the Channel between mainland Tasmania and Bruny Island. The ferry between to two was again very affordable with just our land rig but would have been excessive if also towing the yacht. We would of course have been sailing over if the yacht was with us!

 

[Boathook]

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.

Years ago I saw a programme about the The Kimberley’s and it looked a very nice area and possibly even more remote back then. When you do, this year? it post some pictures here.

 

[Grith]

Years ago I saw a programme about the The Kimberley’s and it looked a very nice area and possibly even more remote back then. When you do, this year? it post some pictures here.

Or original plan was May to September this year but due to buying a new home which my partner wants to complete the renovate and move in before we go it will likely mean next year unless we complete this quickly.
We were already booked to come to Tasmania for nearly 3 months before we purchased and at present tradespeople are booked well in advance.
We did manage to secure this rare modest single level nineties home with its own boat ramp as well as jetty and sweeping views across our local lake on 1708sqm on the central peninsula end in the same canal development which we are currently in.
It’s just going to delay our planned Kimberley’s trip a year I fear.
It was a bit dearer than we paid for our current very cheap waterfront home but still likely cheaper than the worst freestanding home in the worst suburb in Sydney!
I still cannot fathom why so cheap here after closing on three years retired here.

The boat ramp is a drive in forwards and turn up to then back in and launch and drive out forwards which is just as well with our monster towing package!
It’s a real squeeze to drive beside the house.

 

[Grith]

After touring around Tasmania by Camper I have definitely decided that we will attempt a Bass Straight crossing in our trailer sailer to spend a summer season cruising down here.
There are so many spectacular bays and rivers and dramatic coastal sails down here in Tassie. We have walked some of Australia highest sea cliffs and looked down on some sailing by these truly beautiful if somewhat intimidating cliffs and would love to do the same ourselves.
The weather is very changeable down here so I would anticipate needing to spend days holed up at times to access appropriate weather windows.
Tasman Island taken from the very top of The Blade on Cape Pillar.

 

[JBPa]

Hi Grith I agree about trailer maintenance and for me concern when towing.
I find when raising mast the most difficult part is moving the mast aft from base over the pulpit to into the base on cabin top. I find it easiest with 2 people. I wonder if you have any tricks that I don't know about.I have even wondered about a track fromm cabin top to front with mast base permanently attached but it does seem a bit cumbersome for actual sailing. ol'will

I have a trailer keel roller mounted on a wooden post at the stern (which also serves as mast crutch while on the road). The sides of the roller keep the mast centered while I lift the forward end.

 

[Grith]

I have a trailer keel roller mounted on a wooden post at the stern (which also serves as mast crutch while on the road). The sides of the roller keep the mast centered while I lift the forward end. View attachment 173692

Similar but a bit more elaborate on our yacht. The rear targa bar mounted roller has catch flanges each side and is mounted in stainless.


Ours also allows the yacht to be prepared for trailering whilst still onwater or set up for canal/super low bridge transiting.
Our mast raising system allows lowering whilst underway but not down to this low which requires the mast to be detached.