Best trailer sailer?

Seagreen

Seagreen

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So, looking ahead to when I sell a big (ish) boat and get a smaller one for my old age, what's best?

I'm looking for a shoal draft trailerable gaff/gunter rig, preferably wooden/ply with an outboard (though I'm not averse to small inboards). Somewhere between 17 and 22 feet long. I've been looking at the Eun mara/ Penguin/ Mist classes but I'm open to options for a self build project. Not GRP, though.

I'm looking at trailer sailers with better cruising potential more than "dayboats with lids", if you get my drift.

What does the collective think, then?
 
Golant Gaffer! Never seen one before, what a beautiful boat :eek: Designed by Roger Dongray as well ;) Did they ever do a GRP one? More research me thinks...

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Check out North Quay Marine: http://www.northquaymarine.co.uk/ They build a range of day boats (with cockpit tents id required) and cruisers. They're all wood and hence have the big advantage of being much lighter then GRP. Also beautifully built (but then I'm biased). They'll be at the boat show.
 
Lots of "nearly but not quite". Particular faves being the Eun Mara yawl and the Golant Gaffer, but still not quite what I'm after.

In terms of towing, I'd have in mind an old Pajero or similar. I'd not even try to tow a bigger boat behind a family saloon. I'd have to trade in the 2.5L Mazda Bongo, though feisty when towing it hasn't got the gears but does have useful auto gearbox for very low speed but horrible on hills.

I've just found an old sketchbook with some putative designs. I may just design my own, or at least work up enough of a design for a real Naval architect to tweak.

Refining the concept slightly, she should be able to dry out upright enough (presuming I've landed on a level bottom) and be comfortable for a couple of weeks exploring, so I'm looking beyond the weekender concept. However, I've got stir crazy on much larger boats after a few weeks so thats a difficult box to tick.
 
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A friend of mine tows his Drascombe Drifter with an old Pajero - launches it and sails up and down the South Coast with mates and on Drascombe Rallies. He spends most of the season in it - good for him! Sounds ideal for your needs but they are GRP :)

You may be able to find a Heard boat that meets your needs, I have seen quite a variety made bespoke from owners differing needs that could also be trailer sailed. Went out in one a few weeks ago that could of had a cabin added to your design. One was also for sale in Plymouth that has flat decks but interior space, (like a MkI Crabber) but I think it was around 20' so maybe too heavy/awkward to trailer sail.
 
Lakesailor said:
Have a read of this thread on an Oz website about a guy trying to decide on a boat to build.
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Nice find Lakey, but isn't that the WBF?

Looking at the Kotic, I now have a different view of my CH21...sigh..

John Welsford has some really good designs, the Penguin was on my shortlist, just the interior was a bit too claustraphobic and the lines a bit folksy.
 
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Seagreen said:
So, looking ahead to when I sell a big (ish) boat and get a smaller one for my old age, what's best?

I'm looking for a shoal draft trailerable gaff/gunter rig, preferably wooden/ply with an outboard (though I'm not averse to small inboards). Somewhere between 17 and 22 feet long. I've been looking at the Eun mara/ Penguin/ Mist classes but I'm open to options for a self build project. Not GRP, though.

I'm looking at trailer sailers with better cruising potential more than "dayboats with lids", if you get my drift.

What does the collective think, then?
Click to expand...

Rigging launching sailing recovering and derigging a boat is b**** hard work. I know I did it when I had my 22 foot Jaguar. Great fun but hard work even when I was in my 30s. I am now 65 and still sailing around and hope to do so for many more years but there is NO WAY I would think about going back to a trailer sailer,
 
@TQA
I'm not anticipating launching and trailing every weekend, more like a easier cheaper way to store the boat at the end of the season and an easier, less time consuming way of taking the boat to new cruising grounds. If I was doing the launching every weekend, I'd have a mirror dinghy with a tent on it.

And yes, the Kotic looks fab. Still not ringing my bells though.
 
I would love a Rommily, if I did not have more than enough boat already.

Does not fulfill your need for wood though.
 
Romeo said:
I would love a Rommily, if I did not have more than enough boat already.

Does not fulfill your need for wood though.
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There are wooden ones. A build was featured in Classic Boat a couple of years ago. Things like the cast centre board can be sourced from Holland, where the grp ones are made.
 
bluemoongaffer said:
Golant Gaffer.
More of a boat you can trail than a trailer sailer.
I sail mine singlehanded most of the time - love her to bits
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Thats a point I have been wondering about. At what size do you start thinking " its a boat I can trail" rather than "a boat I can frequently trail to a new place and launch". Clearly the design of the boat and trailer have a major influence but I guess that what I am getting at is that like the OP I am thinking of going to a trailer boat ( grp not wood) but want something bit enough to overnight on yet small enough to launch easily and rig easily
 
Seagreen said:
@TQA
I'm not anticipating launching and trailing every weekend, more like a easier cheaper way to store the boat at the end of the season and an easier, less time consuming way of taking the boat to new cruising grounds. If I was doing the launching every weekend, I'd have a mirror dinghy with a tent on it.
.
Click to expand...

Snap. I'd even be happy with a boat I could trail to new grounds for the summer and get a local boat yard to launch and recover. Being Bristol channel based I would like to be able to have the boat at home in winter and get it to my south coast mooring in summer without having to do the tramp round lands end. And in any case my days of long distance sailing are over.
 
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