Cuddy that trailers less than 1100kg

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Martin_247

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Dear All,

I have read a few threads on starter boats and trailer able cuddies. I would be very grateful for any advice members may have.

I've really struggled to identify which boat would suit me, the main problem being weight. I would be very happy with many of the 20ft cuddies I have seen, Searay's, Bayliners etc but they all seem to be 1400kg +

I have a Mazda 5 1.6L Deisel that has a kerb weight of 1500kg so, as I understand it, I don't really want to be pulling anything much more then 1000kg including trailer, right?

Can I get something that'll plane, has a 2 berth cabin for the kids and weighs less than 1000kg?

I've seen a Jeanneau Cap Camarat 625 http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/2...at-625-WA-2818309/United-Kingdom#.VQ8dYYaQGrV that says its 860kg but it's £20k and I'd rather spend a lot less than that.

I've also seen a Fletcher 18GTS but that's 20 years old at £8k http://www.yachtworld.co.uk/boats/1996/Fletcher-18GTS-2804867/United-Kingdom#.VQ8ez4aQGrV

I think I want something in between.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
 
* interested party * I have a 20 foot cuddy for sale which has a manufacturer's claimed dry weight of 980kg (60 litre fuel tank) a braked trailer of about 300kg. That would be legal for you to tow. The trailer is twin axle so tows well without sway and is fully adjustable. Can always pop her on to a weigh bridge to validate but my car is 3 tonne so haven't bothered to weigh her precisely. I'll throw in the Landy Disco for an extra 8.5 grand too :p. Seriously though, I'd find a boatyard with tractor launch to keep her in, I'd hate to use a Mazda 5 on any slipway with the kind of boat you are after. If you've seen the shenanigans I've seen on a slipway you'll know what I mean.
eBay item number: 191526462416
 
If you like the Cap Camarat style you could also look at the Karnic 2050, White Shark 205, or something from the Trophy or Beneteau Flyer range.

A quick google shows a range of these available within your budget.
 
Thank you Bruce and Nick.

Yes I see your point re slipways etc.

So with a 1.5T Mazda 5 I should really look at towing something smaller. Something like a rib or a basic day boat, a bow rider. Something that's about 500kg.

I actually want to tour all over with it. Southern UK, East Anglia, France, the med. Just want to take my boat with me, pop into the water and and explore the coast.

I have plenty of experience with big boats, sailing and commercial fishing. So I can see all the benefits of trailering.
 
You are probably not starting from the best point with a 1.6 Mazda 5. I think your model can legally tow up to 1200 kgs but even that is probably not going to get you want you want. Any chance you can change car. You don't need a huge 4x4 but many small SUVs have a decent tow rating and even some larger saloons are good too. A Mondeo diesel will get you 50mpg when not towing and can tow up to 1800kgs.
 
I hear you Neale. Irony is that I've just got rid of our 3 tonne Mazda Bongo with All Wheel Drive. You see, the wife didn't know she was getting a boat when we made that decision. And I hadn't thought it through properly ��

So I think I'll forget about overnighting and just get something light, less than 500kg that'll get me to the odd cove.

Once the wife is hooked we'll upgrade.

Unbelievably my dear wife, who has many redeeming features, does not like being on or in the water!

So what's the biggest boat I could get up and down a slipway with? A dinghy?
 
I hear you Neale. Irony is that I've just got rid of our 3 tonne Mazda Bongo with All Wheel Drive. You see, the wife didn't know she was getting a boat when we made that decision. And I hadn't thought it through properly ?

So I think I'll forget about overnighting and just get something light, less than 500kg that'll get me to the odd cove.

Once the wife is hooked we'll upgrade.

Unbelievably my dear wife, who has many redeeming features, does not like being on or in the water!

So what's the biggest boat I could get up and down a slipway with? A dinghy?
 
Agreed on not to let a car dictate the boat. Look at ways to get around it as suggested and get the newest biggest boat your budget allows.

When looking at boats also compare outboards to in/out as sterndrives may bring surprises (£££). You will see boats of limited size that appears to offer plenty but the fact is that a certain size only becomes more cramped if space is utilized to the last inch.

Look at Salpa 20.5 for example. Made for trailering at 2.25 wide and 900 kg it is unbelievable what 6m length contains (on pics), but if you are bigger than a kid it gets acrobatic.
http://www.salpa.com/salpa/boxed/salpa205-eng.html
 
I also agree not to let the car dictate the boat. Even if you get a boat within your Mazda's towing limits the day will come when you'll find yourself trying to get the boat up a steep slipway at low tide, and your clutch will suffer as well as your nerves. Plus if you've got children with you and no one to give you a hand, it can turn a good day into a bad memory. My current boat is a Cap Camarat 7.5WA which I can and do tow, I do a fair amount of towing, it does not bother me as I have a decent 4x4. Even so I choose to keep my boat on a mooring for 2 reason, 1 the slip way shenanigans during the summer, and 2 the amount of time wasted messing about getting ready for towing. You'll want to spend your time on the water, nothing worse than having to mess about with trailers at the end of a great day when you're tired and just want to get home to bed. If you intend to boat mainly in one area I would advise keeping the boat at a boat yard, if not on a mooring, then at least with easy slipping facilities, or possibly dry stack depending on your budget. If you want to expand your boating horizons and are happy towing around the country then change the car, and go for the boat that suits your needs best. The Cap Camarat gets a big thumbs up from me, easy to tow, easy to handle and nimble in the rough. Also for what my opinions worth, stick with an outboard whatever you go for. For me with my experiences at the smaller end of the market it's best on the pocket to keep away from inboards and legs.
 
Surely the max allowed tow weight is not what you can expect the car to handle with ease on a slip.

Robust clutch (or auto tranny), really low 1st gear, lots of tourque and weight on the driving wheel to improve traction. Spells 4x4... and why so many prefer them for the job.
 
precisely. The amount of times I've been asked to pull a 2WD out (usualy white vans!!) with the 4x4 because they couldn't get back up the slipway with their boat is troubling. Boatyard tractor launch or mooring or 4x4 (or at the very least a SUV with a limited slip diff.)
 
Wow, what an active forum! Thank you everyone. I'm glad you're not too tired of advising people like me:)

So here's where I'm at...

There's no way in the world I can tell the wife we're getting a 4x4, not this year anyway. We've literally just taken in a brand new Mazda - that she loves.

We've been going to France for our summer holidays. This will be our 3 rd year in a row. We go for 5-7 weeks. Down to the Lot and then the Cote D'Azur.

You guys have kindly put me straight on my idea of a cuddy. Not going to happen. I'm now down to a real light weight day boat. Something like http://www.karnicboats.com/index.php?pageid=256

That's 550kg, plus trailer = approx. 850kg. Now given the absence of green slime on the med slipways (or have I got that wrong?) do you think I'd be able to dip in and out along the coast as I go? Or do I need to go even lighter?

I'm thinking spend a week or 2 in each area. Put the boat in, leave it in, tootle around the coast, use taxis to get back to the car etc.

If I rent a boat down there they are €300 a day, 10 days of non consecutive boating = £2000! Hence taking my own day boat...?
 
Ok Martin you might not thank me for this, but I would not be so quick to dismiss a cuddy if at all possible even with your restrictions. If you're looking at day boats then maybe a Rib is the answer ? it'll be light and a good one will give you confidence in the rough. I have a 5.2mtr Valiant with a 90hp and I would much sooner be in that on a rough day than my old 240 Sea Ray inboard for example. Having said that the Cap Camarats are very capable small boats too, and France is full of them, you might find something to suit your budget over there, try a search on www.apolloduck.co.uk there's quite a few on there of the various models. A nice little holiday to France with a bit of boat shopping thrown in sounds good to me. There's no getting away from the fact a cuddy will at least offer you a bit of privacy, a loo and the occasional overnight stay option. Ribs and day boats are great for what they are, but if you've kids with you, you need a loo and to be able to shelter them when they are tired or grumpy. Plus if the majority of your boating is in the UK you'll be glad of some shelter from the rain ! Decide what are the must haves on any boat you'd want, a loo, even a chemical one is a must for the kids and the ladies !

Not sure on the weight issue but have a look at something like http://www.apolloduck.co.uk/feature.phtml?id=334905
 
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Thank you Sea Ray. Hmm, now I'm torn.

I could go with an 18' cuddy cabin that weighed about 750kg-800kg - there are a couple out there that I've seen, a Cap Camarat 5.5 WA or a Quicksliver Activ 555 - and then I'd have the protection of a cabin and a loo.

Or I could go with an 16'-18' bowrider at 500kg-700kg that would give me a lot more useable space but no loo.

I can see on here that people place a lot of importance on a loo. All that extra weight of a cuddy just for a loo...?

I can see your point and I'm sure experience tells me something.

Next step is to go and see some boats with the missus and that will help determine best choice from above.

Any permanent showrooms that you would recommend that would have a good selection? I went to Southhampton boat show last year but was looking at 30fters. When's the next big boat show in UK?
 
Hi,

You do not say where in the country you are?

The next "big" show is Southampton in September. There are a number of local shows in the coming months.

If you are in the south then JayKay marine at Hayling Island have a good selection

The weights of boats + trailers vary considerably. My 18ft bowrider (with inboard engine) was 1490kg including trailer. We loved our bowrider but its fair to say that being an open boat limited the number of days we could go to sea. However, the boats limitations were only really the same as the crews enjoyment limitations as we would not have wanted to be out in conditions that the bowrider would have struggled with anyway.
 
mlines,

We are on Beds/Bucks border, miles from the sea :) We often pop down to the south coast though. I can see it's where most of the suppliers are based. I shall check out JayKay.

I think my solution is either a bowrider or a cuddy that's less than a tonne. And I'll just have to mind my limitations getting it in and out of the water. In my mind I don't see too many 'in and outs'. We'll take it for a spin on The Lot and once we're on the South Coast I will attempt to leave it in for the duration (a month or so).
 
Martin_247 said:
I could go with an 18' cuddy cabin that weighed about 750kg-800kg - there are a couple out there that I've seen, a Cap Camarat 5.5 WA or a Quicksliver Activ 555 - and then I'd have the protection of a cabin and a loo.
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I don't think it works Martin

If the boat is 750 kgs, you have to add an outboard at 180 kgs dry, and 350 kgs of trailer before you even start thinking about fuel, oil, rigging, a bimini for the south of France, and a few ancilliaries. The layup of the hull can easily vary 10% as well, so you'll soon be up towards 1500 kg towing weight, and as Lloyd says you'll already have a full car for your med trip. I think a RIB will be more suitable.
 
Martin_247 said:
Thank you Sea Ray. Hmm, now I'm torn.

I could go with an 18' cuddy cabin that weighed about 750kg-800kg - there are a couple out there that I've seen, a Cap Camarat 5.5 WA or a Quicksliver Activ 555 - and then I'd have the protection of a cabin and a loo.

Or I could go with an 16'-18' bowrider at 500kg-700kg that would give me a lot more useable space but no loo.

I can see on here that people place a lot of importance on a loo. All that extra weight of a cuddy just for a loo...?

I can see your point and I'm sure experience tells me something.

Next step is to go and see some boats with the missus and that will help determine best choice from above.

Any permanent showrooms that you would recommend that would have a good selection? I went to Southhampton boat show last year but was looking at 30fters. When's the next big boat show in UK?
Click to expand...

How old are the kids? Before I bought my cuddy I just wanted a 16 foot dory to go fishing in. Trust me, little kids or the missus will not take kindly to a day out in the boat if all you can offer them is a bucket for a loo. Maybe for the first few times but I promise you the novelty quickly wears off for them. If you are just going for a bit of watersports then forgo the cuddy. My purchase was a huge compromise. I had 18k for a boat. In the end 13 of it went into the Landrover Discovery and 5 into an old boat. In hindsight would I do it differently? Well yes, a year on I have a 34 foot boatervan with a propper toilet in. But my initial choice I think was a good compromise. The Disco tows extremely well albeit towing delivers 26mpg, is phenomenal on any slipway or beach launch, immensley practical for long journeys with its seat conversions and interior space... and the boat for all it's years is really just as good and reliable as any new boat.... well it should be.... I replaced just about everything with new besides the original block. Maybe a compromise of that nature would suite you better?
 
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