Musard 29 - a future for big trailerable boats?

dgadee

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What's the thinking on this sort of creation. Friend in France has just come across it - seems to be big volume, takes the ground, and can be trailered. Is this the future?

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Looks fun, but doubt that it will make a dent in the sales. Scow bow not too pretty, otherwise looking to get into the area that the other ply builder has occupied, though they have tripped up with keel probs. Cat schooner rig is also rare. There is one locally with a similar rig, not seen it out.
 
What's the thinking on this sort of creation. Friend in France has just come across it - seems to be big volume, takes the ground, and can be trailered. Is this the future?
No
Even IF somebody was quirky enough ( other than a French person) to buy it
Do you really think that your electric car will tow it further than the end of the street before it needs re charging???
 
I dont think boats that big would be practical for regular trailer sailing

I think their advantage is as a means of storing it somewhere close to home for the winter months or for visiting a new cruising area for the summer.
 
I think their advantage is as a means of storing it somewhere close to home for the winter months or for visiting a new cruising area for the summer.
It - I think there is only one - weighs 1700 kg, which is going to be quite a beast to tow, launch and recover.
 
I dont think boats that big would be practical for regular trailer sailing

I think their advantage is as a means of storing it somewhere close to home for the winter months or for visiting a new cruising area for the summer.

Some years ago now, but I recall seeing a Trident Warrior 35 being sold on and including a low loader-trailer suitable for hitching to an articulated truck rig, complete with all the paperwork to show that it complied with the height/width requirements for towing around the roads of UK/Europe without permits and escort vehicles.

For getting further afield, a friend in the USA has a catamaran (or maybe it's a trimaran?) being built now that disassembles to fit inside its own 40' shipping container; ship it across the oceans to your cruising ground of choice.
 
I have had a 23ft trailerable boat for 20 years 1.8 tonnes plus trailer 450kgs.

They have their pros but they also have their cons. You have to have access to a vehicle with a high towing capacity (2.5 tonnes plus), you have the expense of maintaining the vehicle and trailer in addition to the boat. If you have mooring as well that is an additional expense.

I think large tow vehicles will become less common many of the manufacturers like Mitsubishi, Nissan, Isuzu only seem to be making crew cabs. The taxation on non commercial suitable vehicles will not get less.

The main issues with larger trailer sailors is launching/retrieving and mast raising. You need a good slip ideally with a pontoon beside. Plenty of space at the top of the slip to prep the boat, ideally somewhere to moor once launched to sort the car, trailer etc. safe secure parking for car the car and trailer.

A well designed mast raising system helps enormously.
 
With electric driverless lorries on the way I suppose the developement is a driverless electric trailer lorry for it. Then one just programmes it to go to the marina mid week. Then wait for the husband & wife to scoot down on their electric scooters at the weekend, to go sailing. Then, when done, load it back up & programme it to drive home some time later in the week.
 
Agreed on the Beneteau, but wouldn’t it be too wide to tow legally? Yachtsnet list it at 9’ 8”. I seem to recall my Super Seal was right on the legal limit at 9 foot.
 
I dont think boats that big would be practical for regular trailer sailing

I think their advantage is as a means of storing it somewhere close to home for the winter months or for visiting a new cruising area for the summer.

This is very much the point for trailerable boats of this size, rather than the more traditional notion of trailer-sailing every time you use it.

It’s one of the many aspects that attracts me to the Dragonfly 920 or Dragonfly 28 trimarans (both of which tip the scales a tad under 2000kg, so can be hauled behind a substantial towing vehicle).

FWIW, the main attractions of the Dragonflies for me are the performance, particularly the ability to sail rather than motor in the lightest of breezes, sailing flat (swmbo isn’t a big fan of the tippiness), the shallow draught and ability to take the ground opening up so many places closed to a deep keeled yacht, all the while being able to fold in the amas and occupy a monohull sized berth in port. To be able to trail it to distant cruising grounds for a season, or pop it on the RORO to Martinique for a Caribbean winter is just the cherry on the cake.
 
Agreed on the Beneteau, but wouldn’t it be too wide to tow legally? Yachtsnet list it at 9’ 8”. I seem to recall my Super Seal was right on the legal limit at 9 foot.

Beam of the Seascape/First 27 is 2.54m, (as is the Dragonfly 28) which is the maximum allowed for trailing without special arrangements.

Both boats were specifically designed to this figure.
 
Beam of the Seascape/First 27 is 2.54m, (as is the Dragonfly 28) which is the maximum allowed for trailing without special arrangements.

Both boats were specifically designed to this figure.
The Beneteau First 28 SE is 1,400 kg. So within the towing weight of normal sized vehicles.
 
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