Planing trailer sailer

[Trintella]

Will need to change my username as I've sold my Trintella 29. Considering a trailer sailer now (will be used for estuary/local coastal - not worried about accom. as long as its got a cabin with a couple of berths for overnight/weekend stays).

Looking for something that will plane easily, yet not complicated or difficult to maintain. Sadly budget limited to c. £5k.

Would rather not have a balsa cored boat, or ply.

E-boat possible but perhaps difficult to handle single-handed?

Would a Swift 18 or a Hunter Medina fit the bill? Any other ideas?

Many thanks

 

[castaway]

I owned an E-Boat (Enfilade) and absolutely no problem with s/handed sailing. Actually i recon that she was the best boat allround that I have ever sailed on.

Super handling, lift keel and nice big cabin as long as you dont want to stand up.

As far as planing I dont think you will get an EB onto the plane on flat water...or any other older trailer sailer for that matter...I have a photo of mine with 10kt on the log but that was being surfed off a wave!

Great boats, highly recomended by me!

Nick

 

[Trintella]

Hi Nick

Thanks for the reply, I'll be sailing Exe/Dart area so usually some waves around - its encouraging re singlehanding - I do like the look the E-boats for some reason!

Thanks

Giles

 

[cameronke]

I seldom sail my E-Boat with any crew.

I have her well set up for solo handling with a furling jib, fully battened main with stack pack and Lazy Jacks. An autohelm is virtually essential and I keep her on a swinging mooring.

Dont think I would like to trailer her far as she does feel pretty big.

Great boat

Cameron

 

[PeteCooper]

The E boat is a good boat, but if you are more concerned about performance I would look for a decent Micro 18. The Swift was built to the Micro 18 rules but is not as quick as the more performance orientated Micros. Obviously being only 18 foot long the Micros are easier to trail and rig. Most have at least 3 berths.

 

[Trintella]

Hi Cameron

Thanks, again encouraging - won't be trailering normally - drying mooring (mud).

Cheers

Giles

 

[Searush]

You're going to need a water ballasted ex-AZAB or similar to get on the plane with sails, surely?

For a bit more money & with a 50hp outboard you can get this on the plane:-

 

[Trintella]

Thanks Pete - any ideas on other Micros? - Micro Gem, but that seems quite an old design (1980 I think) & was balsa cored - bit worried about water ingress & difficult repairs on the sort of age boat I likely to afford.

 

[Trintella]

Hi Searush

With my abilities you may be right

 

[Searush]

Trintella, I was, as you guessed of course, teasing. Uffa Fox designed the first planing dinghy (international 12?) and got banned from racing them for his troubles. Any of his dayboats suit you? Need to be a centreboarder to suit your drying situation tho'.

 

[cameronke]

[ QUOTE ]
As far as planing I dont think you will get an EB onto the plane on flat water.

[/ QUOTE ]

The only way you are likely to get an E-Boat onto the plane is to load her onto an Antonov

Cameron /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[ashanta]

You got back from France eventually then? How was Perros?
I had crap weather back from Lez and guernsey.
Why selling her? Are you doing something different? or you just want to go faster?
Maybe you can do Aug BH to Alderney?

Pete

 

[michael_w]

Beneteau First Class 8. Swing keel, rocket ship downwind, got 16.5 kts out of mine, loads of them to race against in France for fun regattas, cheap, well as much as any other boat!

Even went cruising to Brittany, Frogs thought SWMBO and I were bonkers.

 

[Trintella]

Hi Pete

I sold her to Chris last year (usual reasons, time/non sailing family/money etc), I was just one of the crew this time /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Next boat will be for local trips on nice days!

Perros was alright actually, but we were stuck there for a while (if I'd had my way it would have been a day or two longer) - poor angle back to Guernsey (NE) against a F5 NE & lots of chop - I was feeling very rough for a while.

I went back from Guernsey on the ferry in the end. Chris went on to Alderney (in convoy with Tony) & they went back from there. Foggy but calm apparently.

 

[Trintella]

Thanks Michael

Just had a look - at a couple on the web - they are incredibly cheap (£6k), possibly a bit bigger than I was thinking, but 16.5kts eh? mmmm

 

[Lakesailor]

Correct. The Foxcub, like what I had, is a fast 18 footer with a wide, flat stern that planes. (Unlike the similar Hunter Europa with a narrow stern)
It'll sail a fair bit faster than it's 5.3 knots hull speed and is an easy single hander, if a bit lively downwind. No problem keeping up with Bennie 31s etc.
The bilge keel variety was very popular (Judders has one) and they did an awkward swing keel in a stub. The bilge keel was probably better.
4 berths (ha ha) and mucho cheap to run. A very light boat at 550kgs, so easy to tow.
Also, cheap as chips. The Mk 1 was a bit quicker, with a bigger rig, but the Mk 11 was a bit more civilised, although it was not an genuine Uffa Fox update.

 

[Trintella]

Re: Planing trailer sailer - Foxcub

Thanks Searush & Lakesailor - this has given me another (very cheap) option to consider. They seem to be a subtley different concept than most small bilge keeler's of that era (dinghy with lid & iron plates bolted on) - Uffa's last design apparently.

 

[DJE]

Re: Planing trailer sailer - Foxcub

Sportsboats plane!
I used to crew on a Bull 7000; crew of five for raceing but the owner sailed her across the channel two-handed several times.

 

[EBoat126]

Another vote for the E Boat from me unsurprisingly. Never tried sailing ours single handed but can vouch for it being quite quick, had a cracking sail the other day, 2 reefs in the (already small) main and storm jib we averaged 8kts topping 10 at times it was blowing a bit mind. Quite often race against First Class 8s and they are fast but I suspect more of a handful for singlehanded sailing.

 

[WoodyP]

Our first boat was a Micro Gem. Great fun, and no problems at all. There were two versions, one with a bit of interior fitting, which would be better for weekending. Day sailing is not really much good, as it takes all day to get there and rig the boat to make much time for sailing.