ProDave
Well-Known Member
Here's my thoughts.
I bought my boat, a Frolic 18 (don't bother looking it up, as rare as hens teeth) complete with outboard motor and on it's trailer for under £2K To be fair the trailer was in a bit of a state, and two of it's 4 wheels needed new bearings and tyres and it needed a good tidy up, but it's basically sound.
We bought the boat not knowing how or where we were going to sail her, and initially thought of trailer sailing.
The year we bought her (in September) I found a harbour berth for a few weeks launched the boat, kept her in for 3 weeks and did a bit of sailing.
It takes us about an hour to raise the mast and rig the boat before launch. It definitely needs two to raise or lower the mast, though that could be reduced to one with some extra equipment like an A frame or Gin pole.
Launching is easy. You would need a VERY steep slipway to avoid immersing the car if you keep the trailer rigidly coupled to the car. So back down the slip until the car is nearly in the water, uncouple, and winch the trailer down the rest of the way until the boat floats off.
Recovering is MUCH harder. if there's ANY cross current, it will be hard keeping the boat lined up to float it onto the trailer and end up in the right place, but it is possible. A couple of helpers on the shore with long lines will help tremendously, as will a really nice slipway completely sheltered with adjacent pontoon.
In the end we opted to keep the boat afloat all season. Up here my seasons berth in the harbour costs less than your target £35 per month.
And we compromise now, launch from the slip, but use the clubs crane out for recovery.
As regards towcars, you are not talking about a heavy boat, so you don't need a monster. 4WD is a good choice, not because you need a monster, but it's handy to have low ratio gears for reversing, and it's handy to have 4WD for a bit of confidence hauling a boat up a slimy slippery slipway. I tow with a Subaru Forrester, but there are plenty of similar sized small 4WD's that will do an equally good job.
Our boat is a lift keel, but when looking we were looking for either lift keel or bilge keel. You will need an extra foot or two of water for launching a bilge keeler, but a I have said already, you will be uncoupling the trailer, so it makes no difference (other than a longer winch strop to wind it further down the slipway) and it might affect the tidal range that a particular slipway is useable.
Lift keel boats have certain maintenance issues, and many will quite rightly point out it's often impossible to lower the keel while the boat is on the trailer. I'm part way through modifying my own trailer to allow the keel to be lowered on the trailer for inspection, maintenance and anti fouling. Don't forget that the mechanism for raising and lowering the keel will require regular maintenance. There appear to be as many different ways of implementing a lifting keel as there are lifting keel boats.
All you can do is go and look at boats, and choose one that suits your needs.
I bought my boat, a Frolic 18 (don't bother looking it up, as rare as hens teeth) complete with outboard motor and on it's trailer for under £2K To be fair the trailer was in a bit of a state, and two of it's 4 wheels needed new bearings and tyres and it needed a good tidy up, but it's basically sound.
We bought the boat not knowing how or where we were going to sail her, and initially thought of trailer sailing.
The year we bought her (in September) I found a harbour berth for a few weeks launched the boat, kept her in for 3 weeks and did a bit of sailing.
It takes us about an hour to raise the mast and rig the boat before launch. It definitely needs two to raise or lower the mast, though that could be reduced to one with some extra equipment like an A frame or Gin pole.
Launching is easy. You would need a VERY steep slipway to avoid immersing the car if you keep the trailer rigidly coupled to the car. So back down the slip until the car is nearly in the water, uncouple, and winch the trailer down the rest of the way until the boat floats off.
Recovering is MUCH harder. if there's ANY cross current, it will be hard keeping the boat lined up to float it onto the trailer and end up in the right place, but it is possible. A couple of helpers on the shore with long lines will help tremendously, as will a really nice slipway completely sheltered with adjacent pontoon.
In the end we opted to keep the boat afloat all season. Up here my seasons berth in the harbour costs less than your target £35 per month.
And we compromise now, launch from the slip, but use the clubs crane out for recovery.
As regards towcars, you are not talking about a heavy boat, so you don't need a monster. 4WD is a good choice, not because you need a monster, but it's handy to have low ratio gears for reversing, and it's handy to have 4WD for a bit of confidence hauling a boat up a slimy slippery slipway. I tow with a Subaru Forrester, but there are plenty of similar sized small 4WD's that will do an equally good job.
Our boat is a lift keel, but when looking we were looking for either lift keel or bilge keel. You will need an extra foot or two of water for launching a bilge keeler, but a I have said already, you will be uncoupling the trailer, so it makes no difference (other than a longer winch strop to wind it further down the slipway) and it might affect the tidal range that a particular slipway is useable.
Lift keel boats have certain maintenance issues, and many will quite rightly point out it's often impossible to lower the keel while the boat is on the trailer. I'm part way through modifying my own trailer to allow the keel to be lowered on the trailer for inspection, maintenance and anti fouling. Don't forget that the mechanism for raising and lowering the keel will require regular maintenance. There appear to be as many different ways of implementing a lifting keel as there are lifting keel boats.
All you can do is go and look at boats, and choose one that suits your needs.
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