Trailer Sailor - Which one?

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adri

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Hi

I'm thinking of getting a trailer sailer. Something cheap and about 19-22 feet.

I have no experience of buying such a boat and am looking for recommendations. My son sails well and I'd like something we could take to (or keep at) somewhere in North Wales or the Lake District, perhaps Scotland.

My concerns are knowing when I go to view a boat whether the hull is sound or not. How do you identify knackered GRP etc?

I have a fully kitted out woodworking workshop and welding kit so that side of things isn't a problem.

Any tips most welcome.

Adri
 
Hi And welcome!

What's your budget?
I paid £1000 for my first boat (Sailfish 18), my idea was to "have a play" do a bit of work and if ended up as nail I haven't lost a fortune, i then used what i'd learnt to buy my second boat (Jeanneau 24). Lots of things that I thought were important about what I wanted in boat turned out not to be.
 
Wise words above. Bear in mind that the bigger boats in your desired range may be too heavy to tow legally, depending on what you drive. My jaguar 23 weighs just shy of 2 tonnes incl trailer, and 2 tonnes is legal towing weight of my van.
 
As to the GRP if it's not badly crazed round fittings like the stanchions and does not have blisters that smell bad when you puncture them it's going to be OK. There are lots of other bits that wear out before the hull! Don't forget that trailer sailers need to be got up and down slipways and rigged and unrigged. Bigger ones are harder!
 
Thanks for the replies.

I'm not totally set on a 'trailer sailer'. One reason I thought about getting one was that we live in Derbyshire so it would be easier to do maintenance if it were easily towed back to our house near my workshop.

I'm looking to spend about £1000 for a doer upper. There's a few contenders coming up on ebay but they're often so far away that it's hard to be sure there's not some awful fault that I'll only discover by making a 6 hour round trip. But I suppose that's par for the course when buying second hand.

We have a Citroen C8 People carrier with a braked towing weight of 1850kg.

Many thanks for the advice.

Adri
 
dylanwinter said:
swift 18

brilliant little boats

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=s...vQ0aTLAhVHVRQKHQ2WB5sQsAQIIw&biw=1152&bih=621
Click to expand...

If you can find a Swift 18 there is no better boat to start with. Its big yachting in miniature and perfect for the Lakes or the sea in reasonably clement conditions. Its light enough to trail behind most cars and light enough to be manageable on the trailer by hand. Its worth finding a bit of cash to buy a nicely looked after one. There were four or five at Rutland Water when I sailed there.

Tim
 
If you can find one have a look at a Matilda 20, very capable boats, lots of accommodation & easy to tow / launch - we towed ours behind a 2.0l Octavia easily, launching Friday evening, recovering Sunday and back home. There's a few out there, generally cheap.
 
You don't say where you are based. I bought my snapdragon 23 towards the end of last season for under a grand from Andy Seedhouse in Woodbridge I have a full box of receipts and paperwork, and looking at it, you can see it has new masting/rigging/chrome tabernacle/roller etc. I found the receipt from 2009, where it was all renewed for nearly £5000! On top of that, it is solid and well looked after by it's previous owner. It will be in the water on 21st of this month, and as it is my first keel boat, didn't want to spend a lot. I probably won't bother getting a newer one anyway, once I have learned "the ropes", as this one should last my lifetime.
 
Swift 18 gets my vote too.

Any bigger is a real pain; my lift keel Anderson 22 is trailable - say home for the winter or maybe to relocate somewhere distant for a long summer holiday - but I'd never suggest it for regular trailing, far too heavy & too much hassle.

Remember with any true trailer sailer you have to store the trailer safely when not in use,and at wherever you're going to sail from you need a safe place for trailer & car, not so easy.

Also remember all lift keelers require access to the keel plate for maintainence in winter, and keeping a boat on a trailer usually makes this very difficult.

So, if looking at a lift keeler ask how the owner has maintained the keel...

I have my A22 hoisted onto high trestles at the club, a chum with an A22 and a trailer - with a field - alternates, one winter on high trestles at the club to maintain the keel, next winter trailed to the field near home.

Certain smaller lift keelers - NOT Swifts - have a reputation for the whole keels dropping out under way or at the mooring !

Along with the Swift 18, the Manta 19 always looked good to me.

If thinking of a Matilda I'd urge you to chat with Old Harry who had one...
 
Another vote for the Swift 18 ... but it doesn't meet two of the OPs criteria - it isn't between 19 and 22 feet, and it isn't cheap.
The OP also says that his son sails well - if racing comes in to the equation then the Swift is not as quick as many other 18 footers which are usually slightly cheaper.
If you dig out the Swift 18 owners assoc web site there is a comprehensive guide as to what to look at if you do want one.
To be a trailer sailor it doesn't have to be lift keel so I would include the Hunter Europa on the list. The fin keel is a super wee boat and very easy to trail - obviously harder to launch, but if kept at a location as the OP mentions then that wouldn't necessarily be an issue.
As with all boats it is a compromise between performance, accommodation and price.
 
Good points Pete but when I was looking and ended up with my First 18 the Europa was a bit too cramped for me. The First 18 was good for 2.

My Copland Harrier is good for 2 too but you are looking at a large car or a van to cope with the 1500-2000Kg all up weight.

Just by chance the harrier is for sale and on Windermere if you want a look round one :)
 
Dehler 22, must be a very good trailer sailor, lightweight so easy to tow with its water ballast system, modern design and a good build finish.

Steveeasy
 
Sure you will find something to suit.

The trouble with many trail-able yachts is being able to sit upright down below.

Some, like the Sailfish 18 , overcome this but you cannot see over the cabin when sailing . This
can drive you mad.

These factors put many people off, and in the end settle for something bigger on a fixed mooring.

Just a thought.
 
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