Trailerable boats around 26-28'?

A trailer width of 2.55 or 8'4" is wider than an articulated truck: where are you planning to tow your trailer boat, Europe or in the USA?

Imagine meeting oncoming traffic on an average UK country road.

The very Max width , IMO , should be about 7' 2.2m or thereabouts to cope with narrow roads .
 
Nobody mentioned the trailerable MacGregor 26, probably because most would discount it on both scores: A) not seaworthy, and b) probably not even a boat!. However they do float, and dont always fall over... and they are trailerable!
 
rustybarge said:
A trailer width of 2.55 or 8'4" is wider than an articulated truck: where are you planning to tow your trailer boat, Europe or in the USA?

Imagine meeting oncoming traffic on an average UK country road.

The very Max width , IMO , should be about 7' 2.2m or thereabouts to cope with narrow roads .
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Mainland Europe, mostly highways. Narrow might be a smaller problem, curly+narrow is more problematic.
 
GTom said:
Mainland Europe, mostly highways. Narrow might be a smaller problem, curly+narrow is more problematic.
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We towed what I considered the maximum beam yacht allowed on mainland Europe. It had a beam of 2.54m . I seem to remember that any wider than that required prior notification to police and convoi exceptionelle signs! Boat was just over 25 foot long. Trapper TS240 . You need a good tow vehicle like a 4x4. If you are considering larger boats you will be better having it relocated professionally so why restrict your choice to lift keel trainable yachts!
 
rustybarge said:
A trailer width of 2.55 or 8'4" is wider than an articulated truck: where are you planning to tow your trailer boat, Europe or in the USA?

Imagine meeting oncoming traffic on an average UK country road.

The very Max width , IMO , should be about 7' 2.2m or thereabouts to cope with narrow roads .
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Although my boat is way smaller than the OP is looking for, it is very beamy for it's length. At a little over 8ft beam I have no issues towing it to and from the harbour each year.
 
In my case at least, the boat was a fair bit wider than the trailer. This means that the widest point is quite high up off the ground and not in conflict with the majority of potential hazards, e.g. bushes, bollards, pedestrians. At 8ft wide I never noticed any issues with the Vega.
 
At a little over 8ft beam I have no issues towing it to and from the harbour each year.
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Yes, Sonatas are 'illegally' wide at 8' 6", but I've towed one all over Britain and Ireland, including to regattas in the Lake District on Windermere, Coniston and Ullswater, without problems.

The more significant limiting factor is all up weight. Towing a little over 2 tons is far from straight forward even with something like a Landrover 90 or Discovery. Accelerating at motorway slip roads, keeping up to a reasonable minimum speed over Beattock Summit, or bringing the whole thing to a stop safely in the wet, for example, are far from easy. Towing much more would need very careful consideration.

Which brings me back to my original suggestion - an F27 tri. They sit low on their trailer, weight quite a bit less than 2 tons together with their trailer, are the legal width limit and are more sea worthy than anything else at 27 feet LOA that's as easily trailable.

And they're fun.
 
Motor_Sailor said:
Which brings me back to my original suggestion - an F27 tri. They sit low on their trailer, weight quite a bit less than 2 tons together with their trailer, are the legal width limit and are more sea worthy than anything else at 27 feet LOA that's as easily trailable.

And they're fun.
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That's the one leading my list now, but first I have to sail one at sea before taking any commitments. True, it has better records than any <2ton mono's (ocean crossings) and sails 3x as fast!

Speaking of certifications, the F-27 apparently CE B-5 certified, which is the best I've seen in this size. I just wonder why it didn't get A...
 
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Kelpie said:
In my case at least, the boat was a fair bit wider than the trailer. This means that the widest point is quite high up off the ground and not in conflict with the majority of potential hazards, e.g. bushes, bollards, pedestrians. At 8ft wide I never noticed any issues with the Vega.
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I find the same. Even with my boat having a lifting keel, so it sits low on the trailer, the widest but is quite high. Such that I don't even feel the need for extended door mirrors as at mirror height, the width is not that great. (unlike towing a slab sided caravan)
 
I tow a 30ft dayboat (7ft beam, but the trailer is just under 8ft) with a combined weight approaching 3T to and from the Solent to Surrey last year and this. I've used a Discovery and a Transit as tow vehicles and actually enjoy doing it. Makes life so easy for working on it near home.

The one thing that I'd suggest that the OP considers is to forget launching from the trailer and to find a way to install 'single point' lifting. This frees you from having to use specialised lifting gear and with a bit of homework you may find a 'cheap' crane somewhere near your launch destination. Access to the crane also solves the mast stepping problem. I have heard that some clubs with cranes will charge a nominal £25. I have, long ago, launched from trailers and even rigged up to 35ft deck stepped masts with no outside assistance, and would never do it again. It doesn't matter how careful you are, but something will sometimes get broken - most often it's a bent rigging screw that you didn't notice catching on something. That'll be on a lovely evening just after the chandlers have closed. Using a crane takes away all the pressure.

With a fixed keel it's quite easy - very if it has studs with exposed threads above the nuts. My boat uses two strops about 18" long that shackle onto eyes on two of the keel bolts, and a crane hook goes through the other ends of them. X-Yachts cleverly ensure that one of the keel studs is exactly on the CofG and use just one strop. If your keel has bolts, then changing one or two for studs is a bit of work, but well worth it. A lift/swing keel would need some proper engineering, but it's doable.
 
Kenneth McGrew said:
being in Europe you could always pick up a brand new Viko 27 DS (20k€ + VAT) i saw them at a boat show and don't know anyone who owns one, but on dry land they are very roomy, as for seaworthiness they may sail like brick or they may be great who knows... but they have water ballast too and are under your size specs.

http://www.vikoyachts.com/index_en.php?id=9

Total length 8,80 m
Hull length 8,40 m
Beam 2,55 m
Draught with sword 1,40/0,35 m
Total mass from 1900/2200 kg
Ballast/keel version 600 - 700 kg
Transport weight of
water ballast version 1600 kg
Water ballast 550 kg
Sail area 24 - 30 m²
Mast height 9 m
Berths 4-6
Height in cockpit 1,95 m
CE category C/B

viko27_05.jpg
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MY EYES!! MY EYES!! YOU HURT MY EYES!!

That's one ugly boat(?)...
 
Btw viko is not that cheap as it seems, the base price doesn't include engine and a lot of basic stuff (afaik no sails either). Still, adding maybe 10k € gear, it stays below the price of most sailable second hand options (don't forget, a 20 year old 2nd hand boat will also need sails and most likely an engine overhaul). Moreover, buying a new boat no need to worry about osmosis...
 
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Etap 26i, tandem keel for 'easier' towing - we tow a 21i twice a year, it's fine to tow and easy enough cause we get it craned in but I still would not want the hassle more than twice a year! Ours is category B, think the 26i is the same but check!
 
The 26i is unfortunately too wide (2.78m/9.12'). The 24i seems right, just a bit short LWL (compared to the viko 27)/probably less storage.
 
Adding the Finnish Artekno H-323 to the list. Although it's a hair too wide (2.56m instead of 2.55), I read it's seaworthy and comes at reasonable 2nd hand prices. Finding a matching <0.4tons trailer would be a challenge though...
 
I haven't looked at the Albin Vega so far (thought it will be too heavy), but apparently it can be legally towed and has a very nice history with all kind of bluewater passages. AND very cheap.
 
GTom said:
Adding the Finnish Artekno H-323 to the list. Although it's a hair too wide (2.56m instead of 2.55), I read it's seaworthy and comes at reasonable 2nd hand prices. Finding a matching <0.4tons trailer would be a challenge though...
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Yeah.... Trailerable, with a semi-truck!
 
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