Tralerable Yacht Advice - Gibsea 76?

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robsant

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I want to buy a boat that is going to be in the water 95% of the time. However i would like to be able to take it on the UK roads once or twice a year max. This would mean i could put in on some land behind my house in the winter months, or for larger jobs.

The boat will be used on the coat in the Northwest england / north wales.

My short list now is.....

Westerly Pageant - bilge keel
Gibsea 76 lift keel or bilge (not sure if bilge is tralerable?)
Beneteau first 25 lift keel

I am leaning toward the gibsea 76, as its meant to have good performance, and i heavnt read anything negative about it.

But advice from this forum would be welcomed.

Thanks,

Rob
 
All are possible if you have the right tow car. I did it with a Hunter 26 for a few years 400 mile round trip. Didn't enjoy it but having the boat at home for the winter was good.
 
If you are intending to do anything other than just a short trip to your local slipway, then take the boat, on the trailer, for a test tow first.

I didn't. I just bought the boat on the trailer, and the tow home (only 25 miles) was somewhat hairy as I found the boat does not tow well at all. I'm now in the process of modifying the trailer to correct the issues (mainly total lack of any noseweight at all due to the centre of gravity being completely wrong and two completly worn out wheel bearings)
 
These are hefty boats to trail.Its crucial to check the manufacturers towing limit against the trailer plus boat plus contents ,either for the vehicle you've got or one you're going to get.It's not going to be a normal saloon car.
 
The towing car will be a Landrover so 3.5 tonne should be no problem. And I think all of those 3 should stay under that with the trailer weight taken into account.

Has anyone got any experience good or bad with the gibsea 76 ?
 
Hunter Delta 25. Really enjoyed ours comming from a dinghy racing background. Real lift keel that sits upright on the ground with excellent sailing performance. See some of my other posts on the forum. We trailed ours home every year for winter.
 
robsant said:
The towing car will be a Landrover so 3.5 tonne should be no problem. And I think all of those 3 should stay under that with the trailer weight taken into account.

Has anyone got any experience good or bad with the gibsea 76 ?
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When I was looking 7 years ago I considered the Gibsea 76, Fantasia 27 and the Hunter 26. Could have gone for any of them all very much of a muchness. In the end got a Hunter 26 because we found one we liked first.
 
I used a 7.5 ton unit to tow with.
trailer.jpg
 
I had a Maxi 77 with a fin keel on a tralier, no problems, so any of these boats should be OK though you would have to double check the weights.
 
beneteau first 25 vs gibsea 76

last boat was a first 25 then changed last august to a gibsea 76 so for once do feel qualified to comment. Both are swing keel. the beneteau was without doubt a better sailor but does not have the same accomodation, the aft cabin in the Gibsea, in a boat this size is a bonus. Both are on the large size to tow and would require a slipway with a lot of water if this is how you intend launching. Good luck with your search, pm me if you want further info. Colin
 
I used to look after a Gibsea 76 for someone and found that it had a very uneasy motion on it's mooring.
I don't know why, but I felt that I wouldn't have liked it to overnight on. His wife didn't like it and would stay in our B&B if there was a chop on the mooring.

Just a thought.
 
Trailerable boat

Hi Phil
Any boat light enough to be towed is going to be pretty lively in rough water. I don't know any way around that problem.
However to the OP don't discount any fin keel boat in the 22ft or so size. Provided the beam is not more than 2.5 metres (our rules so check) and the weight is within limits.
Locals here tow home a light 27ft (M27) on a jinker and another tows home a 21ft fin keel. another has a very heavy 26ft Magnum with lift keel and he has towed it around Oz.
While a lift keel or shallow draft is easier to retrieve, provided the ramp (slipway) is steep enough and deep enough you let the trailer in on the end of a rope put the boat on and haul out. Then attach to the car.
If I were to start again this is what I would do as a fin keel sails so much better than bilge or lift keel.
Meanwhile I will stick with 21ft lift keel (vertical lift) which is outside my window as I write being winter here.
That is a real piece of cake to launch and retrieve. Indeed for the first 3 years I had it all my sailing was launch sail retrieve and home again. (using only a 6cyl sedan) olewill
 
William_H said:
Hi Phil
Any boat light enough to be towed is going to be pretty lively in rough water. I don't know any way around that problem.
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I haven't noticed it on any other small boat. I don't mean it pitched or rolled a lot. It had a strange, wormy, motion that was quite unsettling.
 
Lakesailor said:
I haven't noticed it on any other small boat. I don't mean it pitched or rolled a lot. It had a strange, wormy, motion that was quite unsettling.
Click to expand...

Can't say i have noticed any thing different on our new Gibsea76 from any other boat i have sailed, however it is on Lake Windermere so its not as choppy as i am used to.

I will have a feel for the wormy motion next time i go up to the boat


One Life, Live It
 
Gibsea 76

Hi, I purchased my Gibsea 76 ( bilge keel ) in January this year, and so far have been very pleased with it, whats more so is SWMBO, and the kids.

Light and airy down below due to the wrap around windows and open plan layout.

Lots of deck space for relaxing.

I have not experienced any discomfort while sleeping on my swinging mooring.

Seems to have a good performance, but I am no racer, but I have seen 8.5 knots over the ground on the GPS, with an approx 2 knot favourable tide.

Good access to the inboard for servicing, plus more serious work, I have just had the engine rebuilt.

As for towing, I think it would be fun as they are wide, I think not too far off the legal non assisted limit.
 
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