Which trailer sailer!

Have a look for a Hunter Delta, I'm biased had one for 6 years and it's a vertical lift keel which bolts down when sailing. Sits upright on mud and sand and with the keel down really did have excellent righting moment. Down side is the keel is in the cabin when its up. We had two adults and 2 smaller children on it, crossed the channel in it and several long trip to the west country, so IMHO pretty seaworthy and a real great boat for sailing.
 
While we are doing "show me your keel" here's mine.

Frolic 18 swing keel boat. Encapsulated keel containing about 250Kg of lead.

View in the cabin. The keel box forms the support for the table. On the left is the winding mechanism. 50 turns on the handle winds a nut along a lead screw to raise the keel via a stainless steel wire over two pulleys.

cabin.jpg


Here's the trailer modified to allow the keel to be lowered. It still can't go all the way down on the trailer. In the water it goes a lot lower than that. The keel pivots at the front.

keel_down.jpg


And here's the works. Looking down inside the keel box with the table removed. The unique thing about this lifting keel is the keel box is quite large, so the keel is not a snug fit so no chance of it jamming. it's the T shaped top of the keel that locates things in the keel box.

The two aluminium plates were a modification of mine. If you allow the lifting cable to go slack it can fall off the lifting roller. the first time I opened the keel box I found the cable off the roller. So these two side plates prevent that happening again.

keel2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Seajet said:
Obviously a wind-up merchant...:)

What me wind up..... Surely not I just have to press the right button and its all too easy.... (On mine one for up and one for down)

No-one calls the Anderson slow.

I have!

It is a fact in comparison to most modern lift keelers....

But you choose to avoid the facts by talking about your one experience of sailing in force 11 when most normal people will not be sailing nor making speed comparisons.

She does have side decks, for instance when coming alongside a pontoon it's standard practice for crew to stand on them at the widest part of the boat.

Yep I believe you get the same experience on a canal barge!

Incidentally my A22 has done 20 Channel crossings 3 A22's have crossed the Atlantic.
Click to expand...

So have messages in a bottle but I wouldnt have wanted to be in the bottle either!
 
Dear OP
Rule 1 All boats/yachts are a compromise. Only you can decide which features to compromise in favour of which other features.
Rule 2 My boat chosen for my reasons is the best possible choice and anyone who chooses differently is at best misguided, and at worst a fool!

If rules 1 and 2 didn't exist, then neither would this forum and the rules explain most of the replies to this thread so far.

Now I on the other hand being the owner of a 26 ft swing keel water ballasted trailer yacht am totally without bias! Its obvious to me that my choice of boat is the only choice any sane person would make!
Seriously, there are probably a number of designs that would fit your needs all with their own pros and cons. If you want to know what a particular boat is like, try and find some clubs/ owners that sail them and cadge a ride. I think many if not most boat owners approached in a polite way will be only too happy to take you for a spin or just a dockside tour and offer their own opinions.
I chose my own boat after sailing on a number of different types as crew. This really crystallised my thinking and meant that when i did buy , i knew exactly what i was getting.
Good luck.
 
Last edited:
CreakyDecks said:
Is it legal to tow a boat over 2.55m wide on UK roads?
Click to expand...

Boat yes, trailer or caravan no.

Normally Max permissable width is 2.55M

The boat for the purpose of the law is defined as a "Load"

A load must not project more than 305mm each side up to a maximum width of 2.9M

It is perfectly legal to tow wider just you will have to conform to abnormal load regulations.
 
TSB240 said:
Boat yes, trailer or caravan no.

Normally Max permissable width is 2.55M

The boat for the purpose of the law is defined as a "Load"

A load must not project more than 305mm each side up to a maximum width of 2.9M

It is perfectly legal to tow wider just you will have to conform to abnormal load regulations.
Click to expand...

Strangely the regulation for trailer for boats are much less stringent than for other trailers. For instance side marker lights and front marker lights are not a requirement. Presumably as the trailers are liable to getting a dunking.
 
Lakesailor said:
Strangely the regulation for trailer for boats are much less stringent than for other trailers. For instance side marker lights and front marker lights are not a requirement. Presumably as the trailers are liable to getting a dunking.
Click to expand...

Side markers woud be a waste of time if they were mounted on the trailer. In the dark they would give a very false indication of the load width to an on coming or overtaking HGV.

I use Aldi led bike lights on the stanchions at the max beam and on the end of the mast and on the stern to give a good warning to other road users of what they are approaching.They come with a nice clamp that fits the stanchions.

A full width removable tail board is fitted to extending arms on the trailer.
 
Re the size limitation, there's also a thing about an "indivisible load" which is the loophole that allows very long glider trailers to legally be towed.

At the end of the day, the OP wants a trailerable boat that can be launched easily. That is basically a lifting or bilge keel boat. That's pretty much what we wanted to buy.

In the end, the choice of boat that we bought was down to what was available locally at the time. I had considered buying a boat from some distance and towing it back. But a look around the local brokers found our little Frolic 18 for sale. It ticked all the boxes and was close to home, so we bought it. Had I "chosen" one particular boat, it would have either been a longer wait to find one, or it would have had to come from further away.

That turned out to be a good thing. The trailer was set up really badly, and the 25 mile tow home was atrocious. Had I bought that 300 miles away I honestly don't think it would have made it home. But now the trailer is all sorted out it tows very nicely.
 
I think the whole term ' trailer sailer ' is open to abuse; I call the Anderson 22 ( there is also a 26 ) ' trailable '- behind something like a Rangerover - but no way in the world would I think of trailing her to slipways from home every weekend, that's a lot of hassle one way or another even with a dinghy !

I may come over as pro - Anderson - I am, based on experience - but I have tried to convey the considerations with lift keelers in general.

It should be borne in mind that twin keelers are by no means ' leave and forget ' !

When one thinks of the loads on splayed keels going up and down in and out of mud it's toe-curling, so no wonder that all twin keeler owners I know worry about stub reinforcing and tightening bolts while a Seawolf 26 TK next to me has been ashore dropping and re-seating a keel - belongs to the chap who crewed my boat into a 7 /11 Angus, if you want more bedside reading it's all on the website. :)
 
Last edited:
Anything over 20 feet will be a royal PITA to rig frequently, and those under still a bit of a pain.

You wouldn't want to tow it far or regularly, as it's only just on the legal side of large, but a good Evolution 25 would come just within budget.

Fantastically fast both on and off the wind, very seakindly, massive accommodation for its size, can take the ground. There's nothing not to like.
 
Hmm, let's let anyone looking at the interiors or sailing - apart from round the cans in a light wind - think about that one !

The point about ' the legal side of large for towing ' is a good one though...

Our dear police announced a while ago that while apparently giving burglars - especially boat thieves - a holiday they will focus on towed boats ' who have had it easy for too long '.

At the end of the M27 near Cadnum for instance there's a weighbridge which boats on trailers, caravans etc get intercepted and directed onto by pseudo Mad Max's and their chums, escorted by 2 Interceptors a time - can't take any chances with these death-dealing yottie types, must have gatling guns at least. :rolleyes:

Of course this isn't an easy target next to the rather more awkward crime and drugs in Southampton, yotties are well known to be the scourge of society.
 
Simondjuk said:
Anything over 20 feet will be a royal PITA to rig frequently, and those under still a bit of a pain.

You wouldn't want to tow it far or regularly, as it's only just on the legal side of large, but a good Evolution 25 would come just within budget.

Fantastically fast both on and off the wind, very seakindly, massive accommodation for its size, can take the ground. There's nothing not to like.
Click to expand...


Cracking boat. Are you missing her?

Certainly would outperform an Anderson in most conditions except of course if you happened to be sailing into a force 11............

I remember it being shown many years ago at the Birmingham Boat Show.

I seem to remember the only downside was that you get to lift the keel via in an open topped keel housing.
This would mean having to put up with the stinking low tide smells if drying out for the night on east coast mud.

Simon please put me right if I am wrong old age and memory not so good you know!

Some other trailable yachts for the OP to consider....

Jenny Tonic 23

Bendytoy First 235

Gibsea 242.

I think they all have aft cabins which would suit small children or very friendly adults...........

Seperate Heads compartments with fitted sea bogs.

Some partners will be more interested in the interior design of the boat, especially the Galley and loo facilities rather than whether it can tack to windward in a force 11........
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

Sea Change
Rusty trailer- which zinc spray to use?
2
Replies
25
Views
841
ducked
D
O
South Coast - Cheap boating option
3 4 5
Replies
92
Views
2K
rafiki_
rafiki_

Share this page

Top