Cruising on a Trailer Sailer

[TBW]

We are currently shopping to upsize from our trailerable camp cruiser to a trailerable cruiser.

It's a lot easier to shop for smaller trailer sailers because they are just basically small sailboats that will fit on a trailer due to their size.

When you start getting into the plus size trailer sailers you need to make some sailing compromises to keep them trailerable.

The way our search is shaping up, we will probably end up with either a MacGregor 25 or a MacGregor 26 (C).

 

[Lark]

We are currently shopping to upsize from our trailerable camp cruiser to a trailerable cruiser.

It's a lot easier to shop for smaller trailer sailers because they are just basically small sailboats that will fit on a trailer due to their size.

When you start getting into the plus size trailer sailers you need to make some sailing compromises to keep them trailerable.

The way our search is shaping up, we will probably end up with either a MacGregor 25 or a MacGregor 26 (C).

Good luck in your search. I looked at both boats as good contenders. Maybe my considerations will be useful depending on what’s important to you. Many were made, so you can find examples that have seen regular love.

The 26 c has some wood backing plates but not a core. The liner construction has maintenance advantages but makes rewiring or modification difficult. They move nicely in moderate breeze. I found interior storage disappointing. The Macgregor marketing folks decided berths sold boats, not endurance.

The 25 has plywood deck cores. Many older trailerables have seen make do maintenance with household calk so the usual freshwater rot is a concern. Servicing the ferrous swing keel if you lack sailboat competent yards would be a significant project.

The ‘galley‘ didn’t work for me. Since its missing on many older boats, I don’t think I’m alone. I couldn’t fit in the head with the door closed. Otherwise I found the layout better then the 26, but got scared when I found myself imagining ‘improvements’.

Out of curiosity, you omitted many popular boats. How did you narrow your list?

 

[TBW]

Out of curiosity, you omitted many popular boats. How did you narrow your list?

weight mostly. I drive a minivan with no plans to change to a truck. Over 25 feet and under 2500 pounds, I don't think any other boats come close in weight.

Currently sailing a Bay Hen (for about 7 years now) but the kids have gotten too big for that boat, need another 4 or 5 feet if we are going to keep trailer sailer cruising.

 

[Lark]

weight mostly. I drive a minivan with no plans to change to a truck. Over 25 feet and under 2500 pounds, I don't think any other boats come close in weight.

Currently sailing a Bay Hen (for about 7 years now) but the kids have gotten too big for that boat, need another 4 or 5 feet if we are going to keep trailer sailer cruising.

It sounds like you’re the target sailor for the 26 classic.

 

[Lark]

This popped up on my youtube and I thought it was worthy of discussion. It’s expensive, but if you’re inland and want to cruise, it has potential. The galley is a nice version of a Mac 25. The carbon fiber mast and boom cassette are cool. Attention was put into rigging. Boarding is easy from the water.
Negatives to me: There should be a hatch above the head for standing headroom, like my R 22. The fridge is under the companionway, making it hard for the solo cruiser to grab a snack without autopilot. Admittedly it’s too big for a solo trailer cruiser, but ones partner may be napping. Aesthetically, the compromise of a trailer cruiser is obvious.

 

[Diarmuid]

This popped up on my youtube and I thought it was worthy of discussion. It’s expensive, but if you’re inland and want to cruise, it has potential. The galley is a nice version of a Mac 25. The carbon fiber mast and boom cassette are cool. Attention was put into rigging. Boarding is easy from the water.
Negatives to me: There should be a hatch above the head for standing headroom, like my R 22. The fridge is under the companionway, making it hard for the solo cruiser to grab a snack without autopilot. Admittedly it’s too big for a solo trailer cruiser, but ones partner may be napping. Aesthetically, the compromise of a trailer cruiser is obvious.

That's really neat.

 

[valcour2]

Swallow yachts are very cool. Wish there were more available on this side of the pond.

 

[chester]

This popped up on my youtube and I thought it was worthy of discussion. It’s expensive, but if you’re inland and want to cruise, it has potential. The galley is a nice version of a Mac 25. The carbon fiber mast and boom cassette are cool. Attention was put into rigging. Boarding is easy from the water.
Negatives to me: There should be a hatch above the head for standing headroom, like my R 22. The fridge is under the companionway, making it hard for the solo cruiser to grab a snack without autopilot. Admittedly it’s too big for a solo trailer cruiser, but ones partner may be napping. Aesthetically, the compromise of a trailer cruiser is obvious.

well i like that a whole bunch! lots of nice features. i like the raised house, light visa bility and it looks proportional. the carbon rig is great and the connection of the tiller to the outboard for motoring is really slick.

P.S.
the jib is sheeted really far in...you always the assy to reach?

 

[Lark]

Side decks are the enemy of cabin space. I’m not sure how my clumsy feet would do tending to the anchor.

How does he keep the jib furler from scratching the foredeck when raising or dropping the mast? Or for that matter, what do others do? I’m thinking I need the local alteration shop make a quilted bag with drawstring.

 

[Grith]

Side decks are the enemy of cabin space. I’m not sure how my clumsy feet would do tending to the anchor.

How does he keep the jib furler from scratching the foredeck when raising or dropping the mast? Or for that matter, what do others do? I’m thinking I need the local alteration shop make a quilted bag with drawstring.

Never really had a problem with the jib furler scratching the deck. It straps on top of my mast when trailering and stays strapped there when the mast is moved back on the rear targa roller ( or original equip cockpit mast prop ) and base is connected to the deck and then lifts to attach to the built in A frame mast raising system which stays insitu whilst sailing for on water mast lowering. It doesn’t touch the deck during any of these manoeuvres due to the fairly stiff furling foil and the slope of the forward cabin roof.
I have seen home made socks for the furler on other TS’s though.
I agree re side decks as mine are also narrow but adequate. I eliminated a number of alternative TS choices due to them only having over the cabin roof or via a front of cabin hatch forward access.

 

[Lark]

A near identical sister to mine, showing how spoiled I am when rigging a bridle. Admire my toe rails, and those wonderful shrouds to provide a hand hold. Odd to brag about side decks and toe rails I know, but ergonomics add so much to enjoyment.

Edit, I’d love to see your frame in action. How does attachment work? The idea is great and it acts like a toe rail at sea. I lose a lot of rigging time trying to keep the mast from rotating from the weight of the jib as I slide it to the step, fiddling with rings and fasteners or lining up holes in my tongue extension. Engineering mechanical systems like your frame help a lot, The Swallow seems to make effort to simplify the number of steps and maximize parts that stay together.

For non racers, a minute improvement in pointing or speed is merely ’nice’. Seaworthiness is limited by tow weight. Number of berths lacks the zing it did half a century ago. The number of dependents is inversely proportional to sailing time and budget. Convenience seems the natural way to seduce trailer sailors to buy new hulls, or to sell retrofits as part of a reconditioning / recycling program. The company that does this should buy a space in the parking lot in front of the boat show, and spend all day rigging and unrigging their boat to an amazed crowd while a barker points out how nobody has to climb down to a parking lot and look for that dropped pin or grab more parts out of the truck. Bring on the dancing bikini girl at the end of every cycle to do cartwheels around the boat.

 

[Grith]

Well my process of creating a trailer sailer specifically for semi live aboard extended cruising/exploring/adventuring continues.
Our longest continuous period of living onboard is currently only 6 weeks but the next cruise this year is intended to be 2-3 months on The Great Barrier Reef.
The yacht will be towed over 3000klms (about 2000miles) from our home to reach here.
The ocean journeys to reach the same cruising ground entail a very long and quite challenging voyage. Not something the yacht or my previously non sailing but outdoors enthusiast partner was ever going to be up for.
All this effort is in preparation for our planned approximately 3-4 months Kimberley’s exploration next year which will be likely without any ability to resupply.
The recent major upgrades include fitting a very large solar array totalling over 900w combined with a pair lithium power packs ( EcoFlow Delta Max) allowing all cooking to be via induction cooktop eliminating the requirement to carry gas or alcohol for stoves.
The 28 foot trailerable yacht now has the ability to generate its own generous amount of power.
Along with induction cooking it also powers the refrigeration, recharges the electric outboard battery's ( torqeedo) which is both the dingy outboard and main yacht’s low wind auxiliary, provides the hot water, occasionally provides both heating and air conditioning along with powering a variety of other 240v equipment. A reverse osmosis desalinator is likely the next big purchase.
The yacht has retained its original 2 battery 12v agm system and the ecoflows have been integrated into the yacht replacing the 240v shore power system.

The Vberth shown here was at the time accommodating a friend who like me is a big bloke at 6 foot 2 and 200lbs plus. It proved the yacht is just big enough to accomodate more than just a couple for an extended period. 🙂

 

[Lark]

@Grith You’ve got me on the last picture. 22 is small to cruise with another average sized guy. I have a buddy that wants to try. I look forward to your post cruise posts.

I wanted to tip my hat to this couple. They showed up in my feed and provided drama free background for chores while I wait for spring. It’s dinghy camping on Superior such as I hope to try when I jump off the hampster wheel of my own creation.

I‘m curious about this minimalist approach vs using a trailer launchable in the role of a keelboat for cruising, as I do now. Location is limited by beaches not full of condos, but launching is easy. Of course I also enjoyed canoe and bicycle camping.

 

[Grith]

Hi Lark I have done plenty of minimalist cruising previously including 5 weeks out in the Whitsunday Islands in a 20 foot plywood catamaran a Jarcat 6.
I have also camped extensively of my Hobie Adventure Island Trimaran/Kayaks both single and tandem.
Just retired and getting a little older now so I appreciate the creature comforts of being able to stand whilst cooking and having an enclosed toilet/shower compartment.
Years of wilderness camping and expeditioning however have left my thirst for wild and unusual places undiminished and I wanted a platform capable of pushing cruising boundaries in unusual and sometimes unexplored by yacht inshore and inland waters.
This often involves shallow and uncharted waters hence a swing keel.
The ability to sail is both for tranquility and fuel saving (plus the extra skill and challenge) whilst recognising the hull shape, keel and water ballast ( for trailer-ability ) compromises mean it will never be an around the cans racer.
I have included a photo below of what horrifies so many traditional yachties and we do only fairly rarely use to potential.
Getting a new partner who previously had never even set foot on a boat to really enjoy extended living onboard was another goal achieved that was unlikely at our ages with something more camper sailing oriented.🙂

Norman my fairly big mate sharing cruising with Clare and myself.
Induction cooking steak whilst extended cruising. The wonders of compressor refrigeration and 240v lithium power bank output.

The much maligned 115hp outboard and extensive solar panels mounted on both the targa bar and the Bimini. The blue hose is the salt/freshwater inlet for the sink which is only attached when at rest as the yacht has no below waterline thru hulls primarily so drying out on mud won’t clog them.

 

[bmiller]

Well my process of creating a trailer sailer specifically for semi live aboard extended cruising/exploring/adventuring continues.
Our longest continuous period of living onboard is currently only 6 weeks but the next cruise this year is intended to be 2-3 months on The Great Barrier Reef.
The yacht will be towed over 3000klms (about 2000miles) from our home to reach here.
The ocean journeys to reach the same cruising ground entail a very long and quite challenging voyage. Not something the yacht or my previously non sailing but outdoors enthusiast partner was ever going to be up for.
All this effort is in preparation for our planned approximately 3-4 months Kimberley’s exploration next year which will be likely without any ability to resupply.
The recent major upgrades include fitting a very large solar array totalling over 900w combined with a pair lithium power packs ( EcoFlow Delta Max) allowing all cooking to be via induction cooktop eliminating the requirement to carry gas or alcohol for stoves.
The 28 foot trailerable yacht now has the ability to generate its own generous amount of power.
Along with induction cooking it also powers the refrigeration, recharges the electric outboard battery's ( torqeedo) which is both the dingy outboard and main yacht’s low wind auxiliary, provides the hot water, occasionally provides both heating and air conditioning along with powering a variety of other 240v equipment. A reverse osmosis desalinator is likely the next big purchase.
The yacht has retained its original 2 battery 12v agm system and the ecoflows have been integrated into the yacht replacing the 240v shore power system.
View attachment 581328
View attachment 581329
View attachment 581330
The Vberth shown here was at the time accommodating a friend who like me is a big bloke at 6 foot 2 and 200lbs plus. It proved the yacht is just big enough to accomodate more than just a couple for an extended period. 🙂

Good for you, keep posting. I'm very curious to see how the all solar/electric works out for you.

 

[Grith]

Due to needing the trailer wheels slightly realigned we are towing into Adelaide this week. This is the first big test towing the yacht with Bimini, Dodger erected and all cruising gear onboard.
It also involves a significant decent and climb back up.
Friends have successfully towed around Australia with their dodger erected on their Court 750 trailerable yacht over 30 years but I am still uncertain so will see how this goes.
They are somewhat shielded behind our slide on truck camper but the next tow in July - October this year will be many thousands of miles with much of this on less than perfect roads.
We are planning several months cruising out on The Great Barrier Reef. 🙂

 

[Russell Brown]

It seems like the Bimini frame would create the most windage. It would be interesting to check your gas milage with it up and with it down.
I'm lucky to live somewhere with unlimited cruising ground nearby, so I only have to trailer to the town ramp.

 

[chester]

@Grith You’ve got me on the last picture. 22 is small to cruise with another average sized guy. I have a buddy that wants to try. I look forward to your post cruise posts.

I wanted to tip my hat to this couple. They showed up in my feed and provided drama free background for chores while I wait for spring. It’s dinghy camping on Superior such as I hope to try when I jump off the hampster wheel of my own creation.

I‘m curious about this minimalist approach vs using a trailer launchable in the role of a keelboat for cruising, as I do now. Location is limited by beaches not full of condos, but launching is easy. Of course I also enjoyed canoe and bicycle camping.

pretty sure those sails cost as much as the boat, which is cool

 

[Grith]

It seems like the Bimini frame would create the most windage. It would be interesting to check your gas milage with it up and with it down.
I'm lucky to live somewhere with unlimited cruising ground nearby, so I only have to trailer to the town ramp.

It was about 19.5 litres per 100klms towing behind the slide on camper prior to the current set up so I will be definitely monitoring. The slide on camper sits at 3.6 metres high with the roof top aircond reaching 3.8 metres high.
The dodger sits well below this and the front edge of the Bimini is at about 3.4 metres at the front and 3.6 metres at the rear.
I am hoping a significant amount of the slide on deflected airflow travels up over the Dodger and onto over the Bimini.
I am mounting a rearward facing camera on the slide on roof to view what’s happening back there and to alert me to any backed up traffic.🙂
PS We have significant areas to sail around here but the goal was Australia wide exploration in early retirement.

 

[dlandersson]

We are currently shopping to upsize from our trailerable camp cruiser to a trailerable cruiser.

It's a lot easier to shop for smaller trailer sailers because they are just basically small sailboats that will fit on a trailer due to their size.

When you start getting into the plus size trailer sailers you need to make some sailing compromises to keep them trailerable.

The way our search is shaping up, we will probably end up with either a MacGregor 25 or a MacGregor 26 (C).

Have a 97X, pretty happy with it.