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7 Best Trailerable Sailboats for Cruising

Many sailors balk at the idea of leaving their boat in the water at a marina. Slip fees are expensive, and maintenance bills get bigger the longer you leave a boat in the water. However, if you want a boat under 30 feet long, there are trailerable sailboats that will fit the bill.

Like any boat purchase, you’ll need to analyze precisely what kind of trailer sailer you want. Will a simple weekend sailboat suffice, or do you really need the best trailerable cruising sailboat you can find? 

Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of the best trailerable sailboat. Plus, we’ll look at how to compare them for your purposes.

Table of Contents

Best trailerable sailboats, easy to launch trailerable sailboats, quick setup time, towing weight, catalina 22/25 “pop-top”, com-pac horizon cat for classic coastal cruising, marshall sanderling — small, portable, classy, west wight potter 19 — the tiny go-anywhere sailboat, seaward 26rk with retractable lead keel, corsair f-24 trimaran – sporty sailing, macgregor 26m — maximum speed meets maximum living space, long-range cruising boats, 7 best trailerable boats – a recap, what’s the best trailerable sailboat for a cruise, trailerable sailboats faqs.

• Catalina 22/25
• Com-Pac Horizon Cat
• Marshall Sanderling
• West Wight Potter 19
• Seaward 26RK
• Corsair F-24 Trimaran
• MacGregor 26M

We’ll get into more detail about each brand in my post today, so hang tight!

What Is a Trailerable Sailboat, Exactly?

For this article, the priorities for a trailerable sailboat are:

• Easy to launch
• Require minimum setup to launch and store
• Lightweight enough to be towed by the average vehicle

Before you can really classify a sailboat as trailerable, you need to evaluate and narrow your search criteria. Truthfully, 50-plus-foot ocean-going sailboats are regularly put on trailers. But that’s done commercially, on a big rig, with special permits for oversized loads, and even led cars.  

That probably isn’t what most people mean when they think of a trailerable sailboat. But what is the priority here, the trailerable part or the sailboat part? Compromises are going to have to be made somewhere. 

If you’re looking at the 20-foot-and-under sailboat crowd, finding a trailerable example should not be hard. Most sailboats this size are designed for trailers anyway since they aren’t the sort of boats people want to pay to leave in a slip year-round.

Things get more interesting when you look at the 20 to 30-foot boats. In this class, there are stout ocean-going cruisers with deep keels and lightweight centerboard trailer sailboats designed from the get-go to be trailered by the average car or SUV. The differences between these boats are night and day.

Sailboats often have a hard time at boat ramps. First, deep keels mean that the trailer must extend farther into the water than the average boat ramp allows. This means the ramp needs to go back far enough, and the trailer tongue needs to be long enough not to swamp the car. 

If you have a boat like this, you’ll need to find the right boat ramps. Unfortunately, not all ramps are created equally. If your boat draws more than two or three feet on the trailer, you’re going to be limited to steep, paved, and high-quality boat ramps. Unfortunately, those aren’t standard features, so your cruising grounds are going to be limited.

Usually, ramps aren’t built steeply because they are often slippery. Your tow vehicle will need excellent traction and torque to pull your fully loaded boat out of a steep ramp. The steeper the ramp, the more trouble you’ll have. 

The alternative to finding steep ramps is to use a trailer tongue extender. This lets you get the trailer into deeper water without swamping the tow vehicle. But it also means that the ramp needs to extend deep enough. Many ramps end abruptly. Allowing your trailer to sink off the edge is an excellent way to get stuck or pop a tire.

Pick a boat as easy to launch and retrieve as a similarly sized powerboat to remove all of these boat ramp problems. The soft chines of most sailboats will always require a little more water, but a swing keel and the hinged rudder raised mean that the boat can sit low on the trailer bunks. That way, you only need one or two feet of water to launch, an easy feat at nearly every boat ramp you can find.

The next consideration for a sailboat to be portable enough to call it “trailerable” is the amount of time it takes to step the mast and get it ready to cruise. 

To accomplish this, you need a mast that can be stepped by a two-person team–maximum. Ideally, it will have some tabernacle hardware to enable one person to do the task for solo sailing.

There is an entire family of pocket cruisers that could ideally fit on trailers. But you won’t find the Fickas or the Falmouth cutters on my list, simply because they aren’t easy to launch or easy to rig. But, of course, they’re also too heavy for most vehicles to tow, which leads us to the final point of excluding them this trailable pocket cruiser’s list.

One of the most significant financial burdens the trailer sailer faces is their tow vehicle. You are all set if you already drive a two-ton dually diesel pickup truck. But if your daily driver is an SUV or light pickup, you need to think long and hard about the math of the towing equation. 

Whatever boat you buy cannot exceed the towing rating limits of your tow vehicle. If you don’t have a tow vehicle, you’ll need to buy one. This will double or triple the cost of getting a trailer sailer in most cases. For the same money, you may want to look at a boat that stays in the water at a traditional boat slip. For the cost of a trailer sailer and a tow vehicle, you can probably step into a nice boat that is larger and more comfortable than any towable.

If you have a tow vehicle, you need a light enough vessel for it to tow. Most modern SUVs tow less than 2,500 pounds. Anything more than 5,000 will require a full-size pickup. Remember that the tow weight isn’t just the boat’s displacement—it’s the empty hull weight, plus the weight of the trailer and any extra gear you need to pack into the boat. 

Finding a vessel that fits these limitations on weight isn’t easy. If the manufacturer’s goal is to make it towable, immediate limits are placed on the materials they can use. This means less seaworthiness since boats are built light and thin. As far as stability goes, lead keels are generally out, and water ballast systems or centerboards might be used instead. It doesn’t mean these boats aren’t safe and fun, but they aren’t designed for rough conditions, crossing oceans, or living on in the water full-time .

7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

There are more trailerable sailboats out there than you might imagine. Here’s a look at seven popular options of all shapes and sizes to give you a taste of what you might want to take to sea.

The boats here are selected for their storage and living space. With these boats and a little outfitting, you can spend weeks gunk-holing in the Chesapeake Bay or island hopping the Bahamas. If you broaden your scope to include daysailers with no cabin space, there are countless more options.

One of the worst parts of a small trailerable sailboat or pocket cruiser is the lack of stand-up headroom. One clever solution that you’ll find on some weekend sailboat types is the pop-top. 

The pop-top is simply an area around the companionway hatch that extends upward on struts. So when you’re at the dock or anchor, you get standing headroom down below—at least right inside the pop-top.

You can build a canvas enclosure for your pop-top to use it in all weather. A pop-top makes your boat feel much larger than it is and allows you to move freely to cook or get changed down below or even do a nice boat bed area. 

Later models of the Catalina Sport 22 and Capri 22s lacked this cool pop-top feature, so if you want it, you’ll need to seek out an older model on the used market.

Com-Pac has been building small sailboats since the early 1970s. They currently sell two lines, each with various-sized boats. All are well built, and a majority of their boats are trailerable. 

Most interesting at the Com-Pac traditional catboats . The rigging is more straightforward than modern sloops, with only one large mainsail. Com-Pac boats come with a unique quick-rig system to make getting on the water fast and simple.

The Horizon Cat Coastal Cruising has a displacement of 2,500 pounds with a 2’2″ draft when the board is up. She has a separate head forward and space to lounge either topside or down below. The smaller Sun Cat has slightly few amenities but shaves off a few feet and pounds, making it easier to tow and it is one of these amazing small sailboats. Com-Pacs features stub keels, so their centerboard and hinged rudder do not take up space in the cabin.

On the sloop rig side, the Com-Pac 23 comes in a 3,000-pound traditional sailboat or a very interesting pilothouse. Both are incredibly livable for their size , with shallow two-foot-long fixed keels and high-quality construction.

Another option if you like catboats is the Marshall Sanderling. This salty 18-footer oozes traditional charm , all while being easy to sail and easier to tow. And while she has wooden boat lines, she has a modern laminated fiberglass hull.

The Sanderling has a 2,200-pound displacement, so tow weights will be around 3,000 pounds. At only 18-feet, she’s on the small side for cruising. The cuddy cabin has no galley, and the portable toilet is not enclosed. But that small size means a simple boat that’s easy to maintain and take anywhere. 

An electric motor package is an exciting option on this weekend sailboat!

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You can’t mention tiny trailer sailers without touching on the famous West Wight Potter . These 15 and 19-foot pocket cruisers have earned a worldwide reputation as the ultimate go-anywhere coastal cruiser.

The West Wight Potter 19 offers the most living space for staying aboard and cruising. So even though its dimensions are diminutive, this little boat packs a lot in. There’s a single burner hotplate and sink and a porta-potty tucked under a cushion. Yes, it’s tight—but the company claims the little boat can sleep five people. Any more than two will feel pretty crowded, however.

The boat comes standard with a mast-raising system that a single person can manage alone. It has a daggerboard for a shallow draft of a half-foot when the board is up. The total towing weight is around 1,500 pounds, which means nearly any car can tow a West Wight Potter.

This little-known trailer sailer is produced at the same Florida factory that makes Island Packet Yachts. That should give you a little bit of an idea of what sort of boat it is—trailerable, yes, but also high-quality, beautiful, and built for cruising. In other words, it’s one of the nicest all round pocket cruisers and it feels like a much larger boat.

The Seaward is easily the saltiest boat on this list . It’s beefy and seaworthy. Instead of a lightweight centerboard, Seaward fits the RK with a bulb-shaped retracting keel. Other big-boat items include a Yanmar diesel inboard motor and an enclosed head. The spacious cabin of the boat features a double berth and is ready for salt water cruising.

According to sailboatdata.com , the tow weight of the 26RK is 6,000 pounds. With the keel up, the draft is 1.25 feet.

Multihull sailors need not feel left out from the trailer sailer club and the pocket cruiser. Beyond the ubiquitous beach Hobie Cat, there are not many options for catamarans. But trimarans are uniquely suited to be towed.

Why? For one thing, performance oriented boats like trimarans are based on it being built light. There is no ballast—a trimaran’s stability comes from its two outer hulls. Additionally, the living space is entirely housed in the central hull–the outer floats are small and sometimes foldable. Finally, there are no keels on tris, so they are extremely shallow draft and perfect for trailering.

If you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping sporty and fun sailing, it’s impossible to beat what a trimaran will offer. Let’s not beat around the bush—most of the trailer sailers on this list have hull speeds around five knots. The Corsair has no such limits, routinely sailing at 15 knots or more .

The new Corsair 880 trimaran has an unloaded weight of 3,659 pounds. It is trailerable behind a big SUV or small pickup and is probably the most fun sailing option that is trailerable at all.

An even more portable option is the older Corsair F-24. It has a light displacement of under 2,000 pounds—so nearly any SUV can tow it.

MacGregor owns the market on trailerable motor sailers since they more or less created the product to fit the bill. The MacGregor 26 is not like other boats. The design combines a planing powerboat with a centerboard sailboat. Imagine scooting along at 20 knots or more when the wind is down or enjoying a sporty sail on a breezy day–in the same boat.

The entire boat is built from the ground up for towing and long-range sailing. So if you want a big sailboat that you can tow behind pretty much any SUV, the MacGregor has to be on your list. 

Depending on the model, the 26-foot-long boats have incredibly light dry weights of between 1,650 and 2,350 pounds. Considering the massive volume of the roomy cabin, the ability to tow such a large vessel opens up an entire world of opportunities for owners. 

It’s not all good news, of course. MacGregor owners love their boats, but they are built light and are not ideally suited for offshore cruising or rough weather. But in bays and for coastal sailing on nice days, few boats can get as much use as a MacGregor. 

The motorboat capability of the 26M and 26X might not appeal to hardcore sailors, but for those looking to maximize their use of the boat depending on the weather, their mood, or location, it makes a lot of sense. 

MacGregor shut down in 2015, but the daughter and son-in-law of the original owners took over production and renamed the boat the Tattoo 26 . The company will soon release a smaller version, the Tattoo 22 .

If the 26 is a bit big to make your list of best trailerable small sailboats, consider the smaller Powersailer 19. It’s nearly identical to the 26, just smaller and lighter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dale Roddick (@droddick33)

What Do You Want Your Trailer Sailer To Do?

After you’ve settled on how you will tow and launch your trailer sailer, now it’s time to dream about what you want it to do. Where will it take you? 

The beauty of a towable boat is that you can travel anywhere. A boat in the water might take weeks or months to move a few hundred miles. But if you can attach it to your car and do 65 mph on the interstate, you could sail on the Pacific on Monday, the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, and the Atlantic on Friday.

We can divide our trailerable sailboats into three groups – daysailers, weekenders, and cruisers.

These are designed with open cockpits and no space to sleep. This is a majority of the sub-22-foot boats on the market. They are designed to be launched, play for the day, and return to the ramp or dock.

A weekender will have rudimentary sleeping facilities. Think of it as a floating tent—it’s not a five-star hotel, but you can sleep under the stars or get out of the rain. Conceivably you could stay aboard indefinitely, but it doesn’t have much room for gear. So most people are ready to get off after a day or two. 

A cruising boat has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities built-in. These might be small and simple, but in any quantity, they mean you can disconnect from shore for a long time. Unfortunately, squeezing all of this into a tow-friendly package isn’t easy, and very few boats do it well. 

The best trailer sailor for your adventures will depend on many factors. Like any boat, whatever you decide on will be a compromise – boats always are. But there are plenty of choices out there, no matter what size your tow vehicle is and no matter what sailing adventures you have in mind.

What size sailboat is trailerable?

Even large yachts are routinely transported by towing across land, so the question is more of how big a sailboat can you tow? Your tow vehicle will be the limiting factor. The upper limit for most large SUVs and trucks is usually a sailboat around 26 feet long.

Sailboats are generally very heavily built, with ballast and lead keels. Sailboats specifically made to be trailer sailers are lighter. They may use drainable water ballast tanks instead of fixed ballast and have fewer fixtures and amenities.

To find the best trailer sailer, you need to balance the total tow weight, the ease of rig setup at the boat ramp, and the boat’s draft. Shallow draft boats with centerboards are the easiest to launch and retrieve.

Is a Hunter 27 trailerable?

No. The Hunter 27 is a one of those fixed-keel larger boats built from 1974 to 1984. The boat’s displacement is 7,000 pounds, not including trailer and gear. That alone makes it too heavy to tow by all but the beefiest diesel trucks. 

Furthermore, the fixed keels had drafts between 3.25 and 5 feet, all of which are too much for most boat ramps. In short, the standard Hunter Marine 27 is too big to tow for most people.

On the other hand, Hunter has made several good trailer sailers over the years. For example, the Hunter 240 and 260 were explicitly designed for trailering. They have drainable water ballast and shallow keel/centerboard drafts less than two feet. 

Is a Catalina 22 trailerable?

Yes, the Catalina 22 is easily trailerable and makes a wonderful weekend sailboat. In fact, there were over 15,000 Catalina 22s made and sold over the years. 

The boat’s displacement is 2,250 pounds, which means your total tow weight with trailer and gear will be under 3,000 pounds. This is within the capabilities of most mid to full-size SUVs and light trucks. Be sure to check your vehicle’s towing capacity, of course.

The centerboard on the Catalina 22 is another factor in its easy towing. With the board up, the boat draws only two feet. This makes it easy to float off the trailer at nearly any boat ramp. You should avoid fixed keel versions of the 22 for towing unless you have access to extra deep ramps. 

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

Can someone tell me why no other manufacturer makes pop tops? Those who have them, love them. Makes sense for head space with a trailerable boat too. Catalina stopped making them decades ago, yet people still swear by them. So, why isn’t there any newer models?

MacGregor put pop tops on many of its trailerables

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Trailerable Sailboats Comparison

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

Trailerable sailboats come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These vessels can be used for everything from racing to offshore cruising.

In this article, we'll compare six of the most common trailerable sailboat types along with their uses. Additionally, we'll cover vessel design elements that distinguish different types of trailerable sailboats.

The most common types of trailerable sailboats include dinghies, racers, open-top cruising sailboats, pocket cruisers, coastal cruisers, and compact offshore sailboats. These vessels differ by size, rig type, hull type, and weight.

The information contained in this article was sourced from sailing guides and vessel identification records. Additionally, we took into consideration the opinions of sailors with experience on a variety of trailerable sailboats.

Table of contents

Defining Trailerable Sailboats

What distinguishes a trailerable sailboat from any other small cruising craft? The first and most obvious consideration is size. A trailerable sailboat has to meet the dimensional requirements set forth by the Department of Transportation. In other words, it must fit on a trailer that's small enough to travel on the road.

An additional consideration is weight. A trailerable sailboat should weigh less than around 7,000 pounds, as this is the upper towing limit for most typical Class C vehicles. Most trailerable sailboats can be towed behind a typical half ton pickup or SUV.

Additionally, most trailerable sailboats have a swing keel or centerboard. This makes it possible to rest a boat on a low trailer. Most displacement keels are simply too tall, though there are a few exceptions. The maximum trailer load height in most states is 14 ft, which a trailerable sailboat should clear without trouble.

Length is a consideration, though it's not as important as width. The maximum beam of a trailerable sailboat is 8 ft 6 in, as this is the limit for standard trailers on American highways. Typically, trailerable sailboats don't exceed 30 feet in length, as the length to beam ratio of a longer boat would lead to poor handling characteristics.

The final consideration is rigging. Due to height requirements, trailerable sailboats must have collapsible masts. Additionally, rudders and other items that extend beyond the hull must fold or stow in some manner.

Types of Trailerable Sailboats

Trailerable sailboats come in many varieties, weights, in sizes. These vessels are designed for specific uses, such as racing, cruising, fishing, or training. Here are the most common kinds of trailerable sailboats, along with what they're used for.

1. Dinghies

Dinghies are small, open sailing craft that usually don't exceed 15 feet in length. Dinghies are designed for use in protected waters. They're sometimes used to shuttle between an anchored sailboat and the shore. Dinghies are popular racing vessels, and many sailing schools use them for sailing instruction.

Popular Trailerable Dinghies:

• Optimist “Optie” (7 ft 9 in LOA)
• Minto (9 ft LOA)
• Wayfarer (16 ft)

Trailerable racing sailboats are long and narrow. They're designed for speed and agility, not comfort or offshore cruising. These boats generally have a low profile, and they're often open-top and lack sleeping accommodations.

Racing sailboats are lightweight and easy to tow. That said, trailerable racing sailboats are designed for experienced sailors as they're easier to capsize in high winds. These vessels range in size from 15 feet to over 25 feet.

Popular Trailerable Racing Sailboats:

• National 12 (12 ft)
• Sunfish (13 ft 9 in)
• Merlin Rocket (14 ft)

3. Open-Top Cruisers

Open-top cruising sailboats lack a cabin. However, these seaworthy craft are more than capable of coastal cruising in a variety of conditions. Many of these vessels are based on proven workboat designs that date back over a century. These vessels are ideal for harbor sailing and cruising on lakes.

Some people use open-top cruising sailboats for camping, as these traditional vessels are long enough to lay down a cot or sleeping bag. They make a great starter sailboat, as they're safe and easy to store in the garage or driveway.

Popular Trailerable Open-Top Cruisers

• Norseboat (17 ft 6 in)
• Bay Rider (20 ft)
• Com-Pac Legacy (23)

4. Pocket Cruisers

Pocket cruisers are similar to coastal cruisers, though they're distinguishable by their size and amenities. Generally speaking, a pocket cruiser is a small sailboat (under 25 feet in length) that features a cabin, galley, self-draining cockpit, and other 'big boat' accommodations.

Pocket cruisers usually aren't designed for serious offshore cruising, but they are comfortable for extended coastal or inland voyages. They weigh more than racing vessels, as stability is a key aspect of their design. Pocket cruisers are popular because they offer impressive capabilities in a small package.

Popular Trailerable Pocket Cruisers

• Sandpiper (15 ft)
• Sanderling (18 ft)
• West Wight Potter (19 ft)

5. Coastal Cruisers

Coastal cruisers are some of the most popular trailerable sailboats on the market. These vessels usually feature a cabin with a V-berth and a sink, though they occasionally include a head and a complete galley. Coastal cruisers are seaworthy enough for most near-shore and inland weather conditions.

Some adventurous sailors have taken coastal cruisers on extended bluewater voyages, though it's not particularly common. The size and sailing characteristics of these vessels is often not their greatest limiting factor.

There's only so many provisions you can store aboard a 22 to 25-foot sailboat, which is why coastal cruisers are generally considered impractical for offshore voyaging. Coastal cruisers handle well, and they're easy to sail, which is why this type of trailerable sailboat is popular in bays and harbors across the country.

Popular Trailerable Coastal Cruisers

• Cal 20 (20 ft)
• Catalina 22 (22 ft)
• Hunter 22 (22 ft)

6. Compact Offshore Sailboats

Compact offshore sailboats are the rarest and most capable type of trailerable sailboat. These vessels are a big boat in a compressed package. They typically feature a long displacement keel, a wide beam, and a cramped but feature-filled cabin.

These vessels are true cruising boats inside and out. The cabins usually feature a full galley, standing headroom, ahead with a shower, a V-berth upfront, and provisions for navigation. Their rigging is strong enough to handle offshore weather conditions.

Compact offshore sailboats usually have the greatest displacement, as their deep draft and wide beam keep them stable in rolling seas. This also contributes to greater dry weight, which is why they can't be towed by small vehicles.

Vessels of this type are technically trailerable, as they meet the dimensional requirements to travel on the highway. That's said, moving one of these boats is difficult. Owners generally keep these vessels in the water or in dry storage most of the year to avoid the hazard and hassle of towing such a hefty boat.

Popular Compact Offshore Cruisers

• Flicka 20 (20 ft)
• Dana 24 (24 ft)
• Nor'Sea 27 (27 ft)

The keel of a sailboat keeps it stable and tracking a straight course. Most trailerable sailboats have retractable keels of some variety, though some have fixed (permanently lowered) keels. Here are the most common types of trailerable sailboat keels in order of their popularity.

1. Centerboard

A centerboard is a form of retractable keel that's common on the smallest types of trailerable sailboats. A centerboard is essentially a long, thin blade that descends through a hole in the bottom of the boat.

Half of the centerboard remains inside the boat in a box called the 'centerboard trunk.' Centerboards are simple and easy to use, but the centerboard trunk takes up useful space in the cockpit or cabin.

2. Swing Keel

The swing keel is a type of retractable keel that eliminates the inconvenient centerboard trunk. A swing keel is a centerboard with a hinge on one end. It lives in a trunk, typically below the base of the hull, and swings down when in use.

Swing keels allow the sailboat to ride low on a trailer, which makes them a popular choice for pocket cruisers and trailer-sailers. Swing keels raise and lower using a  block and tackle system or a crank, usually located near the bilge or under a seat.

3. Fin Keel

Fin keels are less common on trailerable sailboats than they are on larger cruising boats. This type of keel is fixed to the bottom of the hull. A fin keel blade extends between 12 inches and 3 feet below the hull, and it occasionally includes a hydrodynamic bulb on the end. Fin keels are most often found on racing boats.

4. Semi-Displacement

Semi-displacement keels are long, fixed keels that run along the aft 2/3 of the hull. This type of keel is designed for cruising boats that value speed but still want to retain the stability and seaworthiness of a full keel.

Some trailerable sailboats have semi-displacement keels, especially if they're designed for offshore use. The benefits of a semi-displacement keel over a full keel are negligible on a trailer, as both types have a deep draft and high ride height.

5. Displacement (Full Keel)

Displacement keels are traditional and highly seaworthy. This type of keel runs across the entire length of the hull, usually reaching its deepest point at the stern. Displacement keels are found on vessels that are designed for offshore use.

Displacement keels are uncommon on trailerable sailboats, as they're long and cause the vessel to ride high on a trailer. Additionally, the type of vessel that uses a displacement keel is often wide and heavy, which isn't ideal for trailering.

Collapsable rigging is a hallmark of trailerable sailboats. The best trailerable sailboats have collapsible masts that stow securely across the deck. These vessels typically have a fork-shaped mast boot that acts as a hinge, allowing sailors to easily lower and secure the mast.

Many trailerable sailboats are gaff rigged. Though the traditional gaff rig is more complex than a modern Bermuda rigs, it uses a shorter and stronger mast. This has obvious benefits for trailerable boats, as the mast and spars store more easily.

Trailer Types

There are multiple types of trailers used to tow and store sailboats. The most common kind of sailboat trailer is the single-axle trailer. These trailers have one wheel on each side, and you can tow them with a standard Class IV trailer hitch.

Larger sailboats, such as heavy offshore cruising vessels, require something a bit sturdier. These vessels typically ride on dual-axle trailers, which have two wheels on each side.

Larger trailers, such as those with two axles, connect to a standard trailer hitch or to a fifth wheel hitch, which is mounted in the bed of a truck. Fifth-wheel trailers are the least common type of sailboat trailer.

Sailboat Weight and Towing

Dry weight is an important factor to consider when comparing trailerable sailboats. It's important to avoid confusing displacement and weight, even though both values use the same units.

Displacement is the weight of the water displaced by the vessel, whereas dry weight determines how much the boat weighs with its tanks empty and bilge dry. The ideal towing weight of a typical trailerable sailboat is between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds. This weight is within the towing capabilities of most trucks and full-size SUVs.

Larger trailerable vessels, such as many coastal cruisers and offshore trailer-sailers, can weigh 7,500 pounds or more. A sailboat of this magnitude requires a heavy-duty towing vehicle, such as a 1-ton diesel pickup truck.

Best Trailerable Sailboat for Cruising

For protected cruising, such as in a bay or after the river, it's hard to overlook the Catalina 22. This iconic fiberglass sailboat is known for easy handling and fun sailing characteristics. It has a comfortable cabin with plenty of room for a weekend on the water.

For more extensive cruising, especially offshore, the best trailerable sailboat is the Nor'Sea 27. This vessel is ideal due to its spacious interior and full accommodations. It has a full keel for stability, along with a head, galley, and sleeping arrangements down below.

Best Trailerable Sailboat for Weekend Sailing

The ideal weekend cruiser should be easy to tow in fast to rig, as larger and more complex vessels take too much time and effort the launch. With this in mind, it's a tie between the Wayfarer dinghy and the West Wight Potter. Both of these vessels are well-designed, fast to launch, and fun to sail.

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Regal 28 Express

• By Pete McDonald
• Updated: August 11, 2012

Two boating terms that typically don’t go hand in hand are cruiser and trailerable. That’s because putting a livable cabin on board usually means adding weight and extending the beam beyond what are acceptable parameters for towing behind a pickup truck or SUV. But builders have long tried. A generation of “pocket cruisers” came and went, pushed aside a few years ago by the desire for bigger, better and roomier. But now, with people looking to scale down, the trailerable cruiser is making a comeback. And, as the Regal 28 Express illustrates, builders are doing it better than ever.

The Regal 28 Express actually has a waterline length closer to 26 feet — the 28-foot-10-inch length overall comes from the extended swim platform — and possesses the 8-foot-6-inch beam required to trailer boats in most states without a special permit. As stated, getting a livable cabin into those dimensions is a tall order. Regal engineers met the challenge first by shedding weight. They started by redesigning the cored stringer grid, making it leaner and lighter while fortifying it in areas where the boat endures the most structural stress. They also designed lighter cabinets and storage spaces and used resin transfer molding on hatches, which reduces the amount of heavy resin and improves the strength-to-weight ratio. The result is a boat tipping the scale at an estimated 7,585 pounds. That’s still a bit on the heavy side compared with the listed dry weights of other trailerable cruisers, most of which are a bit smaller.

For example, Four Winns builds the V265 ($98,362 with a 300 hp Volvo GiCDP), which tapes a 26-foot length overall, an 8-foot-6-inch beam and a 6,270-pound dry weight. And Chaparral has the 270 Signature Cruiser ($95,952 with the 300 hp Volvo GiCDP), listing at 6,900 pounds dry. The 270 has a 27-foot length overall with its swim platform.

What the Regal does have over its competition is a brighter interior, thanks to a window design that allows a better flow of natural light. While other builders rely on the traditional oval ports, Regal uses larger, more stylish triangle-shape windows in its hull sides. Those, in combination with the three deck hatches overhead, really help illuminate the space belowdecks. Even the midcabin berth has two circle-shape ports to bring natural light inside. On a small cruiser, this greatly improves the livability below. The ports are all screened, and when open, there is excellent cross-ventilation, a good thing since cramming a 110-volt genset into the engine compartment is an $11,685 option and the air-conditioning unit adds $3,100.

There’s a standard forward V-berth that doubles as a dinette, but the owners will want to leave that for the kids or guests and bunk in the midcabin berth, which sports a full queen mattress. The cabin sole is covered by lightweight yet durable bamboo. The galley to starboard has a fiddled Corian counter with a single electric burner, and the sink has a Corian hatch cover.

The head employs the full 6 feet of cabin headroom and also features a Corian countertop. I liked the electric toilet and really liked that Regal installed a separate shower head on the bulkhead. It’s more like a real shower than a spritz with one of those nozzles you find in a kitchen.

Stepping outside, the cockpit is well done too. The best place to start is at the helm, which features an adjustable double-wide captain’s bench that truly has room for two. Grabbing the reins at the helm, I noted that the 28 Express climbed onto plane respectably and easily settled into its optimum cruising speed. Top end was not blistering, but it did exceed 40 mph, fast enough for an express cruiser.

To port of the helm, passengers can sit side-to and face the captain or kick back on the rear-facing recliner and watch the wake. Or keep an eye on the activity aft. Abaft the port lounge there’s a molded-in entertainment center with the obligatory freshwater sink and removable cooler underneath.

My favorite part of the cockpit is what Regal calls the Ultra Lounge, a plush sun pad on the transom that has a four-position backrest, so it serves double duty as either a full tanning bed or additional seating. On a small cruiser, such versatility is a major plus. The optional Power Tower ($7,692) adds sportiness; it’s an arch that can be raised or lowered forward with the push of a button, which helps with bridge clearance, rack storage or highway towing.

Arch or no, one problem recurrent in all pocket cruisers is that their short length and tall height make them susceptible to wind around the dock or the launch ramp. The counterrotating-propeller Duoprop system found in the Volvo Penta sterndrive offset this, and I felt comfortable in tight handling situations. But if you’re not, Regal offers a $3,000 bow thruster option. It will help make docking this boat — or loading it on a trailer — as easy as pie. This type of option shows you can buy a small express cruiser and take it anywhere, be it by land or sea.

Comparable models: Four Winns V265, Chaparral 270 Signature Cruiser

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Biggest Trailerable Sailboats

Although there are some exceptions, most sailboats 30 feet long and below may be driven on roads safely. These are the biggest trailerable sailboats.

March 16, 2023

This article may contain affiliate links where we earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

In this post, we'll look at twelve of the biggest sailboats that are trailerable on the market. The Catalina 27, Hunter 27, Cape Dory Typhoon, Cal 20, Islander 24, Catalina 22, O'Day 240, Moore 24, Helms 25, MacGregor 26, Nor'Sea 27 and Catalina 25 are some of the best trailerable sailboats.

These boats have comfortable cabins, exceptional sailing qualities, and meet all of the towing criteria for U.S. highways. These boats can usually be towed by a truck.

I’ve sailed a few of these boats throughout the years and have unique perspectives on how each compares. Growing up on sailboats was the best learning experience, and I welcome any opportunity to share my experiences.  Read on to find out more!

Table of Contents

‍ Considerations for a Trailerable Sailboat

The limits and dimensions of American roads impose certain standards on trailerable sailboats. The first is width (otherwise referred to as the beam). The sailboat and its accessories and the trailer it's towed on must fit in normal traffic lanes. Another important factor to consider is the overall weight of the boat. The ideal trailerable sailboat is light enough that a modestly equipped truck or suv can tow it.

Overall Length

There are definitely boats out there on the longer side, but the longer the sailboat, the wider it has to be for stability purposes. However, it would be difficult for such a long boat to meet the width standards because sailboats of that length are typically much wider. In practice, the longest trailerable sailboats are usually 30 feet or less in length. The average is about 20 to 25 ft long, with a few exceptions at 27 feet in length.

Keel Draft And Type

The keel design is also significant, since it influences the boat's height above the ground. Sailboats that are trailerable feature a smaller centerboard that can be pulled within the hull to make towing more manageable.

Total Height

This is a big one. Sailboats are tall and need a collapsible mast in order to be transported on a trailer.

In most states, a trailer load may not exceed 14 feet in height. Sailboat masts are incredibly tall and unwieldy at reasonable towing speeds. The mast must be broken down, and the keel and boat height combined can't exceed 14 feet tall.The height of the trailer must also be considered, since a tall boat may not be able to fit under highway bridges.

Displacements (Weight)

Weight's a consideration as well. Most trailers are limited to around 3,300 pounds per axle. A triple axle trailer will allow around 9,000 lbs of weight capacity, but you might have a hard time finding a reasonable heavy duty truck to tow this boat size around.

As mentioned, The most width/beam for a sailboat that may be trailered is just under nine feet. This is due to the fact that the typical trailer in the United States has a maximum width of 12 feet. The logistic behind rowing a larger boat are a nightmare, and its worth mentioning that unless you plan on keeping a larger boat in one place, a trailerable sailboat might be a better option.

Most sailboats fall below this upper limit to make them easier to trailer and handle on the road.

12 of the Best and Largest Trailerable Sailboats

Trailerable sailboats tend to be on the smaller side, but it doesn't mean you can't find a roomy, weekend cruiser for fun with the family. The vessels we chose range in length, but all of the are under 27 ft, and are great for cruising around the bay. We'll take a look at two of the larger boats in the series then work our way down from there. Here are twelve of the best large trailerable sailboats.

1. Catalina 27

This might be a controversial one as the weight of Catalina's 27 is just shy of 7,000 pounds, but it's technically trailerable and might be the best boat on this list for sheer fun and pleasant sailing.

The Catalina 27 is a roomy cruiser with a comfortable interior and a spacious cockpit. There's plenty of storage, and the boat is rigged for single-handing. The wide beam and stable platform make the Catalina 27 an ideal boat for coastal cruising and long-distance sailing.

The Catalina 27 has a fixed keel that draws 2 ft 6 in, making it easy to tow. The mast folds down for highway travel, and the overall length is just shy of 30 ft.

• Ubiquitous design
• Great cabin space
• Fun weekend cruiser
• Fast for its age
• The cabin lack storage space
• Not sealed well against the elements

2. Hunter 27

This 27 footer is also on the heavy side and would require a much heavier duty truck for towing, but it's doable if needed.

This trailerable sailboat is a roomy coastal cruiser that's perfect for weekend getaways and family sailing. The Hunter 27 has a wide beam and a comfortable interior with plenty of headroom.

The Hunter 27 is a sturdy cruiser with an easy-to-sail short-keeled sloop rig. The mast and boom are made of aluminum, making them corrosion resistant and lightweight. The boat has a swing keel that draws 3 ft 9 in, allowing it to ride low on the highway.

The Hunter 27 isn't the best boat for bluewater sailing, but it's a great vessel for weekend trips and coastal cruising. The overall length is just shy of 30 ft, and the boat has a beam of 8 ft 3 in.

• Wider beam makes this boat luxurious compared to the others on this list
• Many sub models to choose from
• Large on a trailer
• Heavy on a trailer as well

3.West Wight Potter 19

This sailboat is a fantastic, small, lightweight sailing dinghy that's perfect for weekend getaways and easy to tow behind a standard car. The boat has a fixed keel that draws 1 ft 6 in and this boat can be easily sailed by one person.

This trailerable boat is made of fiberglass and has an open transom that makes it easy to get in and out of the water. The mast can be quickly be lowered for transport, and the overall length is just shy of 20 ft.

This boat also has a great cabin with berths and storage to make your weekend trips more comfortable.

Our third addition to this list is a great sailboat for beginners, and it can be sailed solo or with a partner. This smaller boat is a joy to sail, is fast, easy to use, making it a great choice for weekend sailing trips.

• Lightweight and easy to tow
• Can be sailed solo or with a partner
• Fast and easy to sail
• Not the best choice for long-distance sailing

4. Cape Dory Typhoon

One of America's best selling sailboats and the "Littlest yacht"

The Cape Dory Typhoon is a trailerable sailboat that's perfect for weekend cruising and long-distance sailing. The boat has a fixed keel that draws 2 ft 6 in, and the mast can be lowered for transport. The overall length is just shy of 30 ft, and the boat has a beam of 10 ft.

The Cape Dory Typhoon has a comfortable cabin with berths for four people. The boat is also equipped with a head. The cockpit is spacious, and the boat has plenty of storage space for all your gear.

The Typhoon can be sailed shorthanded, but it's best enjoyed by a crew of two. The boat is well-suited for light bluewater sailing, making long trips or offshore passages easy and safe.

• Cabin with berths for four people
• Spacious cockpit
• Well suited for bluewater sailing
• Can't carry much in terms of gear for those long trips

This is a great sailboat that’s been available for over 30 years, and it's a great choice for coastal cruising. In the right hands, this trailerable boat is capable of plenty more, as the Cal 20 is well regarded as an ocean crossing race boat.

This hull is renowned for its interior and ease of use while trailering. It has a fixed keel that draws 2 ft 6 in, and the mast can be lowered for transport. The overall length is just shy of 21 ft, and the beam is 7 ft.

This sailboat has a comfortable interior with berths for four people. The boat also has a head, sink, and galley. The cockpit is spacious and well-suited for coastal cruising.

This boat is a great choice for all types of sailors, and it can be sailed solo or with a partner. The boat is fast and easy to sail, making it a great choice for weekend sailing trips.

It's not the lightest trailerable sailboat on our list, but it should be towed without issue by a well-equipped truck.

• Trailerable
• Cabin isn’t all that

6. Catalina 22

This boat is a bit of a legend and one of the first boats I sailed.. Considered by many to be one of the best selling sailboats in America, and for good reason. This trailerable boat is perfect for weekend cruising and coastal sailing. The boat has a fixed keel that draws 2 ft 6 in, and the mast can be lowered for transport. The overall length is just shy of 25 ft, and the beam is 7.67 ft.

For a twenty two foot boat the interior is comfortable with berths for four people. The original boat also has a head, sink, and galley. The cockpit is spacious and well-suited for coastal cruising.

This vessel is a great choice for all types of sailors, and it can be sailed solo or with a partner. The boat is fast and easy to sail, making it a great choice for weekend sailing trips.

This sailboat has one of the best interiors in its class, but the mast requires regular maintenance.

Despite its age, the 22 is still in production.

Production began in 1969, with over 16,000 built in total. Catalina 22’s have been made to differing specifications. As a result, it is a popular sailboat made in great numbers and across the states. At any time, thousands may be available on the secondhand market at reasonable costs.

• Looks great
• Thoughtful cabin design
• Available everywhere
• The cabin isn't tall

7.O'Day 240

This boat is rugged and is a great choice for those looking for a trailerable sailboat that can handle more than just coastal sailing. This boat has a fixed keel that draws 3 ft 6 in, and the mast can be lowered for transport. The overall length is just shy of 26 ft, and the beam is just over 8 ft.

The boat looks great. It’s wide and this contributes to its ease of use and stability while underway.

The O'Day 240's interior is particularly distinctive. It's packed with features, including a great berth in the shape of a V, galley, and room for a head. There’s also room in the rear for more berths. There's plenty of headroom in the cabin, which is rare in this size of boat. This boat is great for longer trips!

• Beamy which means more cabin space
• Great coastal cruiser
• Cabin design might be off putting to some

8. Islander 24

Islander's are renowned for their larger sailboats and are known for their great coastal cruisers. This boat is a great trailerable example by the company.

Built in a time when manufacturer's understood less about fiberglass, the hull is made thicker than modern sailboats. This gives the boat a sturdier look and adds substantial weight to the platform.

This fiberglass sailing boat is well-crafted and suitable for coastal cruising across a variety of conditions..

• Thicker fiberglass means stronger hull
• Great performance qualities
• Coastal cruising
• Heavy, Heavy, Heavy

The Helms 25 is a trailerable sailboat of exceptional quality, design and a swing keel. The boat has a fixed keel that draws 3 ft 6 in, and the mast can be lowered for transport. The overall length is just shy of 26 ft, and the beam is 8 ft.

The boat is well-appointed and has a nice layout. There's a small galley, two seats at the table, a berth in the shape of a V, and has room for more aft.

This boat is a comfortable, seaworthy, and trailerable boat. There is a lot of information available about this yacht. It's inexpensive to maintain and has a high resale value post new sale, making it an excellent investment opportunity.

• Cabin Layout
• Not great for extended trips

10. MacGregor 26

It seem we all have opinions about MacGregor. The 26 is no exception.

It's not quite like anything you've seen before. It looks blocky, wide and tall. This unique appearance might be off putting to some but it makes the boat much easier to handle and stable in conditions that would put other boats to shame.

The MacGregor 26 is loaded with options and a variety of models are available. With varying cabin layouts, window designs, and color schemes you're sure to find a MacGregor out there for you. If you're into the non traditional look, this is a great option as a trailerable sailboat!

• Modern design may be a trend setter
• Excellent headroom
• Stable across many conditions
• The look might put some people off

11. Nor'Sea 27

This boat might be one of the only true offshore sailboats with cabin amenities that might put some of the larger sailboats out there to shame. This 27 footer is a well designed, full-keel displacement sailboat. While underway, this boat feels safe and comfortable. A full keel allows this boat to weather more than others on this list.

This boat has a fantastic and large cabin, which is unique for these vessels. The interior’s paneled in attractive wood, and the whole ship has an elevated feel with quality materials throughout.

This boat’s a cruising sailboat that's ideal for extended travel and offshore sailing. If you're searching for a genuine cruising sailboat that'll trailer well, this boat is the one for you. Because of its size, weight and capabilities, towing this boat safely will require a vehicle that’s a bit more hefty.

• Large cabin
• Extended offshore trip capable
• Large and heavy

12. Catalina 25

The Catalina 25 is a sailboat that has been around for a while and is known for its great performance and easy handling. It's one of the most popular trailerable sailboats on the market, and it's easy to see why.

At just over 25 feet, the Catalina 25 is an easily handled sailboat that's perfect for weekend getaways. It has a spacious cockpit, a well-appointed cabin, and is capable of handling a wide range of wind and sea conditions.

The Catalina 25 is also one of the most affordable sailboats on the market. You can find them used for as little as $2,000, and they hold their value well. If you're looking for an affordable, trailerable sailboat that's perfect for weekend getaways, the Catalina 25 is a great option.

• Well-appointed cabin
• Not ideal for long-distance sailing or rough seas

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13 Popular Trailerable Sailboats with Lifting Keels

Trailerable boats come in a wide range of styles, sizes and capabilities. Dinghies and small sport boats are easy to trailer and even car top, but what if you're looking for something you can take some place, and maybe spend a weekend on board?

One good way to open a lot of shallow cruising grounds and gunkholes and to make your trailering life easier is to add a lifting or swing keel to the boat. With drafts under a foot on some models, these boats will give you a lot less trouble with overpasses, wires and launching.

While this isn't an exhaustive list, these thirteen popular boats will give you an idea of the range of trailerable boats with lifting keels you can find on the market. Some are older and no longer built, and you can find some of them at the boat shows and ready for purchase new today. Whether you're looking for a day sailer or a weekender for a couple to gunkhole along the coast, here are some great boats to consider.

Catalina 22 Sport

• Com Pac Eclipse

Flying Scot

• Islander 24

MacGregor 26

Montgomery 17, norseboat 17.5.

• Seaward 26 RK
• West Wight Potter 15/19

Most of these builders have several boat models, and several them have specialized in pocket cruisers, trailerable boats, and smaller hulls. Remember the specific model listed may be a good sample of their work, but check their entire lineup for something closest to what you want.

13 Biggest Trailerable Sailboats: Cheap But Good

Also - not all these boats are still in production, though they you can find them for sail used. Links are to the builder where possible, or to information pages to learn more if the builder is no longer around. Because we're looking at smaller boats, they won't likely be listed on brokerage sites, so you'll need to search for them on places like Craigslist, class association sites, and smaller regional boat sales sites and for sale boards.

On this page:

Com-pac eclipse, seaward 26rk, west wight potter (15 and 19), finding your boat.

First introduced in 1970, the Catalina 22 has been one of the most popular trailerable boats since its inception, though the Mk II update added a few inches of beam and couldn't race the Mk1 boats under one design class rules. The 22 Sport updates the classic original, while returning to the specifications for class legal racing out of the box with the original 22. It has a retractable lead keel, or an fixed keel option, and has berths below for up to four people. It's an easy weekender to launch and sail, with ready made fleets for fun, competitive racing.

Find the specs here

Com-Pac specializes in small, compact trailerable sailboats. The Eclipse is a solid example of their sloop-rigged boats. With a 21 foot overall length, 7'4" beam, and a 2,200 lbs displacement, it will tow easily with a modest vehicle. Down below, you'll find a double v-berth and space for cooking and food preparation. This converts to sleeping space with two additional quarter berths.

When looking for a trailerable pocket cruiser, look at the entire Com-Pac line.

Over five hundred CS 22 hulls were built in their production run in the early 70s, and this sturdy little cruiser is still a popular boat if you can find one on the used market. They conceived it as a lightweight, trailerable cruiser. It has a stubby externally ballasted keel with centerboard for added stability and pointing.

Though small, the interior has sleeping accommodations for four, a small galley, and a space for a portable toilet, making it a suitable choice for short expeditions and weekending. Though scarce today, the CS 22 is a good example of compact design that helped set the standard for later pocket cruisers.

The Flying Scot is a day sailer, and a popular design with over a hundred racing fleets around the U.S. It's an older design, having been in production for over fifty years, but this 19 foot sloop will still get a small group out on the water for a day of sailing and fun. Although it doesn't have an interior, clever and adventurous sailors have rigged up boom tents and other means to spend the night on their boats. Options on new boats include space for motor mounts, swim platforms, and higher end racing packages, and there is a strong market for parts and equipment.

The Hunter 22 is an updated replacement for the retired Hunter 216, another popular trailerable boat. The boat can be configured in a cruising setup with a V-berth and portable toilet, or a performance package with a sprit and asymmetrical spinnaker. For the size, it's a good value mini-cruiser with good performance and enough comfort to keep a small crew for a weekend. Depending how you configure your Hunter 22, it can run the gamut from comfy pocket cruiser to sporty day sailer.

Note: Hunter Marine changed names to Marlow-Hunter, though there is an enormous base of used boats with the Hunter brand.

There are several varieties of the MacGregor 26 beyond the base boat, including the 26D (1986-89), 26S (1990-95), 26X (1995-2003) and 26M (2002-2013). MacGregor boats have proven very popular trailerable boats, selling over 38,000 boats during the company's lifetime.

The Mac 26 differs from many small sailboats by two things - water ballast for stability, and the ability to take what is, by small sailboat standards, a massive outboard engine. A seventy horsepower engine on a 26' sailboat can make it hit planing speeds under power. This popular boat is a compromise - the water ballast, hull design, and smallish rig make it a somewhat underpowered sailboat, but it will sail. But if there is no wind, the Mac owners will still beat everyone back to the bar even while towing a water skier.

Their blend of form, function and design have made them controversial boats with experienced sailors, but there is no doubt the MacGregor 26 has gotten thousands of new boats on the water and built a loyal following for one of the most popular trailerable boats ever sold.

After the closure of MacGregor yachts, the Tattoo 26 was developed from the Mac 26 and is almost identical in performance capabilities and design.

Built at first with a fixed keel with an optional centerboard, orders for the keel/centerboard version outstripped the original and more centerboard versions were built. If you're looking for one, make sure it's the right version.

Lyle Hess and Jerry Montgomery designed the Montgomery 17 as a cruising capable, trailerable boat. The lapstrake fiberglass hull deflects spray and chop, and the 1,550 lb boat gives a stiff, dry sail. The cuddy cabin below has comfortable space for two adults, space for a portable toilet, and ample storage for gear and supplies. A four-part tackle rig makes raising the deck stepped a snap.

NorseBoats specializes in lighter day sailers and trailerable boats with a classic look but modern build and design concepts. Marketed as the "Swiss army knife" of boats, any of their offerings meet the criteria for an easy to trailer and handle boat with a shallow draft. The 17.5 can take a small outboard, has two rowing stations, and comes with a carbon fiber, rotating mast for easy setup and break down and solid performance under sail.

The larger NorseBoat 21.5 has an optional cabin version, with more sheltered space for sleeping and living than the open version.

The venture is a sixteen foot day sailer, and a modern design which can be sailed by up to eight people. The Venture has options for fixed keel, a centerboard, or a ballasted centerboard. As a forgiving design, it's a popular boat for inexperienced sailors and sail training, but still has enough power to be interesting and fun for skilled sailors as well. The RS Venture Connect features a lifting keel.

RS Sailing develops and sells many performance oriented small dinghies and day sailors aimed at a range of sailing skill and applications, from sail training dinghies to high performance racing skiffs.

Hand built with carbon fiber and vinylester resin over balsa core, this little boat is lighter than expected, but still sails well with options for a fixed keel or centerboard. At 16'10" overall, a 6'9" beam, and 1,300 lbs it's an easy boat to handle. But down below it's got a V-berth sized for adults and seating for two down below. The lapstrake designed hull deflects water and spray for a drier, more comfortable ride.

The smaller Sage 15 is another option for a lightweight boat using the same modern materials and techniques in a classically styled package.

The Seaward 26RK is the successor to Nick Hakes’ Seaward 25, with an edge to more comfort and better performance in a similar price to the last generation yacht. The result is the 26RK with more waterline, more buoyancy aft, and a lifting keel.

One of the larger boats on this list, the Seaward 26 RK, is still easy to move over land with a trailered weight under 6,000 pounds. The boat alone displaces 3,800 pounds, with 1,200 lbs. of that in retractable ballast with a bulb on the bottom. The keel lifts with an electric motor and is simple to operate. The cockpit is comfortable for four and has options for wheel or tiller steering.

Down below you'll find four six-foot berths and seating for four. Interior configurations include options for an enclosed head and v-berth, and a two-burner stove in a small galley.

Seaward Sailboats began sharing construction facilities with Island Packet Yachts and are sold through the same dealer network.

For over fifty years, the West Wight Potter has been a compact, trailerable option for a weekender and vacation boat. The fifteen and nineteen foot models have been fixtures at boat shows and in harbors, and sailors have even crossed oceans in these doughty little boats. The fifteen displaces only 475 pounds, with 165 pounds of ballast in the lifting keel. It's self righting and self bailing, with added foam for stability and floatation. The 19 is heavier at 1,225 pounds with 370 pounds of ballast, but the extra volume adds two more quarter berths, more headroom, space below, and more waterline.

With a kick up rudder and retracting keel, these little cruisers can be beached or taken in shallow waters. They designed the hull for stability and reduce spray for a dry and comfortable sail. Factory options include several creature comforts, sail options, and even trailers. With over 2,600 West Wight Potter 15s built and 1600 of the nineteen footer, there's a ready market of these pocket cruisers for sale.

While the big boats get the glory and high profile spots at the shows, smaller trailerable boats are what most people can buy. The corners of the shows where you see the West Wight Potters and Com-pacs to be just as exciting to me as the main docks filled with forty and fifty footers, because these smaller boats invoke a different adventure. An attainable adventure, for so many more people.

There's an array of smaller boats you can store in your garage or backyard and take out for everything from a casual day sail to a long summer vacation. This list gives you a flavor of what's out there in the trailerable boat market, but it's up to you to decide where you want to go and how you want to get here.

The article is headed by a photo of a S2 7.9 but that boat did not make your list. IMO the best trailer boat .

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You may also like, what is a swing or lifting keel 14 pros and cons explained.

If you need to know what a swing keel is, like me, this article is for you. I'm trying to decide what keel type is right for me, so I dove into the swing keel.

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Sedna 26 review – the trailable cruiser that thinks big

• February 20, 2018

Easy trailing, respectable performance, cavernous accommodation and a budget price – just how does the Polish-built Sedna 26 do it? David Harding climbs aboard to find out

Yacht design can be a challenging business, and nowhere is the balance between space, pace and safety harder to achieve than in the larger trailable sailers.

These boats have to be light enough to trail, launch and recover, roomy enough for a couple – or perhaps a young family – to live aboard for a week, and sufficiently robust to survive bouncing around on a trailer. Their owners might expect to be able to hop along the coast and probably will demand comforts that buyers of yesteryear wouldn’t have considered.

Back in the day, boats of this size that could be trailed included the Super Seal 26, the Evolution 25 and 26 and Trapper’s TS240. These were most definitely not trailer-sailers , however: only the seriously dedicated would hitch up and head off for less than a week’s sailing.

Then things changed. Along came the Macgregor 26 in its various incarnations, not only making a 26-footer a genuine trailer-sailer (British driveways, roads and slipways permitting) but also allowing the owners of later versions to motor as fast as a planing powerboat provided they had a suitably large outboard on the transom.

Other power-sailers followed, such as the Odin 26, Imexus 27, Legend Edge 27 and Tide 28 before the breed quietly disappeared. Is it likely to reappear? Watch this space.

A different approach was adopted recently by Swallow Yachts’ BayCruiser 26. While she uses water ballast to reduce her trailing weight, as did many of the power-sailers, she’s a far more capable and powerful sailing yacht than most of them. However, her introduction still leaves a gap for a simpler and less expensive trailable sailer of similar size for the less ambitious owner.

That gap, not surprisingly, has been filled by a new offering from Poland: the Sedna 26.

Poles apart

If any nation is keen on trailer-sailers and trailable yachts, it’s Poland. Go to a Polish boat show – or to Dusseldorf in January – and you will see stacks of such boats that never make it to our shores. Parts of north-east Poland are more lake than land and the country’s boating industry has taken full advantage.

But, as we have observed before when testing imports, conditions on a sheltered European lake generally bear little relation to those encountered off the coast of Britain. That’s one reason why we’re seeing fewer Polish offerings than we once did.

None of this stops established distributors seeking out Polish designs they consider promising, which is what Edge-Water Marine has done with the Viko and Sedna ranges. I tested the Viko 21 last year (see PBO April 2017), so when a Sedna 26 became available we thought I should put her through her paces.

Like the Viko, the Sedna is an enormous boat for her length (which is 25ft, or 7.65m before you count the rudder). At 9ft 4in (2.85m), her beam is generous but not extreme by modern standards. It’s greatest only a few feet forward of the transom, giving her an almost delta-shaped plan view – like just the forward half of a 35-footer from a few years ago.

In profile she could also pass for the chopped-off bow of a boat 10 or 15ft longer by virtue of her towering topsides: she has a serious amount of freeboard, to the extent that anyone who’s not reasonably nimble or long-legged will probably want to use a fender step to climb aboard from a pontoon unless she’s berthed stern to. From a tender you would be looking at the north face of the Eiger. It might even be snowing on deck.

The pay-off, of course, is headroom and internal volume on a scale that those accustomed to more traditional designs of this length might find hard to imagine. We will be going down the hatch a little later. For now, suffice it to say that beam at the waterline as well as at deck level plays a major role in determining the amount of space inside the hull. And since those towering topsides are not far off vertical, her waterplane is pretty broad.

Let’s look more closely at what we can expect from the Sedna. We know she’s high and fairly wide, on which basis you might imagine she’s not particularly fast. Yet she has a fine entry and a long waterline in relation to her displacement of a modest 4,400lb (2,000kg). The result is a displacement/length ratio of 143, confirming that she’s light for her length. She also has a rig that, while far from large, gives a sail area/displacement ratio of just under 19 – respectable for a cruiser.

Looked at together, the numbers suggest that she shouldn’t hang around given some breeze, particularly since the underwater sections look reasonably slippery.

What’s more, her profiled centreplate takes her draught to no less than 5ft 6in (1.67m). Most of the ballast is internal, keeping the plate light enough for easy lifting, though at 42% the ballast ratio is still higher than you might expect on a boat like this.

Does it all add up to a formula for both space and pace? Let’s find out.

Sailing a Sedna

We couldn’t have asked for a better breeze to see what the Sedna could do: a northerly 15-20 knots was blowing down Chichester Harbour’s Emsworth Channel, kicking up a modest chop against the flood tide. As this was the most wind in which the boat had ventured out, we erred on the side of caution and tucked in the first reef before leaving the pontoon. I had yet to sail a Polish trailer-sailer capable of carrying its full rig in such conditions.

Under our reduced sail plan we found life more than comfortable, though reefing did reveal something. Inside the stack pack, the mainsail had a bolt rope rather than being loose-footed. This was fine, if unexpected, but as there was no slot in the foot to allow the reefing pennant to pass under the boom it had to be made fast to an eyelet riveted to the boom’s top. I would reach for a hot knife (or take the sail to a sailmaker for a proper job) at the first opportunity.

Once we had knocked the sail into the best shape we could, the boat took the conditions in her stride so easily that we shook out the reef. Then we flattened the main as far as possible with the limited tools at our disposal and set about seeing what the Sedna could really do.

What she did was to sail far better than I had expected. That iron and concrete in the bilges really made its presence felt and she was far stiffer and more powerful a performer than most of her compatriots have proved to be.

To be fair, she had everything in her favour: a brand new boat with a well-set-up rig, sails that have hardly been used, a clean bottom and no gear on board or propeller dragging through the water has every opportunity to give a good account of herself. And the Sedna did just that. Also in her favour was the right amount of breeze (I would be interested to see how she goes in light conditions) and relatively flat water.

In short, she had no excuses and didn’t need any. She could be feathered and de-powered through the gusts to stay on her feet while making good speed to windward: across the tide the GPS recorded a consistent 5.6 knots and even up to 6 knots at times. Wondering whether my GPS was having a dizzy spell, I checked it against one on a phone and got the same reading.

Another big plus is the helming position. Whereas many designers make the cockpit as wide as possible, common sense has prevailed here: the coamings are well inboard of the gunwale allowing the side decks to extend all the way to the transom. The big benefit under way is that you can helm from the high and comfortably rounded coamings and lean back against the webbing that runs from the aftermost stanchion to the stern rail.

Balance of both boat and helm seemed good, though stiff rudder bearings would have tended to mask any untoward tendencies. Just make sure the hinge-up rudder is fully down when you’re sailing: there’s no purchase on the downhaul, so it needs to be properly tight. The blade gripped well, only letting go if the boat was sailed too deep in a gust and allowed to heel well beyond a comfortable angle. Inevitably the beam and the flat-sectioned hull meant that neither centreplate nor rudder was being much use by then.

Good behaviour

Unless provoked like this she showed remarkable tolerance and obedience for a boat of her type, as well as being surprisingly fast and rewarding to sail. She hove to as comfortably as you would expect given her mainsail-driven rig, and had to be pinched mercilessly before the foils would stall. There was no clonking from the centreplate downwind and she felt far more taut and responsive than many budget cruisers.

Perhaps her weakest area is in the rig. It has to be light and simple for easy raising and lowering and, to this end, it comes with a system designed for single-handed use that looks similar to those seen on other Polish trailable sailers.

The rig’s budget nature shows in several areas, not least in the headsail halyard that comes back down the headfoil rather than down the mast, making it impossible to achieve enough luff tension. We tried our best. Neither did the reasonable amount of rig tension stop the forestay sagging more than we would have wanted.

On top of this the sails, while not a bad cut, were made from a fabric that I would expect to last little more than a season of typical use before stretching noticeably. There would be scope for making improvements if you wanted to get the best from the boat.

These sort of things tend to go with the territory on Polish trailer-sailers but can make an appreciable difference if you find yourself having to beat home against 20 knots of wind and a seaway, when the outboard on its transom bracket might be of limited use.

You will need to get used to handling the outboard in close-quarters manoeuvres, too. When you’re working the throttle and gear lever from the transom step (there’s no remote control) it’s not easy to steer and see where you’re going at the same time. That said, we had to turn around in a confined space with a fresh breeze and it was perfectly manageable. An electric outboard in a well with controls in the cockpit is now an option that should make life easier.

While we’re at this end of the boat, it’s worth mentioning the good-sized locker under the cockpit sole and two more of half depth beneath the seats. The mainsheet shackles to (and easily unshackles from) a stainless steel strong-point that doubles as a support for the cockpit table stowed in the stern locker.

Nothing else stands out on deck. There’s an anchor locker in the bow, the stainless steel-work is neat and robust and a teak toe-rail gives your feet a fighting chance of staying on the boat if you venture forward.

Accommodation

The Sedna truly is cavernous down below. Headroom is over 6ft (1.83m) in the saloon and you have a double berth across the full width of the stern. There’s a separate heads compartment and a small galley, plus the often-deemed-essential pressurised water, fridge and shore-power sockets (the latter two on the options list).

The layout is open-plan, with just a partial bulkhead separating the saloon from the V-berth in the bow. It’s all about space down here and the construction is highly modular.

A full-length moulding forms the interior up to bunk level. Stowage is under most of the bunks, though some areas are simply inaccessible and others covered by plywood panels that are screwed down. We undid a fair few screws here and there to see what lay beneath: the answer was usually not a lot. Another moulding is overhead, through which it’s good to see that most of the deck fastenings are bolted.

The finish is generally acceptable. My chief concern, as is often the case when boats have such extensive inner mouldings, would be reaching the inside of the hull and some of the structural elements should you ever need to.

PBO’s verdict: Sedna 26

The Sedna 26 combines extraordinary internal volume with surprisingly good sailing performance and the benefits of a fully-retractable centreplate. She was conceived as a true trailer-sailer and it shows. The enormous volume and freeboard, open-plan layout and simple rig mean that she’s likely to feel more at home in relatively sheltered waters than beating round exposed headlands in brisk conditions.

Every boat is a compromise, but the Sedna looks like one that will probably suit a lot of people very nicely indeed.

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Largest Trailerable Sailboat

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Hello Everyone, I was just wondering what is the biggest baddest most seaworthy, safest, unsinkable thick haul overbuilt like a tank if you hit rocks, sail around the world boat that is still easy to haul around and launch at the boat ramp? Are the old 70's hulls built tougher with the hand laid fiberglass? I see a guy down the street from me has a 30 ft on a trailer, is that the biggest size limit for easy trailering? It weighs 7,000 pounds, I've got a 10,000 pound hitch so I can go bigger, I would like to go as big as possible. We also need something easy to learn how to sail on, my wife and I are gonna buy a boat, I already bought Sailing for Dummies at Amazon.com for 28 cents plus 3.99 shipping, in Very Good Condition with "No Visible wear marks" lol and we are gonna go for it on our own, take it out and float around in circles until we learn how to sail. I guess it's not that hard to learn and many others have done it this way? I always thought it was hard to learn. I want to get something we will not outgrow, I want a hard core boat because we do indeed intend to sail it around the world someday. But she works all the time and I have more time off so I need something that is easy to sail by myself as well. Also what was the largest model sailboat that Boston Whaler ever made? I see a 22 ft Harpoon for sale on ebay but it is in Califorina and I am in Tampa Florida. What all years did Boston Whaler make sailboats and how can I find one? Where is the best place for me to find boats for sale? So a boat like I am describing, what would be the pick for $20,000 what would be the pick for $10,000 and what would be the pick for $5,000? Thanks  

Well this topic should garner as many opinions as there are skippers I am sure. Rather than trying to answer all your questions, there is much to consider and will in due course once those of experience feel ambition to share, I will start the commentary by saying you are, in my opinion on the right track with considering older boats to begin your first sailing endeavours. I would like to offer my opinion before we enter a discourse on boats, is it is vital to gain the necessary training and experience before committing to a boat. Bring safe on the water is paramount not only for yourself but others as well. Operating a boat takes coordination of effort and the rules for navigation are complicated. Sailing looks simple but it is not. Not a first anyway. Take some basic sail and navigation courses before embarking on the adventure. Join a yacht club, get involved, get to know other sailors, pick their brain we love taking boats, and get out on as many different boats as you can. In this way gaining knowledge and experience is key to prepare so the dream does not become a nightmare.  

If you want a big sailboat that is easy to launch at the local boat ramp, most likely, you will be looking at a boat with a swing keel. Just so you know, for sailing around the world, among other things, you want a heavy, fixed keel. When I say heavy, I'm talking something in the range of the keel weight being at least 35-40% or more of the total boat weight. So a 10,000# boat would have a keel of at least 3500#'s. Some years ago, I had a Catalina 30 with a 5' draft fin keel. Nice coastal cruiser boat, not built to cross oceans, although I've read it has been done. With that deep draft, the boat is obviously not going to be easy to launch from a trailer. If memory serves me, my boat was a little over 10,000 #'s with a keel weight exceeding 4000 #'s In other words, a boat light enough to be easily trailerable isn't going to have the guts made to cross oceans  

The only unsinkable boat I know of was the Titanic. There is no such thing as a trailerable easy to launch blue water sailboat. A few popular boats that can be put on a trailer are the Nor'sea 27 Falmouth Cutter 22 Dana 24. They are a fairly big nightmare to rig and launch and you wouldn't want to do it often. Of the three I would suggest the Dana 24 for many reasons but all are excellent boats and VERY small. Whats your Budget?  

First, considering the nature of boats and the nature of highways the limitations are more likely to be imposed by the various state highway commissions than by boating parameters. First figure out how big (actually wide) you can handle. This varies somewhat by state and due to the costs and aggravations of over width permits effectively puts a limit on your beam width. Weight and length are limits that are tied to beam width and won't be a problem. (I know of no 60 ft boats with a beam less than 8 ft.) As far as weight it has to weigh less than water. That's a pretty easy hurdle as most roads allow about 90,000 lbs. First then find out what you can tow and go from there. I suspect that you will be limited to a few narrow boats in the 28-32 ft range and a gross weight of 7,500- 10,000 lbs. That's pretty tight for passage making (you run out of space pretty quick.) However they would be towable. Ya pays yer money and takes yer choice.  

How much do you want to spend? Something like a Carkeek 40 would certainly meet the design brief, but frankly buy a boat now to learn to sail on, then when you are ready to sail the world buy a different boat. The Carkeek by the way is trailerable thanks to a hydrolic tilt trailor and can be launched at any yacht club dinghy hoist.  

there is a great article on this months good old boat about the c and c mega 30 http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=732 people either love or hate that design...I for one love it as it looks like a mini open 60 with the bulb cabin top and open transom and fin bulb keel right at 8 feet beam for legal trailering(unless you get a trucking permit) and around 6k(gear and all) or so displacement plus trailer its about as big as you can go without getting into trouble I found the article real interesting especially regarding performance and fun factor as well as $$$ compared to a new boat or something... anywhoo I plan on trailer sailing my merit 25 down to the florida coast and dream of taking it down there for a season then coming back or whatnot to georgia...or taking the boat to savannah and sailing there then coming back home etc...Ill be at 4,500 or so with trailer...  

Wow thanks for all of the responses. My budget is $5,000, and by keeping it on a trailer I am mainly trying to avoid slip fees and it will be nice to have it right in the yard to work on and fix up without having to drive to a marina, and I don't want to be stuck at any one marina. Plus the kids can climb on it and play pirates, my wife and I can practice raising and lowering the sails and what not, and I just want to sit up there, drink a beer, and look overtop of all the houses up and down the street, and be King of the Mountain! I know everything there is to know about powerboating, I've had US Power Squadrons School, Coast Guard Aux School, US Navy Watercraft Operator School and US Army Watercraft Operator School plus I've been on fishing boats all my life, for more years than I care to mention. I know that sailboats always have the right of way, powerboats will just go around me, I can't go fast enough or change course quick enough to hit anybody, So I fail to see how I could cause any problems anywhere. Being that I was an Army Combat Engineer the challenge is I want to prove to myself that I can figure it out myself, and plus my wife and I can say we learned ourselves from the dummy book lol we want those bragging rights so it is kind of a personal challenge for us, a teamwork thing. Taking lessons would be cheating, that makes it too easy, I wanna learn by the seat of my pants Old School style like a Viking! I read somewhere that sailing was relatively easy, that anybody can be taught the basics in two hours, and that there were three accepted ways to learn. One was taking lessons, one was doing ride alongs with other sailors, and the other was buying a boat and taking out yourself just like I am talking about and they said a lot of people have done it this way. Yes I thought about buying a trainer boat, and then getting a bluewater one later, that's the plan, but I just want to get the biggest baddest training boat there is so we do not outgrow it for a while. So I willing just be towing it down the street to the boatramp mainly, and our biggest trip will be between Tampa and Key West probably, so sounds like I am looking for a coastal cruiser you guys call it. And it sounds like I am looking for a swing-keel, whatever that is. Once again, Thanks for all the nice responses  

goarmyonem said: Wow thanks for all of the responses. My budget is $5,000, and by keeping it on a trailer I am mainly trying to avoid slip fees and it will be nice to have it right in the yard to work on and fix up without having to drive to a marina, and I don't want to be stuck at any one marina. Plus the kids can climb on it and play pirates, my wife and I can practice raising and lowering the sails and what not, and I just want to sit up there, drink a beer, and look overtop of all the houses up and down the street, and be King of the Mountain! I know everything there is to know about powerboating, I've had US Power Squadrons School, Coast Guard Aux School, US Navy Watercraft Operator School and US Army Watercraft Operator School plus I've been on fishing boats all my life, for more years than I care to mention. I know that sailboats always have the right of way, powerboats will just go around me, I can't go fast enough or change course quick enough to hit anybody, So I fail to see how I could cause any problems anywhere. Being that I was an Army Combat Engineer the challenge is I want to prove to myself that I can figure it out myself, and plus my wife and I can say we learned ourselves from the dummy book lol we want those bragging rights so it is kind of a personal challenge for us, a teamwork thing. Taking lessons would be cheating, that makes it too easy, I wanna learn by the seat of my pants Old School style like a Viking! I read somewhere that sailing was relatively easy, that anybody can be taught the basics in two hours, and that there were three accepted ways to learn. One was taking lessons, one was doing ride alongs with other sailors, and the other was buying a boat and taking out yourself just like I am talking about and they said a lot of people have done it this way. Yes I thought about buying a trainer boat, and then getting a bluewater one later, that's the plan, but I just want to get the biggest baddest training boat there is so we do not outgrow it for a while. So I willing just be towing it down the street to the boatramp mainly, and our biggest trip will be between Tampa and Key West probably, so sounds like I am looking for a coastal cruiser you guys call it. And it sounds like I am looking for a swing-keel, whatever that is. Once again, Thanks for all the nice responses Click to expand...

Welcome to SailNet! We are an opinionated folk here, and discussions can become .....boisterous....., but we mostly mean well. Ask as specific a question as you can, to help focus on *your* needs. To search the site, do this in your browser search window: "best anchor" site:http://www.sailnet.com/forums/ N.B. No [space] between 'site:' and 'http://www.sailnet.com/forums/ ' Use the quotes for multi-word search phrases to reduce irrelevant hits on individual words in the phrase. ******* About swing keels and centerboards: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/general-discussion-sailing-related/96250-swing-keels-good-bad.html Thoughts about swing keel boats. - SailboatOwners.com ******* When you want info about a particular model: Sailboatdata.com is the worlds largest sailboat database. ******* When you found one you're interested in: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/boat-review-purchase-forum/48177-boat-inspection-trip-tips.html ******* Potential candidates: Sailboats-20-27-feet | eBay ******* Good Luck and Happy Hunting!  

I would hope your "Sailing for Dummies" would have a section regarding different types of keels and a swing keel would be described. if not, google types of sailboat keels. you might want to also google blue water boats vs. coastal cruisers. There's a big difference, not only in design but $$$.  

Is this a Good Deal? Is that a swing keel? Offered is a Luger Voyager. It is a 30ft X 8 ft X3 ft draw @7000lb sloop. It is a 1980 model, I've owned it since 1992. Dont be trapped by dock fees or fear of hurricanes when your not sailing. "Designed by the well knownwest coast design firm of Edwin Monk & associates in collaboration with the luger staff and Eric White (designer of theMorgan Outisland series of crusing sailboats) she has a full keel that draws 3 feet and has a swing keel drawing 6 feet for stronger seas. She has some gelcoat cracks topside cockpit floor but nothing major. This was a kit boat, I built most of the inside. It has a V berth porta pot,dining set, love seat, galley nav station and bunk under cockpit. Blueprints, like new sails and cushions are included. It has $800 in new tires and rails on the trailer. I built a new rudder that needs sanding and paint. I also have an 18hp Nissan with a custom 45 watt alternator for charging a battery bank at sea. Someone could ready this boat in a week and be sailing in style and on budget the next.$4500 call Andy for more info show contact info  

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My Bad I see it has a swing keel in the ad. What does that mean? How does it work? Swings which way? Alas I do not have my Dummy book yet it is in the mail. Anybody like this boat?  

So wait a newb comes on here, and wants to buy the biggest trailerable sailboat he can, under 10,000lbs, so he can sail the high seas, and wants to do it under $5000... and nobody here has blasted him yet? I think there are people with 40+ footers that are proven bluewater cruisers that some here would STILL say isn't enough. Probably the best advice on sailboats I've ever heard I will share with you.... Sailboats can be: Fast Trailerable Seaworthy/comfortable you can only pick 2 from the above list. There are TONS of transportable sailboats... I would NOT call transportable, trailerable. Trailerable is usually limited to boats that are easily launched FROM the trailer. Transportable boats bring you to the edge of the water, and either a LIFT, specialized truck, or crane lifts the boat and puts it in the water... There are keel and deck stepped masts... Keel stepped masts are a BEAR to raise yourself (even with 4-5-6 people), they are generally considered to be the preferred configuration for larger "blue water," boats. Deck stepped is like it sounds, attached to the cabintop... those masts can easily (relatively speaking) be raised... with a gin pole or A-frame. Honestly if you are serious about what you are asking (and the question is a little to ripe with key points that I am leery its not a setup), and trailerable is one of your big criteria, you should consider the trailer sailing forum, over at tsbb. The boat that comes to mind for me to fit as best it can, your points... (at least 2 of them), is the Flicka 20.. Good luck finding one for under $5000 The Flicka 20 Sailboat : Bluewaterboats.org Taking this little tank for a long voyage would not be comfortable by any stretch of the description, but it might well do it. Slightly bigger and recommended on the same page the Contessa 26 might be a worthwhile choice... Welcome, and please learn to sail first... preferably on something small in protected waters... when you can calmly and easily handle 40 knot winds.. consider venturing on short coastal jaunts next, but only then.  

EDIT: Personal attack in violation of forum rules deleted. Jeff_H SailNet moderator In my original post I asked for a $20,000 pick, a $10,000 pick and a $5,000 pick then 2 guys respond and ask what my budget was after I had clearly stated it the first time, so I just said $5,000 when they asked to see what the cheapest option would be first. There was a point when you were new, Is that the point of this forum, To Blast people? Or is it to help people? If you do not want to help why are you even on here, EDIT: Personal attack in violation of forum rules deleted. Jeff_H SailNet moderator  

I said big and you come at me with a 20 footer? and the question is a little to ripe with key points that I am leery its not a setup), and trailerable is one of your big criteria, you should consider the trailer sailing Exsqueeze Me? What is ripe about my question? A Setup? What are you even talking about, and why would it be a setup.nd what do you even mean my setup? What are you some kind of paranoid half a Wack Job?  

Clipper Marine 32 C&C Mega 30 S2 8.0C shoal draft all are in the $5K-20K range, all are trailerable.  

Hey thanks bljones, Now we are getting somewhere, I like this clipper 32 of which you speak. I have been finding 30 footers for sale on trailers, and nothing bigger so I thought that was the limit but looks like 32 is. Are you talking about the sloop or the ketch? I am grooving on that aft cabin ketch, that's a lot of boat, can that be launched loaded fairly easily? I am very good at the boat ramp. Do they have blistering problems? One guy said he had steel keel rust problems but only because the previous owner did not keep up on the zincs. Somebody said they have a tendency to rot out towards the bow? Do you know of any problem areas on this boat? Somebody said it was slow, I don't care, and stable so easy to sail single handedly, but it has trouble keeping the bow high enough or something like that? Say I wanna buy an aft cabin 32 ketch, is that gonna be hard to find? Where should I look? Dude that might be me right there, I love this boat, nice lines too and an aft cabin would be awesone! I wonder if that model would be too heavy, wonder how much weight that aft cabin ads, I'm gonna go look at it some more. So now, thanks to you, my new question is gonna be what all trailerable 32's are out there? If that is the only one, Then sold! Thanks man!  

Before you do anything, check out local boat ramps where people may be launching sailboats. Talk to people who actually do it. I doubt you will ever find anyone launching anything bigger than 22', maybe 25'. See what is involved in launching, raising the mast and setting the standing rigging.. Once you see all That is involved and the time it takes, you will probably rethink your plans. launching and retrieving a 30-32 footer is something you only do once a year...not to go for an afternoon or even weekend sail.  

Thanks for your concern, but Dude I'm a CDL truck driver I back trailers all day long. I've got a 27ft Twin engine Flybridge Sportfisherman that weighs 8,500 pounds that I launch every weekend, I only live one mile away from the ramp that heads out to tampa bay. So's this sailboat ain't that much bigger, and I am only going one mile with it. Ive got a big motorhome with a hitch ball on the front so I drive down the ramp headfirst so I can see good. Ain't No Rookie's on THIS BUS! But yeah your right, it's not something for the inexperienced or puny wimpy girly-men like DROOL. It is looking like this Clipper 32 is the only trailerable 32 ever made so my choice was made easy, plus the wife and I both just LOVE it, What a sexy beast! An engineering marvel to be that big and still light enough to trailer like that. The slip fees here in Tampa are beyond ridiculous, No way I am throwing that kinda mass cash away. I'm gonna take that money and wine and dine my wife instead. I'm also tired of pouring gas into this Sportfisherman, so I'm gonna punt it for some free wind power, then the old lady can get some new clothes instead of wasting it on gas. How about That? And it will be nice to have it right next to the house to work on, Hmm maybe I'll make my Mother in Law sleep in it next time she comes to visit! My kids will have fun climbing all the way up there and camping overnight in it, Poof! Instant Tree house! I'll run em a zip line down to an oak tree for easy dismounts! They'll Love that! Plus I can pull it around and use it for a travel trailer as well. Can't wait to pull into Walmart with this Pirate Ship! I'll save money on hotel rooms. The only long haul is gonna be hauling it home, but hey I'll go to Seattle if I have to, that's what I do, That's How I Roll! Thanks for all the help everybody, EDIT: Personal attack in violation of forum rules deleted. Jeff_H SailNet moderator  

I ani't go'in on no afternoon sails, I'm go'in 40 miles out in the Gulf in the 100ft water where the good fish'in is, with Air-Con and an Ice machine, and I'm gonna hang out all week till I fill the boat full of fish! I just came back on because I forgot to thank bjones for finding my boat for me, God Bless Ya Brother!  

Goarmy... I said what others here said, they were less pointed about it... I don't think I deserve your pull back, and frankly attacks. The scathing comments were NOT directed at you... they were directed at the people at large here who normally wail on others that come on here asking what boat is right to circumnavigate the world... LOOK again for the bluewater bucket thread. You've obviously just started out... and are asking for the biggest trailerable sailboat... as an OTR you can trailer damned near anything, my RESPONSE to you was about "trailerable," versus "transportable." 3 others here have given you EXACTLY the same advice. The 33 is a great boat... So is a Hake Seaward 32RK! 32RK | Seaward Yachts If you don't care about tighter accomodations... a Hobbie 33 is probably more seaworthy than anyone here would like to admit... and frankly is ACTUALLY trailerable. Because it has a lifting keel. But no standing headroom, and it's a rocket ship. You've come onto a very experienced forum... lets use the example of a car racing forum... having asked the question of "what is the fastest car you can buy that gets 32mpg..." I answered the 32mpg question with my 20 footer, and you blasted me for not giving you the lambo. I've owned several trailerable sailboats... none of them would I consider to be "bluewater." I've launched them myself, and towed them with my 3500 dually diesel that I tow my 16,000lb LQ horse trailer with... granted it's not a CDL license, or YOUR obvious extensive OTR cred... but it's MORE than enough for me to be qualified to tell you that YOU don't know yet what you don't know. Launching a 27 foot powerboat, is a good start, add a large keel that draws another 2-4 feet, adds a dimension that I am quite sure you are NOT taking into your equation. What others here have said, and you have missed was the question of the local boat ramps... They legitimately were asking DEPTH, and LENGTH of ramps... because generally saltwater ramps aren't, and cannot be long enough to get a deep keel (see bluewater requirements) deep enough... you run out of RAMP LONG before you float the boat. NOW, if you took a little time to search the forums you'd realize that others have already SOLVED this problem for you... with hoists on the extreme side, tractor launches, extendable tongues, and strap launch methods. My comment to you was to start small... and learn sailing first... find out if it's right for you, become a great sailor, as I KNOW you will because of you passion for it, and work your way up... if you buy quality used, and learn boat maintenance you'll become not only a great sailor but also KNOW what you want in a larger boat... READ back through the posts here, and see if I am saying ANYTHING different than others. Now I'll do as you ask, and go drool on things... you know because I am totally unhelpful and all.  

Dude...I didn't say anything about actually driving your truck or backing a trailer down a ramp. That's the easy part. Putting up the mast, boom and setting up all the standing and running rigging....that's the issue. That's why I suggested talking to people who actually launch sailboats from a trailer on a regular basis. When you do find someone, most likely it will be something in the low 20 foot range. Tell them you want to do the same with a 30 footer on a regular basis. See what reaction you get.  

man this thread got heated hey for fun op go on youtube and look for sailboat launches on a ramp, youll see why some on here react the way they do. there are som god awful vids of boats taking the plunge...there is a merit 25 one that scared the hell out of me as I jave to haul my boat one of these days and the ramp os kind of steep, so I need to modify my trailer with an extension or tongue as they call it as well as weld on a t at the bow that serves as a holder for the deep angle of the ramp so it doesnt slide back... anywhoo...for now Im just going to sail the boat wet...and deal with that stuff in the summer or something. now back to trailerable boats...  

There is a great video of a guy who trailer sails his Grampian 26. long tongue extension to get it into deep water, and has a hinged deck step and uses a pole with a trailer winch to raise/lower the mast. brilliant. That is going to be the challenge, rigging the boat. we take about three hours. get the mast up, run all the lines, bend on sails, tune the rig. then getting the boat kit stored, rations loaded, water, fuel tankage. by the time all that is done about 5 hours. my boat is 28 feet. mast is 34 feet, weighs 170 lbs. It is possible to trailer sail my boat just would take some planning. As soldiers we make our bread and butter on planning right Bro?  

EDIT: Personal attack in violation of forum rules deleted. Jeff_H SailNet moderator Yes Christian.hess "Mobile Southern Sailor" I Love it, The first thing I ALWAYS do as soon as I get a new trailer, is take it to the trailer shop, and have them extend the tongue just as far as they possibly can. This makes your rig pull straighter and truer on the freeway, with WAY less of the wobbly back and forth that flips trailers causes wrecks and kills people. It also makes it WAY hrder to jack knife and bust out your tail lights. The big thing is now you don't have to back your car as far down the ramp before you boat floats, you don't EVER get your back tires in the slippery green moss that casues your car to slide backwards into the lake (seen it happen many times) now you can stay on dry ground all the time. The only down side is NOT A DAMN THING! It is a win win wni win win situation and I wish everybody would do it and stop cause fatal accidents on the freeway. The other thing is I will never haul a single axle trailer, THOSE are the ones that flip over when you blow a tire, and you are stuck on the side of the road putting on the spare. When you blow a tire with a double axle, you just slow down and keep driving to the tire shop. I watch my tires in the rear view mirror ALL the time. The other thing people ALWAYS do wrong is run their trailer tires ragged WAY past the point of wearing out, Then wonder why they blow. Not only do I make sure my tires are ALWAYS in newer condition, I get the heaviest load range available, even if I am hauling something light, just for the added safety margin. My answer to steep ramps is I don't launch at steep ramps.  

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Best Trailerable Trawler Brands: Pocket Cruisers to Go Anywhere

12th oct 2023 by lenny rudow.

There are many different types of boats with cabins , but if you want to do some serious adventuring from coast to coast, nothing will beat trailerable trawlers. You can hitch up to your tow vehicle and head to any lake, river, or bay you want, sleep aboard, prep meals, and essentially enjoy your very own floating mini-home. Ready to start exploring? These top pocket trawler brands are just waiting for you to take a peek.

Best Trailerable Trawlers for Towing

Some boats are technically trailerable but require a huge beast of a tow vehicle and special permits to get from point A to point B. Those that are best for trailering, however, can be hauled by a standard full size pick-up truck or a large SUV. True, these will be among the smaller options out there and will have tighter cabins and fewer amenities. But if lots of space is your highest priority you’d probably be looking at larger trawlers for sale , as opposed to these pocket trawlers. If you can get by with less elbow room and want to hit the highway with minimal stress, check these options out.

Atlas Boat Works

With an LOA of 21’3”, a beam of 7’0”, and a dry weight of 2,400 pounds, the Atlas Pompano 21 is about as small as you can get while still enjoying a cabin worthy of an overnight. With a 54-hp diesel inboard, it’s also about as fuel efficient as you can get, burning a mere 1.4 gph at an 11-knot cruise. And even though it’s an inboard, the Pompano 21 draws a mere two feet of water, so it can be launched and loaded at most boat ramps. The helm is enclosed on three sides, and below there’s a mini-galley and a V-berth with a portable MSD underneath. 

You say you want an outboard powered-pocket trawler? Atlas also offers the 23 Pompano, which adds a bracket and a 70-hp outboard that provides speeds of up to 20 mph and a cruise in the mid-teens. If a touch more elbow room is to your taste check out their Acadia 25 models, which have substantially more cabin space and fully enclosed stand-up heads. Beam is 8’6, though, so they can still be hauled just about anywhere in the U.S.

Atlas Boat Works boats for sale

Photo credit: Atlas Boat Works

C-Dory has a number of trailerable models but the 22 Cruiser takes the cake for ease, since it tips the scales at a mere 2,600 pounds and stays under a 5,000 pound fully loaded towing weight — which means even a relatively modest tow vehicle can pull it without any problems. It’s designed to run with just 115 horsepower on the transom, and has an open 4’6” aft cockpit so you can enjoy some fishing when the mood strikes. Yet for such a svelte disposition, the cabin has a significant amount of room, with a dinette to port, the helm station to starboard, a mini-galley behind the helm, and a 6’3” V-berth forward. Surprisingly, it also has 6’2” of headroom. 

You can up the ante a bit with their 23’ Venture, which takes headroom to 6’4” and can handle up to 150 hp. Or consider the 25 Cruiser and 26 Venture. These have significantly larger cabins yet still keep beam at 8’6” so they can be hauled legally in the U.S. without a permit.

C-Dory boats for sale

Photo credit: C-Dory

Best Trailerable Trawlers for Cruising

If you plan to do serious cruising and spend days at a time aboard, a few creature comforts and some additional elbow room is in order. You’ll need the ability to prep meals, have plenty of room for sleeping, enough stowage space for all your gear, and a separate fully enclosed head compartment. Can you get all that and still have trailering abilities? You bet.

Ranger Tugs

There aren’t many pocket trawlers that have a full suite of cruising amenities yet can still be trailered, but Ranger Tugs has several models that fit the bill thanks to an 8’6” beam and a folding mast. Check out the R-23, R-25, and R-27, for example, and you’ll see a list of options including perks like diesel forced-air heat, air conditioning, Fusion stereo systems, and electric cockpit grills. More important for the cruisers among us, the galley is fully equipped (including a microwave, stove-top, and refrigerator/freezer), and there’s room to sleep five even on the smallest model, with a forward stateroom, a convertible dinette berth, and a midship berth.

If you’re willing to jump through the hoops to get a wide tow permit, Ranger Tugs R-29 and R-31 offer much bigger cabins and gobs of amenities. Dry weight for the R-31 is 12,000 pounds so you’ll need a tow vehicle that’s quite capable, but everything above hard-top level folds down to maintain a 13’6” height, keeping to the legal maximum.

Ranger Tugs boats for sale

Photo credit: Ranger Tugs

Nordic Tugs

This builder only offers one model that’s trailerable, the Nordic Tug 26, and with a 9’6” beam in most states you’ll have to get a permit to haul it down the road legally. You’ll also need to be careful about the ramps you use, because the boat has a 3’6” draft. But if you’re willing to deal with the extra paperwork you’ll have an excellent cruising boat with sleeping accommodations for four, a fully enclosed stand-up head compartment, a full galley, and lots of extra stowage space. At 8,600 pounds you’ll need a substantial tow vehicle, but this isn’t outside the capacity of many full-sized trucks.

Nordic Tugs boats for sale

Photo credit: Nordic Tugs

Sporty Trailerable Trawlers

There are many different types of boats out there, and while trawlers are historically slow and fuel efficient, in this day and age you can find some that are downright sporty. With planing hulls and outboard power they certainly push the definition of a trawler, but these boats deliver the amenities and often the look that trawler aficionados love.

Cutwater’s C-248 is their only model that offers the hassle-free trailering that goes along with an 8’6” beam. If you’re willing to do some legwork, however, the C-288 C and C-30 Sedan have 10-foot beams and can fly across the asphalt atop a permitted trailer. These boats feature fully enclosed helms and cabins, riding atop a fast double-stepped hull. They also display an inventive use of space, designing in a bonus berth underneath the dinette.

Cutwater boats come fully equipped right out of the box, with an eyebrow-raising list of standard features including perks like Garmin electronics systems, digital engine displays, and folding cockpit seating. More to the point, they also come with plenty of power and the C-248 is one of the few boats on the planet that can be used like a pocket trawler and also pull a water skier.

Cutwater boats for sale

Photo credit: Cutwater

Solara is the latest brand from Fluid Motion, and these boats are billed as “luxury pocket cruisers.” With outboards on the transom and stepped planing hulls, many of their models cruise at over 30 mph and can hit speeds well into the 40s. They offer three different 25-footers that have that magic 8’6” trailerable beam, but very different layouts. 

The Solara S-250 C “coupe” model features a fully enclosed cabin and helm station, with a galley, dinette, and helm station plus a lower cabin with a berth and enclosed head. The CW “center walkaround” is almost like a center console, except that the console goes all the way to the port side of the boat and encloses a cabin with a berth, mini-galley, and head. And there’s a dual console model as well, which is great for day-boating but doesn’t really fit into this roundup since it doesn’t have enclosed sleeping accommodations.

Solara boats for sale

Photo credit: Solara

Just which of these options would be the best pick for you, personally? That depends upon your priorities—and just how hefty your tow vehicle is. Whatever you may decide, however, one thing is for sure: These days you can get trailerable trawlers that are simple, sumptuous, sporty, and everything in-between.

Written By: Lenny Rudow

With over three decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to dozens of boating and fishing publications and websites. Rudow lives in Annapolis, Maryland, and is currently Angler in Chief at Rudow’s FishTalk ; he is a past president of Boating Writers International (BWI), a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.

More from: Lenny Rudow

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• Trailers and Towing

What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it?

• Thread starter Thales14
• Start date Aug 6, 2012

Seaman Apprentice

• Aug 6, 2012

What size boat would be the max/largest you could get if you really want to trailer it and not keep it in a slip?  

Silly Seville

Senior chief petty officer.

Vice Admiral

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? Just spent last week wondering through the Florida Keys and they trailer some pretty big boats down there, when the boat makes a full size Chevy dually look small it is a big boat. So I agree, it comes down really to your tow vehicle, if you have a Ford Ranger not very big but if you are willing to commit to a full size heavy duty truck then it get alot bigger and you could do a 30'er.  

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? I think 28' is about where I'd draw the line. Once you get into boats that have a wide-enuogh beam to require getting a wide-load permit each time you haul it, it becomes more trouble than it's worth. Not to mention towing a 28'er is going to require a 3/4-1 ton diesel in almost all cases. You can argue a bit more length on go-fast boats like Cigarettes, Bajas, etc, but it is still a long load to haul.  

Supreme Mariner

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? You can tow anything up to 102 inches wide (8.5 feet) without any special permits but you need an appropriate tow vehicle and reasonable trailering experience.  

Chief Petty Officer

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? I agree. I really think it starts with the tow vehicle, then your patience level. I just towed my 18 footer 1.5 hours and hated it. To much to worry about including wear and tear on my vehicle. For me that the biggest thing.  

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? The tow vehicle and driver ability are certainly very important, but so is the intended launch ramp and parking area as well as the body of water where you'll be boating and where the boat will be stored when not in the water. Given my boating conditions on a large lake with good ramps, nice parking lot and an adequate storage shed I'd say 24 feet would be it for me. The OP's answer may be different if he wants to boat on the Gulf of Mexico.  

Home Cookin'

Fleet admiral.

Thales14 said: What size boat would be the max/largest you could get if you really want to trailer it and not keep it in a slip? Click to expand...

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? Well, part of the issue regarding towing is whether or not you care to visit different bodies of water. I go between 3-4 different lakes during a boating season, so leaving the boat at one lake on a lift would less desirable. If you are just towing it to the same body of water each time you use it, it may be more worthwhile to store it on-site.  

Petty Officer 1st Class

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? Agree with all above. Depends on what you want to do with the rig. I tow around 1500 miles a year to different lakes. Differnet ramps different road conditions. My tow rig is a F150 and it can pull my 20 foot boat anywhere I want to take it. I want to pull into a fast food place along the interstate this rig works fine. I can fuel the truck about anywhere with this rig. If I had a 30 footer it would be a different game. Much more headache. Much more challenge and would need more truck to pull the Ozarks or real mountians. My next boat will likely be around a 23 to 24 footer. Thinking that is about the max for the kind of trailering I want to do.  

Captain Caveman

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? The over-sized load permits are going to be a much bigger issue than the size of your tow vehicle if you plan to do any interstate travel.  

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? With a 24, 8 feet wide, the only issues I have are the turning radius, and especially getting through the gas station. I find that truck stops are easiest, and they usually have good access for non-commercial rigs at the "civilian" pumps, to get in and out. My son was a commercial driver, and his advice was "take all the space you need - don't worry about blocking anything while you are getting to where you are going - use the WHOLE road, and take all the time you need - don't let anybody rush you". I see people pulling 35+ foot travel trailers all the time - they make my rig look small! ALSO: Backing this beast up my driveway is the hardest thing I do with it every trip - narrow, and not straight. For that, I swap ends on the truck, and put the hitch in the FRONT. Makes it much easier!  

Mischief Managed

Lieutenant commander.

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? I routinely tow a 25' long, 8.5' wide, 6000 lb boat. I towed it 500 miles last week, hitting Naragansett Bay, the lakes region of Maine, and Winnipesuakee in NH. It's not a big deal if you do it right.  

26aftcab454

Scott Danforth

Grumpy vintage moderator still playing with boats.

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? my 24' boat (26 OAL) is about 8.5' wide and just at 5k# with fuel and trailer. you can pull it with a half ton SUV, however it tows better behind a 3/4Ton truck. can you tow larger, yes. however I have no problem towing this over large distances, putting it into very narrow areas, or launching/retrieving by myself.  

• Aug 7, 2012

Re: What is the maximum size for a boat if you really want to trailer it? I tow my 22.5 ft Islander all the time. I don't even know its back there unless I'm checking my mirrors. I use an F350 and the boat is pretty light for its size.  

26aftcab454 said: View attachment 162775 I would think 24ft or 25ft with a lower profile and steeps or a ladder mounted on the front of trailer if you have the truck. Click to expand...

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Teen safely stops runaway boat speeding in circles on New Hampshire’s largest lake

An empty runaway boat speeding in circles on New Hampshire’s largest lake was brought safely to a stop by a teenager who jumped aboard from a personal watercraft. (AP produced by Javier Arciga)

In a still frame from video provided by Rich Bono, an empty runaway boat speeds in circles, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, on Lake Winnipesaukee’s Smith Cove, off Gilford, N.H. The empty runaway boat was brought safely to a stop by a teenager who jumped aboard from a personal watercraft. (Rich Bono via AP)

• Copy Link copied

GILFORD, N.H. (AP) — An empty runaway boat speeding in circles on New Hampshire’s largest lake was brought safely to a stop by a teenager who jumped aboard from a personal watercraft.

Rich Bono, who captured the events on video, said he was on the dock Wednesday in Lake Winnipesaukee’s Smith Cove when he heard some commotion in what is usually a quiet, no-wake zone.

“I can hear an engine revving, and I looked down the end of the dock toward the noise and saw a boat circling, circling, circling, and no one was in it,” he said. “Obviously, that’s not good.”

Bono later learned that the boat’s operator, a sailing instructor, had reached into the water to pick up a tennis ball used for teaching when one of the students’ sailboats tipped over. The sailboat’s mast hit the motor boat’s throttle, sending the instructor overboard and the boat into a spiral.

Brady Procon, 17, hopped on the back of his neighbor’s personal watercraft. They pulled alongside the runaway boat, and Procon jumped onto it and cut the engine.

“Brady was a hero,” Bono said in an interview Monday.

Though there were multiple children in sailboats and other vessels docked nearby, no one was injured, nor was any property damaged, Bono said.

“That boat was under power, throttled up,” he said. “Motors on boats are like meat grinders, they’re not very forgiving if someone gets hit.”

Procon, who is joining the U.S. Navy in the fall, told WMUR-TV the experience was both scary and fun.

“I’d do it again,” he said.