The absolute best trailerable coastal cruiser

[Woxbox]

My list keeps growing. Started with Bolger's Martha Jane many years ago. Bought plans, never built it. Then came the Norwalk Island Sharpies. Very nice. And there was always the Egret, and now Oughtred's drop-dead beautiful Haiku. But every one maybe a bit too much off in one direction or another to be ideal -- a bit too big, or masts hard to step, or not quite roomy enough inside.

But recently I came across this from Chesapeake Marine Design, the very blandly named Trailer Sailer 24. I'm starting to think that it is as good as a coastal cruising trailer sailer can get. Very roomy for 24 feet, flat bottomed for shallow water and easy work on and off the trailer, round bilges for performance and comfort (and quiet at anchor), and classic good looks. Water ballast, and leeboards, adding practicality and character that appeals to me.

So what do you think, is this the best of the litter?

I can see towing this up and down the US East Coast, with stops from Penobscot Bay down to the Everglades, exploring tidal marshes, rivers and estuaries along the way. The mast drops easily to slip under low bridges. I'd fit a little heater for the cool months, maybe have a wind generator tucked away that could be clamped to the mizzen mast on windy nights.

[Venchka]

What took you so long? That boat has been around since forever. It earned a review in WB magazine.

I reckon if you've got the tow vehicle for it, this is as good as any. I drooled over it a few years back.

[perldog007]

Does it use water ballast?

[Venchka]

ps: Thanks for refreshing my memory. As I recall, I was more taken with Karl's Catbirds. Karl has a Catbird 24 for sale. Instant cruising.

[Tom M.]

Romilly by Nigel Irens. Still. I always answer this question with Romilly. Caveat: you might want aux. power. If that's ok, then I think it has everything: light unstayed carbon fiber masts, lug yawl rig, shallow draft, outside lead ballasted, not too heavy, can build a house for two plus tiny galley without spoiling it's good looks, etc. It's a cool boat.

[Woxbox]

What took you so long?

Good question. And I don't know how I missed the WoodenBoat piece.

Yes, water ballast. Not sure what the total trailering weight would be. I'm figuring a vehicle rated for 3,500 pounds would do the job.

[DGentry]

Well, IMO, a 24' or 25' Farrier (et al.) folding trimaran is probably the best trailerable coastal cruiser - easy trailering, very light, very shoal draft, relatively roomy inside, space for a half dozen kayaks - and kayakers - on deck, and, well, there's the amazing speed thing, too.

Maybe not the best for poking up a truly narrow creek, and they certainly don't look "traditional," but those are issues I could deal with!

Ther Trailer Sailor 24 looks OK, too . . . .

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Tiki 21/26?

Or, if you want a monohull, the Atalanta.

[Craic]

I would say waterballast is the essential ingredient for any state-of-the-art trailerable monohull boat today aspiring to the title of 'Absolute Best'.

Lookup the latest Swallowboats BayCruiser 23 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ZvlRZcX6Y .

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Hold exception to Water Ballast being "best" for a trailerable.

My Shearwater was designed for water ballast, but only half of the boats were built with it; the others have 600-lbs of lead ballast, except for the two that have 1000-lbs of lead. I have one of the latter.

I tow my 4000-lb GVW (boat + trailer) with a Dodge diesel pickup, the othe guy tows with a Nissan SUV.

I believe solid ballast is better in the midwest for dealing with the prolific Zebra Mussel as well as other marine life.

Moby Nick

[Portland]

My Oughtred Grey Seal tows easily behind my Mitsubishi camper , its got a tabernacle of course , and a centreboard .
And a 13 hp diesel auxilary .
We gave it a good run today , plenty of power for just about any conditions.
Regards Rob J.

[cbnorth]

Vivier's Meaban or Gartside's Spartan II. I hope one day to build one of them and you guys help me make up my mind on which one...

Claude

[Paul Pless]

My list keeps growing.

Mine too.

This one hovers near the top of my list. Fenwick Williams design from 1932. Modern scantlings for sheathed strip construction and hollow birdsmouth tabernacled mast available from Michael Storer.

LOA - 18'
LWL- 17' 6"
Beam - 8' 6"
Draft (cb up) - 2'
(cb down) - 4' 8"
Displ. - 3,763 lbs.
Sail Area - 265 sq. ft.
Construction: Carvel planked over sawn & steamed frames
Alternative construction: Cold-molded or strip

[Woxbox]

Well, IMO, a 24' or 25' Farrier (et al.) folding trimaran

It does depend, of course, on exactly what kind of sailing you'll be doing. I didn't build the Martha Jane because I came across a beat-up Searunner 25, a Jim Brown tri, which I restored and trailer-sailed for 7 years. I'd also purchased study plans for the Tiki 21.

The multis are faster and in many ways more comfortable, but they don't set up and trailer so easily -- especially not the Wharram -- and you can't duck under bridges. They're also less roomy, inside, of course. And more expensive to build in general.

For sailing on open water, I'd go with a trimaran again, too. But I'm thinking more of serious gunkholing. How far up that creek can I squeeze this boat?

The Swallow Boats looks real nice, but the CMD boat is really open inside, and of course it's got the best rig going for this kind of sailing.

[TerryLL]

I believe solid ballast is better in the midwest for dealing with the prolific Zebra Mussel as well as other marine life.

Moby Nick

The few remaining western states not yet infected with zebra and quagga mussels are implementing programs to keep them out. Idaho has wash-down stations at the state lines, stopping every trailered boat.

How does one guarantee that the ballast chamber is mussel-free?

[Wayne Jeffers]

. . . Not sure what the total trailering weight would be. I'm figuring a vehicle rated for 3,500 pounds would do the job.

The web page says the boat weighs 2500 pounds. (It says "weight," not "design displacement.") Adding the weight of a trailer, 3500 pounds towing capacity won’t leave much allowance for your cruising stores.

Unless you plan on a second vehicle to carry your clothes, food, beverages, and gear so you can load after launching, I think you should reconsider your needed towing capacity. I suggest 5000 pounds minimum. Somewhat more would be better. If you plan on towing a substantial distance, or over steep hills, keeping the load to 80% of the rated tow capacity would make for a much more pleasant towing experience.

This is a nice boat. But . . . FWIW, there is no one absolute best trailerable cruiser. If there were, there would be far fewer threads discussing the relative merits of hundreds of designs.

Wayne

[Paul Pless]

How does one guarantee that the ballast chamber is mussel-free?

chlorine

[paladin]

Clorox is cheap......and for when you are on a deserted isle and all you have are jugs of water and a bottle of clorox, get some old aluminum beer cans and suspend them in empty water bottles and a copper strip or pipe on the other side....and add 1 tsp clorox to 7/8ths gallon of water and turn on the lights.

[Venchka]

Followup to Wayne North:

Add a 10,000 lb. transmission cooler to the tow vehicle. Makes a huge difference. Your towing weight will be more than you estimate. Find a truck scale and know the weight for sure.

Wayne South

ps: A friend of mine from outside Houston just drove back east and brought home a Com-Pac Horizon Cat. Nice boat for sure.

[JimD]

Lose the ugly lee boards.

[RodSBT]

I would think an NIS 23 or Cape Henry 21 might be good candidates.

Eric Sponberg's Delft 25 also, but might be a little heavy for some and with a draft of 3' may not get you up a creek as far as one might want.

[Woxbox]

Folks -- Lots of great boats mentioned, and I wouldn't say no to any of them. But when I think of the finer points, I want a boat where I can stand in the cockpit without risk of getting bonked on the head. The sloops, the catboat and even the NIS 23 don't pass this test.

Jim - the ugly leeboards are like the funny hat your favorite aunt always wears. Becomes part of the character. At any rate, I couldn't see spoiling that expansive, open interior with a centerboard case.

[Tom M.]

It's too bad Swallow Boats uses water ballast. I like them but for that. It's just too complicated and seems like it would be a maintenance problem. What if something jams in the intake or exhaust scoops? What happens if ya scoop up some seaweed? Does it drag around a long tail of boat slowing detritus? Then there's the maintenance of the water scoops, and of the ballast chamber itself. Ok, so you can kill things that are growing in there with bleach, but that's another thing you have to do, plus the bleach will kill more than your ballast tanks mussels when it's drained. But what really bugs me is that it appears the tanks are not easily inspected, and if any maintenance needs doing, one won't find out until it shows up on the outside. Then there's the problem of using it properly, remembering to fill the tanks before the squall hits. I'm only complaining because I otherwise really appreciate the Swallows. If I was building one (the 21er) I'd likely make the ballast tanks accessible airtight storage instead, and bolt a few lead pigs in there. I know that defeats the whole concept of a fast raid boat, but it would work better for me. I like it simple.

[andrewe]

I really like the TS 24, might have gone for it if I was not building something else. BUT the leeboards are a problem for me. A redesign for twin bilgeboards might work. Rig and space look very good.
Admire the NS range, but can't get over their looks. For a little extra work the TS 24's rolled chine is well worth it. And a very small % of the total work (Hull being roughly 30%)

[DGentry]

Perhaps consider this - Bolger's William D Jochems trailer sailor. 25', schooner rigged, mast tabernacles, leeboards, water ballast, full standing headroom in the cabin, picture windows.



More info here: http://www.ace.net.au/schooner/jochems.htm#start

[Tom Lathrop]

There is a very workable solution to the ugly leeboard and space robbing centerboard issue. It's a very nice little cruiser too.

http://www.bandbyachtdesigns.com/bel.htm

The idea could be copied for other small cruisers (but don't forget to credit the originator). Some may be put off by the offset CB but, in practice, it makes little difference in performance. It won't be noticed.

[RodSBT]

Folks -- Lots of great boats mentioned, and I wouldn't say no to any of them. But when I think of the finer points, I want a boat where I can stand in the cockpit without risk of getting bonked on the head. The sloops, the catboat and even the NIS 23 don't pass this test.

It would be nice if it had a yawl rig and more rounded chines...

....Oh well, in a perfect world. One seamed to perform pretty well in a Bass Strait crossing a few years ago in what would be considered Stiff winds, to say the least.

[JimD]

...
Jim - the ugly leeboards are like the funny hat your favorite aunt always wears. Becomes part of the character. At any rate, I couldn't see spoiling that expansive, open interior with a centerboard case.

No aunt of mine could be that hideous . Modify it with retractable bilge boards and show off her beautiful profile and sheer. Because in all other respects its a really nice looking boat.

[Paul Pless]

Another catboat derived trailer sailor favorite of mine.

Phil Bolger's Chebacco. There's several versions, including one stretched to 25 feet.

[Woxbox]

Paul -- yep, the 24-foot Chebacco has been on my list, too. Forgot to mention that one. Hits all requirements except cabin space, which is quite tight compared to my (current) top choice. The low profile makes for a nice look, but you pay the price when you step, or stoop, inside. The cockpit on the Chebacco is probably more comfortable, though.

Thinking further back, there's also the grandaddy of the type, Albert Strange's Wenda. But she wasn't designed to be trailered. And for her length has darn little elbow room below.

[Steve Paskey]

I've always liked Sam Devlin's Lichen ... 17" draft, the mast is on a tabernacle, and there's a lot of room inside for a 20-footer. But then the looks of that pram bow don't bother me in the least... others may not like it, but I think the whole package together has a lot of character.

[Daisy Grace]

Just some personal experience of water ballast. I've got Swallowboats BayCruiser 20, no 1. I'm into my second season with her now. She weighs 450kg (990lb) empty and 850kg (1900lb) ballasted (plus engine, fuel and all the junk I carry). I keep her on a tidal mooring in Poole Harbour in the south of England. I am completely happy with the water ballast arrangement. For the Baycruiser, you would normally expect to just keep her fully ballasted. The BayRaider is more of an open dinghy and there you would choose between water-in and water-out if you were racing in variable winds. The tank fills in about 10 minutes. I suppose it could sweep up seaweed, but it never has. I fill her as she sits on the mooring and then close the inlet. The BayCruiser is emptied by a bilge pump and it takes about 15minutes of gentle pumping or 10 if you really go at it. The tank is in two parts, forward and aft, so that it doesn't raise the cabin floor. You can access the forward tank through two screw down hatches in the bottom of lockers and the aft tank through a large watertight hatch in the cockpit floor. That's the one you stick your arm down to open and close the inlet. There isn't a trace of anything growing in the tanks. It is dark and the water is stagnant, so not conducive to growth. When you haul out on a trailer, any remaining water drains out through the inlet if you open it. The tanks were bone dry over the winter, but not sterile I should think. Launching and recovery is an absolute delight. I just launched her from a very shallow slip (Baiter in Poole if anyone knows it.) Everyone else either dunked the rear ends of their cars in the sea, or unhitched the trailer and manually pushed it out to get depth. I just got my rear tyres wet and launched in 9 inches of water. Recovery is just the same, which makes those with detached underwater trailers look envious! When sailing she is really stiff. I have often noticed I am sailing with full sail when most others have at least one reef in. And I am a really timid sailor! The attached photo shows the cockpit access hatch. The tank is under the cockpit and the side lockers, baffled to stop free surface effect of partly filled tanks. I love it!


PS. If you want to know more than you ever wanted to I have kept a blog of sailing experience on Daisy Grace at:L
http://www.jegsweb.co.uk/boats/baycruiser/home.htm

[Craic]

It's too bad Swallow Boats uses water ballast. I like them but for that. It's just too complicated and seems like it would be a maintenance problem. ......

Tom:
Ever had a waterballasted boat? At least just sailed one? Well, I have and I do, several, since 2005. I am also sceptical, still am, I even dive into the ballast tank of my boats with a snake camera to check, but no, it's all pristine inside, no leaks, rot or seaweed or barnacles or anything.
And it's not complicated to use at all.
Do come off your prejudice. If you had an open mind you can discover something new and exciting. Boats that can be light or heavy, whenever you like them to be either or.

[Tom M.]

Tom:
Ever had a waterballasted boat? At least just sailed one? Well, I have and I do, several, since 2005. I am also sceptical, still am, I even dive into the ballast tank of my boats with a snake camera to check, but no, it's all pristine inside, no leaks, rot or seaweed or barnacles or anything.
And it's not complicated to use at all.
Do come off your prejudice. If you had an open mind you can discover something new and exciting. Boats that can be light or heavy, whenever you like them to be either or.

No I don't have a water ballasted boat, nor have I sailed one. If you like water ballast, I'm happy for you. I would not be happy with it for the reasons I stated. Sorry if that offends your "open mind".

[Craic]

For optimum trailer sailers one should also have an open mind with regards to non conventional lightweight rig and rigging materials. Meaning carbon and Dyneema. Carbon is both stronger and lighter than birdsmouth built hollow masts, and Dyneema shrouds and stays are strong as steel at a fraction of the weight, and do not grind into paint and lacquer during trailering.

[seawardadventures]

I've always liked Sam Devlin's Lichen ... 17" draft, the mast is on a tabernacle, and there's a lot of room inside for a 20-footer. But then the looks of that pram bow don't bother me in the least... others may not like it, but I think the whole package together has a lot of character.

I never saw a Lichen back on the east coast. Encountered my first one at the Wooden Boat Show in Port Townsend, WA. As a former owner of a San Francisco Pelican it looked to me like the logical development of the Pelican to an actual cruiseable design. You get used to not having a pointy noise. Looks less snobbish.

[Woxbox]

I'm still stuck on the Trailer Sailer 24, and thinking hard about it. I like the philosophy of going engineless, but I know from past experience that in the places and times I sail, I'd be stuck waiting for the tide to change or winds to pick up all too often. But gas engines are just a PITA.

So suppose I replaced all or part of the water ballast with a bank of batteries. The water tanks under the berths in the Trailer Sailer are plenty big enough to house a lot of them. Say three batteries under each berth, set up to drive a 24-volt, 100-pound thrust electric motor. Total cost might be around $2,000, depending heavily on battery choice.

Sound like a plan? Manufacturer websites suggest this would be a close match to a 5 hp. outboard. Would the range/runtime be adequate for a 4-5 day cruise, assuming I am sailing most of the time, or that I might once in awhile stay at a marina and plug in, or that I had a wind generator to top off the bank on windy nights?

[boater1949]

I've owned a BayRaider by Swallow Boats for about 9 months. I've sailed it off the Florida Keys and in Kentucky. About 1/2 the time I use the water ballast. I love the versatility. In light air without the ballast the boat moves well and when the wind picks up the water ballast allows you to compensate and keep the boat at a comfortable angle of heel. Add the reefing capability and the ability to sail with jib and mizzen only and you have a boat that can sail under a huge range of conditions. Add the centerboard capability and your abilities are almost unlimited.

Before I take a trip or return from one I mix up some bleach and use a garden sprayer to clean as much of the water ballast compartment as possible. I rinse it with water and a hose then put a couple of gallons of dilute bleach solution in the compartment for the trip home or wherever. I let it slosh around and then drain it when I get where I'm going. The whole process takes less than 20 minutes.

I love the BayRaider but I am keeping any eye on the new 23 and 24-footers that Swallow Boats is developing. From what I've seen of the BayCruiser I think the accomodations in the larger boats will be better than average for a boat that size. I think those will be the ultimate in trailer-cruisers. If anyone would like a BayRaider I may have mine up for sale so I can get the 23-footer.

[JimD]

I have a 24 volt 65# thrust Minnkota on a much smaller boat. Two batteries gets me around three hours run time. Its not nearly powerful enough for anything much beyond getting in and out of a marina. Maintaining healthy, long lived batteries is a constant preoccupation, it seems. So much easier to run a small gas outboard.

[Venchka]

So. You like a water ballasted boat. Then you want to replace the water ballast with batteries. Go figure.
As for range under battery power. Who knows? You could run out of electrons on morning 1 of day 1 of your 4-5 day cruise. Or not. Based on JimD's anecdotal experience, 2 batteries = 3 hours. 6 batteries = 9 hours? Probably less. An hour a day for 5 days? What if you need 3 hours the first day?

[Wayne Jeffers]

. . . Maintaining healthy, long lived batteries is a constant preoccupation, it seems. So much easier to run a small gas outboard.

What he said.

Electric power would be fine if you have shore power for charging batteries every night or two. Not so good otherwise.

You could always pack a generator to recharge the batteries at night. Keep in mind, though, that a generator will be heavier than a small outboard, noisier, will use more gas, and you'll probably have to listen to the noise at night when you would rather be relaxing/sleeping.

Wayne

[kenjamin]

The little 4HP four-stroke Yamaha that I use sometimes has a 3 gallon remote tank which gives it a range pushing a Caledonia Yawl of something like 40 to fifty miles. If I were to bring along another six gallon tank of gas, Xena would have a cruising range of over a hundred miles. Not saying I would tolerate 17 hours of motor cruising in a Caledonia Yawl but it's nice to know the capability is there.

As for the best trailerable coastal cruiser, I would want the one that gave the most enjoyment sailing and yet could get in the really shallow waters. I can't help but think that would be Iain Oughtred's Haiku.

[TerryLL]

As for the best trailerable coastal cruiser, I would want the one that gave the most enjoyment sailing and yet could get in the really shallow waters. I can't help but think that would be Iain Oughtred's Haiku.

Perfect!
Oughtred's version of the Egret-style sharpie is a winner from ever angle.

[JimD]

I was wondering how long it would take before someone paraded out Haiku or Ruel Parker's version. There's no room inside those boats. Fine as long as you don't want any room inside. And they're about 30 feet long, too. If you want a sharpie may as well look at Glen-L, Paul Fisher, and Ted Brewer, too.

[esingleman]

Some people have brought up some other nice boats in this thread, but IMO, the Trailer Sailor 24 is the best compromise. It is big for it's weight of 2400 lbs. The cabin space is huge due to the lee boards, water ballast minimizes trailering weight. It's not as pretty as some of the others mentioned, but it is not bad looking either. Lug rig sail on tabernacle has to be the easiest rig of the bunch. The motor well looks handy as well. This boat has too much going for it.

All of that said, I don't know how she sails, however utility and comfort wise, you can't lose with this design.

[kenjamin]

I was wondering how long it would take before someone paraded out Haiku or Ruel Parker's version. There's no room inside those boats. Fine as long as you don't want any room inside. And they're about 30 feet long, too.

It's OK, Jim. We all like to exaggerate once in a while. At least with Haiku, you won't notice the centerboard. And the very fact that it's thirty feet long sure gives you a nice maximum hull speed. Haiku is light, lean, and long and yeah it's spartan but I still think it would be a blast to sail.

[wtarzia]

Graham Byrnes's EC22 (B and B Yachts again), if only two or three people are along for the cruise (smaller cabin though big self-bailing cockpit). Very fast and not terribly heavy (about 700-800 pounds) for those with smaller vehicles; shallow draft, a proven coastal boat; good performer at Everglades Challenge events. For a kit version, then the Core Sound 20 with the cabin. -- Wade

[TerryLL]

Coastal cruising is all about getting into those shallow narrow spots, and putting the boat on the beach for a tide cycle or two. Haiku has all the room in the world for a couple adventurous souls seeking to see some new county. Of course, if your primary consideration is your own perfect comfort, then it's not the boat for you.

[JimD]

I've told myself a million times not to exagerate...

From WoxBox's original post:

My list keeps growing. Started with Bolger's Martha Jane many years ago. Bought plans, never built it. Then came the Norwalk Island Sharpies. Very nice. And there was always the Egret, and now Oughtred's drop-dead beautiful Haiku. But every one maybe a bit too much off in one direction or another to be ideal -- a bit too big, or masts hard to step, or not quite roomy enough inside.

So it seemed clear enough to me that although a beautiful boat, Haiku did not make the short list. Why bring it up again when its obviously already been considered and eliminated? If his idea of the perfect coastal boat is TS24 why suggest a design so unlike it? Rant over.

Haiku



Trailer Sailer 24

[TerryLL]

OK. Haiku goes in the trash.

So let's all hold hands and agree in blissful harmony that the Trailer Sailer 24 is the be-all and end-all of coastal cruisers.

Can I have an amen.