Hi all, so I am living in Hervey bay and use a wind rush 14 to take my young family out on the water. I have two daughters that are nearly 5 and 3 who so far enjoy sailing up and down the beach on a fine day.
I would be keen to progress to something larger that we could day sail over to Fraser island etc. So I have been looking at trailer sailors.... Sonata 7, farr 6-7500, nolex with a budget of <20k.
I don't see us racing on a Sunday but could be interested in the occasional bay to bay or sags.
My latest thought is the possibility to look at something like a mid 90's Elliott 7. It has a simple interior to hide from the elements if need be, I can just take an esky and portable loo and make a boom tent. This should allow me to find a slightly newer boat within my budget with a bit of speed...?
What do people think? I have made these assumptions from looking on the internet and have never set foot on an Elliott. Will they be a wet boat in a bit of chop that will need some weight on the rail to allow any speed gain over a traditional trailer sailor therefore scaring my girls off from sailing.
Big trailer sailer, might be a bit lively for a young family. Even the Sonata 7 would be a handful. Noelex 25 has a moderate rig and would suit singlehanding which is pretty much what you have planned.
I sail an Elliot 7, it will give you plenty of speed but could be a bit of a handful. The kids are not going to help much and is the wife able to crew?
The Elliot needs a bit of "ballast" to be efficient when the wind picks up. I have an experienced crew and even when is only the 2 of us on board I find it challenging, We are racing, I guess cruising would be a bit easier.
It is basic down below but you could sleep 4 and plenty of space for and eski and portipota loo.
The Elliot 7 is a sports boat. Not really for young kids. However, if the wife and kids can handle a 14ft cat, maybe they are game enough for a sports boat. Most would not be, and you could end up sailing alone.
If you think you can handle it as a young family ie both parents know how to sail and want to be actively involved the higher performance elliott will keep the kids interested longer than the slower cruiser eg sunmaid.
We sail a Castle 650 which is sort of half way between the two.
But be aware that scaring people or making them uncomfortable means they wont want to come out.
Also be aware that the Elliot has a bulb keel so cant dry out overnight.
Thanks for all your replies. Yes my wife can sail but I would hate to scare my daughters off sailing. So it sounds like I should be patient and hold off on an Elliott for a few years. I do like the concept and think they would suit day sails around the bay and the occasional overnight. might have to try and find a local one to crew on. back to the drawing board...
I didn't really think the elliott would scare the kids. ...more the wife if she is not a sailer.
An elliott wont be scarier than a windrush.
How about get the Elliott, cut down the main (pref an old one) so its permanently reefed and get a small jib.
problem solved;- easy to sail in all except really high winds, then just sail under jib alone.
Agree. When l bought my castle 650 my kids were about that age and we did a fair bit of jib only sailing.
The problem with trailer sailers, especially large ones, is the launching and recovery off less than ideal ramps. There will be times when the wife will have to stand out in the water holding a large hull, often in a windy, exposed place with screaming kids while hubby wanders off for the car. There is a reason all those trailer sailers are sitting about in those storage facilities and appear for sale at surprisingly cheap prices.
Hang around a sailing club that sails trailer sailors and watch or give the blokes a hand to recover their Sonata 7's etc when the seabreeze gets up.
Certainly something to consider is the ramp availability. Urangan looks like a good ramp but lacks adequate pontoons alongside for easy retrievel of yachts IMO. Perhaps talk to the neatby YC.
In some ways the best option is to stick with otb boat. Kids and beach seem to go together.
A good thing about recovering the Elliot is the light weight, I find 1 crew can walk it along the ramp when I can guide it to the trailer and winch it up. Even with strong sea breezes ( cross wind at my favorite ramp). The lead torpedo makes it to self-centering to the trailer . I guess a 13 YO could operate the winch. Or install an electric winch.
The option of using a smaller sail is good as well, racing it we had too much sail out and got in a tight spot taking at a mark. She was at a 30-degree angle to the water. She recovered with no problems but could be scary for kids. Even if the mast was in the water no water would penetrate in the cabin. She is totally self-righting...... don't forget to insert the center board pin! 
Select to expand quoteRamona said..
The problem with trailer sailers, especially large ones, is the launching and recovery off less than ideal ramps. There will be times when the wife will have to stand out in the water holding a large hull, often in a windy, exposed place with screaming kids while hubby wanders off for the car. There is a reason all those trailer sailers are sitting about in those storage facilities and appear for sale at surprisingly cheap prices.
Hang around a sailing club that sails trailer sailors and watch or give the blokes a hand to recover their Sonata 7's etc when the seabreeze gets up.
I would say you have pros and cons. In WA the pen fee is massive nothing less than $6k a year and it is not easy to find a mooring. Mooring are mostly in the river.
A hard stand, however cost, $ 700 at my club and there is no need for antifouling and bird shiiit cleaning before every sail. The boat is as safe as could be as the hard stand is fenced (electric fence).
Afternoon,
Interesting thread but IMHO and having sailed with my kids since they could crawl on JOG and performance trailer sailers, get what you want especially if the "boss" can sail, learn what you can and can't do and modify things to suit the location.
Elliot in my opinion is perfect, kids will love it, ease them into it all on gentle days, remember harnesses and jackets (good quality ones) and enjoy.
All my kid's kids have now been out on the boats since small, have found mother's are the biggest issue and kids just love it.
If I was you, just get it and enjoy it, they are a nice boat.
Thanks all for the further input. Unfortunately it has all become hypothetical since my left leg is now in a cast and the word is I'll need surgery and another 10 weeks in plaster after that. All from falling off my mountain bike.
Anyway I will keep an Elliot as a future option and investigate further with decreased sail area and try and get on one when able to see how they handle.
700 for a hard stand is a good price. I have been quoted 1200 to park a boat on a trailer down at the boat ramp behind a fence. The pontoons aren't too busy at urangan that I have noticed.
Like mentioned off the beach does have some positives with a young family. Might keep us going for a few seasons yet. Will have to wait until the new year at least before I can get back out sailing. Will make for a looooong summer.
Thanks all for the further input. Unfortunately it has all become hypothetical since my left leg is now in a cast and the word is I'll need surgery and another 10 weeks in plaster after that. All from falling off my mountain bike.
Anyway I will keep an Elliot as a future option and investigate further with decreased sail area and try and get on one when able to see how they handle.
700 for a hard stand is a good price. I have been quoted 1200 to park a boat on a trailer down at the boat ramp behind a fence. The pontoons aren't too busy at urangan that I have noticed.
Like mentioned off the beach does have some positives with a young family. Might keep us going for a few seasons yet. Will have to wait until the new year at least before I can get back out sailing. Will make for a looooong summer.
Select to expand quoteHG02 said..
Seeing your a cat sailor have you considered an old seawind 24
I like the Seawind and I had a look at one going cheap in Esperance WA. My concern was storage as most hardstands are not as wide and de-rigging after every sail was a bastard. I guess a Seawind would be good on a swing mooring as in a marina the width of it would double the fee? It would have been ok at my club except the hard stand area gate is not wide enough! 
