Just a couple of questions. I want to retire shortly and I am keen to get into trailer sailer adventure. I am not into speed or racing but more want to cruise, sail, explore, fish,laze about and occasionally I will do this on my own. I have been looking at the Mach 28 and like the look of it and the luxury it seems to offer. The price range I have looked at is between 65k and 75k. I am a cook, a fisherman, a reader, a music lover, a health and safety lover and a person who is willing to learn, be appropriately licensed and trained. Could you experienced guys perhaps give me some advice as to the boat I could look for, where I can best get the right advice and where if anywhere I could go to rub shoulders with free spirited souls who don't mind sharing their knowledge and skill.
Thank you kindly for any help.
The not so old man and the sea.
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For that sort of money you can buy half a dozen trailer sailers. The trouble with trailer sailers is they are limited to an 8 ft 2 inch beam. This means in the larger sizes they are a bit narrow and because they are basically designed to race and have a fair sized sail area they are a bit tender.
If your set on a larger trailer sailer then the Noelex 25 is the Rolls Royce of trailer sailers. The rig is actual set up for easy singlehanded sailing with a reasonable sized main and a small but adequate headsail. Buy a good secondhand one. Unlike the other trailer sailers they are a bit scarce, owners tend to want to keep them. They are not cheap either.
Fill in some details on your Bio, most people on this forum are pensioners or close to it. You may find you live close to one of us!
Ok, had to look up the boat and found a few things.
It's a Power Sailer, not really a Trailer Sailer in the true sense.
Here are a few things I have found with Power Sailers (P/S's). Not all may apply with the Mach 28 as most are taken from my experiences with MacGregor 26 owners.
- P/S's tend to be major comprimises in both power and sailing. When under power with no water ballast and the board up they can be very unstable. There was a Mac 26 that capsized in the states a couple of years back when motoring through a large wake. They probably had too many people (like 10) in the cockpit and the boat was top heavy, but you get my drift.
- They have massive windage and I have seen a Mac 26 lean at about 15-20deg while motoring, caused by about 30 knots of wind on the beam. The boats occupants didn't look overly happy.
- When sailing you are dragging that fat arse through the water (that's needed for the boat to plane under motor) and you will struggle for 5 knots of sailing speed in anything less than a howling gale!! I'd hate to try and sail one off a lee shore in a blow if the engine failed.
- I had the joy (not) of fittting out a brand new Mac 26 a few years ago and I was not impressed at all with the build quality. You could push the side of the hull in not too much force and for floatation they had simply stuffed peices of foam through the inspection hatches after the hull and deck had been put together, not fun for running wiring!!
- Alot of people who buy boats like these tend to find after a year or so that they either want better sailing performance or never sail and would rather a better power boat.
I would personally look at some thing like this if you want to sail better and am not worried about getting there by motor too quickly http://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/duncanson-25/67155
Or if you want a roomy power boat www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/power-boats/whittley-700-cruisemaster/125066
I had a little Duncanson 26 (fixed keel version of a trailer sailer). Good little boat but light and very tender in gusts.
Agree on the Mac 26, one on a mooring near me sails brilliantly on the mooring (due to the windage). Moves through 120 degrees without trouble and heels well when the wind is on the beam. Owner had it about 18 months and has it for sale.
Hi kermit,
Soooo much money soooo many trailer sailers.one thing about the type your looking at,you seem to be able to buy any number description nearly new,hardly used...
You could look at cole23,castle 650. Google trailer sailor for sail. Most important if you will be sailing by yourself is that you can rig,launch and recover it by yourself.if you have a crew,most trailer sailer amenities are pretty basic.i used to sail an investigator 563. Easy to rig,launch,sail single or up to four and light to tow.
Cruising helmsman magazine had an article in the past of a couple towing a castle 650 around Australia.
Hi
I hope you understand that putting a trailer sailor in and out of the water wears off very quickly, especially if you are not keeping at a yacht club so you can keep the mast up.
Most trailer boats end up sitting around for years not being used and that's the worst thing you can do for a boat.
But if you have the patience and do get to use it lots you will have lots of fun, so good luck.
While the trailer sailing thing has really been here and gone, there is still some interest with them. Locally there is a club that races mid week and there is a fairly active travellers event between the clubs in this area [South of Sydney]
Marmong point Race is still one of the biggest events about and I'm always tempted to buy a trailer sailer to do the race at least once.
Best bet is to go sailing a trailer sailer. I could organise a crewing spot at Port Kembla SC on a Young 21 water ballast boat. Old bloke is looking for crew.
If you really decide you want to trailer sail, can I suggest that you also join the trailer sailer place forum? These guys will alsobe only too happy to give you advice on the different trailer sailers and their recommendations.
I think the race that Ramona is referring to is Marlay Point? I live at Marmong Point and I am sure we don't have a traler sailer race from here, however lots of traler sailers on Lake Macquarie!
Thank you all kindly for your thoughts and suggestions. I will keep keen, keep reading and learning and I will try to hook up with a club and a boat owner. Good advice about the address, I am such a novice! Happy days all.
Hi there, agree with everything said by the other members.
Also agree with the tsp forum advice, great forum, with some excellent trip reports. Also google the Zest blog about some great trips over about 20 years.
And regarding the races I too am thinking of selling my keel boat to get a trailer sailer to do the bay-bay, up the great sandy straits. I really can't think of a better thing to do as I get older. A nice inshore race with an overnight stop for the race crew, and maybe a week cruise getting back to the trailer with the 1st Mate and kids.
As for boats in that size, I would have a look at a Timpenny 770 and see if you like them. a lot cheaper than you are looking at, which improves the budget for a new motor, trailer or towing rig. If you need it. All a very high priority with what you intend to do, reliability wise.
Check the Timpenny website for a good story about a trip from Brisbane around to Darwin in a 770.
Cheers
Rick
Check it Kermit www.seabreeze.com.au/Classifieds/Boating-Sail-Boats/~a1srl/Custom-88M-Trailer-Sailer-28-0.aspx?search=2UVjoVaiz9dKAuoV7r6pmg%3d%3d
he doesn't really mean it.
