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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.

Michael Moris

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!

largest sailboat you can trailer

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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I'm Michael Moris. I've been sailing my whole life, and it has taken me to places I never imagined. From the Caribbean to Europe, from New Zealand to South America - there's nowhere that hasn't felt like home when you're on a boat!

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My Cruiser Life Magazine

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.

trailerable sailboat

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 .

Trailerable sailboats are usually limited to the best paved ramps

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. 

Trailer sailer adventures

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. 

largest sailboat you can trailer

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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  • Articles and Guides

Best Trailerable Sailboat Brands to Cruise or Race

18th dec 2023 by samantha wilson.

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Being able to trailer your sailboat opens up many possibilities, from cost saving  boat storage solutions to being able to take your boat to new cruising grounds. It's common to see trailered motorboats on the roads in the United States, Canada, and Europe, but sailboats tend to be trailered in smaller numbers.

Of course the act of trailering a sailboat involves a bit more preparation, namely lowering the mast, but as we'll see there are many excellent brands out there ensuring that the sailboats they build can be trailered nearly as easily as a RIB or center console. And they're not just bathtub-sized sailboats either. Some of the best trailerable sailboats are up to 30 feet in length. While it's trickier to trailer a large catamaran due to its wide beam, the multihull world hasn't been left behind, as you can find clever trimarans that fold up in different ways.

We have picked out some of our favorite trailerable sailboat brands in this article but it's important to remember there are many excellent brands building excellent boats.

Corsair Marine

Corsair Marine photo. 

What Is the Biggest Sailboat I Can Trailer?

Daysailers have long been trailered, thanks to their compact size, simple rigs, and easily lowered, relatively short mast. For those who want a slightly larger boat that they can take the whole family out on or use for overnight trips, then a 20- to 25-foot sailboat may be more useful than a 16- to 19-foot one. Going up a size category allows for a whole new range of activities, with proper galleys, running water, electricity, and an enclosed head to provide more substantial home comforts. But how big is too big to trailer?

You might be surprised to hear that in the United States, sailboats up to around 31 feet in length can be trailered legally. In fact, it typically depends less on length, and more on the weight, beam, and height of the vessel and the trailer together, must meet several legal requirements.

  • Weight : While there is no specific weight limit to be towed, the sailboat has to be able to be towed easily by your vehicle, usually a pickup-style truck or full-size SUV with substantial power. Most single- and tandem-axle trailers can handle a maximum combined load of 7,000 to 8,000 pounds, so your weight limit will also be dictated by your trailer.
  • Beam : To travel without permits, the trailer and vessel must fit on the road in regular traffic. In the US, that's a maximum width of 8 foot 6 inches (a couple inches less in the EU at 2.55 meters). Most trailerable monohull sailboats will be less than this for ease of maneuvering in traffic, but when it comes to catamarans and trimarans, adjustments have to be made (we'll look at those later).
  • Length : The upper length limit of a sailboat can be anything up to 65 feet , but that's a moot point because vessels of that size would never meet the width limits. In reality, a 30-footer is the longest sailboat you're likely to tow, with 15- to 25-footers being much more common.
  • Height : Your trailer and sailboat have to fit under bridges and highway overpasses and so for most states the maximum height is 14 feet. This will obviously require lowering the mast onto the deck and including that into your height calculation.

For more advice on the practicalities of trailering see our guide to Buying a Boat Trailer .

The Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

The best trailerable cruising sailboat brands.

  • Catalina Yachts : As one of North America's best-known sailboat brands of sailboats, Catalina has a long history of building trailerable models. Their entire Sport line cruising boats—except for the 275—can easily be trailered, and the 22 and 22 Sport, in particular, make for a great step up from daysailing to enjoying a pocket cruiser.
  • Beneteau : Beneteau 's reputation for affordable, capable yachts spans the globe, and their skill at building trailerable sailboats up to 30 feet is just one of many attributes. Take the First 27SE and 24; they are not luxury cruiser (although the 27SE can sleep six crew!) but they sure can sail fast on short distance races or fast adventure cruises. With impeccable and high-quality design featuring double rudders, these are some of the nicest fast cruisers on the market.

Beneteau First 27SE

Beneteau First 27SE. Beneteau photo. 

The Best Trailerable Sport Sailboats

Several brands on this list create high performance sports sailboats , and one of the top names you think of in this sector is Laser whose speedy tiny racers are now an Olympic event in themselves. But there are many excellent brands building ultra-fast sports sailboats – several on our list are considerably bigger than a Laser too. Here we take a look at some of our favorite sports dinghies which are the quintessential trailerable sports boat.

The Best Trailerable Sport Sailboat Brands

  • Melges : Founded in 1945 by Harry C. Melges, Sr., this is an iconic Midwestern brand made famous, in part, by Harry's son, Harry “Buddy” Melges Jr, an Olympic medalist in the ‘60s and National Sailing Hall of Fame member. Today the business is run by Harry III, also a championship sailor, who oversees a range of high performance vessels from the award-winning Melges 14 and 15 dinghies, to A, C, E and MC scow classes, and international sportboat classes, the Melges 20 and 24—the latter has more than 900 boats sailing competitively all over the world. All of their models are trailerable, allowing them to be transported easily to competitions. Melges boats for sale
  • J/Boats : The most successful volume builder of trailerable, performance keelboats is also a family-run brand founded by brothers Rod and Bob Johnstone and now led by second-generation Johnstones—Jeff, Al and Stuart. Starting with the J/24 (more than 5,500 boats built) and most recently with the J/70, the company has popularized a series of international racing classes from 22 to 26 feet while also building many popular larger racer/cruiser-style models that don't fit easily on a trailer.  J/Boats for sale
  • RS Sailing : British-built RS Sailing performance dinghies and keelboats are spreading in popularity across the world. Distributed widely on the east coast of the US, they're excellent pocket racing dinghies, easily trailered and ultra-fast. Their range of boats runs from 12 feet and 21 feet and includes dinghies, catamarans, and keelboats, allowing you to find exactly the right boat for your experience level and interest, but it's their Racing Series which sets them apart as high performers in the market. They're lightweight, simple in their design, and well-suited to being trailered thanks to their compact sizes.

Melges 24

Melges 24. Melges photo. 

The Best Trailerable Youth Sailboats

Trailerable sailboats designed for younger sailors are lightweight, easy to rig, and easy to sail. They should offer a simple platform in which to learn the mechanics of sailing, the movement of the boat on the water, and the basic maintenance of a sailboat. For more guidance check out our guide to choosing the best beginner sailboat .

The Best Trailerable Youth Sailboat Brands

  • ILCA : Formerly known as the Laser, the ILCA design is one of the most popular sailboats of all time, a responsive yet high-performance one-person sailboat that is an excellent step up, particularly for sailors who outgrow their smaller dinghies as teenagers. As a racing class, ILCA offers three different mast sizes so sailors can start in what's called the ILCA 4 class and as they gain weight, move to ILCA 6 and 7. By that time, you're in a class of boat that can take you all the way to the Olympics. Designed in the 1970s by Canadian sailor Bruce Kirby, the 13'10.5” boat teaches high-performance skills, subtle steering and trimming techniques, and astounding speed once on a plane.
  • Hobie Cat : We've put Hobie Cat in this category simply because of the brand's long-standing legacy of creating fun, simple, and compact catamarans that are loved by families and easily trailered. The classic Hobie 16 model with more than 100,000 built remains an active international class worldwide for the young and the young at heart; newer models provide a good, stable platform for a variety of off-the-beach and daysailing contexts. Catamarans are obviously wider than their monohull counterparts, but beach cats like the ones made by Hobie are well within the maximum width allowance to be towed on American roads. And because of their lightweight fiberglass or rotomolded hulls, they can be towed by much less powerful vehicles too.

Laser sailboats

Laser sailboats. Laser Performance photo. 

The Best Small Trailerable Sailboats

There are many benefits to opting for a small towable sailboat , and plenty of excellent brands out there are producing high performance pocket cruisers. A smaller sailboat won't require a large trailer and together they will weigh less and be able to be towed by a regular family car rather than a pick-up truck. Navigating smaller roads or heavier traffic will be less of a consideration, plus getting your sailboat launched will be a simpler affair. Several brands on our list could be in this category but special mention must be made of:

The Best Small Trailerable Sailboats Brands

  • Cape Cutter : The traditional beauty of these sailboats, twinned with modern-day advancements, makes them really stand out from the rest. The design originates from the classic gaff cutter work boats, but today it's one of the fastest small gaffers in the world. The interior is cleverly spacious, with four berths, as well as a simple galley area. With quick rigging, it can be sailed solo, but is also able to accommodate small groups, making it a capable and hugely versatile pocket cruiser. At 22 feet long, 7 foot 7 inches wide, and under 5 foot in height with the mast lowered, it's perfect for trailering too. Cape Cutter boats for sale.
  • NorseBoat : These beautiful, hand-crafted, and impressively versatile Canadian-built sailboats offer good performance and are described by the manufacturer as "the Swiss Army Knives of sailboats". Whether it's the 12.5 model, which can be sailed, rowed, and motored, or the 17.5 or 21.5 models, they can all be trailered, easily beached, and even used as camp cruisers, allowing for overnight adventures. And with traditional styling they're absolute head-turners whether you're cruising along the road or water.

NorseBoat 17.5

NorseBoat 17.5. NorseBoat photo. 

The Best Trailerable Catamaran and Trimaran Sailboats

Multihulls have gained popularity in the last 20 years thanks to their stability, lack of keel, performance, and increased space on board compared to a monohull of the same length. Yet there are obvious challenges when it comes to trailering a sailboat with a very wide beam such as a catamaran or even more so a trimaran. In fact, by having three hulls, the trimaran type has bred for some innovative engineering, folding in the two outer hulls thus creating a smaller overall beam for transport. This is trickier with catamarans as they're not foldable in the same way. We've mentioned the well-known Hobie Cat brand of small beach cats above but there are some other innovative brands out there making it easier to trailer multihulls.

The Best Trailerable Catamaran and Trimaran Sailboat Brands

  • Nacra : Catamarans are difficult to trailer because their beam is likely to exceed the legal road limits due to their double hull structure. Having said that, small models such as Nacra's lightning fast racing cats will squeeze within the beam limits at 8 foot 5 inches wide including the 15, F16, and F18 Infusion. If you're after trailerable performance and some competition, these cats provide a whole different level for serious and athletic sailors.
  • Corsair : Corsair makes some of the best trailerable trimaran sailboats on the market and were pioneers in the folding trimaran sector for more than three decades. Yes you read that correctly…foldable trimarans up to 20 feet in length. With technology straight out of a Transformers movie, a 15-foot beam folds down into a neat little 8-foot wide package ready for trailering. Even the 31 foot 10 inch long 970 Cruze, with its standing room cabin, can be put on a trailer thanks to the folding system and retractable daggerboard and rudder.
  • Dragonfly : With a focus on beautiful, cruise-worthy, high-quality, and high-performance trimarans up to 40 feet, Dragonfly offers two models— the 25 and 28—that can be folded and trailered for ease of transport and to allow you the freedom to access different cruising grounds. At a folded width of 8 feet 3 inches, the 28 is still just within legal width for towing on US roads, while offering you a true weekend cruiser complete with saloon, cabin, and galley.

Dragonfly 28.1

Dragonfly 28.1. Dragonfly photo. 

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

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What is the largest trailerable sailboat?

  • Thread starter Mike H.
  • Start date Nov 15, 2014
  • Forums for All Owners
  • Trailer Sailors

We currently have a nice 36 foot Hunter Vision. Beautiful, comfortable boat. We have had her in a marina in the SF Bay for the last 8 years. We have done about everything there is to do twice in the bay and short distances up and down the coast. This boat is not a blue water cruiser, so going long distances up and down the coast is not doable from a safety and time perspective. So we are thinking about trading down to a trailerable boat that we can take all over. What is the largest trailerable boat that has all of the comforts that we are used to? We will probably get a one ton diesel truck for trailering. Thanks, Mike  

justsomeguy

justsomeguy

http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=142366&highlight=largest+trailerable  

Delezynski

Stu Jackson

Mike H. said: What is the largest trailerable boat that has all of the comforts that we are used to? Click to expand

Stu has covered the sacrifices to downsize, so will leave that to him. I would suggest a Catalina 250 as the most practical trailerable S/V. It must be a used one as no new ones being made anymore but thats not a bad thing. Total weight down the road empty is about 6K. Chief  

Seward 26 RK ?  

Meriachee

Or push the limits. Our C270 is trailer able, but as Stu says, at a cost. Less power, less storage, needs the F350 diesel, big trailer, lots and lots of stupid gawker drivers, and 100% more of everything than the mac26 had, but 100% less than the 36 has It's all relative. Two major considerations. Launch/retrieve, and dealing with the mast. Cheers Gary  

Delezynski said: Mike, Take a look at the Nor'Sea 27. It may not be the largest trailerable boat, but we feel it's the best one! We departed the San Francisco bay in 04 after living aboard there for many years. For a lot of info on the boat, and our travels in it, you might want to take a look at our web page and our Youtube page. Greg Click to expand

Jackdaw

BIG trailerable boats are often at the very edge of a couple's ability to manage out of the water. Launching, towing, mast up/down, retrieving are large scale operations. My point is that if you get a maxi-trailerable, you are likely to drop it in the water once a year and leave it. It would take a special sort to move it OTR on a regular basis. That being said. If you are looking for new, have a look at the Beneteau First 25s. Lifting keel, inboard diesel, modern square-top rig. Fast, beautiful, and rigged for a couple to sail. Or the Catalina 275 sport. Same sort of boat.. Rare wing keel MIGHT be ramp launchable.  

Mike H. said: Thanks Greg, beautiful boat! Click to expand

largest sailboat you can trailer

Any boat can be trailered, it is just the ease of rigging , launching and retrieving that defines a trailer sailer. Check out the Seward 32.  

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani

Hey Greg- is that my pic or yours? That was the night I met you guys in Houston. And I'll put in a second- that Nor'sea would be hard to beat  

Sailm8

Not a sailboat but trailerable: http://www.rangertugs.com/r-31  

Bad Obsession

Bad Obsession

If you are going to be doing a lot of trailering then get a good vehicle. One hint that I found out is diesel is a good thing. Just don't go up to the one ton truck. Stay in the 3/4 ton truck because it saves you on taxes (that was in Virginia anyway). I found out the hard way because my F350 cost me a ton in taxes over the life of the truck. If money wasn't an issue and I was going to be doing a trailerable....Check out the Seaward boats. They have a 32RK and a 26rk. Both are great boats. I have looked at the Catalina 250 and Hunter 260. They are both nice boats. http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2015/Seaward-32RK-2747700/Detroit/MI/United-States#.VGep38ma8_Y  

TSBB 2 said: Hey Greg- is that my pic or yours? That was the night I met you guys in Houston. And I'll put in a second- that Nor'sea would be hard to beat Click to expand
Sailm8 said: Not a sailboat but trailerable: http://www.rangertugs.com/r-31 Click to expand

Kermit

We love our H260.  

Attachments

image-3651277126.jpg

Delezynski said: Not asked, but jumping in here.... I looked into the Ranger line a bit back. VERY nice looking if you want to move to power. The down side I saw was that they all seem to be single engine. If I ever go power I would want 2 engies, sort of like our diesel AND our sails. I also heard from a couple of owners that I talked to that they were very "rolly" at anchor. Not so comfortable without that keel. :neutral: Greg Click to expand

largest sailboat you can trailer

Out here in the Wild West you do see a fair number of the extended cab Freightliner rv haulers. That would tow something truly against the ceiling of trailerboat.  

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Largest boat you can practically trailer?

  • Thread starter Dawg'sLife93
  • Start date May 30, 2013

Dawg'sLife93

Petty officer 1st class.

  • May 30, 2013

I need a little advice on a big boat. What do ya'll think is the largest boat you can practically trailer around? I know anything can be trailer with enough truck and permits. My Wife is already hitting the point of wanting a larger boat with a larger "Basement" cuddy or cabin and I haven't even got my 223 into the water yet. LOL. Truck size isn't a problem. I got a 4wd K1500 Chevy, 3/4 ton K20 Chevy 4wd and a Dodge 3500 CTD 4wd dually. Edit: Please post a few year, make, models in the size ya'll recommend, I need research material. Thanks! Y'all are some of the most helpful bunch of people!  

Seaman Apprentice

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? I've got a 26' Wellcraft Antigua that I've pulled with my Ram1500. Doesn't require any permits as the beam is 8'3" but it's BIG, and my wife any I are just about to get ourselves a slip. Both for convienience and for sanity. A 26'er can be trailered - but it is work. (and I like you - haven't even gotten it in the water yet since purchasing her last month).  

Thalasso

Senior Chief Petty Officer

Dawg'sLife93 said: Truck size isn't a problem. I got a 4wd K1500 Chevy, 3/4 ton K20 Chevy 4wd and a Dodge 3500 CTD 4wd dually. Click to expand...

Fleet Admiral

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? We trailer our 270 sundancer and it is 31 foot overall and 10 foot on the beam. We get a over width permit by the month for $30. NOW, with just the wife and me, this is a beast and before we even attempt to launch or load it we take alot of time to pick the right place to do it as water levels change and become to shallow, or current could be to fast, ramp to steep ETC. So the best advise I can give you if the wife can't drive/back the truck and trailer, or proficiantly drive the boat, dont go big, what a PITA!!  

southkogs

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? ... how far you're trailering comes into play too. A few mile drive is not gonna' be as big a deal on a weekend as a 2 1/2 hour haul draggin' a sea monster.  

smokeonthewater

smokeonthewater

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? I trailer my 28' welly all the time by myself... it's no more difficult that launching my 10'er EXCEPT for climbing over the nose.... If I was feeble I couldn't do it. My boat has a 10'3" beam. You don't need permits unless you have to travel a state highway.... county roads and city streets (unless they are on a state route) don't need permits... That said I've made 3 2000 mile round trips with this boat, a sister, and a 12' wide regal on the return trips and my 108" wide trailer empty on the way up and never bought a single permit.... Not to say you couldn't get a ticket but if your trip to the ramp is short then it's unlikely. I barely even feel the boat behind my dually and 70 mph cruise is easy and relaxing. Obviously not everyone's driving skills are up to towing at all much less at a 20,000+ lb gross but I have no issue with it at all and it saves me $200-$300 / month plus $1-$2 / gallon of gas. Towing big you HAVE to be in the group of people that look a bit further than the hood going down the road... don't even think about pulling into a gas station or anywhere else till you know how you will turn around and get back out. Width can be an issue but usually height will be a problem first. 13'6" is legal height in most states and going over DOES require permits... specified routs and possibly escort cars with feeler poles BUT anything over 12' and sometimes 10' will often put you into trees... light limbs don't hurt a semi but can be hell on antennas biminis (rolled of course) and etc plus fill the boat with leaves..... dodging trees and oncoming traffic requires a special breed of driver.  

a2dubnut said: I've got a 26' Wellcraft Antigua that I've pulled with my Ram1500. Doesn't require any permits as the beam is 8'3" but it's BIG, and my wife any I are just about to get ourselves a slip. Both for convienience and for sanity. A 26'er can be trailered - but it is work. (and I like you - haven't even gotten it in the water yet since purchasing her last month). Click to expand...
Thalasso said: Usually you will be to big once you get to 28ft. At that point you could be getting to wide depending on the manufacture. Some will be 8.6 wide,some wider.The widest allowed on the highway without permits is 8ft 6in (102wide).Beyond 28 ft you will most likely be to wide. Length will not be a issue.For practicality 26 ft would be the limit.Also you will need to watch the height if it has a radar arch. I trailer this (30ft) and it can be a handful Click to expand...
bekosh said: I tow my 92 Cruisers 2870 Rogue occasionally. She's 32' OAL x 9.5' Beam and 12.5' high on the trailer. Fully loaded with fuel & water she's about 12,500lb on the trailer. If she's empty she'd be closer to 11,500lb. My truck is a 94 Ford F250 with a 460ci gas motor so she's quite the beast to trailer around. Your Dodge 3500 would be a much better choice. Much easier to keep her in a slip and let the marina handle haulout and storage. Click to expand...
emilsr said: Believe it or not, your truck (and your budget of course) will limit the size of the boat. I know a few people towing boats that you couldn't safely tow with a 1 ton dually; one in particular is towing a 50' Wellcraft Meteor (behind a cabover Kenworth). "Practical to tow" really depends on the person and where you boat. Click to expand...
rbh said: We trailer our 270 sundancer and it is 31 foot overall and 10 foot on the beam. We get a over width permit by the month for $30. NOW, with just the wife and me, this is a beast and before we even attempt to launch or load it we take alot of time to pick the right place to do it as water levels change and become to shallow, or current could be to fast, ramp to steep ETC. So the best advise I can give you if the wife can't drive/back the truck and trailer, or proficiantly drive the boat, dont go big, what a PITA!! Click to expand...
southkogs said: ... how far you're trailering comes into play too. A few mile drive is not gonna' be as big a deal on a weekend as a 2 1/2 hour haul draggin' a sea monster. Click to expand...
smokeonthewater said: I trailer my 28' welly all the time by myself... it's no more difficult that launching my 10'er EXCEPT for climbing over the nose.... If I was feeble I couldn't do it. My boat has a 10'3" beam. You don't need permits unless you have to travel a state highway.... county roads and city streets (unless they are on a state route) don't need permits... That said I've made 3 2000 mile round trips with this boat, a sister, and a 12' wide regal on the return trips and my 108" wide trailer empty on the way up and never bought a single permit.... Not to say you couldn't get a ticket but if your trip to the ramp is short then it's unlikely. I barely even feel the boat behind my dually and 70 mph cruise is easy and relaxing. Obviously not everyone's driving skills are up to towing at all much less at a 20,000+ lb gross but I have no issue with it at all and it saves me $200-$300 / month plus $1-$2 / gallon of gas. Towing big you HAVE to be in the group of people that look a bit further than the hood going down the road... don't even think about pulling into a gas station or anywhere else till you know how you will turn around and get back out. Width can be an issue but usually height will be a problem first. 13'6" is legal height in most states and going over DOES require permits... specified routs and possibly escort cars with feeler poles BUT anything over 12' and sometimes 10' will often put you into trees... light limbs don't hurt a semi but can be hell on antennas biminis (rolled of course) and etc plus fill the boat with leaves..... dodging trees and oncoming traffic requires a special breed of driver. Click to expand...

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? btw... the rig in my sig is the one I'm talking about If you intend to stay under 102" I wouldn't get a cruiser any bigger than 25-26' or a cig boat any bigger than about 28' as for permits check with the permit offices in the states in which you plan to tow. Some have exemptions for rec boats and many have cheap annual permits for rec boats.  

Dawg'sLife93 said: If I have to pull out the 379 Pete with the ISX Cummins, I don't need a boat that big! LOL. Click to expand...

Attachments

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Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? I tow my Bayliner 255 around with a 2500 Diesel. Pulling it is not a problem. Putting it in and out every weekend can get a bit old esp when the ramps are busy. I wish I got the 28 footer but I think that would be as big as I would want to go with.  

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? Also check your local laws about permits. I know in NC personal boats are exluded from the8''6" limit.  

emilsr said: Of course you don't NEED a boat that big, but the question is do you WANT a boat that big? Again, it's a personal decision, but I feel comfortable with this setup. Wife drives the boat (unless we're fighting wind and/or current), I drive the truck, and it's pretty easy for us to get around. Boat is 26' (28 1/2' overall). The cuddy is just big enough to nap (or use the porta potti)....wifey wanted a trailerable cruiser but I wasn't on board with that (and I write the checks). It was a good compromise for us. Click to expand...
Dawg'sLife93 said: I have basicly the same as you now, but the wife wants something larger that we can weekend on. Click to expand...

Home Cookin'

Re: Largest boat you can practically trailer? I'd say 23'; anything bigger goes in a slip. I can't imagine it would be pleasurable to deal with hooking up, driving, launching, parking, hauling out, driving and parking something that big just for a boat ride, and every time at that. but that's just a coastal perspective  

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9 Best Trailerable Sailboats

9 Best Trailerable Sailboats | Life of Sailing

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 28, 2023

Sailing is an excellent activity for the weekends, especially in remote mountain lakes or sheltered waterways. The United States is full of small isolated waterways, inland lakes, and rivers—which make the perfect environment for an adventure in a small sailboat .

Unfortunately, many people are put off by the idea of owning a sailboat due to the associated docking and maintenance fees. Weekend sailors often don’t want to pay for a long-term slip, and there’s no question that the added expense can be a pain.

Luckily, you don’t have to permanently dock a sailboat to enjoy this great pastime.

Instead of docking a large boat, you can purchase a small trailerable sailboat. A trailerable sailboat is a perfect option for part-time sailors and people with busy lives. Trailer sailors are some of the most popular boats in the country, and they’re not limited to light winds and calm seas. Many trailerable sailboats have made some impressive passages both offshore and coastal. In this article, we’ll go over some of the top new and used trailerable sailboats that you can purchase today. 

Table of contents

Best Trailerable Sailboats

1) west wight potter 15.

{{boat-info="/boats/west-wight-potter-15"}}

The West Wight Potter 15 is perhaps one of the most capable 15-foot sailboats around. This neat little vessel is as seaworthy as it is easy to handle, and it’s a great choice for all kinds of cruising adventures.

The West Wight Potter 15 is a 15-foot sloop with an aluminum mast and tiller. This tiny boat also features a small cabin, which has ideal sleeping accommodations for a cruising couple. The cabin itself is spartan compared to its larger relatives, but it’s the perfect design for the minimalist cruiser.

This small sailboat is easily trailerable and can be stored in some garages with relative ease. The West Wight Potter 15 is ideal for inland and coastal waters and sets up (and takes down) fast with minimal fuss. Don’t let the small design fool you—this craft is surprisingly seaworthy.

The West Wight Potter 15 has an impressive cruising record, including a trip from England to Sweden in the brutal North Atlantic. The West Wight Potter 15 can be purchased new from International Marine, and thousands of craft are in circulation already.

2) West Wight Potter 19

{{boat-info="/boats/west-wight-potter-19"}}

We thought it fitting to include the Potter 15’s big brother, the West Wight Potter 19, on this list of the best trailerable sailboats . West Wight Potter boats are well known for their robust design and easy handling, and the Potter 19 is no exception.

The West Wight Potter 19 boasts the seaworthiness and ease-of-handling offered by its little brother, with the benefit of greater sailing comfort and cabin accommodations. This 19-foot sailboat is constructed of fiberglass. The hull contains a liberal amount of positive flotation, which makes the boat practically unsinkable.

The cabin features generous accommodations for a boat of its size, featuring space for a vee-berth, a small stove, a sink, and a portable head. Additionally, the West Wight Potter 19’s cabin can be wired for electricity from the factory, further increasing the level of comfort in this capable trailer sailor.

Like its smaller alternative, the West Wight Potter 19 has a history of some impressive cruises. An individual sailed this craft thousands of nautical miles from California to Hawaii —a single-handed voyage usually reserved for boats twice its size.

That’s not to say that the Potter 19 is a purpose-built long-haul sailboat. This design is ideal for larger lakes, rivers, and coastal cruising. However, the design has demonstrated toughness and seaworthiness rarely found in smaller boats.

The Potter 19, like the Potter 15, is a centerboard craft. This sailboat is available new from International Marine and offers a wide range of options packages and upgrades.

3) Newport 27

{{boat-info="/boats/capital-yachts-newport-27"}}

The Newport 27 is a massive step-up in size and amenities compared to the other boats on this list so far. This comfortable trailerable sailboat originated in 1971—at the height of the fiberglass boat boom. The Newport 27 measures 27-feet in length and feature a flush-deck design similar to the famous Cal 20.

This sailboat, despite its trailerable size and weight, features surprisingly good handling characteristics and generous accommodations. A full 6-feet of standing headroom is available in the cabin, making this boat exceedingly comfortable for longer journeys.

This sailboat is an excellent choice for the trailer sailing sailor who dreams of longer journeys but spends much of the time just hopping around local ports.

Despite its modest size and weight, the design of this small sailboat is proven. Many people sail them long distances and enjoy the quick handling characteristics of its design.

The Newport 27 is a true pocket cruiser, if not slightly larger than most. The Newport 27 isn’t produced anymore, but there is a healthy second-hand market for the boat.

4) Cape Dory 28

{{boat-info="/boats/cape-dory-28"}}

The Cape Dory 28 is a legendary Carl Alberg design known for its commodious living spaces and well-rounded performance both offshore and inland. This spacious little cruiser has the styling and capability of many larger boats, featuring traditional styling and generous amounts of varnished teak and brass. This cozy boat is a great choice for traditionalist sailors.

The Cape Dory 28 features a proven, simple, and robust rig, and it functions gracefully in a variety of conditions. While a 28’ sailboat is hardly considered trailerable by many, it can certainly be hauled-out and transported with relative ease. This is the kind of sailboat that’s just as happy in the boatyard or a permanent mooring.

The Cape Dory 28 offers attractive features for long-haul voyages, plus ease-of-handling and quickness that is necessary for tighter coastal waters. The Cape Dory 28 is ideal for salt-water cruising, though it’s a bit large for small lakes and narrow rivers.

This is certainly not a shoal-draft cruiser—with a draft of 4-feet, it's primarily at home in the water. 

5) Islander 24

{{boat-info="/boats/islander-24"}}

The Islander 24 is a common fiberglass classic that makes an ideal trailer sailing setup. This 24-foot fiberglass boat features a robust design and ease-of-maintenance rarely found on boats with similar capabilities.

The design has been around for over 40 years, and it’s served weekender and cruising sailor alike. The Islander 24 is a well-rounded cruising vessel with a spacious cabin for two (or more). The cabin features a forward vee berth, space for a head, and tables for a sink, stove, or navigation.

The boat is single-handed with ease, and the rig is simple enough to be stowed without too much hassle. The Islander 24 is a relatively common trailer sailor, though many owners leave it in the water.

A vessel of this size is ideal for cruising coastal waters, though some sailors have attempted longer voyages in this vessel. The Islander 24 is available on the used market all over the country. 

6) Contessa 26

{{boat-info="/boats/contessa-26"}}

The Contessa 26 is an excellent classic trailerable sailboat. Don’t let its modest size fool you—this cruising craft has a long-standing reputation for seaworthiness. The Contessa 26 is a fiberglass boat that debuted in 1965 and has since earned a bit of a cult following.

These rather innocuous looking crafts are as fun and capable as they are easy to handle. The boat features a spacious cabin, comfortable cockpit, and plenty of available cruising upgrades. The rig is well-built and resembles the rig of a much larger boat.

The Contessa 26 is an ideal pocket cruising setup for a moderately experienced sailor. The vessel has a narrow beam, which contributes to heeling. The boat is known to heel rather violently, but it stiffens up shortly after and becomes a joy to sail.

A boat like this knows its capabilities and is sure to impress anyone. The Contessa 26 is a safe, hardy, and comfortable cruising boat for minimalists, and one of the best tailorable sailboats in the mid to large-size category.

This boat is a little harder to come by than many other vessels on this list, as around 300 were built. However, if you’re lucky enough to locate one on the used market, it’s definitely worth considering. Contessa built a fine boat, and the Contessa 26 meets the standard with confidence.

7) Hunter 27 

{{boat-info="/boats/hunter-27"}}

If you’ve made it this far down the list, you’re probably surprised that the Hunter 27 hasn’t come up yet. This famous little boat has quite a reputation and happens to be one of the most popular modern trailerable cruisers available.

The Hunter 27 isn’t a traditionalist’s dream, but it offers the modern amenities and capabilities you’d expect from Hunter. This capable little sailboat has the handling characteristics of a truly seaworthy boat and manages well in all kinds of conditions.

The Hunter 27 has a reputation for amazing durability, and the design is sound from keel to masthead. Now, let’s get into some of the features that make the Hunter 27 a very attractive option. The Hunter 27 is a purpose-built small cruising vessel, but the accommodations appear to be a shrunken version of a boat 10 feet longer.

Down below, the Hunter 27 features a full galley, head, a full standing shower, berths, and generous storage space. The Hunter 27 is a truly livable trailer sailor, featuring accommodations that make it suitable for extended cruising or even living aboard. The salon features over 6 feet of standing headroom, with plenty of seating and counter space throughout.

The rig is sturdy and easy to handle. And remember, the Hunter 27 is still a trailer sailor. The boat features a shoal draft of under 4-feet and a displacement of less than 8,000 pounds. The Hunter 27 is available used, and this boat is still produced and available brand-new by Marlow-Hunter. 

{{boat-info="/boats/cal-20"}}

How could we forget the little Cal 20? We didn’t—and it’s certainly worth including the famous Trans-Pac underdog on this list. The Cal 20 is reminiscent of the glory days of fiberglass sailing in the 1960s and 1970s.

This flush-deck racer is a fantastic trailer cruiser for anyone wanting big-boat handling and speed in a compact package. The accommodations on this boat leave something to be desired, but many people find them cozy and acceptable.

The cabin features sitting headroom and a berth, along with small tables for a stove or sink. The Cal 20 has a history of impressive voyages and was a popular choice for daring sailors on long offshore journeys. However, the boat is designed to be quick, safe, and fun on inland passages and coastal cruises.

The Cal 20 is common on the used market and makes a great entry-level cabin sailboat. The Cal 20 features an enormous cockpit, making it ideal for a day on the bay with friends or family.

The boat is easy to handle, and upgrades abound. The Cal 20 is a great little sailboat with a fun history and a massive fan base. This stout little yacht makes an excellent weekender too, and the cabin makes overnighting comfortable. 

9) Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20

{{boat-info="/boats/pacific-seacraft-flicka-20"}}

One of the most legendary small trailerable cruisers is the full-keel Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. A limited number of these boats were produced by Pacific Seacraft during the 20th century, and they have a reputation for incredible seaworthiness and long-range voyaging.

These sailboats have the hull shape of boats twice their size, with a long, deep, full keel running the length of the hull. The boat can handle some serious offshore cruising and features the capabilities of other full-keel sailboats.

The Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 is an amazing find on the used market, as owners tend to cling to them due to their incredible characteristics. There aren’t many trailerable offshore cruisers available, which is because it’s not easy to design a small boat with offshore capabilities.

However, Pacific Seacraft did just that and built one incredible trailer sailor. This vessel is not really designed for shallow lakes and rivers.

The Flicka 20 is known to be a truly seaworthy ocean-going sailboat, which happens to be small enough to fit on an average-sized boat trailer.

Wherever you choose to sail, a trailerable sailboat is often a great choice. The boats listed here are by no means the only options—in fact, there are dozens of excellent trailerable sailboat models on the market. If you enjoy sailing but want to avoid the hassle of a permanent mooring, or if you travel to sail, a trailer sailor is a great choice.

Many sailors pick trailerable sailboats to sail multiple oceans. Many people would agree that it’s a lot more practical to haul your boat from the Pacific to the Atlantic, especially when the alternative option is the Panama Canal .

A trailerable sailboat can give you access to a multitude of sailing adventures—the lake one weekend, the coast the next, and perhaps an offshore voyage or island hopping in the delta.

And with this list of the best trailerable sailboats, you can find the boat that fits your needs (and your budget) and hit the water in no time.

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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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13 Popular Trailerable Sailboats with Lifting Keels

Sailboats are awesome, but they do come with their drawbacks. Storage and transport, for one, tends to be a demanding matter, which excludes their owners from many ways of sailing - you are unlikely to store one in your garage and drive it anywhere you please on the weekends, so finding a long term berth and sailing in the near vicinity is what most do. Luckily, there are models designed with precisely this issue in mind - so without further ado, here are 13 sailboats that you can easily put on a trailer and drive to a body of water of your choice.

13 popular sailboats with lifting keels that can be trailered

Beneteau first 18, catalina 22 sport, yacht yard focus 750, norseboat 21, bayraider 20, parker 235 mini cruiser, alubat ovni 365, gunfleet 43, franck roy solenn 27, maree haute django 670.

Now some of these are better at transport than others and some had to sacrifice space or performance for mobility. Let's have a look at them in detail so that you know which one fits your needs the best.

This one has to make the list because it is immensely popular. Rightfully so. It is small enough to be transported on a trailer, plus it has a lifting keel that makes the draft only 30 centimeters when up - but over a meter when down, so it still has to say a lot in terms of performance.

It has a spacious, open cockpit for six people and a v berth in case you want to spend the night. It is then not just a daysailer, but a weekend cruiser.

And if it is too large for you, it even has smaller brothers, Hunter 15 and 18. Those won't let you sleep under a roof, but their dinghy-like character makes them even more mobile.

I can't not mention a European brand - Beneteaus are made in all shapes and sizes, but this time, let's give a shoutout to their First 18, a tiny daysailer. It looks spectacular and has a significantly sportier character than the above Hunter - and even at 18 feet, it will let you sleep inside.

Just as is the case with the Hunter, First comes in more sizes - 14, 22, and 27 feet.

Make no mistake, this is not a boat to chill on. You can, technically, but its racing pedigree won't let you.

And thanks to its retractable keel, it is easy to pop out of the water and take back to your garage where you can admire its prettiness until the next time.

Before we get into more unknown brands, let's get this one out of the way - also an incredibly popular model, that is, if you are in the USA.

With the board down, its draft goes all the way to 1.5 meters and retracted, up to 0.5. You can trailer it easily, but at the same time it sleeps four people, so it isn't just a one-day pleasure craft.

A nice thing about Catalina 22 is that the model has around five decades of existence behind it, constantly improving on its design. So you won't be getting into experimental waters, so to say. It is a bit conservative conceptually, but that is the price to pay for being on something that knows what it's doing - as it has been doing it for more than half a century.

Now here is something you have probably never heard of if you are from the USA. A polish brand, established by former sailboat racers - and it shows.

For those unfamiliar with European geography, Poland borders the mighty Baltic Sea - so just as Scandinavian boats, their projects are properly seaworthy.

The N Fun 30 is a trailerable, lifting keel little vessel, in fact, the only model the company makes, but it is unlike any other boat in its class.

It looks gorgeous, has a racing pedigree, comes with a teak deck option (though it's not really teak, just a lookalike) which is so rare in the day sailing racers' class, and most importantly, is configurable to your liking.

Fully specced, this boat costs nearly $180,000. Yes, that. But if you can do without all the extras and are looking for something relatively traditional, it can be yours for $70,000. Even for this lowest configuration, you will still be getting one hell of a racer.

Another Polish project - that's why the numbers here mean meters, not feet. This approximately 24 ft long boat gets in and out of the water easily and is similar to the above N Fun in its good looks and racing character.

It is a forgiving single-handed sailor but can accommodate up to four people both on and under the deck. Just as the N Fun, it comes with an optional 50 square meters gennaker.

This boat is modern both in terms of design and materials used. Multi-directional fiberglass with a foam core, spacious, light interior design - quite a contrast to projects like Catalina. Its aim is modernity and it does it well.

Back into more familiar territories. Norseboats are known for their rugged, bluewater designs. They can survive pretty much anything since they are made to withstand the North Sea formerly populated by Vikings and the Kraken.

Trailering is a breeze, as the keel can be taken out almost completely, it looks beautiful, especially if you get the all-wooden version, new, it costs around $35,000 and it was made with performance in mind.

What sets it apart from the rest is its seaworthy nature. You can take it across oceans if you choose so. Then there are the old-fashioned, rugged looks. This boat is serious about its abilities and it shows.

On the water, you will be envied by vessels much larger than yours.

This one's a project from Swallow Yachts, a company that focuses on a classic look with modern performance. Not my words, this is their tagline. But it is more than just a marketing gimmick.

An interesting feature with the BayRaider is its water ballast, giving you a choice between greater righting ability and lightness, thus speed. The company also offers a 17 ft version as well as a 23 ft one - all of which feature a lifting keel, making the trailerability uncompromised.

The aforementioned performance part is taken seriously here. All foils have been calculated and constructed so that their shape helps with windward performance. In other words, the rudder and centerboard aren't just flat - their cross sections resemble those of airplane wings. That's racing boat territory.

The draft variability is also quite unique. Board up gets you to some 8 inches, the smallest here yet, board down gets you all the way to 4 ft 4 inches - something rather rare with a boat this size.

On the surface, this is just your normal, well-built, nicely designed trailerable family weekend cruiser. What differentiates it from, say, the above Hunter 22, is its interior.

Trailerable boats often have to compromise on space, but on this Parker, you will find enough space to sleep four, plenty of storage, and even a sink.

So if you wanted to cross an ocean on this boat with two people, you'd have enough space for all the equipment and crew. As well as a boat actually capable of such a crossing.

It is a vessel made well, it is sturdy enough for choppy waters and stiff enough to handle well in trickier conditions, all the while staying in the reasonably priced, small boat range.

As I like to stretch limits, let's touch the length ceiling. This aluminum boat has everything you would expect from its size. Two cabins, salon, galley, heads, captain's corner… simply a nearly 40 ft cruiser. And a comfortable one at that.

But a trailerable one. Lift the keel up and you can put it on a trailer. You'll need a larger one, and a car capable of towing around 10 tonnes, but all that is still within an easily reachable range.

With a boat this size, you can expect versatility. Long crossings, weekend cruises, all that is possible. It performs very well, looks stylish, and the aluminum gives you extra sturdiness.

Lifting the centerboard up will give you a draught of 2.5 ft, putting it down results in nearly 8 ft. The total sail area with a spinnaker is 177 square meters, the water tank is hundreds of liters… this is a boat for all occasions.

And as if that wasn't big enough, here goes another one. We won't go higher, because although even larger boats are trailerable, that would start to be unrealistic for the average Joe, so let's consider this the top.

As with the Alubat, you can expect everything you would from this size. It is roomier than you would think, comfort and good use of space was the aim here.

It features a center cockpit design, something rather unseen in boats this size these days, which makes for a pleasant on-deck experience.

Yes, trailering it might need some planning, but with its liftable keel, it will still be possible.

The French always had an eye for design. Solenn is a brand making classically looking, classy boats, with, of course, modern features.

Solenn 27 is a retro-looking vessel that comes in three variants - weekend, day, and cabine, each for a slightly different way of use.

So whether you are looking for a daysailer or a small boat capable of several day journeys, you will get what you need. It comes equipped with a sink, stove, a few berths, and plenty of storage for a week-long journey.

Given its small size and weight, transporting it is not an issue, even without a big truck. It does come at a price, for around $150,000 you could certainly get a larger, or better-equipped boat, but as far as style goes, you can t beat the varnished mahogany cockpit.

Seaworthiness is often an issue with these small boats since they are designed mostly for one-day coastal cruises. Not so Django 670. If you want to race it across the Atlantic, it will suffice. Both in its seaworthiness, and speed.

It is a pureblood racer but has comfort in mind too. From the saloon, you will get a panoramic view, which is something you usually find in much larger boat designs.

All that while still belonging on this list - that is being a boat that is easy to trailer, or beach. The keel up will get you to a draft of just below 2 ft, while 5.2 ft is what you get if you drop the keel down.

Now, this is a bit of a weird one. A divisive project, for sure. Nuva MS6 didn't want to decide to be a sailing yacht or a motor one. So it became both - a small, motoryacht-looking project with sails.

Of course, it has a fully retractable keel and is easy to pop on a trailer and take back to your garage. But what is the most curious about this boat, aside from its ambiguity, is that it can change shape.

Once you anchor somewhere, you can, with a push of a button, literally widen the cockpit area so that more people can enjoy the space than you would normally fit on a boat 19 ft long.

It has gained quite a lot of hate in the sailing community, because of its design ambiguity, but it definitely has a target audience.

Since the dawn of sailing, many things have changed as far as designs go. These days, the need for boats that can sail properly but fit on a trailer is there, so this list could be easily three times as long and one still would only touch the surface of the pool. So if you are in the market for one, you are in luck.

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You may also like, sailboat keel types: illustrated guide (bilge, fin, full).

The keel type is one of the most important features of your boat. But the different designs can be confusing, so I've set out to create a very clear guide that will …

What Is a Sailboat Keel and How Does it Work?

Diagram of full keel and fin keel sailboat

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Biggest Trailerable Alloy Boats

largest sailboat you can trailer

How big do you want to go? We look at some of the biggest trailerable alloy boats on the local market and offer some hints on what to look for when checking out the many brands and models.

largest sailboat you can trailer

In recent years, there has been a real growth in big alloy trailer boats and if you are looking for a boat around 7m – 8m, there are plenty of chooses. The majority are hardtops and the choice of power is either twin outboards or diesel sterndrives. But what if even that isn’ t big enough and you want something the falls in that space between a big trailer boat and small launch. When you start to research what is available around 10m plus you have to consider a whole new set of criteria. 

Firstly there is the question of towing, or perhaps not. While it’ s entirely possible to get a 10m x 2.5m beam hull, the fact is that’ s too narrow in the beam and most designers would opt for aminimum of 2.8m and above. This then brings up the question of towing regulations, which with a boat this size takes in overall length, beam and weight. 

The rules are reasonably simple if you keep the beam below 3m, but start creeping over that and you have yourself a whole lot more things to consider when you’ re towing. But more on that later. So more often than not the majority of alloy boats over 10m are over 3m so need to be moored, or at least kept on a dry stack. This has the added benefit of not requiring a trailer and the $30,000 to $40,000 saved here goes a long way into the cost or a marina berth or dry stack rental.

largest sailboat you can trailer

Things to Consider

largest sailboat you can trailer

Buying a trailer boat over 10m is not a lot different to buying one at 5m, it’s just things are compounded by volume and weight. In both cases, you have some things to consider, such as storage, towing, power, suitability and of course, cost. While cost is a consideration when buying a big trailer boat, it is perhaps not as important as someone buying a more entry level rig. Boats vary widely in price and to put a 10m plus alloy hardtop boat on the water can cost you $300,000 to more than $600,000. 

It all depends on who’ s building it and just how far you want to go with the engineering, painting and electronics fit out. Your power options will have a significant impact on the final cost also. While a pair of 250-300hp outboards will set you back around $80,000, a 350-400hp diesel sterndrive is going to run to upwards of $90,000. Electronics in boats of this size are more than just a $400 fishfinders  and again 12’ -16” MFD screens and all the associated add-ons such as a 1000w transducer, radar, night vision, EPIRBS, etc. can run well over $20,000.

largest sailboat you can trailer

If you do plan to tow you big rig, then you will require something seriously grunty to tow it. Diesel 4WDs are certainly the most popular and while most, such as the Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Holden Colorado are rated to 3500 kgs, you are going to need something a lot bigger if you plan to put your 10m plus boat on the road. Big ’ trucks’ such as those offered by Ford, GM and Dodge are now readily available through dealers and provide the power and braking ability for big trailer boats. For example a Ford F150 has a tow rating of 5,500 kgs and a Dodge Ram 250/6.7 l Cummins diesel has a capacity of 8155 kgs.

Towing Regulations

largest sailboat you can trailer

While on the subject of tow ability, it’s probably a good time to look at some of the things you need to know about towing. The New Zealand Land Transport Agency (www.nzta.govt.nz) is a good place to start. Big trailer boats require big trailers, mostly tandem but even triple axle with brakes and all the necessary security attachments. Today it is not uncommon to see trailer boats advertised with beams more than the legal maximum in New Zealand of 2.5m. However, getting a special permit to tow an over-width vehicle up to 3.0m is not an important issue.

All it means is you have to carry some extra signage at the rear of the trailer and you will have some restrictions on the hours you are allowed to tow. Simply plan your trips and the inconvenience will be quickly outweighed by the benefits of having your boat where you want it. If your rig is over 3.0m wide, you start getting into all sorts of complications with special permits, pilot vehicles, etc. No matter what size your rig, a speed limit of 90km/h applies.

largest sailboat you can trailer

Designed for a Purpose

largest sailboat you can trailer

Every boat is different and not all are designed to do the same thing. While one offers vast accommodation and entertaining spaces, another may have a massive cockpit that lends itself to fishing. You may want a boat that offers more of the overnighting and extended stay aspects, as opposed to one that is designed for hardout fishing. In most cases, but not all, they are aluminium hardtops. The dividing line is usually between having a wheelhouse, often enclosed, with a small bunk area forward and a big workable cockpit.

New Zealand has certainly developed the enclosed hardtop trailer boat better than virtually anywhere else in the world. They are now an iconic part of our local boating culture. It’s not uncommon to see air conditioning and heating systems inside, so the boat becomes an all-year, all-weather experience.

Dinettes, galleys and enclosed heads are all the norm now, especially when you are looking boats over 10m. Anyone who boats in the Deep South will appreciate the benefits of an enclosed wheelhouse during the winter and the addition of a heating system. If you are not into serious fishing and want more of a compact cruiser, then there are a number of brands and models to look at, although when it comes to alloy, these are commonly custom built. 

largest sailboat you can trailer

That’ s the beauty of aluminium, you can change a basic layout to suit what you require, such as having an internal or external toilet, the size of the galley, the length of the wheelhouse and whether the table drops to make another berth. Firstly it should have accommodation for at least two and even better for four or even six. Generally, an average size cabin has twin berths of around 1.8m to 2m in length. Some have the bonus of an infill to transform that entire cabin area into one huge berth and something we are seeing a lot more now are retractable pipe berths.

It must have a galley or at least some reasonable cooking area to prepare a meal for all aboard and it must have a head/toilet. A true weekender that has been purpose designed for the job will also have a shower although this maybe just a hand-held in the cockpit. Hot water can be accessed via a califont or by plumbing into the engine (both inboard and outboard) and there’ s usually plenty of space somewhere in the construction to build in a reasonable large fresh water tankage system. 

largest sailboat you can trailer

If you have a clip-on backdrop from the canopy, then the whole cockpit can be transformed into one cosy cabin. If you are planning on doing a bit of overnighting, then a backdrop is well worth considering. So what about cooking? In most cases a boat over 10m will have a dedicated galley, with all the hot and cold water options on hand and a compact convection microwave oven with a couple of gas burners. If the boat doesn’t have a galley, then the simplest way is probably a barbeque, such as a small gas BBQ with a rod holder mount and wind deflectors. 

There are some excellent brands available, such as Magna, specially designed for the purpose. Food storage is another important area to consider, especially if you’ re not a fisherman and don’ t plan to fill your culinary needs from the sea. Even then your best efforts may prove fruitless (should that be fishless?) – and a nice juicy steak might just save the day. Again if you don’ t have a built-in freezer/fridge, then one of the large portable ice  chests from brands such as Engel will do the job nicely. You can get ones that plug into the auxiliary plug and run a small compressor to chill everything down or simply toss in some ice. 

largest sailboat you can trailer

These come in a variety of sizes to suit the space you have available and depending on just how many times you open and close the lid they can keep things cold and fresh for a remarkably extended period. Of course, as the food and drink go, you can always fill the space with fresh seafood to take home. As for the toilet issues, if you want to do everything by the letter of the law then you need to install a fully plumbed head or have a portable loo. While the ‘ bucket and chuck it’ method always worked well in the past, it is, in fact, illegal to dump human waste into the bay unless you are well offshore. 

Consider having your toilet compartment in the cockpit, as there is nothing worse than toilet odours eminating  throughout the wheelhouse. Lighting is another area that you need to consider if you want to keep a nice ambient feeling aboard the boat. Just be conscious of the power they are drawing, so you don’ t end up in the morning with flat batteries. This is where the low draw of an LED comes into its own and is great in this type of situation. Hella make a range of excellent LED cabin and cockpit lights which can both light up the fishing and interior space or just provide some ambient light. 

largest sailboat you can trailer

This is where the low draw of an LED comes into its own and is great in this type of situation. Hella make a range of excellent LED cabin and cockpit lights which can both light up the fishing and interior space or just provide some ambient light. Floodlights are great when fishing at night, as are underwater lights. Aqualuma is one of the world leaders in underwater lights and their new units are ideally suited to flush fitting into the hull or can be mounted onto the trim tabs.

They not only look good when you are parked in the bay at night but they also act as a fish attractor. Perfect for whitebait and also squid seem to be drawn to them. Then there is the question of having enough onboard power to run all those extras. Although modern engine alternators are supplying greater battery charging, those who tend to use more lighting and TVs and appliances should look into solar chargers, inverters, or even a small generator. Your battery bank should include at least two batteries, one to start the engine(s), the other to run the electronics.

largest sailboat you can trailer

However, if you are planning to be away for extended periods, unless you constantly run the engine you will soon go short on power. Having a small compact genset might be worth considering or maybe talk to AA Solar about solar panels to keep the batteries topped up.

largest sailboat you can trailer

Plenty of Power

largest sailboat you can trailer

We are fortunate today that the outboard manufacturers are producing seriously big outboards with the power needed to bolt onto the transom of big boats. 300hp-350hp outboards have been around for some time and now there are 400hp stickers on the side of some cowlings. The benefit of the big outboards is that you no longer need to rely on twin midrange engines to achieve the necessary horsepower to gain the best performance. 

While a lot of boats are still sold with twin six-cylinder outboards, there is an increasing number being launched with diesel sterndrives. At the end of the day the boat you buy and the engine package you choose is your decision, but make certain that what you buy is suitable for your purpose. Also, if you like a particular brand and you can’ t find a 10m plus model in their brochure, then asked the manufacturer. There’ s a good chance they will oblige and build you exactly what you want.

largest sailboat you can trailer

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These are the biggest and most expensive boats at 2024's Palm Beach yacht show

  • The Palm Beach International Boat Show kicks off later this week.
  • Eight megayachts are expected to be on display for would-be buyers and charter customers.
  • These are the show's biggest yachts — and how many millions of dollars they are going for.

Insider Today

The Palm Beach International Boat Show — the yacht world's flashiest event stateside — is returning this year with over 800 boats for both deep-pocked potential owners and window shoppers to peruse.

While it's impossible to know what exactly will be on display until the show begins on Thursday, it's expected that eight megayachts — generally defined as ships over 60 meters long — will be docked at the show and at nearby marinas like the Rybovich Marina in the ritzy Florida town.

Some of these are for sale at eye-popping prices, but others are available to if in case you fancy living like a billionaire for a week or two this summer (and if you have six figures to spare on a vacation).

These are the eight biggest yachts that will be at the Palm Beach International Boat Show, in size order.

Nero: 90.1 meters

Price: From $497,000 a week (charter) Standout features: Pizza ovens, beauty salon, massage room, resistance pool

Reportedly owned by Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien, Nero is modeled after J.P. Morgan's 1930s ship , and was built in 2007 and updated in 2021.

She now boasts a gym on her sundeck with multiple cardio machines and a beauty salon, and has an on-board beautician for manicure, pedicure, hair, and massage needs. There's also an upgraded movie theater, two new pizza ovens, and both a pool and a jacuzzi.

For those who want to go overboard, she has more than a dozen toys, including a waterslide, Jet Ski, and flyboard.

Victorious: 85 meters

Price: From $876,600 a week in the summer and $950,000 a week in the winter Standout features: Hammam (Turkish bath), wine cellar, wood-burning fireplace, children's playroom

Victorious brings a party vibe to the yacht show. With a beach club on board, a wine cellar, a cigar clubroom , multiple bars, and a lounge with a piano, the vessel is made for entertaining. Plus, there's a playroom and movie theater to entertain the kids.

For tamer charter clients, Victorious has a suite of wellness features such as a gym, massage room, beauty salon and hammam, or Turkish bath — perhaps a custom request of her owner, Turkish businessman Vural Ak.

She also boasts a treasure trove of water toys, including Jet Skis, jetsurfs, inflatable kayaks, and scuba equipment.

Casino Royale: 72 meters

Price: TBD Special Features: Infinity pool, helipad, private jacuzzi

Purchased and refitted by car dealer magnate John Staluppi last year, Casino Royale is the latest of his James Bond-inspired yachts (he's also owned an Octopussy and a Skyfall, among others).

Casino Royale has a helipad that turns into a dancefloor, an infinity pool, and a wellness center with a gym and sauna. The owner's cabin has its own deck, which features a private bar and jacuzzi.

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However, the boat's price isn't listed, and while she's not necessarily officially for sale, that might change depending on who's prepared to buy, Mr. Bond.

Talisman C: 70.6 meters

Price: $60 million (or from $567,000 a week to charter) Special features: Massage and beauty room, private library

Likely the largest yacht for sale (not just charter) at the show, the Talisman C is a 2011 six-bedroom boat. The owner's cabin comes with an en suite bathroom, dressing room, private library, and crystal chandeliers.

Amenities include a gym, a beauty room, oversized jacuzzi, and a fully equipped bar. Her crew of 19 includes a trained masseuse, and the toy room comes equipped with a wakeboard, eFoil , and WaveRunners.

Joy: 70 meters

Price: From $650,000 a week Special features: Disco club, basketball court, onboard fitness instructor

Superyacht Joy testifies to the fact that owners want as many on-board experiences as they can get.

There's an expansive suite of fitness features, including a basketball court (don't shoot that hoop too hard!), a personal trainer on staff, boxing equipment, and a handful of machines. For post-workout winddowns, there's a spa with a steam room and onboard masseuse. And for entertainment, there's both an outdoor and indoor cinema, and a disco club.

Triumph: 65.4 meters

Price: From $707,600 a week in the summer and $650,000 a week in the winter Special features: Sauna, helipad, banana boat

This 2021 superyacht is named after Triumph motorcycles — a reported favorite of her rumored owner, British businessman Chris Dawson — and even has one on display as an art piece in the upper deck's lounge. The primary suite is 1,400 square feet and has its own study , and there's a sauna, an indoor-outdoor gym, a helipad, and a massage room spread among her six decks.

She boasts an "armada of water toys," including two kinds of Jet Skis, electric water bikes, and a banana boat.

Seanna: 64.5 meters

Price: $54,000,000 (or from $462,000 a week to charter) Special features: marble foyer, movie room, sundeck pool

The recently refurbished Seanna is available for sale and charter.

Her indoor-outdoor gym is on sea level so that passengers can take a dip after a session with the onboard personal trainer. There's also a sundeck pool, a helipad, a two-room massage facility, and, for the more cerebral guests, a library with an electric fireplace.

There are a number of toys on board, including a popular water trampoline and two WaveRunners.

Come Together: 60 meters

Price: $65,000,000 Special Features: DJ and videographer on board, ice bath, sauna

Next-to-new yacht Come Together is looking for a new owner after doing charters during the 2023 season.

The Beatles' influence is evident beyond the yacht's name, with guitars dotting the sky lounge and a crewmember who doubles as a DJ. There's also an outdoor cinema and bar for entertainment and an ice bath and sauna for the day after the party. The owner's suite has a private study and lounge, and each guest cabin has its own ensuite.

The sale includes a number of toys, like Jet Skis, kayaks, and Seabobs.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

largest sailboat you can trailer

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  1. What's the Largest Sailboat You Can Trailer?

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  2. The 50 largest sailing boat CULTURA MARINARA

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  3. Biggest Trailerable Sailboats

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  4. The Worlds Largest Sailboat

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  5. The largest sailing yacht in the world

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  6. Largest Trailerable Sailboats

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  1. Boat trailer progress 👌

  2. Sailboat Launch

  3. F*Boat Trailer

  4. Could This Be The ULTIMATE Trawler Yacht Conversion? #boat #boats

  5. Boat Trailer Last Trip

  6. The People Perspective & I trailer my boat at The End

COMMENTS

  1. Biggest Trailerable Sailboats

    The best and largest trailerable sailboats are the Cal 20, the Catalina 22, the O'Day 240, The Islander 24, the Moore 24, the Cal 25, the Helms 25, the MacGregor 26, and the Nor'Sea 27. ... If you're looking for a true cruising sailboat that stores well on a trailer, you can't go wrong with the NorSea 27. Due to its size and capabilities, you ...

  2. 13 Biggest Trailerable Sailboats: Cheap But Good

    The Size of Sailboat You Can Trailer. You can trailer sailboats that are around 30 feet or less in length and have a beam (width) of 8.5 feet or less, with a standard trailer and towed by a vehicle with a towing capacity of 3,500 to 5,000 pounds. Sailboats that are trailerable typically range in size from 14 feet to 30 feet in length.

  3. Biggest Trailerable Sailboats

    These are the biggest trailerable sailboats. 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.

  4. 7 Best Trailerable Sailboats for Cruising

    Quick Setup Time. Towing Weight. 7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats. 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.

  5. What's the Largest Sailboat You Can Trailer?

    The largest boat which can be trailered easily is a Hobie 33. But large is ambiguous; the Hobie 33 is a narrow light displacement boat noted for its performance but not its liveaboard comfort. Other large trailerable sailboats are the Seaward 26RK Nor'Sea 27, Macgregor 26M, and the Corsair F-28 Trimaran.

  6. 7 Trailerable Sailboats That Have Standing Headroom

    Grampian 26. The Canadian-built Grampian 26 was built from the late sixties through the late seventies, and many of the almost 1,000 boats that were built are still around. It has six feet of headroom inside, an enclosed head, and a galley. It's an ideal weekender for a couple, or even a couple with a small child.

  7. Trailerable Sailboats Comparison

    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.

  8. Trailerable Boats with Comfort and Speed

    Farrier, who passed away in 2017, created the F-22 as a kind of culmination of all he'd continued to learn about small, trailerable multihulls in the years since he penned the F-27 trimaran, a true trail-blazer and now part of the "Sailboat Hall of Fame.". Another F-22 sidles up alongside a pier in Malta with amas folded in.

  9. The Working Man's Guide to Trailer Sailing

    Let me introduce you to the Trailer Sailer. A trailerable sailboat is in many ways better than a keel boat or a dinghy. You can get a trailer down a boat ramp, it stores for free in your backyard, and it has many of the benefits of a keel boat or dinghy, with fewer drawbacks. Some might argue that the perfect sailboat is the trailer sailer.

  10. Best Trailerable Sailboat Brands to Cruise or Race

    Catalina Yachts: As one of North America's best-known sailboat brands of sailboats, Catalina has a long history of building trailerable models. Their entire Sport line cruising boats—except for the 275—can easily be trailered, and the 22 and 22 Sport, in particular, make for a great step up from daysailing to enjoying a pocket cruiser.

  11. What is the largest trailerable sailboat?

    551. NorSea 27 Az., Doing the To-Do list. Nov 15, 2014. #3. Mike, Take a look at the Nor'Sea 27. It may not be the largest trailerable boat, but we feel it's the best one! We departed the San Francisco bay in 04 after living aboard there for many years.

  12. TOWING A BOAT: How Big of a Boat Can You Trailer?

    When trailering a boat across multiple states, it would be helpful to find out the different compliance regulations in those states. Also, beware that the stated width stipulations often include the guide post lengths of the trailer. In 47 states the maximum width to tow without a wide load permit is 8.5 ft.

  13. Largest boat you can practically trailer?

    Some will be 8.6 wide,some wider.The widest allowed on the highway without permits is 8ft 6in (102wide).Beyond 28 ft you will most likely be to wide. Length will not be a issue.For practicality 26 ft would be the limit.Also you will need to watch the height if it has a radar arch.

  14. 13 Popular Trailerable Sailboats with Lifting Keels

    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.

  15. biggest trailerable sailboat

    Largest trailerable sailboat. I don't know about the largest, but my C&C Mega 30 is a breeze launching off a trailer from a municiple boat ramp. At 8' beam and 2' draft for launching and the rig goes up in minutes. You can take this boat any where; and kick some serious ass on the race course.

  16. 9 Best Trailerable Sailboats

    Instead of docking a large boat, you can purchase a small trailerable sailboat. A trailerable sailboat is a perfect option for part-time sailors and people with busy lives. ... And remember, the Hunter 27 is still a trailer sailor. The boat features a shoal draft of under 4-feet and a displacement of less than 8,000 pounds. The Hunter 27 is ...

  17. 13 Popular Trailerable Sailboats with Lifting Keels

    Hunter 22. This one has to make the list because it is immensely popular. Rightfully so. It is small enough to be transported on a trailer, plus it has a lifting keel that makes the draft only 30 centimeters when up - but over a meter when down, so it still has to say a lot in terms of performance.

  18. Road Trip: A Trailerable Trawlers Round-Up

    With a 200-horsepower Suzuki four-stroke, she is capable of almost 30 knots, and her semi-displacement hull lets her cruise comfortably over a wide range of speeds. Mark finds 18 knots at 3800 rpm to be her sweet spot for fast cruising, and her most economical speed is 7 knots at 1600 rpm.

  19. Biggest Trailerable Alloy Boats

    Your power options will have a significant impact on the final cost also. While a pair of 250-300hp outboards will set you back around $80,000, a 350-400hp diesel sterndrive is going to run to upwards of $90,000. Electronics in boats of this size are more than just a $400 fishfinders and again 12' -16" MFD screens and all the associated add ...

  20. Check Out the Biggest and Priciest Boats at Palm Beach's Yacht Show

    Likely the largest yacht for sale (not just charter) at the show, the Talisman C is a 2011 six-bedroom boat. The owner's cabin comes with an en suite bathroom, dressing room, private library, and ...