full keel sailboat trailer

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Keel Sailboat Trailer RVs for sale

Capri/Catalina 22 Sailboat trailer for winged keel

Santa Maria, California

Posted Over 1 Month

Nice usable trailer from Capri 22 winged keel. Trailered will with boat on, licensed and registered in my name. Currently has magnetic lights attached but will install trailer lights for buy it now price. Both verticals, winch mount and bumper mount for under bow of boat need replacement, otherwise rust is surface only and should clean up

Sailboat trailer

Brandon, Mississippi

Make Custom Built

I am selling this because I sold the boat and the buyer did not want to trailer it. It was built to handle boats up to about 27 feet and under 9,000 lbs. I used it for a 26' Seafarer that was heavily customized and well above the standard weight for long term cruising. this is a smooth pulling trailer that will wet launch and retrieve without problems and would handle a fin keel drawing 3 to 5 feet. In order to put a full keel on this trailer you would probably need to alter the guides. Needs nothing but for you to buy and hook-up.

SAILBOAT TRAILER

College Station, Texas

Sailboat Trailer - Tandem Axle, Tires: Carlisle 7.50-16 LT SureTrail tires - 4 plus spare with less than 300 miles on them. Eight Fully adjustable hull supports. Can be adjusted from shoal draft to fin keel heights. Great for long hauling or bottom work. Trailer has a built in guide for directing keel to the center of the trailer for ramp haul outs. Bow support adjustable. Ideal for boats to 28 feet. 2 - 5/16" hitch ball included. Pictured is a 26' boat with 5' draft (boat not included) centered forward on the axles. 28' boat would be centered back 1' and maintain good balance for towing. Strongly built. Clean Texas Title. Location: College Station, TX 77845

2008 Triad Sailboat galvanized float off trailer 5200 GVW

New Haven, Connecticut

For sale is a 2008 24' Triad brand sailboat trailer, 5200GVW. The condition is like new as the trailer was rarely used. It is completely galvanized including the hydraulic brakes. This trailer was designed for a J/24 but with the adjustable poppits/bunks could easily be used for different boats (J/22, Sonar etc. . .) The electric lights are all in good working order. The tires are in good shape with plenty of life left in them. The brakes are hydraulic. This trailer is set up to ramp launch/retrieve a boat. There are keel guides and a built in tongue extension. Also there is an adjustable bow stop with winch. Asking $4250 title in hand If you have any questions or wish to come see the trailer, please e-mail or call Mike (203)605-9521 or Tom (203) 464-2675 Local delivery available for an additional charge.

2006 Hostar dual axle Sailboat trailer 33-39 feet

Milford, Connecticut

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Before we modify this custom trailer to fit other boats I’m listing it here. This is a very well made 2006 Hostar. 13000 GVW, saddles rotate with boat and can be manipulated to slide or tilt so as not to exceed wide load. Overall length is 35 feet and 8 feet 6 inches wide. Should hold up to 9500lbs of cargo. If someone has their own saddles the modification would be relatively easy to fit this trailer.2006 Hostar dual axle Sailboat trailer. Was Custom made bt the Hostar trailer company to accommodate a Cross Current 33 with a removable keel. Includes 4 adjustable bunks or cradles that can be manipulated to slide or tilt so as not to exceed wide load specifications.includes 2- 80" wide & 2- 120" wide cradles. 6" x 2" x 1/4" rectangular steel main frame 4" x 2" steel cross beams 2" x 2" Steel Mounting rail Tandem 5,200 Torflex rubber torsion bar E-Z Lube axles Four 225/75R15 Load Range D Radial Tires on aluminum rims spare 225/75R15 Load Range D Radial Tires on aluminum rim Electric brakes on two axles with D.O.T. Wiring Breakaway Switch 2 5/16" ball hitch with safety chains Frame mounted swing away bull dog tongue jack w/ sand shoe Extra bright LED submersible lighting system galvanized frame & cross beams MFG Date December 2006 Model OBT 3300Please contact Tom via email or phone with any questions 203-464-2675 **I do have a clear title in hand and can offer a transferable registration to the new owner valid until 02/2017** A few people have asked and yes, the current saddles unbolt easily and can be removed. Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album More than just a pretty picture. Try Vendio Image Hosting.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Before we modify this custom trailer to fit other boats I’m listing it here. This is a very well made 2006 Hostar. 13000 GVW, saddles rotate with boat and can be manipulated to slide or tilt so as not to exceed wide load. Overall length is 35 feet and 8 feet 6 inches wide. Should hold up to 9500lbs of cargo. If someone has their own saddles the modification would be relatively easy to fit this trailer.2006 Hostar dual axle Sailboat trailer. Was Custom made bt the Hostar trailer company to accommodate a Cross Current 33 with a removable keel. Includes 4 adjustable bunks or cradles that can be manipulated to slide or tilt so as not to exceed wide load specifications.includes 2- 80" wide & 2- 120" wide cradles. 6" x 2" x 1/4" rectangular steel main frame 4" x 2" steel cross beams 2" x 2" Steel Mounting rail Tandem 5,200 Torflex rubber torsion bar E-Z Lube axles Four 225/75R15 Load Range D Radial Tires on aluminum rims spare 225/75R15 Load Range D Radial Tires on aluminum rim Electric brakes on two axles with D.O.T. Wiring Breakaway Switch 2 5/16" ball hitch with safety chains Frame mounted swing away bull dog tongue jack w/ sand shoe Extra bright LED submersible lighting system galvanized frame & cross beams MFG Date December 2006 Model OBT 3300Please contact Tom via email or phone with any questions 203-464-2675 **I do have a clear title in hand and can offer a transferable registration to the new owner valid until 02/2017** Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album Click to View Image Album More than just a pretty picture. Try Vendio Image Hosting.

trailer for a 30' sailboat weighing less than 12,000 pounds

Palmdale, California

Make Homemade

25' long by 108" wide Sailboat trailer with 10 adjustable pads and a long channel for the keel to sit on. It is a home made trailer used to haul a Catalina 30 to Eureka CA from Weaverville CA. I picked up this trailer to get a Catalina 28 from Lake Texoma in Texas to Redondo Beach CA. We had a great trip out there and back with out any problems. It has 3 axels with electric brakes along with and emergency braking system and a spare tire. It is set up with a LED lighting system with red Brake lights, red running lights and amber side lights. The trailer is set up with tubes for wide load flags on the four corners of the trailer. It has a crank up trailer jack for the tongue with a flat foot or a steel wheel. Not sure you can push the trailer around on the wheel. We guess that the trailer weighs around 2,000 pounds, We never weighed the trailer. I was able to do a bottom job On the Catalina 28 before I put the boat in the water. It was easy because I could let the boat sit on four pads, paint the bottom then switch the pads to four other pads and paint where the first four pads were. I have just gotten the trailer registered with a homemade 6 digit CA VIN number given by the CHP and a permanent license plate issued by the DMV. If you need a trailer to move a 12,000 pound sailboat around or need a trailer to store a boat on this is a great trailer for you.

Custom Heavy-Duty Sailboat Trailer: 13,660 lbs/28 to 34 ft.

Shreveport, Louisiana

Custom Heavy-Duty Sailboat Trailer: 13,660 lbs/28 ft. to 34 ft. boat capacity. I had this heavy-duty sailboat trailer specially built to haul and launch my 30' Hunter Tall Mast (10,800 lbs. dry) with lead wing keel. After bringing it to Louisiana from Oklahoma, I've used it exactly once (at my lake to haul my boat out of the water to do a bottom job and put it back in the water when I finished). The trailer has been in fresh water for a total of 30 minutes. It's been on the road only from Oklahoma to Louisiana (about 320 miles) and has never been on the open road with a load. It's built to efficiently load a big boat with ease, solidly transport and single-hand launch big bodied boats in the 28' to 34' range, weighing up to 13,660 (14,000) lbs with either full keels, fin keels or wing keels up to 6' draft. Overall tongue-to-tail length: 22 ft. Overall beam width: 9 ft. Total dry weight: 1,200 lbs. Dual axle (two 7,000 lbs. each torsion bar axles) 13,660 lbs registered total load with electric brakes. Fifth wheel is a 235/75.16 radial and supports up to a 7,000 lb. direct load at the tongue. 12" extra wide welded diamond pattern plate steel fenders. 3' tall from ground to top of bow fender. 3'5" tall from frame to top of individual pads. 5'6" tall from ground to top of front bow pad. 5'4" tall from ground to top of front crank. Four main tires and one spare (5 tires total)are Goodyear Wrangler size LT266/75.R16 radials with medium tread. Frame made of welded 6" industrial C-channel box steel with welded 3" C-channel steel cross members. Six box steel, adjustable, padded uprights with 360 degree 12" sq. swivel pads. Plus a 5' wide x 6" flat padded bow rest of welded 3" C-channel box steel with two adjustable threaded uprights. Double-width (approx. 20" wide), adjustable keel rest 6' long of welded industrial C-channel steel. Four vertical box steel extensions with 15' removable schedule 40 PVC side guides for easy visible launching. Additional in-line 15 foot box steel extension tongue with welded plate stop and adjustable crank-up rest under the rear of the frame for storage. With extension tongue out, overall length is 37 ft. for launching far out into the shallowest of water. Industrial gauge crank-type tongue jack with drop leg axle holding the fifth wheel rated at 7,000 lb. support. Heavy-duty Bulldog 2 5/16" coupler rated at 12,500 lbs. Sandblasted then painted with 3 coats of water-resistant Rustoleum marine grade bright white gloss lacquer with commercial reflective DOT-approved tape on frame sides. Clean, transferrable title. $ 5,500.00Buyer picks up the trailer at my location: Cross Lake, Shreveport, Louisiana. Or, if you'll email me with particulars, I can either arrange to have the trailer delivered to you or bring it to you myself for a reasonable additional fee if you live within 350 miles of Shreveport, LA. In any case, I'll work with you to get the trailer to you as easily and quickly as possible.

Heavy duty TRAILER

High Springs, Florida

I used to pull my Bobcat on this but sold it a while back. This is super easy to pull and has extra supports down middle for hauling weird things like my small sailboat with a fixed keel. I had 2 x 12 planks on it. Just had NICE tires put on and a fresh paint job. She will last a long time as all angle iron is super thick. My ford 9n tractor would fit on it as well. Feel free to make me an offer. If you need to register it just take to scales take receipt to tag office as home made. That's it. I never had a need for tag just stuck magnetic lights on it Farm trailer. The actual inside frame size is 58"wide 121" long and tongue is 48" $400 or best offer can be seen on Hwy 41/27 south side of High Springs at Star Plaza. I live close. 352-284-9682 I'm Capt. Rhan Will consider some trade / I like horse trading just ask but need cash for wife that likes to eat. The price I have on the sign was what I had from another item I sold so please disregard. If you buy it I can for a price put a ramp/gate on it. "Your Call" Thanks

14' TRAILER see photos

I used to pull my Bobcat on this but sold it a while back 4000lb. This is super easy to pull and has extra supports down middle for hauling weird things like my small sailboat with a fixed keel. I had 2 x 12 planks on it. Just had NICE tires put on and a fresh paint job. She will last a long time as all angle iron is super thick. My ford 9n tractor would fit on it as well.The frame is aprox 10' long X 5' wide and tongue is 4' making it 14' total. Takes 2" ball and can be hauled with a small car. Feel free to make me an offer. If you` need to register it just take to scales take receipt to tag office as home made. That's it. I never had a need for tag just stuck magnetic lights on it. Farm trailer $700 or best offer can be seen on Hwy 41/27 south side of High Springs at Star Plaza. They call this 16782 NW State road 45 I live close. Cell # 352-284-9682 I'm not good at texting but will try. I'm Capt. Rhan Will consider some trade / I like horse trading just ask but need cash for wife that likes to eat. The price I have on the sign was what I had from another item I sold so please disregard. If you buy it I can for a price put a ramp/gate on it. "Your Call" Thanks

Morse Overland Marine Hydraulic Trailer 30,000 GVW. 6 Hydraulic Arms & Air Ride.

Stockton, Missouri

Make Morse Overland Marine

Morse Overland Marine Hydraulic Trailer. Power boats and sailboats to 40' + Feet. 5k Miles since recondition. Tandem air ride 15,000lbs axles (Oil Bath and Also EZ_Lube Grease) You decide what to run, I run grease but have run oil too, both work fine. 30,000 gvw. 6 hydraulic arms that power up and down with the push of a button and have 10,000lbs lifting power each & all operations have overload & fault protection, air ride suspension lets keel heights from 3" off the the ground to 12" off the ground. Trailer will accommodate shoal draft Sailboats, Wing keel & fin keels, deep draft sailboats up to 7'+ drafts and single or twin power boats. Pickup and set boats without the help of a crane or travel lift from stands! Landing wheels for boat ramp. Wet launch and retrieve boats with ease in less than 5 min and the best part its safe and easy! Adjustable hitch up & down to adjust ride height, make loading and unloading easier & adapt to any tow vehicle height. We've used this trailer behind several different trucks from 3/4 ton trucks (just moving the trailer around) to tandem axle semi trucks cross country all with no issues. Typically we use it behind a 450 or Chevy 1 ton for boats up to 10,000 lbs. larger boats of course behind larger tow vehicles. Air system and hydraulics are completely stand alone and need nothing additional to operate, you can move this trailer around the yard with a tractor if you wanted to and still run all the hydraulics and air system without the need to connect it to anything! Trailer opens up to allow you load and unload from jack stands without a crane. Recondition consisted of the following - (Complete media blast, epoxy primer and paint. Complete new hydraulic system, 50' wired remote, Hydraulic & Air valves also have wireless capability if needed, Antenna and box would be required to go wireless but valves will accommodate wireless, new hydraulic lines, new air lines, new air valves and all new air fittings, new air compressor, bearings, races, seals, caps, plugs, brake pads and brake system, tires, new wiring, new led lighting, all new bushings on axle swing arms & pads, new wood and rubber on pads, new carpet, pins, keepers, stops & more I'm sure that I am forgetting. Trailer is basically all New). Safety chains This is the big one - (Check Valves on ALL lift cylinders). New fenders. New Interstate SRM4D Battery Cell. Battery bank will charge when plugged into vehicle too. Battery operates trailer and air system continuously for over 1 hour before showing signs of slowing down and needing to either be plugged into the tow vehicle or charged remotely with a standard battery charger. We have never charged with a charger just always charged up when driving down the road plugged in. Pretty simple setup really. Main frame is 8"x8" 1/2" square tubing that is sealed and oil filled, oil prevents the insides from rusting. (there is 10 gal of oil inside frame & frame is pressure tested for leaks and has none!) All stainless steel pivot pins & bolts. Pad arms and keel beams are dipped galvanized. Pad insets and extensions are also galvanized. Every moving part has a grease zerk and is well greased too. All Stainless pins are removable too. All pad arms are galvanized, painted Metallic Green (I didn't like the galvanized look). Braking system is Electric over Hydraulic. The braking system is new with a break away system and backup breakaway battery. Trailer is 100& DOT Legal, road ready and will pass a DOT inspection hands down no questions! Braking system pump is mounted in the trailer and all that is required in your tow vehicle is a electric brake controller or like our truck a built in brake controller from the factory works fine as well. Brakes are all Disc and all 4 wheels brake. We've had a 18,000lbs sailboat with a 6' draft on this trailer and it handled it fine with no issues at all, road smooth down the road. This is a very heavy built trailer and will last forever with the right maintenance and care! Trailer tracks straight as a pin and smooth as a feather loaded or unloaded. Unloaded shut-off the front bag air up the back set of bags & roll through the tolls with 1 less axle on the ground, plus less wear and tear only using 1 axle on the ground. All air bag can be individually turned on or off. All trailer parts are common parts (nothing really special) if a break down happens on the road you won't be needing to make or buy custom parts to get rolling should anything happen. The only reason we're selling this trailer is we have a new larger hydraulic trailer arriving soon, so this one is going to go. We have 1 other hydraulic that doesn't have open frame capabilities as well. This is a good trailer at a reasonable price; price a new one, you'll spend $75,000 for a comparable trailer plus wait 6 months to get it. Then when you get it work out all the kinks for the next few hauls too, I've been there. Message me any questions you have, I have more pictures of the trailer loaded and unloaded or if you want new pictures let me know! Also mileage on the trailer is now 5,000 miles since rebuild it just came home from New Jersey with a 30' sailboat this week. Outer frame painted metallic green, logos & numbers will be removed before pickup/sale. Trailer year model is either a 2011 or 2012, (cannot remember off the top of my head) message me if you need to know and I will look at the title, Clean and Clear Missouri title as well. Thanks for looking!

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Trailer Sailing a 25' Full Keel

• Thread starter Persistence
• Start date Jan 24, 2017
• Forums for All Owners
• Trailer Sailors

Persistence

Is anyone here trailering a 25' full keel boat and launching from boat ramps? If so, how long should the tongue extension be?  

Percy, Doesn't sound like fun to me. You going to do this regularly or once a season? I've seen/heard of folks using a tow strap to do it. As Dava390 about that one! Doesn't always go as planned and sometimes costs you a rudder. Other that that, a 12 foot extension is probably the most you could deal with. That's about 16 feet of tubing with a 4 foot overlap. Some have the spare tire mount swing down to support the tongue. Neat idea.  

svchickadee

This company builds a good trailer. You might give them a call.. http://triadtrailers.com/triad-trailer-gallery/sailboat-trailers/sailboats-25-30-feet/1321-2/  

Persistence, I don't see this as any more problem of trailer launching any fixed keel boat. In this case, it is not so much a problem with "full keel," and more a problem of depth of keel. I have helped trailer launch J/24, Santana 20, and Impulse 21 boats, which all have about a 4' draft fixed fin keel. (Your CD 25 looks to me like a 25D as opposed to the original 25. CD25 lists 3' draft, CD25D lists 3.5'.) Most of the trailers for these fixed keep boats have a 25' long tongue extension and an auxiliary "jockey wheel" near the front of the trailer. It's all about getting the boat in deep enough to float off the trailer. Many people who don't have an extending tongue will have a jockey wheel, and will strap launch the trailer, where a towing strap is connecting trailer and tow vehicle. A deeper/steeper ramp will make launching easier, as the trailer won't have to go in the water as far, but the increased angle between the trailer and water surface can make retrieving more difficult on a steep ramp, because starting off, the bow will be at the bow stop, but as the boat settles on the trailer as it pulls out, it can often move back. (Had this problem with the Santana almost every time. He has like a 3' tray for the bottom of the 2' long keel bottom to sit on. As long as the keel sits more than 1/2 way on the tray, we can get it forward to where it needs to be on the tray.)  

Nice video, One thing that makes it easier is the rollers instead of bunks.  

Karyon said: Nice video, One thing that makes it easier is the rollers instead of bunks. Click to expand

Towed my J24 about 7,000 miles a year when campaigning. More often than not, we craned it on and off. But, there were several times I had to ramp launch and retrieve it. I used a tow strap hooked on my hitch ball and looped around the trailer tongue. My trailer had a set of keel guides to guide the keel to the center of the trailer and I made them removable with bolts to allow me easy access to the keel for working on it. My trailer was patterned off the J24 Triad trailers. I preferred not to ramp launch/retrieve but it's definitely doable just takes a little longer and you run some risk of banging up the keel which was a big factor for us..  

Brian S said: . A deeper/steeper ramp will make launching easier, as the trailer won't have to go in the water as far, but the increased angle between the trailer and water surface can make retrieving more difficult on a steep ramp, because starting off, the bow will be at the bow stop, but as the boat settles on the trailer as it pulls out, it can often move back. (Had this problem with the Santana almost every time. He has like a 3' tray for the bottom of the 2' long keel bottom to sit on. As long as the keel sits more than 1/2 way on the tray, we can get it forward to where it needs to be on the tray.) Click to expand

LeeandRick, nope. I don't see the benefit of that addition from the video over an extension or a strap for launching. It would be difficult to back and steer that. Do truckers ever back down a tandem? (I don't know.) Where the heck do they store it? Yes, the front of the trailer needs a robust rolling wheel (plastic wheels on a trailer jack don't seem good enough to roll well to me) for a long extension or a strap. Karyon, I don't think rollers make it any easier than bunks to launch sailboats. Powerboats, yes, sailboats, no. Most sailboats are not a flat run aft from amidships the way power boats are (well, new style sleds are, but most recreational sailors don't have a sled inspired trailerable boat) so the deeper midships portion of the boat still needs to float over the aft rollers. My roller pod trailer is like this, and trust me, the boat isn't rolling on or off with a tug of a dock line or winch strap. It floats on and off. I did winch on my Harpoon 4.6, but it's a dinghy and it's supposed to have the keel strip riding on trailer rollers. And it's not a rockered, belly-like hull. Being a planing capable hull, I guess it's more flat aft like a powerboat, so...  

Thanks for all your input.  

Brian S said: Karyon, I don't think rollers make it any easier than bunks to launch sailboats. Powerboats, yes, sailboats, no. Most sailboats are not a flat run aft from amidships the way power boats are (well, new style sleds are, but most recreational sailors don't have a sled inspired trailerable boat) so the deeper midships portion of the boat still needs to float over the aft rollers. Click to expand

Attachments

Crazy Dave Condon

I use to with my equipment launch up to 36 foot sailboats off long ramps and even larger ones with hydraulic trailers and even off tractor trailers. The key with any launch and retrieval of a keel boat is the trailer, the proper tow vehicle which to do the job with, experience and of course the ramp itself. First going into an unknown ramp area, you need to know the length of the ramp, any overhead wires, putting the mast up if necessary which will require a crane and so forth. Experience and safety are most important. So call and check out what ramps will work for you. In addition, never attempt to launch from a bulkhead or bridge like I use to if you do not have experience. My key over a bridge was long straps attached to a single point (not a spreader style) behind the mast, straps tied together at the railing but not to the railing, no wind, power boat standing by in the water and of course with the state hwy department permission which many came out to see this. This is for the experienced only. You catch my drift On a ramp, I use to have a long wheeled dolly attached to the tongue and with safety chains attached to the tow vehicle and trailer. First on the ramp I backed down to the water, chocked all wheels and left the safety chains on. I backed to the chocks and when fast, then detached with the trailer but still leaving safety chains attanched and of course I knew my ramps. Then detached the safety chains, moved forward and attached the long wheeled dolly extension attaching the safety chains as well. Then pulled up slowly off the chocks removing the chocks. The forward supports on the trailer were lowered and guiding the trailer into the water. When the boat started to float off the trailer, supports were lowered when needed. The key here was the forward supports lowered so the boat would not catch on the trailer. I had another fellow in the water or boat upwind with a line holding the boat so it would be kept straight or in parallel with the trailer particularly with a wing keel so the keel would not catch. Sometimes with no wind, I would abruptly stop but going slow and the boat would slide off. Reversed the procedure for retrieval. Had to do this at Kerr Lake/Buggs Island along the VA/NC border as there was no travel lifts on the lake due regs. Largest boat was a either a 45 or 49. Again experience. Also launched over bulkheads too. I always made every crane to extend supports even though the crane operator did not think so. I watched another fellow once who did not have the crane to extend the outriggers or supports and the crane tilted over. Threw that inexperienced operator off jumping into the seat and released as appropriately the hoist. Saved the boat and crane from and accident. Called the company and was thanked for that. In additiuon when trailering, permits needed for each state if over width, over length, over height and so on regardless which state the boat trailer is in. Also you have to be carful when turning so the boat and trailer will not catch particularly with mast on top of the boat. I could go on but again exerecise good judgement focusing on safety is the guide. .  

Thanks for your reply Chris Mac. Would you happen to have a pic of your extension set up?  

Persistence said: Thanks for your reply Chris Mac. Would you happen to have a pic of your extension set up? Click to expand

chris mac said: These are the best pics I got right now. That centre channel has w smaller diameter tube steel inside. The hitch is on the smaller one. To extend, block trailer tires,pull one keeper pin, and slowly pull forward. After 10' or so, there is another hole for the pin. In the spring I'll take a better pic if I remember Click to expand

Jerry Zitterkopf

I currently use 2 winches on the trailer at the bow to get the position right every time no matter the ramp angle. One winch pulls in the normal direction the other lifts the bow. By lifting the bow the boat is achieving the same angle as the trailer, and when you pull it to the bow stop with the forward pull winch it is right where it needs to be when pulling out of the water. I'm pulling our boat out in a couple of days and will get some pictures (maybe video if someone is around). The 2 winch idea works on our O'Day 23 and some other smaller boats we have had, but not sure about larger displacement, especially wide stern, boats. I like to put the boat in the same place to avoid pressure points from the bunks and the same tongue weight every time. I was hoping to finish fabrication of a better way to attain the same location with one winch. The flu this weekend has slowed my progress. This involves a pivot point at the forward edge of the keel with all boat supports forward of the pivot mounted on this pivoting structure including the winch. This all pivots up as you pull out of the water and the stern settles on to the fixed bunks. Once clear of the water you pin this structure to the main trailer frame for travel. There are many more good benefits to this, like doing away with the winch, keel guides that remain parallel to the water line and shallower float off/on depths. Once I get video and pictures I will open up a discussion here to refine the idea. This needs to be an open source project since there are so many trailers and boat designs. I know most of you don't care but there are a few of us seeking the perfect trailer.  

Persistence said: Is anyone here trailering a 25' full keel boat and launching from boat ramps? If so, how long should the tongue extension be? Click to expand

How trailerable is a Cape Dory 25? - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

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Full Keel Lobster and Powerboats

At Loadmaster Trailer Company LTD, we specialize in custom boat trailers that are specifically designed to support your craft’s hull and match your towing lifestyle. Our full keel powerboat and lobster boat trailers will provide the perfect amount of support whether your boat is 17 or 50 feet in length, and will protect the hull from damage while the trailer is in use.

Full keel boat trailers require special consideration to ensure that they meet your needs perfectly. All of our custom trailers come with a strategic bunking style, a keel rest and keel guide that are made to order and built specifically to support your craft’s hull. The unique hulls of full keel boats and lobster boats require us to place additional bunking for added support. Our bunks are made from specially-treated lumber that are routed at the corners and then covered in marine carpet for proper support and hull safety.

Your trailer’s customization doesn’t stop at the bunking. We must take other factors into consideration to ensure maximum performance. For example, your craft’s keel, strake locations, intakes, thru-hulls and overall hull design must be carefully considered prior to the trailer manufacturing process to ensure that the boat is secure during transport and to prevent hull damage while the trailer is in use.

If your boat’s keel is truly unique, we will include a keel rest and/or a keel guide, which will be structurally welded onto the trailer itself. This will make the loading and launching process as easy as possible. If you plan to launch your lobster boat in the water, we can build a structural tongue extension to increase the amount of water depth to make the loading and launching process easier. We can also construct custom side guides, build a notchback end configuration if your boat happens to be a single board engine or provide you with an open back or fly back configuration if you need to protect twin props during the loading and launching process. If you plan to have your keeled boat hoisted on and off your Loadmaster trailer, we will build you sling pockets to allow the straps to be removed from underneath the hull.

Additional Options for Full-Customization

You can then further customize your boat trailer with a range of additional options. While each of our full keel powerboat trailers comes with a wide range of standard features , the following add-ons can help your trailer further meet your boat, cargo, and towing needs.

• Custom painted for freshwater use or galvanized for saltwater usage
• Stainless steel hardware and various Disc brake options for saltwater boats
• Notchback end configuration for single inboard engines
• Open back or fly back end configuration for twin-prop engines
• Sling pockets, tongue extensions, and More

For a fast quote on a full keel powerboat trailer, call or contact Loadmaster Trailer Company LTD today. You can reach us at or use the handy form on the right to receive a fast quote by email.

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Watch Hill 15 Full Keel

Triad trailers – watch hill 15 full keel.

You can enjoy the reliability and performance of a Load Rite trailer for your sailboat by specifying a custom trailer through your dealer.

We combine our modular pods with a keel board and winch stand options on any number of Load Rite or 5 STARR bunk models to conform to many sailboat applications. Each trailer must be specified on an individual basis. To get started, download the attached sailboat trailer specifications document before contacting your local Load Rite dealer . Your dealer will collect the model number and other details about your boat and work with our Customer Service and Engineering staff to come up with a recommendation and a quote for your Load Rite trailer.

All of these features are backed by the industry leading Load Rite 2 + 3 Warranty.

Specifications subject to change without notice.  Not responsible for publishing errors.

STANDARD FEATURES

Galvanized Steel Frame

Tubular structural steel, fully hot dip galvanized, provides the ultimate finish for any boat trailer.  Tubular design shrouds wiring and brake lines from damage.  All machining and welding is performed before galvanizing, so there are no surfaces left unprotected from a boat trailer’s ultimate enemy: corrosion.

Patented Aluminum I-Beam Frame

Patented designs offer many features that add functionality to a great look.  Integrated wire gutter beneath the top flange securely protects wiring and brakelines.  Models to 7,300 lbs. capacity feature a captured fastener channel along the bottom flange offering invisible mounting points for other features.  Web mounted crossbars strengthen the overall frame assembly.

Galvanized Crossbars and Tongue

Torsion Axles

Torsion axles provide independent suspension, exceptional rigidity, corrosion resistance, and a far superior ride to any leaf spring suspension.  Available on most models.

Greaseable Hubs

Trailer with peace of mind knowing that you’ve inspected the condition and topped off the lubricant level in each hub of your trailer.

Disc Brakes (Where Installed)

This trailer is equipped with disc brakes (where installed).  Load Rite recommends disc brakes on all wheels where available.  Disc brakes are self-adjusting and self-cleaning and require minimal maintenance in order to continue to deliver top performance.  Follow maintenance tips in your Owners Manual for more detailed instructions.

DOT Rated Tires and Lighting

All Load Rite original equipment tires and lighting components are fully DOT approved.

Balanced Wheels 13″ and Larger

CounterAct Wheel Bead Balancing is now included on all 13″ and larger wheel assemblies as a standard feature.  The wheels dynamically balance during each use. Visit counteractbalancing.com for more information.

Aluminum Diamond Plate Fenders

A stylish design combined with extreme durability.  Standard on all single axle models with 13″ and larger wheels.

Heat-Shrunk Sealed, Concealed Wiring

Standard equipment on all trailers 17′ and longer except welded frame models.

Adjustable Carpeted Bunks

Traditionally known as V-bunks, this system offers both high strength and a wide range of adjustability.  Out of adjustment?  There are shorter and taller bolster brackets available in many heights.

A winch is standard equipment on all boat and PWC models.  Capacity and features vary by application.

Tongue Jack

Tongue jacks are standard equipment on all Load Rite Elite models 90″ wide and wider except two-place PWC models, all 5 STARR models, and all UT, EQ, and CH models.  Appearance and specifications vary by application.  Tongue jacks are optional on all other models.

NATM Certified

Each year Load Rite trailers undergo a detailed inspection process in order to earn the right to proudly display this certification on products we manufacture.

NMMA / NATM Certified

2 Plus 3 Years Coupler to Taillight Warranty

Load Rite’s premiere warranty exclusive to our Elite line of trailers.

102″ Overall Width (96″ and Wider Models)

Add extra width to standard 96″ wide trailers.

Swing Tongue

Applications are limited by trailer capacity and tongue length.  Not available on models exceeding 6,000 lbs. capacity.  Consult with a dealer.

Radial Tires

Smoother riding and longer wear life than many bias-ply tires.  A highly recommended upgrade.  Available for 13″ and larger wheels.

Aluminum Wheels

A stylish option available with bias-ply or radial tires for most models in 12″, 13″, 14″, 15″ and 16″ sizes.

Spare Tire and Carrier

The most important option to consider, every trailer should have a spare tire readily available.  Consult dealer for recommended bracket for individual application.

Vault® Hubs

Vault® – The VAULT® “Hybrid Lubrication System” uses a semi-fluid oil in a pressurized chamber to give you the ultimate in wheel bearing lubrication and protection. At ambient temperatures the oil is thick with a viscosity approaching grease. As the bearing temperature rises during towing, the VAULT’s Hybrid Oil thins out replenishing the bearings with lubricant and dissipating heat. No inspection, no maintenance and no service required.  *Vault® hubs require Dexter axle.  Vault® and Kodiak® stainless disc brakes cannot be combined.

Consult a dealer to confirm application.

Brakes on All Axles

Important Safety Issue – Brake Requirements   

Brake laws vary by state and require dealers to sell trailers that comply with the brake laws of the state where the trailer will be registered.  This is a very important safety issue .  For full information contact the appropriate state Motor Vehicle Department.  As always, Load Rite recommends brakes on all axles where available.

Stainless Steel Disc Brakes

Optional stainless steel brakes available for most 14″, 15″ and 16″ wheel applications. Can be used with surge and electric over hydraulic actuators.*

May require optional axle installation.  Check with your local dealer before ordering.

Stainless Brakelines

A valuable upgrade to any trailer, but especially those to see service in coastal regions with salt water exposure.

Electric Over Hydraulic Brakes

EOH brakes offer electric in-cab control of standard hydraulic disc brakes.  Requires in-cab controller and 7-pin round electrical connection to the tow vehicle.

LED Lighting

LED lights offer far greater reliability than incandescent fixtures.  Long-lasting and waterproof design make these lights ideal for any trailer application.

2″ by 6″ Bunks

Marine grade carpet over 2″ x 6″ dimensional lumber.

Plastic Bunk Covers

These multi-purpose covers provide a smooth surface to help the boat or pontoon to slide easier when launching and loading.  They also offer an insulating barrier to help prevent corrosion for metallic hulled craft.  Protect your aluminum hull.

Highly recommended for metal-hulled boats and pontoon applications.

Steady Rest

Carpeted bunk section positioned above and perpendicular to the trailer tongue.  Provides an extra resting and balance point, and helps prevent keel contact with the tongue when loading in certain ramp conditions.

Carpeted Side Guides

Standard on most skiff and jon models.

Drop-Style Tongue Jack

An upgraded jack that provides greater capacities and fast setup with no need to swivel.

Tongue jacks are recommended on all trailers.  Appearance and specifications vary by application.  Tongue jacks are optional on all models where not original equipment.

Rubber Fenders

Rubber fenders are intended for use on dealer yard trailers.  Yard trailers need the flexibility to adapt to many different hull shapes without imparting any damage in the process.  Rubber fenders minimize the possibility of damage should the fender contact the boat hull.

Sailboat 5S-213600VT

McGregor Sailboat

26 McGregor Sailboat on LR-AB25T6000102LT2 with modifications.

Marshall-Sanderling

Marshall-Sanderling on a modified 182800102VT.

Muscugos 18

Muscugos 18 on Load Rite 18240096VT with dealer installed support system.

Stuart 19, similar to Rhodes 19, on a 5S-17220090VW.

On a custom fit 222650VSGG0.

On a custom fit pod trailer.

Pearson 22 2

Warranty Information

Owners manual.

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.

Table of Contents

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

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

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

What Is a Trailerable Sailboat, Exactly?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

View this post on Instagram A post shared by @marshallmarinecat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Do You Want Your Trailer Sailer To Do?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What size sailboat is trailerable?

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

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

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

Is a Hunter 27 trailerable?

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

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

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

Is a Catalina 22 trailerable?

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

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

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

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

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

MacGregor put pop tops on many of its trailerables

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• Full Keel Sailboat Trailer

Full Keel Sailboat Trailer Boats for sale

1984 Merit 22 sailboat

Fort Worth, Texas

Model Merit 22 Lift Keel

Category Racer Boats

Length 22.0

Posted Over 1 Month

Great little daysailer or weekend racer for the low budget racer. Great set of sails, one main sail, one mylar racing sail and a small jib. Interior has full set of fair cushions, knot meter, compass and porta potty. Comes with a great single axle trailer with new tires and wheels. Also comes with a 5 HP Mercury engine and external fuel tank.

1975 Catalina 22 Swing Keel Sailboat

Naples, Florida

Make Catalina

Category Sailboats

Not a screw to turn, super clean, well maintained and ready to sail. Upgrades: All shrouds, stays, chain plates, cockpit railings, new wenches, mainsheet, travelers, adjustable backstay, lazy jacks, halyards, and sheets. All exterior wood upgraded to starboard. Loose footed full batten mainsail, five years old, bimini included. Bottom stripped, faired, and painted smooth in 2012.Keel faired and all hangers replaced in 2012. 6hp outboard Johnson motor. Trailer included. Located in Naples, Florida.

1984 Merit 22 Racing sailboat

Great little daysailer or weekend racer for the low budget racer. Great set of sails, spinnaker, main, jib and US 150% racing fore sail. Equipment harken blocks and spinnaker pole. Interior has full set of fair cushions, and porta potty. Comes with a great single axle trailer with new tires and wheels. Also comes with a brand new Honda air cooled engine with TITLE and manuals. (Engine value is $1100 and only goes with bidder at buy it now price).

1979 Lancer Sailboat 25ft large keel *Masthead Rigged*

Cumming, Georgia

Make Lancer

25ft Lancer almost a full keel (black below waterline with red lines above)"sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=6127" (in sailboatdata it shows fractional rig but my boat is masthead rigged) Very sturdy boat with dual axle trailer 9.9 Sailmaster outboard - mn: J10SELCDB ( not running needs head rebuild low compression 50/60) *just re-greased bearings and added bearing buddies to dual axle trailer.Boat has several new items on it (just to name a few) - New wiring, DC panel and two batteries with solar charger (marine wiring and heat sealed connections) (panel relocated to above waist at eye level) - New Marine VHF radio and antenna (mast antenna not installed yet) (Standard Horizon GX1300B) - New JVC marine stereo (KMR355U) - New sink pump - Mark 6 V PUMP, Galley self priming hand pump "WHALE" - New bilge pump 750 plus a manual bilge pump (not installed yet) The boat is currently on the hard with some repair work/cleaning being done to it. I am hoping to have it finished as time/money is available. It has a small leak around both of the cockpit drains at the water line (port and starboard). Standing rig is sturdy though decent ware in spots. Running rig is OK as well. From the cockpit to starboard going forward you have a birth /w storage under , DC panel at eye level, storage shelving, sink and under sink storage, VHF and Stereo at eye level then dinette table that makes into a double birth (house battery under seat). Continue forward you have bulkhead with speaker mounted, sail storage and porta potty with additional anchor stowage in the bow point.From cockpit to port side going forward you have another single birth /w storage under, shelving and cooking area with more storage at knee. Another settee that converts to double birth /w storage under, bulk head with speaker mounted then same as starboard with sail storage and cabinet in the v area.Cockpit has lazarette to transom with motor mounted. Sails include main, jib, genoa, storm head sail and one other head sail. Strong deck with no leaks. Has anchor locker with anchor and 75ft rope with chain. It has standing room you can walk in this boat! Sleeps 4-5. Lots of other items comes with the boat. I am mainly having problems getting the time for this boat as I purchased it to sail but ended up doing more work on it than sailing. It is a fine boat though needs attention. It is not ready to go sailing again just yet but very close. Also, the cockpit is in need of a little work for the storage places above the seats. They need to be reinstalled. One new storage box purchased to be installed. The cockpit is pretty large for this boat and the companionway is extra wide.The inside flooring (carpet) was pulled out as it was no good and the plan was to repaint the flooring and resurface the teak part. I know it will look very nice with this little bit of work. Let me know if your interested and I will be happy to talk more about it.*note: I reserve the right to withdraw this listing for any reason. listed price is for current state. As-is. Once repair for cockpit drains completed the listing price will increase. For those of you who are interested ...this price was adjusted to include the work involved in getting it back on the water(leak repaired) and age of vessel. In this NADA value no extra options were chosen at all.ValuesPrint Suggested List – We have included manufacturer's suggested retail pricing (MSRP) to assist in the financing, insuring and appraising of vessels. The MSRP is the manufacturer's and/or distributor's highest suggested retail price in the U.S.A. when the unit was new. The MSRP is furnished by the manufacturer and/or distributor and are assumed to be correct. Unless indicated, the MSRP does not include destination charges, dealer set-up, state or local taxes, license tags or insurance." style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 10px 0px 5px; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(41, 78, 146); font-style: inherit; text-align: right;">Suggested List PriceLow Retail Value — A low retail valued boat will show excessive wear and tear either cosmetically and/or mechanically. This boat may or may not be in running order. The buyer can expect to invest in cosmetic and/or mechanical work. Low retail vessels usually are not found on a dealer's lot. Low Retail is not a trade-in value." style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 10px 0px 5px; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(41, 78, 146); font-style: inherit; text-align: right;">Low RetailAverage Retail Value — An average retail valued boat should be in good condition with no visible damage or defects. This boat will show moderate wear and tear and will be in sound running condition. The buyer may need to invest in either minor cosmetic or mechanical work." style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 10px 0px 5px; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(41, 78, 146); font-style: inherit; text-align: right;">Average RetailBase Price$11,000$3,720$4,240Options: (add) Outboard Motor: (change) 1986 Johnson 10SELCD 2-Stroke Series (x1)$1,958$445$500Trailer: (change) 1979 Tandem 30 Feet $970$1,090TOTAL PRICE:$12,958$5,135$5,830

Halman 20 Sailboat

Canton, Georgia

Make Halman

Category Cruiser Motorcycles

Length 20.0

This is a 1979 Halman 20 pocket cruiser. I was restoring it but ran out of time and money. Items included in the sale are new custom made inside cushions, all new windows, Brand new sails (Main, 110% working Jib, and 150% Genoa) never used, new fiddle block and main sheet pulley, 1997 Johnson 4hp long shaft motor, 6 gallon gas tank, life jackets, dock lines and fenders, galvanized trailer in good shape with new tires plus new spare, bearing buddies, Main sail cover, swim/ boarding ladder, new fire extinguisher, lead encased keel and anchor with rode. New topsides paint, Full keel with 2' 10" draft. Also included is a solar powered vent already installed. Forward hatch needs better gasket. Some crazing in the Lexan. Some water stains and damage to teak over the sink area. 12volt panel is there but not hooked up. Port navigation light lens is broken. The boat is located in Lake Allatoona, GA near Canton.

16-Jester Sailboat

Wheaton, Illinois

Make Jester

Model Jester 16

Category Daysailer Sailboats

Length 16.0

I am moving up to a larger boat. I bought this boat in winter 2013. At that time it had not been sailed in 27-years and had been kept indoors. The sails look brand new. Here is what I have done to the boat: New mast and rigging including a new backstay rig - this is not going anywhere now. New ruddercraft hydraulic rudder and extra long tiller for single handing. New axle, wheels, tires and spare on the trailer. New flip up wheel stand for tongue. New submersible LED lights for trailer (purchased, not installed). I have put more money into this boat than I am asking for it but I can't have two boats. In full disclosure there is a drip at the keel swing bolt which I believe just needs to be tightened. Huge cockpit fits 4-6 easily. Comes with a water resistant canvas cover. She's a fast boat at all points of sail but get her off the wind and she screams. My son and I got crazy one day and were sailing her down wind in 20 knots and were flying right up to the point the mast snapped - hence the new rig. Sorry, but I am peeling the name off of it, that belongs to me.

1984 Catalina 25 Sailboat

Nordman, Idaho

1984 Catalina 25 Sailboat. Tall Ship. 25 ft. Swing Keel. Bristol condition! - Exterior wood refinished last season (beautiful)- Has always been under cover when stored. - Can accommodate up to 4 persons comfortably but it does sleep 6.- Popup Top with Full Canvas Enclosure to give plenty of standup room in the galley.- Swing keel draft is 18" to 5 ft. - 7.5 Horsepower Honda Motor- Comes with a galley with 2 burner alcohol stove sink and ice box- Marine head & sink (we never used)Less than BR Marine Radio- Stereo is a single disc CD player and more- All sails in good to excellent condition including a blue white & teal sail- Custom window in the aft berth- Custom boards to make another bed in the galley across the benches or on deck in the cockpit- Custom rigging to the aft to allow one person to sail alone- Mast Assist Tools- Lots of equipment in the hull under the cockpit which will stay with the boat- Custom Wood Anchor Mount on the bow sprint.- NEVER BEEN SAILED IN SALTWATER!!- Comes with a custom trailer with the extended arm- You can sail this boat alone very easily- Clear title in hand- This is a must see boat and everything within works well. Boat has always been very well taken care of....in better condition than several newer boats we've seen. - Serious inquiries only. Qualified buyers may be eligible for Full Financing Nationwide Shipping and Extended Warranty.- ~S~

O'Day 19 Sailboat

Rathdrum, Idaho

Excellent and fast boat, beamy (8') with plenty of free-board, stable and safe in most weather/water conditions (excluding hurricanes, tornados, tsunamis, etc.), ready to sail. Always stored under cover. Roomy 8 foot long cockpit can easily seat 6 adults, within overall weight limitations for the boat. 11 foot long cabin sleeps two people easily, with room for storage & supplies. Factory foam cushions in excellent condition. Great for fishing under sail or power, drafts only 1 foot with folding keel up, 4 feet with keel down. Rudder "kicks-up" for shallow water. Stainless steel outboard mount adjusts up for shallow water. 300 pounds of lead ballast from factory. All stainless rigging, together with aluminum mast and boom, in excellent condition. Halyards and lines are braided Dacron. "Indestructible" ABS folding keel with sealed lead core. 3 sails in good condition: Factory main & jib and Hood light 150% genoa (no tears or patches on any), sail bag. Light genoa doubles as a pseudo spinaker. Harken roller reefing/furling for genoa. Boom vang for performance tuning the main sail. All halyards and lines are routed to the cockpit for easy single-handed access and control. Stainless steel Bow pulpit and rear safety rails, gated (both sides) plastic coated stainless steel life lines supported by stainless stanchions. Andersen stainless steel #6 standard winches. Updated/extended jib/genoa tracks with easily adjustable/locking travelers, ball bearing pulleys and quick release cleats. Removable bow, side and stern night lights and waterproof sockets. Subdued red LED night lighting in cockpit. 12V accessory outlets. Lighted and ventilated cabin sleeps two comfortably, cushions in good condition, sitting headroom. 2 rod holders with rubber covers. Garmin speed indicator/depth gage/fish finder mounted in bulkhead. Ritchie lighted compass mounted in bulkhead. Electric bilge pump with hose, for unlikely emergencies. Fused switch block inside cabin for all electronics. Garelick adjustable stainless steel outboard motor mount on transom. Folding stainless steel swim ladder on transom. Gin pole for raising/lowering mast. Fresh bottom paint. Includes galvanized EZ Loader trailer with newer sun resistant bottom rollers, updated wiring, elevated LED tail lights on roller guide-ons, elevated LED clearance lights on fixed PVC guide posts, LED rear center lights, new forward manual winch, new trailer jack, good tires on galvanized rims and mounted full size spare with cable lock, outboard bracket (reduces stress on transom while towing), bearing buddies, new 2" ball hitch with lock. Also available, for an additional $995, an easy starting, near new, Tohatsu 6hp 4 stroke outboard motor with extra long shaft, factory Installed 12V 60W 5A Alternator to recharge battery, anti-cavitation plate, and less than 20 hours of running time. Also included, if you purchase the outboard, is a 3 gallon fuel tank that fits inside of a storage bin in the cockpit and the hose that connects the fuel tank to the engine. Tohatsu manufactures Nissan and Mercury small outboards and is an excellent value. Typical best discount price for this Tohatsu engine, factory new, is over $1500. This one is barely broken in and runs great.The outboard is not for sale separately unless it is not wanted by whoever purchases the boat. However if you are interested in the outboard alone I will take your name and contact info, and let you know if and when it becomes available. To arrange purchase of the outboard motor, contact me and I will create a "buy-it-now" ad so that you can purchase it through ebay and we can play by their rules. That will also make you eligible for any applicable coverage under their buyer protection plan.Cash payment is fine for local pickup. Do not mail cash!!! For mailed payments, I prefer a US Postal Service Money Order. Although the shipping information for this ad stipulates "local pickup only", I am willing to assist in hitching up the boat if you are able to arrange for transport through Uship.com. I have no way of loading the boat and/or trailer onto a truck bed for shipping. The transporter will need to contact me a day in advance to arrange a time. Any and all shipping/transport costs will be the responsibility of the buyer. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE

1984 CAL 24' Sailboat Galvanized Tandem Trailer Rhode Island

East Greenwich, Rhode Island

Length 24.0

This is my 1984 25th Anniversary Special Edition Cal 24' Sailboat with tandem axle galvanized trailer I have owned the boat for the last several years and it has seen little use in that time. The boat is in good shape for its age. The following work was done within the last two years I have owned it. Please review all pictures. I have detailed pictures unlike most showing 5 pictures. Johnson 7.5HP outboard can be purchased additonally Trailer: New 3,500lb dual axlesNew galvanized wheels/tiresNew wiring/lightsPainted Boat supportsFenders Boat: Standing rigging replacedWiring replaced (connection from cabin to mast needs to be completed)Bottom stripped/barrier coated 1 layer of bottom paintMail sail 2-3 years old1 genoa no roller furlingBoom VangAluminum anchor and rhode Hull is in good shape for its age with no soft spots on deck or major damage. Has usual cracks and dings here and there. Interior has all cushions, cooler step, drop down table, porta potie etc. Bulkheads are solid and well as stainless keel bolts. I hate to sell it but do not have time to use it and would rather let someone else enjoy it. Title for boat in hand as well as registration for trailer. Full payment is required within 7 days of listings ending. Hull Type: Fin w/spade rudderRig Type: Masthead SloopLOA: 24.67' / 7.52mLWL: 20.00' / 6.10mBeam: 8.00' / 2.44mListed SA: 261 ft2 / 24.25 m2Draft (max.) 4.25' / 1.30mDraft (min.) Disp. 3300 lbs./ 1497 kgs.Ballast: 1175 lbs. / 533 kgs.SA/Disp.: 18.89Bal./Disp.: 35.60%Disp./Len.: 184.15Designer: C. Raymond Hunt & Assoc.Builder: Bangor Punta Marine (USA)Construct.: FGBal. type: LeadFirst Built: 1983Last Built: # Built: AUXILIARY POWER (orig. equip.)Make: YanmarModel: Type: DieselHP: 8TANKSWater: 12 gals. / 45 ltrs.Fuel: 15 gals. / 57 ltrs.RIG DIMENSIONS KEYI: 29.75' / 9.07mJ: 9.30' / 2.83mP: 25.75' / 7.85mE: 9.50' / 2.90mPY: EY: SPL: ISP: SA(Fore.): 138.34 ft2 / 12.85 m2SA(Main): 122.31 ft2 / 11.36 m2Total(calc.)SA: 260.65 ft2 / 24.21 m2DL ratio: 184.15SA/Disp: 18.86Est. Forestay Len.: 31.17' / 9.50mBUILDERS (past & present)More about & boats built by: Jensen Marine/Cal BoatsMore about & boats built by: Bangor Punta Corp.DESIGNERMore about & boats designed by: Raymond Hunt (C.R. Hunt & Assoc.)NOTESShoal Draft version: Draft= 3.33' Bal.=1400 lbs.

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Sailboat: 1984 Oday 26 Anniversary Edition w/ Custom Trailer

Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania

Length 26.0

NEVER IN SALT WATER. STORED INDOORS. I have other interests and have decided to part ways with my Lady J II. Custom trailer built by Salitrailer of Columbus, GA in about 2010. Very low miles on trailer. Since delivery from GA approximately 10 miles per year have been logged. Trailer has a custom mast raising system, surge brakes and a spare tire. This trailer can travel anywhere. The Lady J II has a 1998 2 cycle 15 hp long shaft engine with electric start in very good condition. She has cockpit controls for ease of handling. I sail on a lake and use the engine basically to leave and return to the dock. Almost new 130% roller furling genoa headsail. The main is original with the Oday logo in usable condition.Newer dual battery charging system with shore power capabilities. Dual battery switch in main cabin.The below deck area is rated for 6 but we have comfortably overnighted with 4. The forward V berth can sleep 2 children. Moving aft there is a Porta-Potti to port and a bathroom style sink to starboard. Further aft is a single bunk to starboard and a slide out wider bunk to port. Aft of the bunks is a shelf that can hold a small portable stove, a large ice box and a kitchen sink. Further aft under the cockpit is another bunk that we use for storage. The sinks are not pressurized. All cushions and covers are original. Upgraded to Italian made Antal self-tailing winches. Marine VHF radio w/ Weather StationTeak swim ladder w/ SS extension for easy access. Round SS rail grill.Whisker Pole. Boom Tent. Cockpit cushions.New halyards, main traveler and headsail sheets. Other misc. gear This is one of the largest trailerable sailboats that can be pulled by a 1/2 ton pickup and probably a full sized SUV. Weight is 4800#, the keel is 1800#, and the trailer is about 900#. Engine and gear is about another 400#. NADA is about $13,375. The first $10,000 gets it all.

1974 Westerly Centaur 26' Sailboat

South Haven, Michigan

Make Westerly

Model Centaur

///trailer not included/// Titled and registered, currently sailed, beautifully maintained, and in the water. Slip is paid through October 15th, 2015, including electric, water, trash, bicycles, showers, free coffee, grills, etc. A beautiful classic sailboat, Serenity, is fully restored. This boat is ready to sail! Located in beautiful, South Haven, MI. Built in England, the Centaur is a real masterpiece and functional boat. All the teak and wood has been refinished and the brass meticulously polished. This boat is a real joy to sail and the powerful diesel (classic Volvo Penta MD 2B)is extremely reliable and comforting on the big lake. This boat is VERY roomy. It has 6' headroom in the cabin and the table coverts to a double bed. All New 2015: Bluewater cruising main sail with 2 reef points, 1 full batten, all possible bells and whistles Bluewater cruising Headsail 135% w/UV cover, luff tape, mainsail cover Cabin cushion covers (marine outdoor fabric) topside paint non slip coating cabin paint/varnish halyards & rigging as needed Keel's refinished, primed, and painted with 3 coats anti-fouling paint bottom painted with 2 coats anti-fouling paint Deck hardware removed and re-bedded (including windows) Keels re-bedded Rudder shaft bearing removed and re-bedded Drive shaft bearing removed and re-bedded VERY strong diesel engine serviced & injectors tested Fuel tank drained, cleaned, and refilled (very clean fuel!!) Interior painted Lifeline netting for small children/pets new fresh-water engine intake screen new water pump on engine new thermostat Equipment: Asymmetrical Spinnaker Roller Furling Headsail Loose-foot mainsail (the original roller furling boom is still operable) Composting Head (Johnson-type hand-pump head is out of the boat) Dockside Freshwater Filter System Foot Pump 17 gallon water tank Two Solar Panels Two NEW (2015) Marine Batteries All new wiring as needed. offshore life jackets radar deflector flare guns first aid kits fire extinguishers emergency hole plug kit 2 harnesses HUGE V-berth (I'm 6'4" and I sleep in it just fine!) Table legs sandblasted and powdercoated Charcoal cabin heater (burns natural lump charcoal, not the bricks)found at lumber stores. propane cook top electric oven 3 new solar vent/lights 2 anchors Ships clock, barometer, thermometer, oil lamp, compass V-berth dresser Cockpit cushions lifesling MOB system dock power cord bumpers, dock lines, etc. Many Other Details Have all manuals and historical documents

West Wight Potter 19' Sailboat

New Port Richey, Florida

Make West Wight (International Marine)

Model Potter

Length 19.0

This is a sturdy vessel. Orginally designed to sail the English Channel, and now produced in California you don't find these making their way to the east coast often. Boat includes trailer and is able to put in the water and sailing in less than an hour. The boat shell is a 98,. but still in great shape. Most of the items on the boat have been upgraded recently. Motor is 2 years old and has less than 50 hours on it, still in mint condition. The entire electrical system was redone last year. All lights inside and out work and were replaced at the time. Battery charger was also put in and is new. Also recently added a AUTO PILOT! Its awesome, you can just set the autopilot with the garmin GPS (also included) and lay back and sail or motor. We loved taking the boat out for a day, and even taking it to the keys and sleeping on it. Sleeps 2 comfortably, and 4 for a night or two. Hate selling it, but we bought a small business and we can't take it out like we used to. It's currently in dry storage, where it lives whenever its not sailing. No salt water damage. Great thing about this boat is its small enough to trailer, (has a retraceable keel that makes beaching possible) big enough to sleep on, easy enough for a beginner, yet strong enough for any sea's. Full foam hull so the boat is unsinkable. After purchase, if needed, I'm willing to take the new owner out to show him/her how the boat works.

1991 Hunter Sailboat 18' 6"

Earleville, Maryland

V-berth aft, plus full berth on port side. Galley includes sink, stove and cooler. Water storage beneath v-berth. The sails included are the Main, Jib and Genoa with Whisker pole. All sails are in great condition. Also included are depth finder, compass, boarding ladder, bumpers and life preservers. There is a wind tell for the mast and battery beneath hatchway, anchor with chain and line, and numerous lines with gaff pole. Galvanized trailer is in good condition with spare tire. A recently refurbished 4 stroke, 4HP Mercury outboard engine is included. Boat has a winged bulb keel with 24" draft. Boat is ready to sail. Has been sailed on the Upper Chesapeake Bay.

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5 Surprising Advantages of a Full Keel Sailboat

Modern keel designs favor fin keels, with the high-performance boats using bulbs with narrow chord sections and deep drafts. Very few full keel designs are being built today, but there is a huge secondary market of used boats with full keels. Many ocean sailors swear by them and love their full keeled boats. There are reasons they love them.

While fin and bulb keels outperform full keels in straight speed and performance, the full keel is not without benefits you can appreciate. Here are five distinct advantages of a full keel you may not know about.

• Full keels provide better tracking
• Full keels are integral to the hull construction
• Better rudder and propeller protection
• Full keels are more comfortable
• They have less draft than fin keels

There are a lot of great cruising boats with full keel designs . Before you let someone talk you out of that sweet beauty because of her keel, look at some things that you might like about that full-figured boat.

On this page:

1. full keels provide better tracking, 2. full keels are integral to the hull construction, 3. better rudder & propeller protection, 4. full keels are more comfortable, 5. less draft as other designs (but as stable), other keel designs to consider.

A boat with a full keel keeps sailing in the direction you point it. That big keel is a little harder to turn, and while that can make backing into a slip a bit of trouble, it helps to set up balanced boat trim.

With correct sail trim on any boat, sailing can be a two finger affair and only need a light touch to keep the boat on the wind, on course and fast. Constant steering and adjustment of a boat's course slows you, as the rudder acts like a brake every time you turn it.

A full keel helps, because of the boat's inherent ability to keep going straight. Setting up the rig and sails to get the boat to track like it’s on rails is a lot easier, and many full-keeled boats will sail themselves in moderate conditions with proper trim. Fin and bulb keels keels are more likely to spin out a little and require more correction.

How does this help? At least three ways:

• Fewer touches on the wheel is more boat speed . Yes, a full keel boat is slower that a fin because of the drag caused by the large wetted surface area of the keel, but keeping the boat sailing in the groove is much easier when the boat wants to keep going where you pointed it.
• It's easier on autopilots and wind-vane steering . The less you work your autopilot the better. From saving wear and tear on the machinery to avoiding overloads and over steering, the stability of the full keel helps. And wind-vane steering is a natural fit for most full keel boats, as their inherent course stability makes this a smart pairing.
• Heaving to . Stopping your boat is an important capability, whether it's to get some sleep or a shower when shorthanded, to make a repair, or to ride out a storm. Most full-keeled boats heave to easily, whereas some fin and bulb keels struggle and take more practice and still don't stop as well.

The keel and the boat are one. Well, not always one piece, but a full keel runs the length of the boat and is almost always integral to the hull construction. A grounding which rips a fin off a lighter boat may be just an inconvenience with a full keel.

Full keels run over 50% of the length of the hull and are often integral to the hull construction, with ballast inside the keel. External keels have a much smaller attachment surface and rely on high tensile keel bolts and toughened structures to suspend the keel from the hull.

Striking a rock or the bottom with a fin or bulb puts the shearing force from the collision on a smaller, more leveraged point on the hull, whereas a full keel disperses the force over most of the hull. While other keels are as strong and quite safe, the full keel is more resistant to these shearing and twisting forces because it spreads out the load.

Grounded vessels with full keels will take less damage as the boat lies on its side waiting for the tide. Again it comes down to dispersing the load - putting the load of the grounded boat over a broader area reduces point loading and stress on any one component of the boat. Most full-keeled boats will just lie on their sides, waiting for the tide to come back in instead of tipping or rocking with swells and waves.

Also, grounding may be easier or softer with a full keel. Most full keels keep running on a slope matching the curve of the hull - the transition from hull to keel is gradual, not sudden. If you hit the bottom, you aren't hitting it at a ninety-degree angle with your boat, you're hitting a ramp. The sudden stop will be more of a slide up than a slam, and this equals better protection in a grounding.

It's virtually impossible to catch your rudder on kelp or lobster pots when it's attached to the full trailing edge of the keel. And a propeller in an aperture is well protected from passing snags. If you're not motoring, it's very unlikely anything will get sucked into that space and wrapped on your prop.

It's not just protection from tangling and snags, either. Groundings can damage exposed spade and skeg rudders behind fin keels. Your full keel throws an enormous shadow for the more delicate parts of your underwater gear to hide behind, so they won't get damaged if you find the bottom.

Coupled with the tracking a full keel gives you is improved lateral stability - you roll less. While any ballast below water stops rolling by adding leverage and righting moment, the full keel uses more than just weight to slow your roll. The shape of the keel - a broad surface in the water - inherently resists rolling forces.

Righting Moment refers to a boat's tendency to come back up to upright when it's tipped or heeled. It's a combination of the movement of the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity of the boat as it tilts. More righting moment gives less heel angle.

Offshore, this gives you a better feel, more sea comfort. And sea comfort not only makes your passages easier, but in rough conditions is a safety feature. Lighter boats with fins and bulbs will get tossed and rolled in chop and waves, and that motion is exhausting. Not only do you have to constantly adjust your stance, grip and seating to handle the motion, sleeping, eating and cooking is that much more difficult.

Hours of sitting in the cockpit watching the autopilot in rough conditions can make your entire body feel you've been working out. You're always holding, bracing, and clenching something. A boat which makes the motions less violent and more natural will take that edge off. You won't have to hold and brace so much, and that keeps you from tiring as fast on watch.

The other place you'll love the stability is at anchor

The ideal anchorage is flat, calm and beautiful. But everyone likes that anchorage, and boat traffic and wakes aren't uncommon. Weather and wind shifts can make a calm anchorage uncomfortable as fetch carries over the water and makes chop. And sometimes, you just have to stay in an anchorage that just isn't that comfortable because it's the only one there is and it has chop or roll. (Academy Bay, I'm talking to you!)

That full keel stops a lot of roll and motion in the anchorage . Small fin-keeled boats thrash and roll violently when a big wake hits an anchorage, only the bigger, heavier boats are spared. But with a full keel you'll roll like a boat twice your size, spill a lot fewer drinks, and sleep better.

The size of a full keel gives some stability; with added internal ballast you can get good stiffness and stability to the boat. Other keels don't have that same size and have to take alternative approaches to get the same stability.

A fin or bulb keel is a lever against the forces above the waterline from the rig and sails trying to tip the boat. You counteract those forces with weight - ballast. With a lever, you can increase the righting force two ways - add more weight, or make the lever longer.

A longer lever equals a deeper keel.

Deeper draft equates to better sail performance and righting moment, but you can get the needed stability on a full-keeled boat with less draft . Fin and bulb keels are deeper to get the extra righting forces they can't get from the longer, full keel.

Trends in modern keel design have led to deeper and deeper drafts, which close off some waters to some boats and make navigation trickier. Two or three feet of extra draft can close you out of a lot of anchorages and gunkholes.

There are dozens of keel types out there and all serve a different purpose and excel under different conditions. To understand which keel type is best for your situation , I recommend you read our Illustrated Guide to Sailboat Keel Types , which contains the fundamentals of keel design and an overview for each keel type's characteristics (including diagrams). It will help you understand which keel designs to consider in ten minutes or less.

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How to Trailer a Sailboat

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

If you own a sailboat or you would like to own one in future, it’s important to have the right knowledge on trailering your sailboat. Knowing how to trailer a sailboat is of great significance. Again, you also need to know how to tow a sailboat so that you do it right.

It might seem like it’s a very difficult task for you to trailer your sailboat, but it’s actually not as hard as you think. What you need is the right equipment and the required knowledge and you will be good to go. Remember, safety is paramount for everything involved in this exercise, including you. So, make sure that you are doing everything right.

As you plan for your next sailing adventure, the following tips will help you to trailer and tow your sailboat in the most effective and safest way possible.

Table of contents

Know the Weight of What You Are Pulling

Now that you want to transport your sailboat using a trailer, you need to learn the fundamentals of how to trailer a sailboat. From the onset, you should know the weight of everything that you are going to pull. Basically, make sure that you know the estimated weight of the trailer, sailboat, and everything that’s inside it. In this respect, you should take note of the amount of gas in the tank, water, as well as any other equipment that might be inside your sailboat. All this should be put into consideration when looking into the issue of weight. Having known the approximate weight of what you need to pull, you should check your towing vehicle’s manual to establish if it can pull your trailer and sailboat.

Make sure that you get the weight of every component right because it will be important in determining how safe and comfortable the transportation will be. For instance, a trailer’s tongue weight should fall within the limits of a towing vehicle. If a trailer’s tongue weight is too much, it puts a lot of pressure on the rear wheels, thus lifting the front wheels of the towing vehicle. Consequently, steering becomes a difficult task. Again, if there is too much weight on the back of the trailer, the towing vehicle can easily lose control. Therefore, it’s prudent to take note of the sailboat, the trailer, and all the components involved so as to make trailering your sailboat easier.

Check the Tires and Brakes

The tires and brakes of a tow vehicle should be in a good condition for safe transportation. A valuable tip that you should always put into consideration, in respect to how to trailer a sailboat, is ensuring that the pressure of the tires is at the right levels. Ensure that the tires of the tow vehicle and the trailer are within the recommended pressure for the transportation to be safe and effective. It’s advisable for you to check the sidewalls and treads of the tires of the towing vehicle and the trailer to ascertain whether they are fit for the transportation.

If you notice that they are worn out, the best thing to do is to replace them. UV damage can cause tear and wear on trailer tires while pot holes and bumps can weaken the capacity of a towing vehicle’s tires. Thus, you should establish whether the tires need pressure inflation or replacement. Additionally, it’s cardinal to take note of the speed rating on the tires on the towing vehicle and the trailer. This is pivotal because it will guide you on the speed limit you should maintain while on the road. For most trailer tires, the rated speed limit is 65mph. Maintaining the required speed limit is essential in guaranteeing the safe arrival of your sailboat. Of great importance still, ensure that brakes are functioning well to avoid any mishap while on the road. If there is any problem with brakes, you should address it so as to tow your sailboat safely.

Maintain Safety When Towing a Sailboat

Safety is very important when towing a sailboat. Part of the major things you should know when learning how to tow a sailboat is how to maintain safety. You don’t want to put an end to your sailing because of the damage you might cause to your sailboat during transportation. So, it’s wise for you to ensure that you are in full control of the trailer, sailboat, and towing vehicle. The following areas are worth putting into consideration when towing a sailboat: acceleration, braking, turning, and stability. Driving at a slower speed is recommended when towing a sailboat, especially if you are not used to it. Make sure that you maintain a considerable distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you. Driving slower is advisable when you are attached to a trailer because you need to react safely when you find yourself in a challenging circumstance when on the road. When you encounter a sudden challenging situation when towing a sailboat, you, obviously, don’t react the same way you do in normal times. You should induce a slowdown without causing unsteadiness. This will help you to remain in control without having to cause unnecessary panic and instability. If you master the skill of acceleration, braking, turning, and stability, you will be in a position to maintain safety when towing a sailboat.

Sailing is good for adventure. Indeed, being in the deep waters is a great experience. But, you need to think about how to trailer your sailboat to the waters and also how to take it back home once you are done. Knowing how to trailer a sailboat will give you the freedom of doing it yourself without having to hire a tow company to do it for you. It’s not a difficult task. However, you will need to follow the required procedures for the safe transportation of your sailboat. Remember, trailering a sailboat means that you have to pull a lot of weight. Therefore, you should be able to put integral aspects and components into consideration so as to tow a sailboat in the safest way possible. Now that you have learned how to trailer a sailboat and how to tow a sailboat as well, practice the above-mentioned, and you will realize that it’s not a hard task as many people think.

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How to Launch a Sailboat with a Fixed Keel: A Step by Step Guide

Every sailboat has a keel. Whether yours is stationary (fixed) or flexible (moveable) depends on the model of your sailboat. If your boat has a fixed keel, you may struggle to launch the vessel into the water. You want to get better at this, but you’re not sure where to start. How do you launch a sailboat with a fixed keel?

To successfully launch a fixed keel sailboat into the water, follow these steps:

• Make sure you’re driving a heavy vehicle, such as a pickup truck or mid-sized SUV that doesn’t have front-wheel drive
• Reverse your vehicle so the trailer is near the water’s edge
• Put wheel chocks on your trailer 
• Unhook the trailer from your towing truck
• Drive the vehicle away from the edge of the water so the attached rope becomes tight 
• Take the chocks out from the trailer wheels
• Begin backing up until your sailboat is in the water 

Admittedly, launching your fixed keel sailboat isn’t the easiest nor the quickest process. Therefore, in this article, we’ll explore the above steps in much more detail. We’ll also tell you everything you need to know about a fixed keel so you can better understand your sailboat. 

What Is a Fixed Keel?

Okay, so your sailboat has a fixed keel rather than a moveable one. What does that even mean?

Well, first, let’s just make sure we’re on the same page about what a keel is. Your sailboat’s keel is the lowest element and the most longitudinal. Keels are made for counterbalancing and hydrodynamics in most sailboats, but they don’t do this for all. 

If your keel is more hydrodynamic, then it’s supposed to go partially in the water. Fixed keels can be hydrodynamic, and if they are, then they’re strong enough to hold up the weight of your sailboat if necessary.

Okay, let’s talk more about fixed keels now. As we said in the intro, a fixed keel is stationary, meaning it will never move. Thanks to your sailboat’s fixed keel, you don’t have to worry about your boat blowing sideways in windy conditions. 

Your fixed keel also distributes the center of gravity of your sailboat when in the water, moving this gravity under the waterline. Now, if your boat were to capsize from strong waves or the wind, it would pop right back upright again. 

Not all fixed keels are the same. Your sailboat may be outfitted with one of two types: a full keel or a fin keel.

Full keels, despite their name, are not as long as the hull. They’re actually half the length. The design of a full keel is such that the aft edge is attached to a rudder while the forward edge has a vertical curve. 

The stability a full keel lends you is advantageous. You can also rely on a full keel for grounding safely on your sailboat every time. 

A fin keel has a broader shape, as its bottom cuts off at an angle. This type of fixed keel is often made of metal or wood. If you’re using a sailboat, a racing yacht, or any other shallow vessel on the water, the fin keel adds lateral resistance with its downward projection. That will make steering easier as well as help you keep the boat steadier. 

Do Fixed Keel Sailboats Have Any Benefits?

You may have bought your sailboat without knowing some keels could move and others couldn’t. Through the luck of the draw, you ended up with a boat installed with a fixed keel.

Is your boat at an advantage or a disadvantage with a fixed keel? The answer is both. Let’s start with the benefits of a fixed keel sailboat.

• Centerboard-free: The first main perk of a fixed keel is that your sailboat foregoes a centerboard. If you’re not familiar, a centerboard is a type of keel that can retract. It fits in a sailboat’s hull via a slot. The centerboard pivots due to this setup. In shallower waters, the centerboard will lift so your center of lateral resistance is better. 

Centerboards can come in handy, but due to their construction, there’s a good chance yours will jam up eventually, if not snap off entirely. A fixed keel won’t do that. It’s built into the boat and doesn’t bob and move with changing water levels. That increases the keel’s durability by a good margin. 

• More freedom among your crew: With some other keel setups, if your crew doesn’t distribute their weight evenly, your risk of capsizing is higher. That’s not the case with a fixed keel sailboat. Move about as you will. Your boat will stay upright. 
• Less sideways motion: If your sailboat experiences a lot of leeway or sideways motion in the water, a fixed keel will change that. The keel positioning lends the boat more stability. 
• Great for capsizing prevention: As you’ve read on this blog, sailboats are incredibly prone to capsizing. It’s practically unavoidable. That said, with a fixed keel on your sailboat, the ballast of the keel may reduce your instances of capsizing. Also, as we mentioned before, the center of gravity distribution from the fixed keel makes it easier for your boat to come back up after capsizing. This can save lives in some instances.

In the interest of full disclosure, we should talk about the downsides to a fixed keel sailboat, as there are several of these.

• Trailering difficulties: This admittedly depends on the size of your keel and how deep it is. The deeper the fixed keel, the harder it is for trailering. Should your fixed keel sailboat exceed 25 feet, then you can’t trailer it at all. You’d need to keep it in a boatyard and launch it from there. This can be expensive and inconvenient.
• Weighty boat: Another problem with fixed keel sailboats is the keel adds extra weight to the boat. If you’re trailering, which we’ll explain more in the next section, that weight does add up. 
• Shallow water troubles: Deeper keels have yet a second problem you should be aware of. That is, the displacement of these keels may make them unable to handle shallow waters without the keel scraping along and sustaining damage. 

For more detailed information on keels, their types and effects on your vessels please read our last article here .

Launching a Sailboat with a Fixed Keel? Follow These Steps

You will indeed have your work cut out for you when trailering and launching a fixed keel sailboat, but it’s by no means impossible to do. 

Here’s what you must have handy for the job:

• A trailer that fits your fixed keel sailboat
• High-quality wheel chocks
• Durable, fresh rope

You’ll then want to follow along with these steps to successfully send your boat into the water.

Step 1: Make Sure You Have the Right Vehicle 

Not every vehicle is made for trailering and launching fixed keel sailboats. Ideally, you should drive a pickup truck or a mid-sized SUV. The heavier, the better here. After all, since the fixed keel sailboat can weigh more itself, you need a towing vehicle that can handle the extra weight.

Besides the weight of the vehicle, you should also make sure it has the right drive type. Front-wheel drive is not recommended. When you launch a fixed keel sailboat using a truck with front-wheel drive, the trailer weight will come down on the back of your truck. This causes traction instability to your front tires, which is not good.

Two-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, and manual four-wheel drive are all better options than standard four-wheel drive. 

Step 2: Position Your Vehicle

Put your sailboat on the trailer and drive to the water where you want to launch the boat. When you get there, switch into reverse so you can align your truck or SUV until the trailer is right at the water’s edge. 

At that point, the other crewmembers you brought with you (no, you can’t do this by yourself) need to set up the wheel chocks. These should go behind each of your trailer wheels. 

Step 3: Separate the Tow Vehicle and the Trailer

With the wheel chocks secure, your crew should next remove the trailer so it’s no longer attached to your truck or SUV. At this point, the spare tire that comes with your trailer should be at its front. Otherwise, the tongue of the trailer won’t stay up, which can prevent the easy rolling you’re going to need for your sailboat. 

Step 4: Attach the Rope and Pull It

You don’t want your towing vehicle and the trailer completely removed from one another yet. Take your rope and connect the two vehicles now. Then, drive your truck or SUV in very small increments until the rope is pulled nice and tight. It should not be strained to the point where it will break, but it should feel taut. 

Step 5: Remove the Trailer Wheel Chocks and Move the Boat in the Water

You’re almost done at this point, but not entirely. Next, you want your crew to take the wheel chocks off all four wheels of your trailer. Now you want to reverse your truck or SUV yet again, going until your sailboat and the trailer are in the water. Neither should be barely in, but submerged.

Step 6: Let the Boat Float into the Water

Gravity should do its thing and your sailboat should naturally take to the water without you having to back in any deeper.

Step 7: Drive Forward and Re-Chock the Wheels of Your Trailer

Instead, you want to switch your truck or SUV into drive and get your trailer out of the water. When you’re safely out, your crew can reapply the wheel chocks on the trailer. 

Step 8: Reattach the Trailer to Your Vehicle 

The crew will also reconnect the trailer to your towing vehicle so you can drive it back home. You’re all done from there!

Now, the above eight steps anticipate that the conditions are ideal. In some bodies of water, you may run into shallow sandbars that make launching a fixed keel sailboat even more difficult. You don’t want your keel scraping along or even going through the sandbar, as that could hurt it. You could also end up ruining your boat that way if you’re not careful.

You’d want to use a boat ramp for launching your sailboat over a sandbar safely. Alternately, a courtesy dock near the boat ramp works just as well. Your crew will need to be with you to make a launch happen in these conditions.

They’ll attach the dock line to the courtesy dock to send your fixed keel sailboat with the trailer into the water deep enough for the launch. 

More Tips for Sailing with a Fixed Keel

You now know how to launch your fixed keel sailboat in the water, but what do you do once you’re in there? We’ve compiled some handy tips for successful sailing with an immovable keel.

Research Where You’ll Sail Before You Go

The above sandbar situation is for the most part avoidable with a bit of research. Plan for where you sail and know which bodies of water have sandbars. Sometimes, water level and weather shifts can cause sandbars to appear where there had been none. Once you have a few preferred places to sail though, you can get a feel for which bodies of water may be most likely to have sandbars and then avoid those if riding in your fixed keel sailboat. 

Gauge Water Depth Before Launch

Besides the level of the ground beneath the water, you also have to watch out for the depth of the water. Other sailboat keels can accommodate for shallower or deeper waters, but not a fixed keel. The keel length stays the same no matter how much (or little) water you’re sailing in. 

The lower the water levels, the greater the chances of your fixed keel colliding with all that lies on the water’s floor. These could be sandbars, yes, but also damaging debris like seaweed or chunky rocks and stones. 

If you’re sailing in the ocean especially, avoid venturing out during low tide when launching at the shoreline. There are far too many risks for your fixed keel sailboat. 

Know What to Do If Your Keel Is Aground

Let’s say the worst did happen and your fixed keel ended up firmly lodged in a sandbar. You’d want to try to navigate your sailboat away if you can, getting your boat over or behind the sandbar.

Then it’d be a good idea to pull off to a dock as soon as you can and assess the damage. If your keel is just a little scraped up, then you should be able to keep sailing. For more serious harm, you’ll probably have to get your boat repaired.

In the future, avoid shallow conditions or waters with high floors, as they don’t do any favors for a sailboat with a permanently fixed keel. 

Conclusion 

A fixed keel on a sailboat cannot move, which means it has no freedom to retract in shallower conditions. These keels can reduce sideways motion and may even make it easier to recover after capsizing. That said, because the keel can be weighty and hard to work with, launching a fixed keel sailboat into the water is a whole complicated process.

The steps and guidance provided in this article should help you with a successful launch. Happy sailing! 

I am the owner of sailoradvice. I live in Birmingham, UK and love to sail with my wife and three boys throughout the year.

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