Cruising a trailer sailer

Just wondering how many readers are trailer sailers with a serious cruising bent rather than around the cans races or day trippers?
We have just arrived back home from living onboard our 28 foot trailer sailer for nearly 6 weeks cruising in company with old friends with over 30 years extensive experience living onboard their 25 foot trailer sailer for extended periods every year.
I have had past experience doing very extended expeditions on smaller trailer sailers and sailing kayaks that I call camper/sailing but now have a close to maximum trailable yacht equipped for extended cruising that this recent trip was our first over two week liveaboard shakedown cruise.
We are intending many extended trips around various sailing destinations following this initial
relatively tame Murray River trip.

Hi Grith,
we have a Ross780 Mk3 that we we race and cruise when time permits.
I've had quite few different TY's, but I keep coming back to the Ross 780 for many reasons.
We are based in the Illawarra, just south of Sydney.

I have a keel yacht on Pittwater but was attracted by the concept so I went and looked at what proved to be a very nice Ross 780 Mark 2 in Caboolture last weekend (so nice that I notice it is now sold despite not being cheap). My idea was to perhaps leave it in the Whitsundays (after exploring a few other places on the way up) but it would be outside and I got to thinking that the trailer would just turn to rubbish and the very nice boat would probably not look all that flash either after being left unattended there for much of the year.
If I sold my keel yacht and dedicated myself entirely to this yacht it would probably be a goer but I also noted that it is very lightly built and began to think that I would get scared if it blew up to say 40 knots or so as it inevitably would.
Spending $520 in diesel just to get there and back without towing anything in my four-wheel drive also alerted me to the fact that towing it around the countryside long distances would come at a significant cost.
Another issue is the security of the car and particularly trailer if any extended cruising is to be done.
I was sorely tempted because it was such a nice boat but in the end I don't need another maintenance headache. There is also the mast stepping and finding and executing launching every time you want to sail which would be a significant pain just for a day sail. Shallow draught would however be a boon in the Sandy Straits and other like places.
Yes I am still a bit conflicted.
I slept on board in the guys backyard. Doesn't take long to get attached so hope that the boat went to a good home :-).

Maybe next time I get caught out in rough conditions and use the motor without cavitation or the waves and wind are bashing my relatively sturdy hull and rig I may convince myself that I made the right decision.

I might revisit the concept in 2024 as next year I have the opportunity for 7 months to explore the reef from Lake Mac to tippy top and back down the outside for 7 months on a friend's very comfortable catamaran platform :-).

Hi All Yes the Ross 780's mk3 is a lovely yacht I agree. Those worried about where to park a trailer sailer there are actually plenty of choices for the slightly inventive.
The usual Australian currency of a carton or two of beer goes a long way towards securing safe storage whilst you are off cruising in a wide range of different options as varied as from transport storage yards to farmers hardstanding areas.
Out of peak season most caravan parks will let you park up in a remote corner for a very small fee for those less brazen than just asking when seeing something suitable.
As for the costs of towing I have found they are not that much more than just driving there anyway with the likely increase in fuel consumption ranging from 40-70 percent in my experience.
Generally trailable yachts cost less to tow for equivilent size and weight than caravans due to their small front profile cutting through the air.
I agree if you live a long way away from your desired cruising location and only wish to sail for 7-10 days then perhaps chartering is a feasible alternative.
If happy to almost always cruise the same or close by locations then perhaps a trailable cruising yacht isn't your best choice.
Even in that case if not living on a small block then there are still advantages in taking your yacht home for maintenance, storage and pre trip preparation and provisioning if you are a multi day cruiser as distinct from a day sailer or around the cans racer.
Yes if accommodating a family for cruising then a trailer sailer is generally too small for most.
Finally rigging and launching times are often a result of design and appropriate systems as these can turn a 2-3 hour exercise into a 30-40 minute one even on a very large trailer sailer. My own yacht has a superb manufacturer built system that allows me to solo rig it and remains insitu allowing one person on water lowering whilst underway for bridge and powerline transits

There are lots of really great smaller trailer sailers but I was really talking trailable multi week cruising capable yachts. Cruising for a week or more with partner on a Sonata 6 I call camper sailing not cruising. Possible but cramped and compromised a bit like backpacking into the mountains. Very enjoyable but a challenge to achieve as distinct from a relaxing pastime. :)
I feel most mature ladies object to ablutions in the open or over the side and having to stay constantly bent over for all tasks from dressing to cooking.
There are a range of larger trailer sailers with enclosed heads ( even like mine rarely used indoor showers ) and genuine standing headroom without resorting to pop tops and the like. Personally I also like a permanent double berth available for a rest or a read anytime not having to deconstruct the lounge dining area to create the bed from the dining table.
My now achieved goal was to create a trailable cruising package comfortable enough to secure a new partner keen for sailing adventures to replace my adventurous daughter who has recently taken wing and flown the nest.
Her mother and I did lots of camper sailing when younger spending up to 5 weeks crawling in and out of a Jarcat 6 catamaran and previously even a week onboard a Hartley 16 as a replacement for cycle touring and backpacking due to her back problems. The photo below was taken back in 2000 during a 5 week camper sailing trip in the Whitsundays on a 20 foot Jarcat. It highlights one of the other advantages of many trailer sailers being the ability to dry out in high tidal zones.
However sun shelter, carrying capacity, and comfort onboard were all delicate balancing acts and we were very thankfully adopted by a bunch of live aboard cruising yachties and spent many enjoyable afternoons partying on others much larger yachts. :)

You bring up an important point above Grith and that is to get the right boat for your pursuits. I am 80 next year with a sailing background more attuned to racing than cruising . l relish being out in a breeze testing mine and the boats limits more so than I would having a lovely lady on board sharing a wine and sumptuous dinner.
hang on might have to think about that.
nah , minds willing but body is weak but there again sometimes ,especially with grandson/s on board , will pull up onto the beach on South Straddie at tipplers bar and cafe with 3000 jetskis for a leisurely lunch and hopefully a wild ride back to the marina if there is E/S in the arvo. breeze. The Sonata is my first trailer sailer and I can't believe they are not more popular with all the lakes , rivers and protected waters we have.

Hi Banana bender Good on you being out there sailing at 80!
My friend who has been retired and cruising a trailer sailer with his partner for over 30 years now is 86 and we just spent nearly 6 weeks cruising in company with them.
As for sailing fast, been there done that and got some trophies to show for it but in my view when cruising a half a knot here or there really isn't that important versus a bit of luxury when living onboard. Very few TS's are really fast even the stripped out purpose build racing machine TS's are generally only average speedsters when compared to really fast sailing craft.
Even the great old RL24's can put on a turn of real speed sailed well in the right breeze but having spent a night moored right alongside one in a storm front , it looked like trying to stay on a bucking bronco whilst my daughter was doing her very detailed artwork on ours. The owner retreated off their yacht and onto shore for the night it was that wild.

I am also amazed that trailer sailers are dying in popularity. Back in the late 60's early 70's when I started sailing there was huge numbers being built here in Australia and they were very popular.
Onboard during a significant storm when waves were waves crashing over the adjacent RL24.

I entirely agree about speed being relative and getting the best out of any particular sailing craft being really enjoyable.
I just get a bit over the my yacht sails faster than yours stuff when it just doesn't matter when cruising as long as everyone is having fun.
Sailing a stripped out racing TS is still at very pedestrian speeds and thrills versus sailing a high performance skiff, catamaran or now a foiler.
I sail fully loaded for long range cruising and therefore my yacht is heavy and not that fast on some points of sail. Huge amounts of fuel and water, hot water system, dodger and two bimini's, huge battery bank, dingy and it's outboard, big outboard, 700w of solar panels and truck loads of other cruising niceties are not going to help your overall sailing speed but I still try to sail to potential. You just plan your next anchorage based on projected average speed and then sail to your best ability.
In my case a miscalculation ( or change in projected weather conditions ) can be fixed in a jiffy with the iron wind.

I completely agree.To quote a famous phrase.
"Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."
Sailing boats take this to a whole new level that it's difficult explaining that to many powerboaters! The ability to travel using your own skills to harness natures own motivating force brings another step up in the level of joy and appreciation over just pulling the cord or turning the key and pointing your water craft in exactly the desired direction. It matters not that the journey is slower as it's also quieter, more involving and in my view more satisfying. I am not sure about some of the crappiest times on a boat being the best times but they sure are some of the most memorable. Endless perfect evenings watching the sun go down glass in hand on the back deck in some beautiful bay are paradise but tend to seamlessly blend into one another whilst disaster has a habit of sticking firm and fast in your memory!

My little Bristol 24 might as well have a trailer. Drawing around 3' I find her perfect around the Hawkesbury, Pittwater and Sydney Harbour. So many places I can anchor and explore on a budget the deeper draft and higher clearance yachts can't access.

I really enjoy seeing the little fleets of friends in trailer sailors that turn up to launch at Parsley Bay, Brooklyn on the Hawkesbury. I often spark up a conversation and discover these little boats go a lot more places than the big boats others buy to flaunt their status. The owners always look content.

I would recommend Parsley Bay as a good boat ramp inside a small protected boat harbour with three public wharfs and a good car park. Perfect location just off the Pacific Highway at the lower reach of the Hawkesbury on the cusp of Broken Bay just off Pittwater and Brisbane Waters. Quick sail to Sydney Harbour in suitable conditions.

3 foot draft is great versus the more usual 5-6 foot for most keel boats but having more like 1 foot draft of many trailer sailers opens up whole new worlds of cruising and mooring destinations. I have spent many nights parked inshore of wave/wind effected moorings or anchorage locations watching larger keel boats plunge around like untamed horses straining at their mooring lines. Even nicer is the solitude of anchoring up in a bay or hidden corner completely inaccessible to regular draft boats.
Both preparation for and the post cruise cleanup are so much easier when your cruising yacht is parked at home on the lawn or driveway. ( I know often not an option for those living in crowded together boxes in big cities these days) The only difficulty is choosing where to cruise next as with a trailable cruising yacht the choice can be overwhelming.

With the tow unit an the boat you have plenty of room.
Enjoy!!!!!

gary

We have just towed our yacht from South Australia up through the middle of Australia and are now heading out from Airlie Beach for several months cruising in our live aboard fitted out cruising trailer sailer. Beats smashing all around the coast for extended periods with a conventional cruising yacht in my view.
Our 28 foot trailerable yacht features most of the comforts and equipment of a more conventional larger cruising yacht. With nearly 1000w of solar panels and portable lithium battery packs we have shore connection like power whilst out cruising. we cook via induction, have compressor fridge and separate freezer and a 22 litre 240v hotwater service.
I think we are currently the smallest cruising yacht in the Coral Sea Marina at Airlie Beach as we wait on a friend arriving from Perth by plane to join us for our first week out in the islands.