– Feels much larger than it is
– Freedom to move below deck
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.
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.
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.
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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Catamaran Cruisers Houseboats
The newly designed 8'x31' Lil' Hobo trailerable is truly a model of efficiency. Famous for its 2-for-1 value, it trailers as an RV to your favorite campsite and cruises equally well to a secluded cove for your next houseboat adventure. For more than 25 years, the Lil' Hobo continues to be one of our most popular Catamaran Cruiser models.
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Catamaran Cruisers Lil Hobo Trailerable Houseboat
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Lil Hobo Rear View with Slide & 60hp Yamaha
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Large-sized catamarans are appealing due to their ample spacing and comfort. Therefore, a cruising family or couple looking to buy a boat is more likely to go for one of these. But are there small cruising catamarans that provide the performance, comfort, and amenities found in larger boats?
The best catamarans under 30 feet (9.14 m) include the TomCat 6.2, Cadillac 27and 30, Gemini 30, Endeavour 30, and Maine Cat. These time-tested cruising cats are easy to handle, premium built, and are great for daytime sailing, overnight trips, and some even suitable for long-range sea passages.
In this article, you’ll find a list of the best cruising catamarans below 30 feet (9.14 m). Keep reading to discover which catamarans make this list, what they have to offer, their pros and cons, and how much they cost.
If you are unsure whether or not 30ft is too small for your needs, then I suggest you check out another article I wrote named Best Size Catamaran , it will discuss why length matters and how it affects safety.
Unlike most catamarans designed for racing purposes, the TomCat 6.2 is a medium-sized cat that’s well-suited to daytime cruising. It boasts high-quality construction, vacuum-bagged hulls, and a plywood-reinforced deck.
This 20 footer (6.09 m) comes with an 11-foot (3.35 m) beam and not only offers you safety and comfort but performance and versatility as well.
This boat has a centrally placed outboard engine and two rudders that allow it to turn quickly and maneuver confidently into and out of marina slips. The 9.9 hp outboard propels it to speeds of around 8 knots (9.21 mph or 14.8 kph), though the boat has the potential to move faster if desired.
This simpler type of cat (just one engine as an example) also allows for cheaper and easier maintenance. Maintenance costs are something most people underestimate when getting a cat, if you want to get some real numbers from actual sailors then I suggest you read this article (How much does it cost to maintain a cat).
The boat sails with minimal heeling, comfortably accommodate 6-8 people, and you can sail it single-handed or take a crew.
High and narrow hulls bearing arched bottoms allow for a low wetted surface. The hull design provides low resistance and a great deal of reserved buoyancy and also enables you to drive through closely spaced waves.
On most 20-footers (6.1 m), driving through waves generates a smooth but wet ride, but with the TomCat’s enclosed deck (link to parts names explained here ), you are safe and protected behind a windshield and the high bulwark.
The TomCat makes an excellent cruiser because it performs impressively well both under sail and power. It combines the performance of a modern sailing cat with the comfort, style, and convenience of a powerboat. It’s also trailerable since you can detach the hulls from the deck , winch up the deck on a trailer, and slide the hulls underneath.
But the best part is that it’s easy on the pocket, with the price ranging between $36,750 and $44,580 .
The Catalac brand consists of strongly built vessels that sport thick hulls, glass windows, narrow beams, and vertical transoms . Catalac 30 was the first vessel in this popular British cruising line designed by Tom Lack in the late 60s. The boat’s appeal was attributed to its safety, ample spacing, well-built interior, and load-carrying abilities.
These characteristics are extremely important on a safe catamaran, overloading your cat makes it sit lower in the water, increases drag, reduces handling and speed, there is stuff you should know about this (so that you can make an educated buy). I have created an article where I try to explain the basics of a safe cat ( link here )
Sporting 5 berths, a massive galley, plus a cockpit with a sheltered steering position, the 30-foot (9.1 m) Catalac makes an excellent floating home for a cruising family. It sails exceptionally well, doesn’t heel ( heeling explained here ), and delivers a reasonable motor-sailer level of performance.
Furthermore, the hulls provide adequate headroom, allowing those on board to move around comfortably, and there’s enough space on the deck for sunbathing.
The Catalac’s structure features solid fiberglass, chined hulls, and a staggered sheerline that allows easy aft access. With a modest rig that’s easy to handle, the Catalac can deliver top speeds of up to 12-14 knots (13.81-16.11 mph / 22.22-25.9 kph) under sail.
Given that the boat’s design focuses more on comfort than speed, this is a spectacular performance.
Catalac 9M requires a skilled hand when turning into the wind as it is prone to blowing sideways. This is because the boat lacks ballast (which helps in keeping momentum during a tack) but also centerboards ( explained here ).
Skills are always the most essential things to bring aboard and you can acquire them in many ways, my two favorite ways are through NauticEd courses (two free courses here ) or by reading books (my top 15 books here )
Back to the boat! This model came in two versions; the standard layout contained a 30-40hp outboard, while the second option had duo engines. The latter is easier to maneuver into a marina.
These cats retain their value pretty well. However, they might not be easy to come by since most owners find it challenging to get their hands on a larger boat with similar qualities and performance.
A Catalac 30 (9M) goes for between $33,000 and $55,000.
The Catalac 27 8M is a pocket cruiser that boasts a strong reputation for high quality, durability, and strength. Besides, the boat’s design makes it somewhat suitable for bluewater sailing ( understand why the small size is an offshore problem).
Built like a battleship, the boat contains solid fiberglass hulls. Additionally, it comes with double engines, a large cockpit fitted with cushions all around, and features standing headroom in each hull.
Like the Catalac 9M, this boat comes with two different layouts; a twin inboard diesel engine or an outboard engine. The twin-engine models can motor up to 1000 km (621 miles, read more on cat fuel consumption here ) without needing to refuel, while the 70 amps of charge plus water tanks (70 gallons / 265 liters) make these vessels remarkable coastal cruisers.
Catalacs equipped with outboard engines sail faster since you can raise the engine during sailing and are also lighter. This helps to minimize drag . Catalac 8M sports a short but thick mast that helps make the boat stable.
Though small in size, this catamaran packs a lot of features in its small frame. It has a full-sized berth, a large galley that’s almost 8 feet (2.4 m) long, a quarter berth, head, and navigation station.
What’s more, the cockpit is as large as that of a 38 to 40-foot (11.5 to 12.1 m) cat.
Catalac 27 costs about $31,836.
The Endeavour 30 catamaran is a boat characterized by stability, ample deck space, and a spacious interior. It boasts fast cruising speeds under both sail and power.
The boat has mini keels and rudders plus symmetrical hulls separated by a hydra-cell. The latter is a center section with a characteristic V-shape.
The boat’s vacuum-bagged construction helps enhance strength and stiffness while reducing weight. Furthermore, the interior has a fiberglass mold, providing extra strength and rigidity. With sufficient breeze, this vessel can deliver reasonable off-the-wind and doable upwind speeds.
As such, you can expect to attain speeds of about ~10 knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph) on power reaches. Below is a video showing a panoramic tour of the Endeavour 30:
This vessel has the internal capacity of a 40-foot (12.1 m) monohull. And you can tell this from the unique layout merging the cabin and cockpit with wide doors to the numerous features packed into this 30-foot (9.14 m) vessel.
It has a spacious salon, an enormous galley, two queen berth staterooms with plenty of storage space, a head with separate showers, and a sizable U-shaped dinette.
You can get this boat for under $50,000 .
The Geminis by Tony Smith were the United States’s first production cruising cats. Today, these vessels remain the most appealing American-built cruising catamarans. Built between 1981 and 1990, the Gemini 30 does not have a contemporary design, but it works remarkably well for cruisers desiring generous living space in a small affordable sailboat.
At only 14 feet (4.2 m) across, Gemini cats are somewhat narrow. But this mean s they can easily fit into most of the regular marina berths.
Besides, the boats still contain enough interior space for a queen-size double berth and two smaller doubles housed in separate guest rooms.
There’s also a modest but serviceable saloon with duo settees and a collapsible table that can transform into an additional double berth.
For the Gemini 30, this translates to a cruising cat with standing headroom that can comfortably accommodate 3 couples in private cabins or a family with small children. A good-sized galley, a spacious head with a shower, nav desk, and a large comfy cockpit make up the Gemini 30’s cruising palace.
Catamaran layout is highly personal and if you want to learn more about different characteristics then I suggest you read my article Designing the perfect catamaran layout ( Link )
While not that fast, the Gemini 30 will easily outsail the Endeavor 30 discussed above. Its daggerboards (which are explained in detail here ) can point well, and if you keep it light, it can do 7-8 knots (12.9-14.8 km/hr) under sail.
Besides, raising the daggerboards reduces the wetted surface area, and increases the speed downwind.
The Gemini 30 tends to pound and hobbyhorse a little when sailing in choppy waters – particularly when overloaded (more on load carrying capabilities in this article ), but the deep pivoting daggerboards provide stability and lift underwater.
Furthermore, the Gemini’s retractable rudders enable it to venture into shallow waters.
This is a very popular cruising cat that’ll give you a lot of bang for your bucks.
You can find a Gemini for less than $65,000.
The Maine Cat 30 combines premium quality construction materials with the most advanced building techniques to create a lightweight vessel capable of handling most offshore conditions. What’s more, this boat can remain trouble-free for years on end with little effort.
If you are in the market for a simple liveaboard cruiser that you can use for a short weekend getaway or a cruising voyage, this is it.
The boat has a sizable primary stateroom berth with ample overhead space and a dresser fitted with a hanging storage cabinet. The enormous head includes a toilet, sink, 20-gallon (75.71 L) holding tank, vanity, and a pressurized shower.
Covering the open bridgedeck is a permanent hardtop. This spacious bridgedeck can hold quite a crowd and comes with a convertible dinette that turns into an extra berth. If need be, you can even enclose the entire space using acrylic windows or screens. Gabo
The 360-degree visibility from the cockpit allows the captain plus the crew a panoramic view, and all sail controls go back to the cockpit, which is very useful if wanting to sail single-handedly.
I believe that most boats should be set up in this way since sooner or later you might be in a situation where there is only one person to handle the controls, such as in an emergency. But more on that in another article ( Link ).
The Maine Cat 30 is a classic boat that delivers on high-performance multihull sailing. Designed to offer much better performance than catamarans bearing tall and heavy bridge decks, this cat weighs less and suffers less windage thanks to the acrylic windows.
The boat’s interior layout allows for easy cleaning as surfaces sport a smooth gel coat and satin-finished cherry trim. The solid but lightweight furniture bears the same Core-Cell foam core employed on the hull, deck, and hardtop. Plus, there’s ample storage for all your sailing equipment, cleaning supplies, and provisions.
A Maine Cat 30 can cost up to $110,000.
The overall design of this well-equipped catamaran makes it a superb pocket cruiser.
Heavenly Twins 27 manages to fit not one but two coachroofs on hulls that are only 27 feet (8.20 m) long. Canoe sterns and a central cockpit separating the duo coachroofs form the boat’s other prominent features.
Famous for their excellent build quality, medium-depth draft, and narrow beams, Heavenly Twins 27 appeals to a wide range of boating enthusiasts.
These include solo sailors, weekend sailors, cruising families, circumnavigators, beginner sailors, and experienced liveaboards such as this famous Youtube channel “Kittiwake”.
The vessels house double cabins in the hulls while the forward starboard contains the heads and, to port, the galley. You can easily access the bar from the well-protected cockpit while the Comfordesk accommodation converts into a double dock.
A stoop through allows access from below-deck to the aft compartment without going through the cockpit. There’s ample storage space throughout the boat, plus you can section off the large stateroom into smaller double compartments if desired.
The price range for this boat is $ 20,098 to $24,193. (I believe that kittiwake is for sale too)
The last cruising catamaran on my list is the Aquilon 26 . This French-built cruising vessel is light in weight and trailerable, which means you can disassemble it in a few hours or transport it as-is.
Designing a boat that is possible to disassemble usually means that it is structurally less strong, which by no means is a problem during coastal sailing but the Aquilon 26 is mostly attractive to sailors who prefer inland lake sailing. It’s also suitable for beginner sailors.
Although there are no real “beginner cats” there are specs to consider if you are a beginner with catamarans, most of them I have listed in another article ( here ). Gabo
This 26-footer (7.92 m) has the potential for good speed though its layout is anything but conventional- which forms part of its appeal.
The cockpit works as the saloon, and a full bimini protects the crew from lousy weather. The starboard hull contains a dinette and galley, and the port has a double berth stateroom. The windows are quite unusual, but they provide lots of light, remarkably enhancing interior visibility.
Aquilon 26 can deliver an average cruising speed of 10knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph).
On a beam reach, you can expect around 25 knots (28.77 mph or 46.3 kph) with an adequate breeze ( I have never sailed at 25knots but researching this boat supposedly it is possible).
You can get this boat for under $50,000.
Small cruising cats are ideal for sailing along the coast. But that’s not all. Under capable hands, properly fitted smaller cats can also deliver spectacular offshore passages similar to their larger counterpart (Heres a list of full-sized bluewater cats).
They can operate over long cruise ranges, cross oceans , and circumnavigate the globe . Smaller cats are also suitable for day sailing, overnight trips, and coastal or inland voyages.
For most sailors, comfort on board is crucial, so they’ll look for a vessel that guarantees a comfortable cruising experience. The good thing is that smaller vessels provide almost the same qualities and amenities that bigger vessels offer. Plus, you can do quite a bit with the available space, especially if it’s well laid out.
You’ll find that most 30-footer (9.14 m) or more miniature cruising cats comprise a galley, head, bunks, navigation and entertainment electronics, and refrigeration.
Sailors usually talk about these benefits of smaller cats:
What is the largest cat on person can sail?
Below are some of the most discussed downsides of small cats:
Though fewer are on the cruising trails than their larger counterparts, small catamarans make ideal cruisers because they are simple, seaworthy, and pocket-friendly.
When choosing the best cat for your needs, focus on quality rather than size. A well-planned 30-footer (9.14 m) is reliable and provides ample space for your accommodation, dining, and relaxation, plus a storage room for provisions and any spare parts you might need.
And if you want even more info than I have presented to you in this article I would recommend a book from Serj, he makes it easy to understand why size matters and how to find a cat suited for your needs (amazon link )
Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!
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Must-Have Boat Gear for Catamaran Sailors!
Sailing is probably the most gear-intensive activity I've ever done; there are so many decisions to be made about what gear to buy now, for tomorrow, and what to definitely never buy. The gear on...
6 Best Trailerable Trimarans For Bluewater and Coastal Sailing
Having a boat costs a lot of money, even when you are not using it, marina fees, etc. And once it is in the water most sailors never go very far from their "home marina" and sailing will be somewhat...
Today’s modern vehicles and modern vessels combine design and technology to deliver more. Larger boats provide more onboard space and accommodations, have enhanced offshore capabilities but can still be handled easily with electronic engine controls and some combination of bow and/or stern thrusters. Larger pick-up trucks and SUVs have the capacity to launch, retrieve, and tow even substantial vessels. Trailers are no longer just reserved for tenders, daysailers, fishing skiffs, or other small boats. Many boaters want the comfort and accommodations larger vessel afford but still relish the convenience of trailerability.
Trailerable models from Aspen combine space and seakeeping with the easy haulout, storage, launch, and transport capabilities.
Not only are Aspens easy to launch and retrieve but trailerability gives owners the ability to commute snowbird style from colder climates to warmer ones for the winter. Aspens have ample accommodation spaces so owners can stay on the vessel both while they commute and when they arrive at their destination. Easy trailering means owners can save money on slips and allows owners to haul their boats for the winter themselves instead of paying Travelift and storage fees. Trailerability also helps resale values: Buyers from all over North America can purchase a trailerable Aspen and it is relatively easy and cost-effective to transport the boat to a different location.
Here are three good reasons that Aspens work well as a trailerable boat:
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performance in cruising catamarans
The Stiletto® Catamaran is no ordinary Sailboat! She is one of the most advanced production sailboats available anywhere. In fact, Stiletto represents the most significant advance in materials and construction, since fiberglass replaced wood in this industry about 75 years ago.
Stiletto® is built of a honeycomb composite that is state-of-the-art in the aerospace industry.
The entire laminate is baked at 250 degrees for an hour and a half, while under 14 p.s.i. vacuum pressure. The result is a tightly compressed laminate that is absolutely uniform and flawless and very tough. The composite used to build Stiletto® has the highest strength-to-weight and rigidity-to-weight ratios of any material currently available. It is, for example, 74% stronger and 32% stiffer than an equivalent foam sandwich. And an added bonus of honeycomb construction is integral floatation.
Stiletto® will not sink; even if holed and filled with water.
Stiletto® was conceived and designed as a trailerable high performance coastwise cruiser, a concept that has resulted in unparalleled versatility.
Trailering her is a breeze and two people can set her up for sailing in just over one hour. Her shoal draft (9 inches) and kick-up rudders means you can safely sail her right up onto the beach. With head, berths, galley. Sleeping tent and other amenities, Stiletto is a catamaran cruiser’s dream. As a daysailer- you just can’t beat Stiletto®. She is sea kindly and very easy to sail. Her huge bridge deck (80 sq. ft.) is comfortable and dry and features molded in bench seats and back rests. Forward of the cockpit is an equally large trampoline that will soon become the favorite sunning and lounging spot for your crew. Altogether, there is enough bridge deck and deck space for 8-10 people to day sail in comfort. And for those who like the speed and excitement of racing, imagine (if you can) sailing a 27-foot boat at 25-plus m.p.h. It’s an experience that’s impossible to describe. As a racer, Stiletto® is rapidly accumulating an impressive list of victories including Yachting’s 10th One-Of-A Kind Regatta.
Stiletto® is virtually maintenance-free, thanks to a lustrous polyurethane coating.
And she is designed to provide maximum sailing pleasure and performance over a wide range of wind and sea conditions. Her versatility means you get more use out of your boat because there is so much more you can do with a Stiletto®. You have the freedom to trailer your boat anywhere easily and quickly- to cruise all those enchanting places you’ve been wanting to see, not just your own backyard. She is ideal for areas where dock space is limited because she can be stored right on the trailer, all set up and ready for launching. The Stiletto® Catamaran is a quality boat. Note the detailing on her and the thought that has gone into her sophisticated design, the care that is shown in her construction.
Stiletto® is less expensive than the average 27-foot sailboat.
Stiletto® is proving her seaworthiness and speed all across North America and in Europe and the Caribbean. But why don’t you see for yourself why Stiletto® is a wonderful racing or cruising cat? Or, please feel free call directly and talk about Stiletto® Catamarans. It’s our favorite subject!
Thank you for your interest in Stiletto® Catamarans.
Legendary ability, unbeatable reliability.
Folding and unfolding a Corsair trimaran takes only a minute. With just 4 bolts to remove, it is easily managed by one person, and is normally done while afloat. Simply raise (to fold) or press down (to unfold) the inboard end of one cross beam. It can be done from the safety of the cockpit and only a little force is needed due to the folding system’s carefully balanced geometry, and the movement of the floats being mostly horizontal.
The solid aluminium folding struts have absolute control over the folding motion and prevent flexing or racking. A stainless steel bolt on the inboard end of each beam secures the floats for sailing. Crucially, wingnets remain attached during the folding process – their frictionless fixing allows them to tension themselves appropriately through the folding process. The system is so simple and balanced that Corsair trimarans can even be folded while motoring.
Corsair Marine trimarans are especially weight-conscious, and sit low on their trailers meaning they have excellent trailering characteristics. They are equally easy to launch, giving you more time on the water, and the ability to expore many more remote cruising grounds or participate in regattas far from home. Some Corsair trimaran models go from trailer to water in 25 minutes, and with practice even the largest boat models can be done in 40 minutes.
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Welcome to freedom on the water and good times on the shore. The all new Stiletto X-Series offers performance the whole gang can enjoy with a new line of multihull catamarans that are as easy to own as they are to sail. With a cleverly appointed interior offering all the must-haves for coastal cruising, including space for six to sleep down below, Stiletto-Xc is perfect for day outings or overnight sail-camping adventures. On the water and on the beach, chasing thrills or catching sunsets, this cat’s a memory maker.
I want One – how much?
See 20 knots and a lot more of the ones you love. Stiletto-X is designed to be easily helmed, with a wide beam for steady handling, creating an enjoyable sail for family and friends.
No other catamaran is as easy to take onshore. Just sail right up onto the beach and Stiletto-Xc’s unique swingboards and kickup rudders take care of the rest.
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Get ready for weekend trips with the family or traveling to races with your Stiletto-X. How easy is bringing this cat from trailer to water? Two guys in two hours can get the job done.
No Way – Show Me!
Owning a sailboat is more than a pipedream with Stiletto. Not only is the Stiletto-X a great value, financing options make life on the water a real possibility for families and enthusiasts alike.
How Affordable?
New corsair 880 trimaran.
Fast, fun and stable the all-new Corsair 880 trimaran has been designed and built from the ground up by Corsair Marine. Inspired by the very popular and hall of fame F27. She is completely safe and comfortable and perfect for people of all skill levels.
Designed with comfort in mind, the Corsair 880 is fully kitted out for cruising or weekends away. Electric lighting, refrigeration, manual or electric toilet, and even air conditioning is available. Furthermore, a small generator complements a lightweight air conditioning or heating unit and providing comfortable electrical independence when cruising in hot or cold climates. In true Corsair fashion, that generator and air conditioner are removable to reduce excess weight when racing or reduce trailer weight when on the road.
This is where the 880 is the revolutionary boat it promises – all of that comes in a folding, trailerable package well below the trailering weight limit of most passenger cars. In other words, drive to your ideal cruising or racing destination and spend more time on the water.
2024 New Corsair 880
AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE DELIVERY This just launched Corsair 880 is ready to go to anywhere in Australia.
Fitted with a comprehensive range of options including screecher, jib and main sails by Doyle, Bimini, dodger, full instruments, motor, refrigeration , LPG stove, solar power and an Aluminium trailer just to mention a few.
The all-new Corsair 880 brings effortlessly fast performance sailing while being completely safe and comfortable for people of all skill levels. First of all, she features a protected cockpit, high-aspect hulls and foils and a huge unfolded beam. Furthermore, she has full boat systems for cruising comfort including electric lighting, refrigeration and an enclosed head. Finally and probably most noteworthy she is fully trailerable. Well below the trailerable weight limit for most passenger cars, also quick and easy to pack away on and take out of the water.
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The Working Man's Guide to Trailer Sailing
Last Updated by
Capt Chris German
June 15, 2022
Let's face it, life would be better with a 40 foot sailing yacht sitting on the hook just off your front yard on a tropical island. But if you are not quite there yet, maybe you want to start a little smaller. Let me introduce you to the Trailer Sailer.
A trailerable sailboat is in many ways better than a keel boat or a dinghy. You can get a trailer down a boat ramp, it stores for free in your backyard, and it has many of the benefits of a keel boat or dinghy, with fewer drawbacks. Some might argue that the perfect sailboat is the trailer sailer.
Table of contents
For the last five years I have dabbled in both trailerable boats and keel boats, and have personally owned two trailerable sailboats .
They really were the perfect boats for my needs. They were small enough that I could tow them with my Ford Ranger, but big enough that I could sail outside the demarcation line at Cape Lookout in North Carolina, just one mile from the Atlantic Ocean.
They had a water ballast system so I could sail my wife, two dogs, myself and a whole weekend's worth of gear and a 13 foot dinghy though the sand bars and shallows of Bogue Sound and never have to drop my center board once.
They also fed me by allowing me to teach a few dozen sailors to master the tempestuous winds of East Carolina before I decided Hurricanes-be-damned and moved to Utah, I must admit I choked up a bit because these boats owed me nothing and I was sorry to see them go.
Trailer Sailers are not perfect for every occasion despite my enthusiasm. Oftentimes the wind was just too much for these little girls, especially in places like East Carolina.
On days like those, sailing was not possible and I would drop sails and just motor, awkwardly, up the channel home.
Anything over 15 knots and the boat would be overpowered and simply luff up into the wind while under sail.
Luckily I had a really good 9-horse yamaha on days like that and we still enjoyed a day on the water - mostly.
That is to say, we always had fun, except when we didn’t, and that was the case on 4th of July 2019.
Jennifer and I decided to head to the cape that weekend in our trailer sailer “Flo’s Revenge” to escape the holiday crowds that always seem to pack into Beaufort to celebrate a holiday in the pre-covid days.
We set out at 6 pm on Friday with a pile of food and beer, tents and charcoal, dogs and sleeping bags.
We sailed over with a reefed main and a motor and arrived shortly before sunset to find that our usual anchorage had been erased from existence earlier in the season by a storm.
We decided to find a new spot and selected one that wasn’t quite as protected with less beach and more exposure to the channel traffic.
The first night went fine and we arose the next morning to find a bright sunshiny hightide and a steady stream of boats making their way across from Harkers Island.
We enjoyed the day, although we discovered that our dinghy motor was on the fritz and that when the tide went out, we were hard aground tilting the wrong way. At some point in the night, a thunderstorm came through, that I managed to sleep through.
Unfortunately, the tilt of the boat made my wife roll out of her bunk and the hatch leaked perfectly onto her forehead. We were forced to close the hatch to keep the wind and rain out, but the little boat turned into a sauna with my wife, myself, and two dogs packed inside and a tropical East Carolina thunderstorm raging outside.
Our boat rode hard at anchor that night and bounced off the bottom as the wind pushed us up against the beach. By the next morning, my wife was ready to kill me for sleeping so soundly and the boat was a good 30 feet up the beach from the high tide line.
Our tent had been shredded by the winds and most of our food was washed out to sea or soaked in sand and saltwater. Needless to say, I was in deep trouble for sleeping so hard.
I waited for the high tide to come in and told my wife that we would head home as soon as we could float the boat. But as the tide came in, I realized that the storm had surged us higher than the morning tide would rise and I could feel my wife’s ire build to a level that I don't think I ever want to see again. She was hot, mosquito bitten, tired, wet and now because our boat was so great a beaching, stuck there until I could figure out how to get it off the beach.
Thankfully one of the parade of power boats came close enough that I could hail them and asked them to haul my boat off the beach, which they did with great difficulty. We sailed back home and put the boat in the backyard and never sailed it again.
I tell you this story because it illustrates the real experiences of trailer sailing, with all its drawbacks, but the truth is I did love that little boat.
Trailer sailers can be a challenge to launch and retrieve much like any boat, but with trailer sailers there is the question of the mast.
The mast on pretty much all trailer sailers can be raised and lowered on the ramp or at the dock, and that makes it way cheaper and easier than having the raise and lower the mast with yacht club crain or pay a yard to step your stick.
The challenge however is raising it on shore or in the water. I have done both and have decided it is way easier to do it on shore as you can reach all the fasteners and leverage the halyard from the ground.
And if your wife drops a turnbuckle, it doesn’t sink in 15 feet of water.
Dropping integral items in the water is just one draw back. I have also seen more than one vessel precipitously drop their mast immediately after stepping, by backing their trailer into a tree branch on their way down to the water.
It took them the better part of an afternoon to raise that mast and it came down in mere seconds when challenged by a scrub oak branch hanging over the ramp.
The worst part was, the entire boating world was watching when they struggled to raise their mast and when they dropped it at the boat ramp. Your best bet is to practice raising and lowering your mast in your backyard before ever trying to do it down at the dock or boat ramp and always look up for trees and wires.
Another issue in launching was my water ballast. It was a blessing in shallow water for stability but proved a bit tedious when launching and retrieving.
My manual said to let the boat sit immediately after launching to allow the ballast tank to fill, but more than once I damn near capsized the boat when climbing aboard to check to see if it was filled.
Air embolisms could stop the filing process and without a full ballast tank that boat had the stability of a sippy cup on a glass topped coffee table.
Hauling was an issue as well. While my little ford ranger had no problem hauling the boat with a dry ballast tank, barnacles and seaweed could clog the ballast drain and make it a real challenge to haul.
I never had to dive under to dislodge any seafood samples, but I always was afraid I would have to some day, and had to wait until it was completely drained before trying to traverse the entire boat ramp when towing with my ranger.
My GMC however could haul that thing with flat tires dragging a danforth though so if you do decide to trailer sail, make sure you get yourself a decent truck to do your towing.
Other than the ballast and mast, launching and hauling is relatively similar to any other boat. Depending on how deep your draft is, a sailboat can be a bit more difficult on shallow ramps.
Lots of trailer sailer trailers come with extensions to allow you to drop the trailer even deeper into the water for shallow ramps and deeper draft vessels.
The big thing is to ensure that whatever trailer you use, that it works nicely with your hull. And most trailerable sailboats in my experience are a package deal with the trailer so I would recommend you go with the manufacturer when selecting a trailer and don't go shopping for a better deal on a trailer.
While a trailerable sailboat is free of many of the pitfalls of boating like docking, yard fees and mast stepping, it is still a boat.
Engine troubles, bottom paint and on board storage are all challenges. No one that I know of has ever created a boat that doesn’t need oil changes, doesn’t grow barnacles and doesn’t need a ton more storage than it is designed with. It's just a boat.
With a trailer sailer, you can work on your motor next to your garage in your driveway and do all the fresh water flushes your garden hose can handle.
You can also skip bottom painting if you dry sail your boat, which is to say never leave it in the water for more than several hours.
But if you decide to leave it overnight, odds are you’ll have a scum line and barnacle babies by morning.
And for storage, the only saving grace is you can load your boat in your driveway and save the three dozen trips between your boat and the car at the boat ramp.
You're also gonna have to register your trailer sailer and your trailer, if you decide to ever leave your driveway.
You will have to ensure that you have a compliant septic system which is oftentimes a bucket or for the high brow sailors, a chemical toilet on trailer boats.
Most trailer sailers don't have a holding tank due to the fact that you don't want to have to drive down the road with a full holding tank. And many also lack a usable size water tank as well for the same reason.
Just because your boat lives in your driveway instead of on a dock, doesn’t mean it is not subject to USCG boardings when underway. So flares, noisemakers and PFDs are all legally required as well.
We have a great article on the top types of trailerable sailboats. But there are literally all kinds both new and used.
One of my favorite is the corsair pulse, a boat being manufactured in Vietnam that is a trailerable catamaran.
I envisioned taking this boat up to the northern reaches of Canada and sailing in the Arctic with it.
It’s got enough room to live aboard with lots of winter gear. You can launch it virtually anywhere and it's stable enough that you probably won’t pitch-pole into sub freezing water.
But if a new boat isn’t in your budget, the used trailer sailer market is super hot right now.
With Covid 19, folks are looking for all sorts of ways to get away and not have to worry about exposure.
What better way is there to get away and socially distance than taking your trailer sailer to the lake or to a remote beach for the weekend?
You can pick up hunter 23.5’s for sale around the country with most offered for $6K or less. Hunter 27s are also to be found but go for $30K plus.
My suggestion is if you're gonna buy your first trailer sailer, start small and cheap. The bigger your boat the more expense and the bigger truck you’ll need to launch it.
No one likes to drive a trailer and even fewer people like to back one up.
Particularly when you have a sailboat with a 30 foot mast up. It's never fun and quite frankly embarrassing when you do it wrong.
I always tell my students looking to trailer a boat to go to a massive parking lot on New Year’s day and spend three hours practicing backing your trailer into parking spots. There really is no other way to get good at it.
Even if you can back your trailer beautifully, you also need to put your boat on your trailer and that is even harder when it’s a sailboat.
Installing trailer guides on your trailer if you don't have them makes a huge difference in lining up your boat with your trailer bunks.
I also like rollers instead of flat bunks to hold the boat on the trailer, but with sailboats that's tough because they can roll the boat off on the boat ramp prematurely when backing in.
My hunter has a bow bumper that never quite worked right on my trailer. The boat always hit too high or too low and the winch strap chaffed it.
I took to leaving the boat a foot back from the bunk and using a chain to hold the boat on the trailer.
Never take your boat on the road without side straps. Many people think that because there are trailer guides and a bow strap holding it on the trailer, that you will be fine.
But turning corners and sloshing water in the hull have a tendency to flip boats over while going home and no one wants to be the guy to pick his boat up off the highway or worse yet, have to flip your truck back over when your boat decides to take you for a ride.
A resounding no is my answer to that whenever I am asked.
When I was selling my hunters, I had lots of tire kickers come by and more than a few who could never handle a little boat like this in what remained of their lives.
Age, obesity and gravity are all challenges when it comes to trailer sailing. On shore you have to climb up the trailer to step the mast and clean the boat and do all kinds of other stuff and in the water, you have an unstable deck with great big steps on to the foredeck and onto the dock.
As much as this boat was a plug and play sailboat, it wasn't for anyone who lacked a certain agility.
One time docking I got my foot caught in the life line with a student and came real close, if I didn’t actually fracture my wrist.
Trailer sailboats are smaller and less stable than their oversized cousins with the keels. If you are in anyway, limited in your physical prowess, a trailer sailboat may not be the best choice for you.
So that’s my take on trailer sailers.
A younger me would have loved to have a whole fleet of them, but as I age I tend to think a 60 foot catamaran far away from the North Atlantic is more my speed.
Trailer Sailers are way cheaper than keel boats to own without having to pay for a dock, mast stepping and storage, but they are not a plaything and should be respected like every other boat.
They meet all the requirements to be USCG regulated and they can go in big water if you want to take them there, but they are not an easy ride back.
Practice your mast stepping and trailer backing with no one watching and try not to be too much of a ramp hog while you're in the public eye.
Start small, as big boats are a pain to drive on a trailer.
So do good, have fun, and sail far. Thanks for reading.
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Capt Chris German is a life long sailor and licensed captain who has taught thousands to sail over the last 20 years. In 2007, he founded a US Sailing-based community sailing school in Bridgeport, CT for inner city youth and families. When Hurricane Sandy forced him to abandon those efforts, he moved to North Carolina where he set out to share this love for broadcasting and sailing with a growing web-based television audience through The Charted Life Television Network.
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Experience the thrill of the open water with unparalleled comfort and tailored craftsmanship. Whether you are cruising the coastlines or anchored in serene bays, your ArrowCat power catamaran is your gateway to a life of adventure and tranquility.
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This luxury express cruiser yacht boasts a catamaran hull for superior stability and a planing hull design that ensures efficient, agile handling. Powered by twin outboard motors, it offers robust performance. The addition of a flybridge enhances your view and enjoyment, making every journey unforgettable.
Standard Layout: 2 Cabins/ 1 Full Head LOA: 41′ 9″ / 12.73 meters Beam: 14′ 9″ / 4.50 meters Draft: 20″ / 0.51 meters
Enjoy your boat year-round and stay warm and dry during cooler weather or overnight trips, while also having a comfortable and private space to retreat for whenever you need a break. Here are a few reasons why an ArrowCat power cat is an excellent boat to consider.
Catamarans have two hulls, which provide more stability in the water. They are less likely to roll or pitch, which means they offer a more comfortable ride, especially in rough conditions and for people who are prone to seasickness.
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Power catamarans have a shallow draft which means they can navigate diverse cruising grounds – beaches, islands, rivers, channels, and coastal areas with limited water depth.
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18th dec 2023 by samantha wilson.
Being able to trailer your sailboat opens up many possibilities, from cost saving boat storage solutions to being able to take your boat to new cruising grounds. It's common to see trailered motorboats on the roads in the United States, Canada, and Europe, but sailboats tend to be trailered in smaller numbers.
Of course the act of trailering a sailboat involves a bit more preparation, namely lowering the mast, but as we'll see there are many excellent brands out there ensuring that the sailboats they build can be trailered nearly as easily as a RIB or center console. And they're not just bathtub-sized sailboats either. Some of the best trailerable sailboats are up to 30 feet in length. While it's trickier to trailer a large catamaran due to its wide beam, the multihull world hasn't been left behind, as you can find clever trimarans that fold up in different ways.
We have picked out some of our favorite trailerable sailboat brands in this article but it's important to remember there are many excellent brands building excellent boats.
Corsair Marine photo.
Daysailers have long been trailered, thanks to their compact size, simple rigs, and easily lowered, relatively short mast. For those who want a slightly larger boat that they can take the whole family out on or use for overnight trips, then a 20- to 25-foot sailboat may be more useful than a 16- to 19-foot one. Going up a size category allows for a whole new range of activities, with proper galleys, running water, electricity, and an enclosed head to provide more substantial home comforts. But how big is too big to trailer?
You might be surprised to hear that in the United States, sailboats up to around 31 feet in length can be trailered legally. In fact, it typically depends less on length, and more on the weight, beam, and height of the vessel and the trailer together, must meet several legal requirements.
For more advice on the practicalities of trailering see our guide to Buying a Boat Trailer .
The best trailerable cruising sailboat brands.
Beneteau First 27SE. Beneteau photo.
Several brands on this list create high performance sports sailboats , and one of the top names you think of in this sector is Laser whose speedy tiny racers are now an Olympic event in themselves. But there are many excellent brands building ultra-fast sports sailboats – several on our list are considerably bigger than a Laser too. Here we take a look at some of our favorite sports dinghies which are the quintessential trailerable sports boat.
Melges 24. Melges photo.
Trailerable sailboats designed for younger sailors are lightweight, easy to rig, and easy to sail. They should offer a simple platform in which to learn the mechanics of sailing, the movement of the boat on the water, and the basic maintenance of a sailboat. For more guidance check out our guide to choosing the best beginner sailboat .
Laser sailboats. Laser Performance photo.
There are many benefits to opting for a small towable sailboat , and plenty of excellent brands out there are producing high performance pocket cruisers. A smaller sailboat won't require a large trailer and together they will weigh less and be able to be towed by a regular family car rather than a pick-up truck. Navigating smaller roads or heavier traffic will be less of a consideration, plus getting your sailboat launched will be a simpler affair. Several brands on our list could be in this category but special mention must be made of:
NorseBoat 17.5. NorseBoat photo.
Multihulls have gained popularity in the last 20 years thanks to their stability, lack of keel, performance, and increased space on board compared to a monohull of the same length. Yet there are obvious challenges when it comes to trailering a sailboat with a very wide beam such as a catamaran or even more so a trimaran. In fact, by having three hulls, the trimaran type has bred for some innovative engineering, folding in the two outer hulls thus creating a smaller overall beam for transport. This is trickier with catamarans as they're not foldable in the same way. We've mentioned the well-known Hobie Cat brand of small beach cats above but there are some other innovative brands out there making it easier to trailer multihulls.
Dragonfly 28.1. Dragonfly photo.
Written By: Samantha Wilson
Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.
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Cruising catamarans have been around for decades, but early models—often plywood and fiberglass vessels built by their owners from plans and kits, kept the boats on the fringes of mainstream sailing. That all changed, though, as big roomy cats were discovered by sailors who went off to charter in the Caribbean, where the multihulls proved their worth as comfortable liveaboard and party boats.
Today’s bluewater catamarans roam the globe, carrying families to exotic destinations across the Pacific and beyond. Just as with their monohull cousins, there is no best catamaran. Instead there is a wide variety of designs, ranging from small catamarans that offer the ease of maintenance a couple might enjoy to performance catamarans capable of easily knocking off 250-mile days. Today, the best catamaran brands offer a range of size models and layouts that can be optimized for an owner sailing with family and friends, or for the charter market, where there’s a demand for four, five and even six cabins worth of accommodations.
The most prolific catamaran manufacturers are in France and South Africa where yards include both large-run production builders and niche companies building fewer than 10 boats a year.
The best cruising catamarans offer good load-carrying ability and respectable performance. As with any sailboat , a modern catamaran’s design is a result of compromises. Daggerboards or keels? Galley up or galley down? Spacious owner’s cabin or extra bunks? There are lots of options to choose from—and that’s what makes looking at these sailboats fun!
Here, then is an eclectic A to Z list of some of the best catamarans that have helped shaped the evolution of how we live and sail on two hulls.
Now built in Argentina as a full-fledged, bluewater catamaran and cruiser that can be safely operated by a shorthanded couple or family crew, the Antares 44i features a fully covered cockpit with a quartet of big, standard solar panels recessed within the hardtop, one example of a yacht capable of long-range passagemaking.
Almost 30 years ago, yacht designer Chris White revolutionized catamaran design with the first in his series of Atlantic cats, the primary feature of which was the innovative mid-ship sailing cockpit forward of the main cabin. The smallest in the Atlantic line, the 42 remains White’s most popular design ever.
Fountaine-Pajot has built so many outstanding cruising catamarans that it’s difficult to narrow down any single boat, but we’ve always been fans of the good-looking, well-thought-out Bahia 46. At 46 feet, the boat is large enough for offshore forays and has plenty of volume; with its simple but powerful sail plan, it’s also an excellent performer.
Beginning around 1996, the French builder Catana was one of the first companies to manufacture fully found cruising cats for private ownership, and this Christophe Barreau design, which enjoyed a nearly 10-year production run from 1997-2006, was emblematic of this first generation of safe, fun, long-legged offshore voyagers.
Click here to see more cats from Catana.
When it comes to speed, light boats are fast ones. And if you wish to save weight, that means exotic modern materials like carbon. Catana now infuses the laminates of their entire production line with carbon fiber, and for this list, we’ve chosen the Catana 50 Carbon, one of the zippiest cats now crossing oceans.
Click here to read about a couple’s charter aboard a Catana 50.
Pioneering catamaran sailor, builder and designer Tony Smith launched the first of his 33-foot Gemini 105M’s (10.5 meters = 33′) in 1993, and soon after found a ready and willing stream of sailors enamored of the boat’s compact size, affordable price tag, and such innovations as the nifty lifting rudder and transom steps.
Click here to read about the Gemini Legacy 35.
Built between 2000-2005, the Gunboat 62 firmly established the Gunboat brand: go-anywhere cats that applied race-boat technology to a world-cruising platform. Hull no. 1, Tribe, was built for company founder Peter Johnstone, who then spent a year-and-a-half cruising with his family, smiling all the way.
French builder Henri Wauquiez is best known for his long career building monohulls, but the Kronos 45 cat, which he launched in 1992, was ahead of her time. Classic lines, the aft “targa bar” over the cockpit, the louvered coach roof windows, even the distinctive stripes on her hull: the Kronos 45 remains timeless.
No roundup of cruising cats would be complete without several Lagoon entries, and the best of that impressive bunch might well be the Lagoon 380. Originally launched in 1999, and revered for its combination of quality, volume and performance, with over 740 boats built the 380 is still going strong.
Launched five years after the breakthrough 380, the Lagoon 440 was an evolutionary design that featured a raised flybridge helm station, a unique “gullwing” configuration below the bridge deck, expanded windows in the hull and much more. With 400 boats built in a 6-year production run, the 440 was an unqualified success.
How big can a production cat, still operable by a short-handed crew, really be? The builders at Lagoon discovered that 62-feet hit a sweet spot in the marketplace, and have sold over 70 boats since its introduction in 2010. The centerpiece of this design is the sensational steering station atop the flybridge, with expansive views of the sea and sky.
Click here to see more cats from Lagoon.
With an unmatched pedigree – designed by premier multihull naval architects Gino Morelli and Pete Melvin, built by the prestigious Robertson & Caine boatyard in South Africa, and commissioned by chartering giant The Moorings – the Leopard 40 was, perhaps unsurprisingly, Cruising World ’s Import Boat of the Year in 2005.
Based on the famous French racing cat Charente-Maritime, the Louisiane 37, designed by Joubert/Nivelt and launched by builder Fountaine-Pajot in 1983, was a light, fast liveaboard cruiser with full accommodations that represented a radical departure from the hefty British cats that preceded it.
One of the more versatile and clever cats ever created, the central feature of the cool Maine Cat 30 is the open bridge deck/living room sandwiched between the hulls and canopied by a rigid, permanent hard top (the comfortable accommodations/ staterooms are stationed in the hulls). Ideal for a winter in the Bahamas but with the ability to sail offshore, it’s a boat for all seasons and reasons.
Built in Florida and beloved by the owners of the over 120 boats built during the company’s existence from 1993 to 2009, the Manta Catamarans range included 38-, 40- and 44-foot cats. For this exercise, however, we’re heralding the original Manta 42, which won the Best Value Overall prize in CW’s 2001 Boat of the Year contest.
Another Leopard/Moorings collaboration built by the wizards at Robertson & Caine (though this boat was designed by fellow South African Alex Simonis), the Leopard 48 was another CW Boat of the Year winner with all the contemporary bells and whistles: forward cockpit, flybridge helm station and solid hardtop dodger, just to name a few.
Click here to read more about the Leopard 48, and click here to see more images.
The Best Multihull Under 45 Feet: So said the CW judging panel in the 2013 Boat of the Year competition, regarding the Nautitech 441. But what makes this versatile platform so intriguing are the different helm set-ups. The 441 employs a single wheel, to starboard, ideal for solo sailors, while the 442 has a pair of helm stations aft.
Click here to see more Nautitech Catamarans.
A state-of-the-art all-oceans cat that exemplifies how far multihull design has come, the 59-foot Outremer 5X was a winner on both sides of the Atlantic, taking top honors in the European Boat of the Year competition in 2013, and following up as the Best Full-Size Multihull in CW ’s contest a year later.
Click here to see more cats from Outremer.
The flagship of the proud St. Francis line – built in South Africa since 1990 to designs by local legends Lavranos Marine Design – the St. Francis 50 is another “luxury cat” that shares much in common with an earlier 48-foot sister-ship, but packs even more payload into its roomier lines.
Click here to read more about the St. Francis 50
Founded by Aussie surfer and sailor Richard Ward in 1982, the 33-foot Seawind 1000 is easily the most popular cruising cat ever built in Australia (the company has since moved its manufacturing and management operations to Vietnam). Roomy and airy, these cats dot the coastline of eastern Oz.
If the Seawind 1000 was a minimalist approach to cruising cats, the 38-foot Seawind 1160 is the flip side of the coin, a full-fledged long-range voyager. Among the reasons it was named CW ’s Most Innovative boat for 2007 is the unique “tri-folding” door that stashes overhead to open up the saloon and cockpit into a spacious living area.
Click here to read more about the Seawind 1160.
Every sailboat is a compromise, and in the case of the Sunsail 384 (also sold privately as the Leopard 38) that’s a good thing, because designers Morrelli & Melvin and builder Robertson and Caine got the balance just right with this relatively small catamaran. With four cabins, the 384 can carry the same size bareboat charter crowd as her larger siblings, but does so with a decided bounce in her step. Named CW’s Import Boat of the Year in 2010, you can gauge the success of the design by the grins on the crew as they barrel down Sir Francis Drake channel in the British Virgin Islands.
The French design office of Berret Racoupeau drafted the lines of Fountaine-Pajot’s new flagship, introduced in 2013, a magnificent world-girdling voyaging catamaran. Like other giant cats launched in recent years, the boat features a sensational upper deck with all sail controls, helm and lounging stations.
Click here to see more images of the Victoria 67.
No list of influential multihulls would be complete without the work of James Wharram, and while Tangaroa wasn’t a production cat by any means, it showcases the British designer’s respect for ancient Polynesian craft. Wharram sailed this 23-foot-6-inch “double-hulled canoe” across the Atlantic in the 1950s, and sold countless plans for similar boats for decades afterwards.
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The largest trailerable trimaran is the Corsair 37, this multihull is built for single-handed cruising while still maintaining the ability to comfortably seat 6 people.
Designed with a common objective to accommodate the best of the land-sea lifestyle, trailerable cruisers seem a natural fit in the world of trawlers. According to one prominent builder, many of their clients are retired sailors—not speed freaks—who enjoy easygoing scenic cruising. Others embark on the trailer-trawler life to simplify their cruising style, downsizing from larger motoryachts ...
7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats. Catalina 22/25 "Pop-Top". Com-Pac Horizon Cat for Classic Coastal Cruising. Marshall Sanderling — Small, Portable, Classy. West Wight Potter 19 — The Tiny Go-Anywhere Sailboat. Seaward 26RK with Retractable Lead Keel. Corsair F-24 Trimaran - Sporty Sailing.
8X31 LIL' HOBO TRAILERABLE The newly designed 8'x31' Lil' Hobo trailerable is truly a model of efficiency. Famous for its 2-for-1 value, it trailers as an RV to your favorite campsite and cruises equally well to a secluded cove for your next houseboat adventure. For more than 25 years, the Lil' Hobo continues to be one of our most popular Catamaran Cruiser models. Back to Floorplans 8X31 Lil ...
The last cruising catamaran on my list is the Aquilon 26. This French-built cruising vessel is light in weight and trailerable, which means you can disassemble it in a few hours or transport it as-is.
A trailerable boat opens up a world of travel and cruising distant waters, not to mention off-season storage and several other factors.
Stiletto Catamarans opens up a whole new world of performance in cruising! The Stiletto® Catamaran is no ordinary Sailboat! She is one of the most advanced production sailboats available anywhere. In fact, Stiletto represents the most significant advance in materials and construction, since fiberglass replaced wood in this industry about 75 years ago.
The best builder of high performance trimarans. Discover our range of trailerable and foldable trimarans suitable for regatta racing and family cruising.
Every ArrowCat power catamaran features our signature luxurious interior cabin with creature comforts other boat companies have only dreamed about. Add to this that the ArrowCat 320 is trailerable with a 10' beam and your cruising grounds expand exponentially.
Marlin trimarans are innovative and hightech carbon multihulls. With a sailing performance far beyond standard. Probably the fastest trailerable and foldable sailing racer-cruiser trimaran on the Planet. Perfectly made for single- and double-handed racing and cruising. Great for team and family adventures.
Fast, Beachable, Trailerable, Affordable. Stiletto Catamarans balance these design features perfectly. Stiletto has been the best beach cat for 40 years.
Boat Description. The all-new Corsair 880 brings effortlessly fast performance sailing while being completely safe and comfortable for people of all skill levels. First of all, she features a protected cockpit, high-aspect hulls and foils and a huge unfolded beam. Furthermore, she has full boat systems for cruising comfort including electric ...
Since the advent of trailerable trimarans, in particular, trailer-sailing can now mean blistering speeds as well as comfort afloat. In more recent years, modern materials and design concepts have also resulted in a number of trailerable monohulls that make knots as well as memories underway. Most notable among these are the boats comprising the upper end of the Slovenian-based Seascape line ...
Other Trailerable Boats We have a great article on the top types of trailerable sailboats. But there are literally all kinds both new and used. One of my favorite is the corsair pulse, a boat being manufactured in Vietnam that is a trailerable catamaran.
Smooth Ride & Spacious Accommodations. Inshore & Offshore Express Cruisers - 32' And 42' Perfect For Family Cruising, Fishing, And Endless Adventures.
The Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboat Brands. Catalina Yachts: As one of North America's best-known sailboat brands of sailboats, Catalina has a long history of building trailerable models. Their entire Sport line cruising boats—except for the 275—can easily be trailered, and the 22 and 22 Sport, in particular, make for a great step up ...
The best cruising catamarans offer good load-carrying ability and respectable performance. As with any sailboat, a modern catamaran's design is a result of compromises. Daggerboards or keels? Galley up or galley down? Spacious owner's cabin or extra bunks?
We have incorporated years of sailing, power boating, auto racing and flying into this boat's design." He adds: "I would put my 27-foot trawler up against any 34-foot boat in its class in cruising and rough conditions." Power Catamaran World invites comments from those who have seen or sea-trialed the AeroCat.
Nawiatr N700K fast trailerable cruising catamaran is design for offshore and inland waters sailing. Each of seven meters long hulls is made out of epoxy resin and Herex core material in vacuum bagging technology.
Boats and Yachts in California. YachtWorld currently offers 3,130 yachts for sale in California from professional yacht brokerage companies and new boat dealers who can often offer vessel warranties and yacht financing information. Of these listings there are 943 new vessels and 2,187 used boats and yachts for sale right now.
Best Boat Tours in Santa Clara, CA - BluReverie Catamaran, Monterey Bay Eco Tours, Whisper Charters, Sanctuary Cruises, Untethered Sailing, Ocean Safaris, Call of the Sea, Marine Science Institute, Captain Kirk's San Francisco Sailing, ACsailingSF.
Check out reviews & photos of California Catamaran Cruises with increased safety measures & flexible booking.
Alviso Boat Tours The south San Francisco Bay contains over 30,000 acres of wetland wilderness. Explore this inspiring habitat with park staff aboard a boat and discover its value to all species in our community - including you!