sailboats header graphic

Trailerable Sailboats

Do you have enough room to keep a sailboat of, 20-27 feet at home? If so, you should consider a trailerable sailboat, as this will save you a lot of money. Of course, you need a car that is capable of towing, launching and retrieving your boat, and you need a good trailer. For a trailerable sailboat you also need a launching slip nearby.

I recommend a 4x4 if you are going to launch the boat every time you sail, although if the slipway is well maintained you might get away with a conventional car, but front-wheel drive is not recommended because when the trailer is loaded and you are on a slope, a lot of weight is transferred to the back of the car, leaving insufficient weight over the driving wheels to get good traction on a slippery surface.

Santana sailboat


With a trailerable sailboat you will save a lot of money, so long as you don't leave it in the water fror more than a month at a time. In other words, it is fine to use your trailerable sailboat for an extended cruising holiday, but it is cheapest to trail it to and from home every time you sail.

This way, you do not have to antifoul the hull, there is no danger of osmosis, and much of the maintenance needed on a boat kept in the water will not be needed. Also, of course, you will not have to pay any marina fees.

The alternative is to keep your trailerable sailboat in the water for the season, and keep her at home

Article continued below...
AruAruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta 2008
With winter now seriously here in most of the USA, I thought you might enjoy seeing how our Caribbean neighbors are doing. On the second day of the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta 2008, the fleet of 41 teams had to deal with tricky sailing conditions on the Caribbean Sea. From time to time, big clouds brought rain showers and gusts. That resulted in a shifty and variable breeze, which made it an interesting competition. Dutchmen Booth and Nieuwenhuis are still in the lead by one point, with Xander Pols and Frank de Waard (NED) in second position. Last year’s winners Eduard Zanen and Mischa Heemskerk (NED) climbed to a third place. Henk-Johan Hankart and the Grijpma brothers are first overall in the fleet of slower catamarans. Today’s weather required a lot more trimming and smart racing. The winning strategy was about getting the shifts and pressure right. Sunburned legs and arms had a rest, as it was mostly clouded. The morning breeze was about 8 knots strong, but in the afternoon it picked up to 16 knots and more. During lunchtime on the Aruba beach, the competitors could share their experiences and reconsider their tactics. Or simply enjoy the Aruba hospitality. Late afternoon, they decided to have their happy hour in sea, as the rain was pouring down in a tropical shower.


trailerable sailboats image

during the winter, where it is easy to carry out maintenance.



What sort of boat do you need if you want a trailerable sailboat? The main requirements are:

A mast that can be lowered and raised easily; A lift keel or shoal-draft twin keels or a trimaran with hinging outriggers

The normal mast arrangement for trailerable is for the mast to be mounted in a tabernacle, which is basically a hinge. You also need a crutch to support it when the boat is on the trailer. Then, you need a way of fixing the boat to the trailer.



A lift keel is ideal for a trailerable sailboat, and you will usually find that the trailer is designed to fit whatever boat you buy. Trimarans or narrow catamarans are also suitable as trailerable because they have little draft, and so have a low center of gravity.

The make of boat depends where you live, but here are some suitable trailerable sailboats:

Alberg 22 Balboas Cape Cutter 19 Com-Pac 19 Cornish Crabber 17 Corribee Enseneda 20 Hartley 16 MacGregor 19 an 26 Montgomery 15 and 17 Ranger 26 Red Fox 200 Sportina Swift 18

Good sailing and trailing




sailboats articles:
Mx-ray Sailboat
Very fast, monohull single-handerThe MX-Ray sailboat is one of those sailboats that lots of dinghy sailors want to know about, but evidently not enough wanted to buy, as it is no Read more...
Bermudian rig sailboats
By John Hartley
Popular, and the best for racing, but not the best for cruisingSince it displaced the gaff rig, the Bermudian or Bermudan rig has become the most popular for sailboats. It Read more...
Get a Sailboat and Enjoy Life on the Water!
Sailing a sailboat is one of the most enjoyable pastimes there is - you can be lazy, and just let the boat waft along on the breeze, race against other similar sailboats, or cruise along the Read more...
Is A Boat Rental Club Right For You
By Kadence Buchanan
Owning a boat is a dream for many Americans, but one that can turn into a nightmare of unforeseen costs. Many novice boaters don't realize all the costs associated with purchasing a boat and Read more...
sailboats news: