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Old 08-17-2016, 11:17 PM   #82
Peter B
TF Site Team
 
City: Ex-Brisbane, (Australia), now Bribie Island, Qld
Vessel Name: Now boatless - sold 6/2018
Vessel Model: Had a Clipper (CHB) 34
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 10,101
Quote:
Originally Posted by cardude01 View Post
I always hear about folks coming from sail over to the "darkside", but has anyone ever successfully done the reverse? Can one go from an air conditioned and heated pilothouse to an open cockpit and survive the change?

Sometimes I get bored cruising the ICW, and wonder if I would be happier fiddling with lines and tweaking sails (and getting wet). I've only sailed small boats like Hobie Cats and never a big boat, so of course I don't really know what I'm talking about.
Dude, not normally, but at times like now, when contemplating forking out at least 2 grand to just haul and antifoul, I think back to how low maintenance costs and stowage costs were back in my trailer yachting days. Then there was the added advantage of being able to tow our home away from home long distances quickly, without long coastal passages limiting where we could cruise, including opening up some lovely inland lakes.

Especially now there is a nice MacGregor 26 trailer yacht for sale right here at our marina, just to rub it in. Because thanks to the fact that model uses water ballast, so, it can not only be roomier than the yacht we had, but it is much lighter to trail, but then once in the water, one can either take on ballast and sail, or drop the water ballast and actually plane at 20kn, because of the much more powerful 50hp outboard they now use on these, compared to the 8hp ones we used to use.
The pic is our Gazelle 26 we had in NZ. The link is to a Macgregor.

http://www.boatsales.com.au/boats-fo...=0&pss=Premium

Then I think of the extra room, all mod cons the trawler cruiser provides, and the sheer convenience of step aboard and go, with no launching/retrieving, etc, and the yearning drops away again.
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