Driftless, Your Prairie 29 is certainly trailer-able, especially that she has no fly bridge. The only obstacle resides inside your Head, and perhaps your wallet
@ driftless. I am planning to get to sandwich and overnight there. The. Take off early the next morning for the 26 mile jaunt across Cape Cod bay to P town. You are correct about the SW summer breeze. That 'Bermuda high' can be a real bitch. Better to exit west end of canal and transit BB with flood current than travel wind against tide. Nasty nasty.
I think what Gurryman meant was you can at least hire the boat moved, via a hydraulic trailer over the road. My boat is too high for long distance moving. The Flybridge is stuck on with 5200 and about 500 screws. Too much work to un fasten. This was the reason I did the Erie Canal to bring her home as opposed to having her trucked.
I think what Gurryman meant was you can at least hire the boat moved, via a hydraulic trailer over the road. My boat is too high for long distance moving. The Flybridge is stuck on with 5200 and about 500 screws. Too much work to un fasten. This was the reason I did the Erie Canal to bring her home as opposed to having her trucked.
Not exactly Cappy. While hiring transport is an option, It is usually too costly and scheduling can be a pain. I was suggesting that Driftless's boat is just as trailer-able as mine, especially as it doesn't have a fly bridge.
I trailer mine everytime I use her.
Sorti,
No wonder they look so wide .... they are.
To get more space because of my walkaround side decks I've thought at times my Willard would be great w a 12' beam. Std is 10.5. I don't even think an increase in power would be needed. That's a mod that would certainly be way too difficult. Would be easier to build a new boat. My idea is to keep all the W30 lines intact .. just stretch the boat beam wise.
But if moorage was cheap (like it was in Alaska) I'd want to lengthen the hull aft about 3' .. or so. I'd rather have a stern shape much like the KK42. A wineglass section all the way back including a transom. All the above is just idle thinking. The Fales boat (that was made w a W30 mold) did stretch the W30 2'. All amidships. Just sawed her in half and inserted 2' of fabed up hull. Several Alaska State ferries have that kind of stretch.
Sooo... The Willard has a narrower beam than the Prairie? Hmmm.
There's an attractive Willard named Vega (that's the boat's name, not the Willard type) for sale on Craigslist in New Hampshire. I saw the boat on Yachtworld this spring but didn't check it out because it was overpriced. Now that the price is down where it should be, I would be tempted to look at 'er, but found the Prairie first.
Maybe I'm better off with the beamier Prairie, but the Willard had a late model Yanmar engine, which might be a better deal than the old Perkins in Rise 'n Shine.
The Willard does have an attractive rounded stern. It's a handsome boat.
J.S.
__________________
John R. Stewart
"Rise 'n Shine" Prairie-29, (formerly) "Driftless" Albin-25, Hull number 737
Dighton, Massachusetts, USA
I've thought at times my Willard would be great w a 12' beam. Std is 10.5.
That's a skinny willy you've got there, Eric!
__________________ My boat is my ark. It's my mobile treehouse and my floating fishing cabin. It's my retreat and my respite. Everyday I thank God I have a boat! -Al FJB
One of the nice features of the Prairie 29 are the wide walk around decks. My wife appreciated those. Overall it is an efficient hull, not fast, but user friendly, good interior space and easy to handle. Now that I am a full time single hander, solo, except for the dog, I find her pretty easy to handle. The old Perkins is an old bucket. It runs, and until it doesn't I will stay with it.
Not exactly Cappy. While hiring transport is an option, It is usually too costly and scheduling can be a pain. I was suggesting that Driftless's boat is just as trailer-able as mine, especially as it doesn't have a fly bridge.
I trailer mine everytime I use her.
I suspect your vessel is slightly on the light side as compared to a prairie. I don't think an ordinary aluminum triaxle trailer would take 13,500 And my 1500 wouldn't take it either!
I suspect your vessel is slightly on the light side as compared to a prairie. I don't think an ordinary aluminum triaxle trailer would take 13,500 And my 1500 wouldn't take it either!
My Nauset is 11500-12000 LBs. The entire rig, Truck trailer and boat weighs in at 22250. My trailer is all steel. An aluminum tri-axle trailer with a GVW of 18000 could be retrofitted to easily haul your Prairie.
I am completely in agreement with everything you said. The Prairie draws positive comments about the roominess from everyone who boards her.
,...and I also agree about the senior-citizen Perkins engine. I wouldn't choose it, but it's working fine so I see no urgent need to change it. I may use more fuel in the course of a season than if I had, say a Yanmar of 80 or 100 HP, but the difference is really small enough to be ignored.
There was another Prairie for sale in Boston last fall that I was on my way to look at when another party from the Midwest bought her. I paid what I thought was an attractive price for "Rise 'n Shine", but they got an even better deal. That boat had the 4-108 and a generator. They kept 'er in Massachusetts over last winter and now have transited all the way to Waukegan Illinois. You can find the blog by Googling "Willow B".
Cheers!
J.S.
__________________
John R. Stewart
"Rise 'n Shine" Prairie-29, (formerly) "Driftless" Albin-25, Hull number 737
Dighton, Massachusetts, USA
willowb.us to be precise. It was interesting reading their transit of the Erie Canal. I did the opposite direction last summer bringing my prairie home.
Anybody have a shot of the stern below the WL that shows her shape aft?
I think the Prarie is a SD boat and that explains the big engines found in them. i would think them underpowered w the 4-108 .. in view of the wide beam but perhaps they are actually FD.
Anybody have a shot of the stern below the WL that shows her shape aft?
I think the Prarie is a SD boat and that explains the big engines found in them. i would think them underpowered w the 4-108 .. in view of the wide beam but perhaps they are actually FD.
OK Good,
Looks like she can use more power than the 108. I'd call a Prarie 29 one of the very rare underpowered trawlers. The bigger old Perkins 236 may be OK but I'd consider an Izusu 54hp or Yanmar 55hp perfect. Other 115 cu in (approx) engines may be as good but I've heard nothing but great stuff about the aformentioned pair.
Thanks for the pics .. I especially like the lines I see in the lower pic of post 78. The upper pic shows a good sized rudder very similar to the Willard. The side decks make soo much more sense w the 12' beam. The more I see the more I like. The Prarie 29 is very much better looking w/o the flybridge .. more easily justified knowing about the 12' beam. Gurryman why is your FB fuzzy? I'm glad my Willard is w/o. Don't want to talk about my Willy as Al may deflate my masculinity ... again.