Trailerable or HomePort for Couples Cruiser

Looking on some input on pros/cons; decision factors; and personal experience on choosing a cruising boat for a couple (I'll define this as two folks that get along and enjoy each others company).

Specifically, choosing between a trailerable couple's cruiser (I'll define this as 24-28ft boat towable with F-150/250. Has a place to sleep, cook, and poop. Has good enough sea-keeping to cruise rivers, lakes, ICW, Salish Sea, Great Loop and Inside Passage) OR a homeported couple's cruiser (I'll define this as 30-36ft boat based at a homepot marina. Has a place to sleep, cook, and poop. Has good enough sea-keeping to cruise rivers, lakes, ICW, Salish Sea, Great Loop and Inside Passage).

Not really looking for boat suggestions. More interested in input on choosing between style of cruising. That being said, the most obvious tradeoff between the two would be giving up personal space on the smaller boats for the ability to make it more mobile over land.

What do you see as other tradeoffs and issues in choosing between the two?

It’s a question of time. Back in the late 80’s I had a 26’ trailerable sailboat. With my two week vacation I could make it halfway to Alaska from Seattle. When I bought a 34’ sailboat I never made it past Nanaimo. Both had their pros and cons. Would call it pretty even. If I had kept the trailer boat I would have made it to Mexico but I never would have become a liveaboard.

If you have a very limited amount of time to boat then maybe the trailerable. If you have nothing but time to boat then maybe the home port option.

It takes at least 24' to have a trailerable trawler that has the interior systems that you require. Any bigger than about 26' becomes quite a handful to trailer. The 24-26' size is pretty limiting for personal space as well as cruising supplies.

There are lots and lots of trawlers in the 30-36' range. The question is where you want to home port it. Your profile on the left says Albuquerque and Tennessee. I presume that Albuquerque is out and you probably know the Tennessee lakes pretty well and may not want to home port there.

In my experience from cruising the entire east coast, most areas have their cruising season and it varies from 3+ months to 6 months. The Keys and south Florida is probably the longest- Nov thru April. Maine is the shortest- mid June through September. Others in between those extremes have nice spring and fall cruising seasons but winter and summer are not so fun.

So I think a lot depends on when you want to do your cruising from your home port, and how far and how long you want to go. For pure beauty and variety you can't beat Maine. S Florida and the Keys have lots of places to go and a unique lifestyle down there. The Chesapeake probably rivals Maine for variety.

But I would pick one, try it for a few years and if you get tired then spend a few weeks and move north or south to another area. Think of it as trailerable but at 6-7 kts.

David

We have had pretty much all sizes and types under 40 feet and the one thing we found was that some days it was just too much trouble to haul the boat to the launch and wait in line etc. and therefore did not use the boat as much. When we bought our 33 we had to get a slip and we stayed on the boat more and went out on the water more. I don't think I could go back to a trailerable.

I can not speak to the 30' and larger vessel.
As to trailerable, I have had 3 cruisers that were at the top end of trailerable definition with out permits. (8 1/2 feet wide) All of them weighed in the seven to eight thousand pound range on a trailer. All of them had a single gas engines, (two 350 GM and one was a 460 Ford) a head, V berth plus mid-berth, a galley of sorts and a cockpit. One had a radar arch. None of these in my opinion would fit the trawler definition as they would move rather fast if one wanted to. (And I usually wanted to)

The limiting factors for extended cruising are the size of the fridge, fuel tank and comfort level. (in that order) Two of these I have spent 14/15 days per trip on a single cruise. Had a blast. Fridge was 6 cu ft that sucked lots of power. Fuel tanks were from 80 to 100 gallons

On this type of vessel I have been all over the Puget Sound, up and down Lake Powell, Mexico and out to Catalina and back. (not to mention lots of inland lakes in Washington and Arizona) This type of vessel isn't that great when the weather kicks up. (waves and swells) Wind will blow but there is enough power to push the boat anywhere.

On the flip side, traveling by land to other water is extremely easy. Never found it an issue to tow anywhere. Always had a TV that would dump and retrieve the vessel. I prefer a roller trailer to a bunk trailer and have had both. IMO it is a boat that can get in and out of lot of situations. Had full canvas over the cockpit to stay out of the sun and rain. And with the boat on a trailer the expenses and wear and tear of the water are cut down to very low. One can do repairs and clean top and bottom on land that is far easier to do than in the water. Plus pump gas is a lot cheaper than marina gas.


The biggest keys to low expenses were single engine, doing my own maintenance and keeping on a trailer so no bottom paint needed.

I would suggest you expand your cruising description a little more. As an example, a trip around the Great Loop will probably never have you more than 3 days without being able to stop, buy groceries, empty and fill tanks. To make suggestions on which category makes more sense, it would seem to me to be important to understand number of days between stops, fuel travel range, and freshwater requirements.

My tongue in cheek comment would be to ask if you have or are planning to obtain a prenuptial agreement.

Ted

O C Diver said:

My tongue in cheek comment would be to ask if you have or are planning to obtain a prenuptial agreement.

Ted

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Or drink a lot.

You kind of need to decide one or the other before you consider which boat to get. If you want to travel to different places a trailerable boat is what you want. Being able to readily transfer the boat from one body of water to another at 60 mph is great. If you are going to be happy cruising the same bit of water again and again and again, then go with the bigger boat and realize that moving it to another body of water is not going to be something that happens much (or at all).

I think that unless you are on the Inside Passage, you are never going to be that far from anywhere in your boat. The ability for your boat to support you for long periods is not really necessary. I have a 22 C-Dory. We have spent up to 13 days at a time on it. However, even when we anchored out overnight, we spent part (could be the majority) of each day off the boat visiting some town or something. So in addition to being able to sightsee, we also could access marina facilities (restrooms, showers, etc.), restaurants, stores, etc. It's not like we spent long periods of time (i.e. days) "stuck" on the boat.

Where we live, going to the water is a decent drive. It would be the same if the boat was slipped. Bringing the boat with us isn't that big of a deal. Further, having the boat on a trailer lets me work on it at my house where all my tools and stuff are. It also more convenient for us to prepare and load the boat for a trip, and to unload and clean the boat after when I can park it in front of my house.

Based on where we live and what we like to do with our boat, having a trailerable boat is what we much prefer. Having a boat that is relatively confined to one place would get old fast (IMO). In our case, I think that having a boat in a slip would result in it getting used less, not more because you can't readily go anywhere new.

We used to tow large trailerable boats all over the west. Loved it but as I got older the towing became less fun and more work. We wanted to walk onto the boat and get underway without all the prep days and launching. Both are only great just have to figure out which is for you. Good luck.

Wife and I took our 22 C-Dory to big lakes all over the West, and the Inside Passage up to Glacier Bay. No marine head, a porta-potty. Two burner Wallas stove/heater. Max cruise length 2 months, mostly just the two of us, but occasionally three.

Cruised 18 summers on big lakes and the Inside Passage in our 26-footer, with a head, fridge, warm shower, even a water maker. 2 or 3 on board, max length 3.5 months and 4,000 nm.

We loved the trailer boats flexibility, and being able to keep them right here at home in Utah. Now we're spoiled in a 37-foot Nordic Tug which lives in Washington when not out cruising.

All good.

There are thousands more trailer boats than larger big buck boats.

I would suggest you do the smaller boat first , and try that style of cruising.

IF you decide you need more interior space the trailer boat will be far faster/ easier to sell.

The goal should be a "Zero Round Trip", you sell the package for what you paid for it.

The initial cruise destinations might be rivers and lakes where a 15-20K speed might be useful.

So after some discussion we have decided to go the trailered route for a couple of years before getting a slipped boat.

We both like the Albin 25 and the Nimble Kodiak.

We like the 22 C-dory but not sure about the porta-potie location. One of us will typically get up to "go" during the night and it looks like you would have to unmake the bed to get to the porta-potie on the 22 C- Dory.

Also, like the layout of the gas 24ft Bayliner Hardtops but not sure about the range or if I like the fuel usage numbers.

IronZebra said:

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We both like the Albin 25 and the Nimble Kodiak.

We like the 22 C-dory but not sure about the porta-potie location. One of us will typically get up to "go" during the night and it looks like you would have to unmake the bed to get to the porta-potie on the 22 C- Dory.
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I believe that the Nimbles have head compartments. Don't know about the Albin.

When we use our C-Dory 22, the porta-potti is outside in the cockpit when we are not close to other boats or in inclement weather. If it is inside at night, it is moved from under the v-berth to the back of the cabin near the entry door. The porta-potti is normally only under the v-berth while the boat is in transit on the trailer.

Island,

Personally, I couldn't be GIVEN a trailerable boat and enjoy it for that mission. Just way too much hassle, and you have a boat that's too small for 4 people for any amount of extended overnights.

First, if you really want to spend time with 4 doing overnighters, get a boat that will be comfortable and enjoyable for all 4. I couldn't imagine much smaller than 35 to 40 feet.

If you really need speed, get a fast boat, not a trailer. Keep a bigger boat for the comfort (unless you're college kids).

If you're doing a long trip, let one couple motor the boat up and the other couple meet at the destination.... play as long as you want, and let the second couple motor home.

If you're doing the great loop.... think closer to 42 to 45 feet for a minimum. And plan some time away from each other so you don't kill each other. One couple flies home for a week and the second couple takes the boat on a side trip. Heck, some guys have to do that with their wives just to get her out of your hair for a week.

Trailer.... NO WAY. BTDT

One guys opinion

Seevee said:

Island,

Personally, I couldn't be GIVEN a trailerable boat and enjoy it for that mission. Just way too much hassle, and you have a boat that's too small for 4 people for any amount of extended overnights.

First, if you really want to spend time with 4 doing overnighters, get a boat that will be comfortable and enjoyable for all 4. I couldn't imagine much smaller than 35 to 40 feet.

If you really need speed, get a fast boat, not a trailer. Keep a bigger boat for the comfort (unless you're college kids).

If you're doing a long trip, let one couple motor the boat up and the other couple meet at the destination.... play as long as you want, and let the second couple motor home.

If you're doing the great loop.... think closer to 42 to 45 feet for a minimum. And plan some time away from each other so you don't kill each other. One couple flies home for a week and the second couple takes the boat on a side trip. Heck, some guys have to do that with their wives just to get her out of your hair for a week.

Trailer.... NO WAY. BTDT

One guys opinion

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We are talking one couple (2 people). But if it was 4 people I would agree on not using a trailerable.

In the smaller sizes the builds are about the same ,weather they are configured as baby tugs , trawlers or motor yachts.

AS the MY configuration is probably 10x or 20x as common , their interiors tend to be more refined.

Input from customers over many years is important on smaller boats where every inch counts.


Look a lot!

IronZebra said:

So after some discussion we have decided to go the trailered route for a couple of years before getting a slipped boat.

We both like the Albin 25 and the Nimble Kodiak.

We like the 22 C-dory but not sure about the porta-potie location. One of us will typically get up to "go" during the night and it looks like you would have to unmake the bed to get to the porta-potie on the 22 C- Dory.

Also, like the layout of the gas 24ft Bayliner Hardtops but not sure about the range or if I like the fuel usage numbers.

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Have you considered a CD 25 Cruiser? They have a marine head in its own compartment.

RCook said:

Have you considered a CD 25 Cruiser? They have a marine head in its own compartment.

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The C Dory 25 Cruiser, the Rosborough 246, the Atlas Acadia 25.... all have flushing heads and a shower compartment. But they are quite a bit heavier and would take a 3/4-1 ton pickup to safely tow long distances.


David

I would decide how big a boat I'm going to be comfortable with first. We had a 28foot express for 10 years. It was fine at first, but started to get very small. As you mentioned, over 28 starts to get challenging to tow.

Then I'd decide where I want the boat to be used and whether it is reasonable to tow that far on a regular basis.

The further you have to travel, the more you want the boat in the water and ready when you get there.

Shrew said:

...
The further you have to travel, the more you want the boat in the water and ready when you get there.

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The problem with that is if the boat is far away, it likely doesn't get used that often and probably isn't ready when you get there. Every time you go out you have to haul a lot of stuff from your car to the boat before you can depart. When you return, you'll probably have to haul a lot of stuff off the boat back to your car to take home.

My trailerable boat can be parked right in front of my house for loading and unloading (not to mention cleaning and maintenance).

Different strokes for different folks.

Trailer boating is far far less expensive than having a boat in the water at a marina. Not even close as far as on going costs. (I could write a very long post of the financial differences.) It is also healthier for the boat. (The water is a much harsher environment than on the hard) If one has greater limitations on cash, trailer boating is a way of still having the on the water boating experience.

Going the other direction, one could take the boating experience to a different level and say, why pay for a slip at a marina? Really? That is such a waste of time, "The further you have to travel" you know it is a .... Driving back and forth to the marina. Pony up to a water front lot and slip your yacht at home! And your boat is there for you within steps. Now that is what should be done.

Trailer boating is different. It isn't better or worse. It isn't right or wrong. It is different. Boating on any level is being on the water. Especially if one is not full time on the water. Unless one is full time it all is part time boating experience that can be had by different people on different levels. And no matter how that is accomplished it is all good. It just may look different. Not right not wrong just different.

As to trailerable versus moored there is a limitation based on size for trailerable. But given the same size vessel the biggest difference is cost

There is a third option not mentioned. I call this "Movable." In fact, some boats calling themselves trailerable are truly Movable. These are boats that can be moved on very large trailers with permits but still at reasonable costs as they clear bridges fine. They allow you to just periodically reset your cruising grounds. It allows for much more boat than trailerable, but doesn't limit you to one cruising ground or a very long trip by water to where you want to cruise next.

^^^Or overwide in the US. ^^^
Trailerables that are greater than 102" wide (8 1/2") or are considered over the width of federal towing limits. 102" wide and less do not require permits to tow on federal roads. (Individual states and local areas do have their own rules) Greater than that requires a permit. the type of permit and restrictions on towing are based on how over wide the trailer is when towing. (There are several different categories of over wide) However I know a friend that tows a 9 foot wide go fast boat and doesn't get permits because most cops don't know it exceeds the limit based on width. What's six inches, right?

Then there is the height consideration as mentioned above.

IronZebra said:

So after some discussion we have decided to go the trailered route for a couple of years before getting a slipped boat.

We both like the Albin 25 and the Nimble Kodiak.

We like the 22 C-dory but not sure about the porta-potie location. One of us will typically get up to "go" during the night and it looks like you would have to unmake the bed to get to the porta-potie on the 22 C- Dory.

Also, like the layout of the gas 24ft Bayliner Hardtops but not sure about the range or if I like the fuel usage numbers.

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I realize that this is moving up/down the "two more feetitis" slope but here is a great looking Albin 27 for sale in Beaufort, NC for $12,500 which sounds like a bargain given all of the recent work done: Pamlico Classified Ads on TownDock.net | Oriental NC News


Might be tough to trailer though.



David

djmarchand said:

I realize that this is moving up/down the "two more feetitis" slope but here is a great looking Albin 27 for sale in Beaufort, NC for $12,500 which sounds like a bargain given all of the recent work done: Pamlico Classified Ads on TownDock.net | Oriental NC News


Might be tough to trailer though.

David

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I originally was considering a Albin 27 before I got my C-Dory. While the Albin 27 is theoretically trailerable, it is rare to find one that comes with a trailer. Yes, you can get a trailer made or configured, but the Albin is not as portable as the C-dory or as the 27' length might imply.

Some people object to the separation of the cabin and the berth (sort of like the Seapiper only in reverse) except that the head is in the main cabin.

With the normal engine, the Albin travels at about 6-7 knots. If you get the uprated engine or a refit, it'll do about 10.

IronZebra said:

So after some discussion we have decided to go the trailered route for a couple of years before getting a slipped boat.

We both like the Albin 25 and the Nimble Kodiak.

We like the 22 C-dory but not sure about the porta-potie location. One of us will typically get up to "go" during the night and it looks like you would have to unmake the bed to get to the porta-potie on the 22 C- Dory.

Also, like the layout of the gas 24ft Bayliner Hardtops but not sure about the range or if I like the fuel usage numbers.

Click to expand...

We had a 22 C-Dory and the porta pottie. The head itself was great, no stink, and easy to empty anywhere. The downfall was the “shuffle” for bed at night. Gear and porta pottie came out of the v-berth, so we could go in. The head went where the dinette table is, so it could be used overnight. The shuffle went the other way in the morning. This got old.

The C-Dory is also a calm water boat, or a very slow boat. Once we got to rougher water, we switched to a deep V boat.

The C-Dory 25 is more spacious and, as mentioned, has the enclosed head. If you can deal with the limitations of the hull (not much deadrise), it is a great boat. As they have no inner-liner, they are lighter which means easier to tow and easier on gas. I would want the porta pottie in the 25’s head as you can empty it anywhere. A holding tank in a trailer boat is a pain, unless you have very handy dump or pump options.

I have always been fond of the Bayliner Discovery line. I think there is a tremendous capability and comfort there, and the price is right. A little more speed of the Discovery increases the option value quite a bit. Enclose the aft deck, and you have a great screened/shaded outdoor-ish space. Plenty of room on the top for a dinghy, radar, solar, etc. Nice galley and head, and a dinette where you can see outside while you sit there. I don’t think you will want to beat up a Discovery offshore like a Seasport or Pursuit, but a super boat for reasonable conditions.

I would be happy to discuss further if desired.

Thanks for all the information and observations. We like the option, for now, of being able to trailer to lakes, rivers, Gulf, and Pacific Northwest. Also, being able to get some more experience on a smaller boat that we can hopefully get close to a zero financial round trip when ready to move up.

We currently live the high desert in New Mexico and also have a retirement house near Pickwick Lake. Until we retire in 2021, we can play on Navajo Lake and Elephant Butte on the weekends and summer trailer cruise to Lake Powell and Pickwick. We currently have a 22 ft sailboat that we weekend on at Elephant Butte Lake.

Our house at Pickwick is walking distance to the state line boat ramp across from Aqua Harbor Marina on the Tennessee River. One interesting observation when we were there last summer, there are a number covered storage areas right at the lake for trailered and "Movable" boats. The storage area business was continuously launching and retrieving boats for the owners with tractors. We saw the big green tractor bring all sizes of boats, from small to huge. Boat owners did not need any tow vehicles, just show up and the storage business did the rest.

If any one in interested in being our neighbor there is a cabin for sale on our street.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sa...4,-88.235418,34.992466,-88.250073_rect/15_zm/

NICE!!

A couple of years behind you in retirement. And have looked at that area (Pickwick and just a little further South) as far as a place to retire. For the price of Real Estate seems cheap there. (Compared to Phoenix) And as far as I know the cost of living is less there as well. I like the idea of living on or very close to the Great Loop. And moving there would be a choice for us to be on the loop in a yacht that is capable of doing the loop and some distance from the mainland like Bahamas. However buying Real Estate on the Gulf Coast, close to named events, seems to be a definite issues of wrecking the whole day. And I have an allergy to white stuff falling from the sky. Hense further North isn't a consideration.

As to marinas storing and moving boats from the hard to the water. That has been a thing for a few decades. It maximizes the use of water by keeping boats out of the water as much as possible when they are not being used. As long as the marina provides swift service, like you call ahead and by the time you arrive the boat is waiting for you to cast off. Works well in an organized marina with smaller boats up to the legal limit for towing and a little larger.

For a trailable cruiser, I really like the Bayliner 246/266 Discovery. It is a lot of boat in a 26' trailable package. I would recommend a 3/4 truck to pull it, however.

My own list of possible boats includes a Grady White 208/228, Bayliner 246/266, Tiara 3100/3300 Open, and a Carver 356. Obviously, I don't know how or where we would use the boat when I retire in less than 3 years. The GW or Bayliner would make great trailable boats with each one having strengths on how the boat would be used, the Carver would be a fantastic Condo on the bay that would be at home on the parts of the Great Loop that we would like to explore, while the Tiara (an express cruiser) is a 'movable boat' that with a height of just over 11' and a beam of 12' (12'3" beam for the 3300) could be fairly easily professionally hauled.

Having a boat that could easily be hauled, would give us the option of cruising from the Chesapeake Bay, to the Erie Canal, to the Trent Severn Waterway, through the Georgian Bay, down to Chicago, putting the boat on a truck and hauling it back to the Chesapeake Bay or even down to Florida.

Jim

I know you're not looking for suggestions, but I'll make one anyway, since you mention the Salish Sea -- you might be from the Puget Sound area. I just posted a classified ad on the trawler forum about our Nimble Wanderer, which at 32' is right in the middle of your range. She also can be towed behind a Ford 250 -- I brought her across the country that way in 2007.

If you can't find the ad, just go to our website, www.barquinho.net. Or you can go up to Port Townsend and see her at Boat Haven, up on the hard -- she just got new bottom paint.

Good luck with your search. If versatility is your goal, Barquinho might be the answer.
jbarq