Curious

[Donald Tyson]

I have a small trailerable boat (C-Dory 22) with a nice cabin and all the amenities required for minimalist types of cruising. The thought had been to do the loop in segments by trailering. I've been on 4 trips and it has been rewarding and fun. I've learned a lot. However I find it, to my great surprise, hard to sleep on and difficult to reach common everyday stowed items. I'm somewhat large though not huge, have significant arthritis and bad knees. On this style of boat it is so small that litterally everything must be carefully stowed. Furthermore the potty is only available to me when in the main aisle and so its somewhat non-private.
I have no issues with continuing on in my present state but I'm beginning to wonder what it may be like to upsize to a non-trailerable type. Slippery slope you know!
Originally the Idea was that trailering is cheap and you can go anywhere. Then I realized that though I'm entirely competent (after a long career driving average trucks and trailers) I no longer enjoy trailering much. These thoughts were especially brought to my attention over the last few weeks and months while on Interstate 95, Interstate 87 and also the Garden State Expressway.
I wonder if I'm really saving anything by trailering?
Some of the costs:
-non member slip fees
-truck maintenance
-trailer maintenace
-occasional hotel fees
-truck and trailer storage at the destination
-gas for both truck and boat

If I had a lager non-trailerable boat such as a trawler or similar and kept it in a reasonable slip I could just drive a small car to the boat when it's time to go boating. And if I had the right type of marina membership it may even be possible to trade my way around the loop. Some of the boats that may be similar in cost to my boat could be a Mainship Pilot, Cape Dory trawler, any number of work boat conversions, and oodles of medium plastic boats from the 90's and early 2000's.
I'm wondering what I'm missing but it does seem that it may be possible to enjoy non-trailer, marina-based boating for very little more than trailer boating.
Any thoughts?

 

[Kaniksu]

You have a very capable boat right now. I would go for it. More than a few people have taken their C- Dory boats from Olympia and other points in Washington to SE Alaska and backSome have been elderly. . I have seen some very happy cruisers on C-Dorys all over Puget Sound spending considerable time cruising. Get crackin' and send photos. Tomorrow isn't promised. You may know this, but there is some C-Dory owners group called C-Brats I believe

 

[Comodave]

First thing IMO is to set a budget for a new boat. If you are unable to sleep on your current boat then it is time for a change if you want to actually go cruising. How do you cruise if you can’t sleep? Once you have a budget then decide what is important in the new boat. Then you can start looking. Once you have a budget and priority list then post that info here and we may be able to make suggestions.

 

[Diep]

Welcome aboard.

You will be able to cruise a much wider area with occasional and shorter term cruises with a trailerable boat. On the other hand if your boat is not trailerable, it will take major investments in time and expense to get to areas far afield of your home port. If you want to complete the loop or most of it you will want to pretty much be a full-time liveaboard cruiser.

You will pay far more in fuel, maintenance, storage, etc. for a larger boat without a trailer than you will for a boat, truck and trailer. Get some prices for a home marina, haulout for storage or work, etc. A boat with no trailer always has the meter running, both in terms of fees and accumulating maintenance. A boat on a trailer you can pull, wash, flush out and put under a tarp for 6 months for free and nothing gets away from you.

Big boats are nice though and by no means do I mean to dissuade you!

 

[Frosty]

You will pay far more in fuel, maintenance, storage, etc. for a larger boat without a trailer than you will for a boat, truck and trailer. ... A boat with no trailer always has the meter running, both in terms of fees and accumulating maintenance. A boat on a trailer you can pull, wash, flush out and put under a tarp for 6 months for free and nothing gets away from you.

Great way to put it.

I've gone both ways. I'd guess "big boat" costs more on average (because of that "meter" always running). Especially if you have a place to keep a trailerable boat (such as your driveway) and/or if you might have vehicle capable of towing 5-6,000# for some other reason (truck, SUV, etc.)

But of course (and not that @Diep even implied this) there's more to it than money. A big boat will be more comfortable for sure.

I guess to me the main question is do you want to boat in different places? Inside Passage? Alaska? Lake Powell? The Bahamas? Georgian Bay? If so, then hey, that's a big selling point for a trailerable boat. They also tend to have shallow draft, if gunkholing is your thing.

If you are "only" going to do the loop (in terms of traveling by boat away from home), or tend to do your boating in a smaller area from a fixed home slip then a big boat starts to look better. As you say, just drive to it and hop on. it will look a lot bigger when it's time to wax, paint, etc. (but you can pay others to do that).

The other thing that goes up as you go bigger is the "little" things: 1/4" chain costs a lot less than 3/8". 20# anchor is cheaper than a 40# anchor. Wire is smaller, rope, battery bank(s), and so on. That's back to the money angle.

Only you probably know the answer to those questions for yourself (though of course discussing in a thread helps).

 

[Crux]

A good read here with your exact boat.
Notable because he crossed the continental US..
...East to West...Atlantic to Pacific
River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon
(cheaper used on Ebay)

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=River+horse&i=stripbooks&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A2656022011&dc&ds=v1%3AlJX4RsOHTM6bAhvI32ROe0ALziUQ09XQHKh7eSVg8xk&crid=3N2T0IG9708E&qid=1756168253&rnid=618072011&sprefix=river+horse%2Cstripbooks%2C202&ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_browse-bin_2

 

[CaptTom]

Having a proper head, shower and berth is a huge step up in comfort. It sounds like you're ready for that. The types of boats you mentioned seem like good choices.

Going farther afield, and even considering "the Loop" also suggests a more comfortable platform.

Costs will be more. Marinas aren't cheap, be it seasonal or transient dockage. You're unlikely to find many free slips on the Loop, and certainly not in the Northeast US. But then again, you can often anchor out, and along the canals terminal walls are usually cheap or included with your canal pass.

 

[Donald Tyson]

You have a very capable boat right now. I would go for it. More than a few people have taken their C- Dory boats from Olympia and other points in Washington to SE Alaska and backSome have been elderly. . I have seen some very happy cruisers on C-Dorys all over Puget Sound spending considerable time cruising. Get crackin' and send photos. Tomorrow isn't promised. You may know this, but there is some C-Dory owners group called C-Brats I believe

Oh we're crackin'. I just noticed that we could use more space. this week we got into 3-4'snot on late afternoon fetch from Lake Champlain. While it tested us the boat did much better. I'm a long time member of the C-Brat family...Through them I have learned so much.

 

[Donald Tyson]

A good read here with your exact boat.
Notable because he crossed the continental US..
...East to West...Atlantic to Pacific
River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon
(cheaper used on Ebay)

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=River+horse&i=stripbooks&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A2656022011&dc&ds=v1%3AlJX4RsOHTM6bAhvI32ROe0ALziUQ09XQHKh7eSVg8xk&crid=3N2T0IG9708E&qid=1756168253&rnid=618072011&sprefix=river+horse%2Cstripbooks%2C202&ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_browse-bin_2

Thanks for the book referral.

 

[Donald Tyson]

Great way to put it.

I've gone both ways. I'd guess "big boat" costs more on average (because of that "meter" always running). Especially if you have a place to keep a trailerable boat (such as your driveway) and/or if you might have vehicle capable of towing 5-6,000# for some other reason (truck, SUV, etc.)

I can probably( with a wide load permit) get the boat home for the winter but I'd rather sail it south in winter.

 

[Donald Tyson]

We're not yet committed to doing this (getting a bigger boat) but it would seem that most 28 -30' trawlers would suffice and address the above issues.

First thing IMO is to set a budget for a new boat. If you are unable to sleep on your current boat then it is time for a change if you want to actually go cruising. How do you cruise if you can’t sleep? Once you have a budget then decide what is important in the new boat. Then you can start looking. Once you have a budget and priority list then post that info here and we may be able to make suggestions.

Comodave, Of course the budget is the best recommendation. However we can probably muster a capable budget. Question is, do we have the discipline to live by the budget we set? There is also actions we can take to perhaps make sleeping better.