# soling sailboat



## kai34 (Jul 16, 2008)

hello all,
i am looking at buying a soling sailboat and just had acouple of hang ups about it. can most 27' ish sailboat trailers hold a soling? i ask this because the person im looking to buy the boat off of whats an extra 1800 for the trailer and was thinking i could find it cheaper. or maybe thats a good price?has anyone heard of or have seen a small outboard motor on a soling? is dry sailing the best for this boat? i was also wondering if solings could be phrf raced?

thanks, i promised i seached for these anwsers.


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## Mark1948 (Jun 19, 2007)

The cradle should be fitted to the soling hull, most I have seen use a solid support that fits the curve of the hull. In my area the solings are dry sailed, most owners are very particular about keeping the hull clean and waxed. I have never seen a motor on a Soling I think it could disrupt the balance and could make it difficult to get full tiller motion. Solings are very quick and agile race boats, not really a day sailor. On the trailer, what would the current owner use it for? Keep negotiating.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I had a Soling and loved it. The most responsive boat I have ever sailed. It will not fit on a trailer that has not been made or altered for it. Although it is 27 feet long, The hull shape is nothing like a standard 27 foot weekender. 

You could put an outboard on the boat but if I were you I'd consider using an electric trolling motor and have a custom quick-release mount made for it that fits on one of the gunwales.

I am not sure what the boat would rate PHRF - wise but I can pretty well guarantee you'd have to be an excellent sailor to get it anywhere near it's rating. The boat was designed for speed and tis would certainly be reflected in its rating.

Racing them tends to be more of a one-design class affair and as Mark1948 stated, a lot of the owners are pretty fanatic about hull care and are strictly dry-sailors. We raced for two seasons but you need to be able to commit many hours and be willing to spend a lot of money on sails and gear to remain competitive. 

The last couple of years that I had mine it was on a mooring all season. With the right bottom paint it was fine. Note that the cockpit was not self bailing, so you have to be careful about getting to the boat regularly to bail it out.

The only reason to own the boat is to sail fast. It has every conceivable sail trim mechanism and then some. if you are looking for a comfortable weekender it's the wrong boat. If you're looking for exhiliarating sailing in any weather - it's the right boat. 

Good luck !


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## kai34 (Jul 16, 2008)

thanks for the replies


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Solings are great, responsive, and fast boats to sail. We got US 276 in 1969 and kept it for about 20 years, racing and daysailing in Long Island Sound. For the fairly strong wind typical in your area (Buzzards Bay?) you will need two hefty crew hiking like crazy to keep it flat. When the boat was first introduced, there was a move to allow trapezes, so as to make hiking easier, but the class association voted against it. In 15 knots of breeze, I would not be eager to take one out singlehanded, upwind. I'd want my two crew hiking for me. Solings will plane with the spinnaker up in about 20 or so knots of breeze. Unless they've been modified for it, the sails don't generally reef. This means you flog the main when you have to -- which pretty much ends up destroying the sail after a season or two. As mentioned above, just about everything is adjustable. The deck-stepped mast is easy to step or lower when needed. A motor on the transom would really mess up performance under sail. The prop back there might also be out of the water a lot. My PHRF book shows Solings in most areas rating 150. For the trailer, I'd give Triad Trailers in Milford CT a call, to see what a new one would cost. You don't want a boat that weighs almost a ton deciding it doesn't like your jury-rigged trailer, and $1800 sounds like a new trailer to me. (And as was mentioned above, what's the previous owner going to do with a trailer and no boat to put on it?) Used Solings are generally inexpensive because they are of limited utility. If the wind's blowing too hard, you can't go out without a full crew. There's no cuddy, head or privacy for cruising. The deck is ok to sit on if you avoid all the lines and cam cleats, but there's nowhere you can lean back. They can be a blast to sail, however, so you have to decide what kind of boat you're looking for and what you want to do with it.


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## EDBERKHOUT (Jul 15, 2009)

*Soling*

1800.00 For A Trailer If It Has Two Storage Boxes And Wheels/ Tire In Good Shape Is Fair Price
My Club Is 1 Mile Upstream With 5 Kn Current, So I Mounted A 2.5 Hp Honda Long Shafted Motor Midhsip With Removeable Bracket When Not Rerquired Works Great Get One With Built In Fuel Tank, Good For 60 Minutes 
I Did Have To Make Bracket L Shaped To Get Prop In Water
I Phfr Race Every Week , Only Boat I Can Not Beat, Yet, Is A J24
Ed


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Good luck finding a 27' trailer for under $2000.

I got a quote a trailer to fit a 23-25 foot boat and was quoted $4k plus for extras. Granted this was a double axle with brakes and new everything, but looking around it is hard to find used trailers. My guess would be $1500-2000 used, plus whatever it takes to fit it to the soling. If you were to buy the soling, I would buy the trailer with it.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Good luck finding a 27' trailer for under $2000.

I got a quote a trailer to fit a 23-25 foot boat and was quoted $4k plus for extras. Granted this was a double axle with brakes and new everything, but looking around it is hard to find used trailers. My guess would be $1500-2000 used, plus whatever it takes to fit it to the soling. 

The other thing to compare is it a road trailer or a yard trailer. If it was a road trailer I think $1800 would be a good investment.


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## Peter Hess (Dec 5, 2015)

Anyone out there sailing a Soling that was originally sailed at Offshore Sailing School on City Island. I was an instructor there in the 80's. I'm now applying for my captains liscence and need a hull number.


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