# Looking for a small cruiser, easy to single-hand sail



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have set a goal for myself, that in approximately 3 to 5 years, I will be able to purchase a used boat, and pay cash for it. The type of boat that I would be interested in would be a small pocket cruiser, able to accommodate 1 or 2 people for brief overnight stays, and small 2 or 3 day cruises on the Great Lakes, or other large inland lakes. It should be easy to single-hand sail, have decent lines, and have good balance. At this point, the search is beginning, I am hoping that many of you would comment on different boats that you know of, or have experience with that you believe I ought to consider, and why. These comments will be of great use to me as I research different boats, and begin to look at boats, primarily used boats, that are on the market. Thanks in advance for your comments.


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

You might want to include a proposed budget for the boat. It would make recommendations much easier.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Yes, of course. Thank you. $22,000.


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

There are alot of boats that fit the criteria you've laid out... and a lot will be up to your personal preference. 

The criteria as I read it are:

Trailerable pocket cruiser capable of housing two people for short cruises, say up to a week, and daysailing, on the Great Lakes and other large inland lakes. 

Compac, Catalina, Hunter, West Wight Potter, S2 and several others all make boats that would be suitable for those criteria. Your budget will determine a lot of what you can choose from. What kind of vehicle do you have as a tow vehicle, since the tow vehicle will also have a lot to do with what size boat you can get.

I'd also highly recommend that you reserve about $4000-5000 of your budget for refitting, repairing, modifying and upgrading any boat you look at. This is because boats, unlike cars, often need a fair bit of customizing to be best suited for the individuals sailing them. Some will want things like autopilots and lines led aft, to make the boat more suitable for single-handing, others will want refrigeration and cabin electronics, to make the boat more comfortable when at anchor, etc.


----------



## GreenEgg (Mar 23, 2008)

BRCincy said:


> Yes, of course. Thank you. $22,000.


What do you mean by small boat?

We have spent up to a week in our 21' Sirius.

It is a very stable boat, and both both my husband and our 16 year old son have taken it out single-hand.

I would imagine they go for between $3500-$7000, with a trailer, depending on the condition.


----------



## eMKay (Aug 18, 2007)

Decent lines meaning decent looking? How about a Precision 21, or Com-Pac Eclipse, you could buy one nearly new for your budget...

Precision









Com-Pac, she's a beauty...


----------



## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

The Precision 23 is a very well laid out pocket cruiser. You might also look into the Seaward line. As well as the Com-Pacs as mentioned.

If trailerablity isn't a big concern, you could be looking at even larger boats. Of course, then you have to factor in dockage costs as well.

Best of luck in your search.


----------



## AlanBrown (Dec 20, 2007)

Years ago someone told me that when buying a boat, buy the biggest one you can afford. The reason being that after a short time you'll wish you had extra room for storage, guests, etc., etc. These sage words are still true today.

It is just as hard/easy to learn to single hand a 30' boat as it is a 21'. After all, nothing is really different. However, for that extra 9', you get space to move about, space to store your gear, space for your crew, space to retire to if the weather turns nasty, and the size to handle much heavier seas than a smaller vessel. Lets face it, you are going to spend almost as much time below decks as topside. If you've ever been stuck in a tent with a couple friends during a rainstorm, you'll know what I mean.

Why not purchase a boat that will suit your needs far into the future? As you and your crew become more and more experienced, you will probably want to spend lots of time aboard and your day sails will become 2-week vacations. Does it really make sense to have to go boat shopping all over again?

As far as having $22K to spend, you'll have hundreds of used boats to choose from. I've been single handing around the Keys and the Bahamas for the past 7 years in a Hunter 30.

If trailerable boats are what your looking for, don't overlook the McGegors and the Westerly's, and the other twin-keels. 

Good luck!


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

You could purchase an older 1970's era boat for around $10K to $15K with money left over to add other options, if needed. I agree with the above comment on buying a larger boat now to avoid having to upgrade very shortly.
Try a 27 ft. Catalina, Ranger,San Juan, Cal, S2, or others. They sail well and are easily single-handled. You will find that a trailer-sailer boat gets tiring each and every time you have to put the mast & rigging up & down before the days end. It is much more enjoyable for you and crew to merely arrive at the marina and board yourselves and supplies for a fun day of sailing. Bu, if you don't believe you will be sailing much each year - buy one that is trailerable.
Ask someone pulling a sailboat how often they get down to sail their boat.

Best of luck...


----------



## buckeyesailor (Mar 9, 2008)

Nice budget!

I plan to buy, provision, and spend three months in the Bahamas on less than that........AND in a bigger boat.....

Best of Luck to ya!


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

I would recommend getting a trailerable boat, if you want to have the flexibility to sail in several different lakes...or take it up to the Great Lakes. However, I would recommend keeping the boat in a slip, at a marina, since you'll sail the boat a lot more often if you don't have to launch and re-rig the boat each time. Launching, re-rigging and de-rigging and putting the boat on a trailer can take up to two hours or more. It makes going out for an afternoon sail too much work...


----------



## Andyman (Jul 20, 2007)

A decent Aquarius 23 can be found for under $5K and that'll get you a trailer as well. many are bought for way less than that and...they have a good following. Easy to trailer and two people can easily raise the mast and be ready to sail in about an hour. They can very easily be singlehanded and are very stable to sail.

Andy
'72 A23
Medford, OR


----------



## SailorMitch (Nov 18, 2005)

Pearson 27 would be a great choice. I owned one for 14 years here on the Chesapeake. Solid boat, handles well, easy to single-hand. Good couples boat also, and within your price range.

Personally, I'd avoid a trailerable boat unless you have a specific desire to haul it around and sail on a bunch of different lakes. They have their uses, but that's not a criterion you mentioned at the beginning.


----------



## mjrogers (Oct 31, 2007)

I have a Catalina 22 which I like very much. My brother has a West Wight Potter whigh he likes very much. Either would be good choices, but I would suggest you spend some time aboard your prospects. Using the head on pocket cruisers can be a problem, particularly if you make overnight passages or anchor out. On both of the above mentioned boats the head is very cramped. The galley arrangements are also awkward. I also have a Hunter 25 which is very comfortable but doesn't handle well as the smaller boats, and I wouldn't want to be on it in any kind of nasty weather. 

I have been on friends' Paceship 23, C&C 25, Catalina 25 and they were much more usable. This is at the price of a larger heavier boat which is a consideration if you plan to trailer.

I presume from your user name you are in Cincinatti. If so,have you looked at Strictly Sail? They have a bunch of used and new boats you could look at. You can google or yahoo them.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks for the tips so far. Please, keep them coming, I am finding them extremely helpful.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Yankee made a 24' trailerable full keel pocket cruiser in the '70s. Good looking little boat with decent accommodations, though headroom is definitely under 6 feet. I've been aboard one and was fairly impressed, given the then asking price of $7,000 - w/trailer.


----------



## DrB (Mar 29, 2007)

*Catalina 22*

My dad had a Catalina 22 many years ago (1990 ish) and he liked it and sailed it by himself easily. I was on it a few times and it was pretty easy to sail and could sleep 4 (cozy), but it didn't have any type of cooking area or head. It has room for a portapot, but really no privacy.

I also agree with others that you should get a trailerable boat, but get one that is slightly bigger, such as a Catalina 25. Unlike the 22, The 25 is also trailerable but has a small food pre/cook area and a more private built in head. If you plan to do overnights, you need a head and a place to at least boil water. The 25 is also three feet longer than the 22 which is huge in that size range, you will notice it as far as comfort as the boat will also be beamier. A 25 is still well within your budget.

Also, as others have mentioned, try to get a spot at your favor lake/sailing area and leave it there for the season or at least extened periods. Stepping and unstepping the mast everytime your want to go sailing is a PITA and you will tire of it quickly. Doing it few times a year is okay.

Good luck in your search.

DrB


----------



## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hello,

You should decide if you want a trailerable boat or not.
There are many benefits and disadvantages of trailerable boats. 

Some advantages are:
-You don't have to pay anyone to launch, haul, etc.
-The ability to sail in many different areas (lakes, bays, etc.)
-You can bring the boat home to work on it.

Disadvantages:
-It takes time, effort, and skill to rig, launch, and recover a boat. My first boat was a Catalina 22. It took about an hour from the time we got to the marina until the boat was floating. Same thing on the other side.
-Most (all?) trailerable boats are compromises when it comes to sailing ability. For example, the Catalina 22 has a swing keel. That makes it easy to get on / off the trailer, but the swing keel requires maintenance, and can make noise. Other trailerable boats use water ballast, which must be added / drained, etc.

If you don't have a place to keep the boat, trailerables can be great. If you want a bigger boat (IMHO 25' is about the biggest boat you can reasonable trailer) trailerables aren't for you. 

I trailered be Catalina for the first year. And I started to hate it. The second year I got a mooring, so I launched the boat in the spring, and didn't haul it until August (when I sold it because I bought a bigger boat). The mooring made sailing much more fun.

Good luck,
Barry

Good luck,
Barry


----------



## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Barry- 

25' may be the largest manageable trailerable for a monohull..but there are certainly multihulls larger than that are trailerable. IIRC, the Seaward 32RS is a trailerable monohull with a lifting keel that is a bit bigger than that.

The best of both worlds is to have a slip or mooring for the season and to have the boat on the trailer for the rest of the year.


----------



## blakew1 (Sep 21, 2007)

Check out the Com-Pac 27. It may cost just a little more than $22,000 but it's worth it. The boat is easy to single hand and has a ton of room for for 27'.
They look nice and sail well, not fast , but sturdy and comfy. The downside is the boat isn't designed to be a trailer sailor.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

You all have great suggestions and have given me allot to research and think about. More comments certainly are very welcome. Trailerable boats are not necessarily a criteria here, since it would be my intention to leave the boat at a slip or mooring most of the time. Perhaps that may generate a few more ideas from folks.


----------



## JLBJR (Sep 16, 2006)

Get yourself a copy of Daniel Spurr's - Your First Sailboat : How to Find and Sail the Right Boat for You. It is filled with very helpful information for first time buyers, it is an easy read and and a good resource even after you buy your boat. 

I would agree to buy as large a boat as you can afford, but keep in mind that as the length increases, so do the costs. I have a 28 foot Sabre MK2 that my wife and I sail and we love it. it is very comfortable for the two of us to spend the weekend on and large enough to bring our two daughters if we want to squeeze together. 

You can search YachtWorld.com and see lot's of photos and a good range of prices. 

Good hunting


----------



## mccary (Feb 24, 2002)

*What defines a Pocket Cruiser*

One man's pocket cruiser is another's mega yacht. I have a 27' Catalina that is perfect for weekends and short trips for my wife and I. A good friend once told me, "6 for drinks, 4 for an afternoon and 2 for overnight!" Which about sums up my thoughts as well.


----------



## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

*Boat Features*

Hello,

OK, so if you don't need a trailerable, here are some more things for you to consider. If you plan on spending nights (or longer) on board, you may want:

-Standing headroom: Make sure you can stand up when you are in the cabin. Having to crouch to move around gets real old real fast.
-A real marine head: A porta potty may be ok, but you are going to want a private place to use it. A porta potty sitting in the main cabin won't cut it. 
-Berth you can stretch out in: You don't need a ton of room, but make sure you can get comfortable in the main berth. You are going to want a decent nights sleep.
-Pressure water: Do you want a boat with pressure water in the galley and head? How about hot water?

After I owned a Catalina 22 for a year I decided that I wanted to try spending a night or two aboard. There are 5 in my family, so the Catalina 22 had to go. I wanted to get a boat with standing head room, real head, hot and cold water, and an A/C electrical system (for use in marinas). While doing my research it seemed like a 27' boat was the smallest that had all those features. I wanted to get a Catalina 30, but ended up with a Newport 28.

There are lots of boats in the 27 - 30 range that would be suitable for you. Catalina, O'day S2, Tartan, Sabre, Newport, Hunter, Islander, C&C, Cal, Pearson, etc are all perfectly fine boats.

Good luck,
Barry


----------



## CaptKermie (Nov 24, 2006)

I see you are in OHIO thereby regulated by 4 seasons, a trailerable may be more suitable but it would be more suitable if it came with a seasonal slip. As has been pointed out and I can vouch from personal experience, regular trailering can be a major hassle, but seasonal trailering is a reasonable compromise. A boat that can be trailered home for the winter and slipped for the summer is a best of both. I am 6' 210# but can stand and maneuver around in my 26M MacGregor, in fact we (my wife & I) could have sex in the aft berth as it is big enough. it has a porta-pottie but that is in an enclosed head for privacy. I put pressurized water in it for my wife but no hot water yet. I can stretch out in the salon, aft berth or cockpit, no problem. It is our first boat and is ideally suited to the protected seasonal waters of the PNW and can handle a good blow in its stride, in fact the skipper would fail before the boat would. Easy to sail by two or one and easy to maintain not to mention economical. About the only thing wrong with it is image as it gets bashed a lot for being what it isn't. I am starting my 6th season now and have no legitamate complaints other than it is a tad skinny but that makes it trailerable.


----------



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Cincy,
I think I am in the same boat you are in. (pun intended). Lack of funds. Let me tell you the advice some fine people have given me. I wouldn't buy the biggest boat I could afford. Buy a small boat. Potters and Compacs are what I've looked at more than anything. Both boats have their following. My preferance would be a Potter. No need for a dinghy, although I did read an article by a guy who used a canoe as his dinghy. Pretty neat idea. With a Potter you can sail right up on the beach, almost. The cabin is small but International Marine will put a few things on for you to make it real nice. I talked to them sometime ago and was told they could install a two burner stove for me. I think they could do one with a small stove as well. Warranty is good as well. I would not buy a used boat unless you are very handy. I'm not. I love the look of many of the old boats but I'm sure I would screw up the maintenance somewhere. The bigger the boat, the more that can go wrong with it due to age. Also the bigger the boat the more that can go wrong with it because you'll want more expensive electronic goodys, like a radar. I'm a chicken ****. I doubt I would ever get much away from land unless I was crossing the gulf to the Bahamas. So I doubt I'd need a radar, just good eyes. Take a look at the Potter website, then google West Wight Potter. Many, many people out there will be honest and tell you the good points and bad points of them. I closing, I wouldn't buy a Potter. NOT YET. There are many, many small open boats (12-16 feet) available on many sites that are selling for $500-$1500. This would make for a good entry level boat and allow you to find out if you really want to do the sailing thing. Good luck in your search, and remember, these are not my words but the words of many people who have many years in sailing.


----------



## BrentM (Dec 16, 2007)

I'd say you're waiting too long and spending too much money. A smaller boat costs less to buy, outfit and maintain and it's easier to trailer and you don't have to buy a big truck to pull it. And it can cruise and anchor in places a deeper draft boat will never see. Nothing on your wish list couldn't be done easily on an 18-24' boat you could buy for under $10k. Possibly well under in the current market.

What do you really need out of the boat? If you're trying to re-create the pleasures of home it can get big, complicated and expensive. I need a comfortable place for two in the cockpit, same in the cabin. Sitting. You can stand in the companionway or on deck. A stove, a sink, a head, storage.

Best bet is to find a small boat that someone has already cruised and figured out what it needed. I bought mine used complete with a suite of sails, all sorts of useful covers, hooks, bags, awnings and a even a dinghy and folding bicycle. Stock it with food and a really good small pressure cooker (you need one, and no one will give a good one away with a boat) and go cruising.

I cruise for weeks at a time in a 20' Nimble. Heck, I'm on it _right now_ instead of waiting three years.


----------



## mhartong (May 21, 2000)

I can only second what many have said, get the smallest boat that fits the style of sailing you intend to do. The bigger the boat, the bigger the expenses. You can have just as much fun with a smaller boat as with a bigger boat. If you really want, the smaller boat can be equipped and modified to have many of the same features that a bigger boat has, just on a smaller scale. Plus, when its all said and done, you have more to spend on actually sailing.


----------



## gaha_1 (Mar 29, 2002)

I have a bayfield 25'.You might look at on of them they have great line's. Easy to sail.I would look for the biggest one you could find.I sail on Lake Erie.Witch lake are you going to sail.


----------



## gaha_1 (Mar 29, 2002)

Sorry about the spelling on last post short fat fingers


----------



## Scarl (Sep 20, 2008)

I'm in the same boat (sic), BRCincy, except I am looking for a small cruising sailboat for this season. I've mainly been looking at C&C 25s and 27s (as I've club raced both and really like them), but the Grampian 26 might fit the bill... they are dead cheap (often under $5k), have roomy interiors, and are surprisingly fun to sail. The only real downside to a Grampian is they are not the most beautiful vessel on the water.


----------



## Finny (Mar 13, 2009)

My 2¢:

Girls don't lay down in boats they can't stand up in.


----------



## norsearayder (Dec 19, 2006)

bigger is better,up to about 32 feet and then you must be strong,i found and iam sure there are many more solid glass 70s boats that have been lovingly taken cared of and refit as nessasasry,with new inboard desiels and many sails and extras bought along the way...thats the deal, get 40000 worth of boat for18000 ...and away u go my 32 is easy to handle and small enough to push around lits more forgiving than a smaller boat and more relaxed in its movement when the wind pipes up...read ,read, study, know what your looking at...good luck


----------



## BrentM (Dec 16, 2007)

Finny said:


> My 2¢:
> 
> Girls don't lay down in boats they can't stand up in.


I have experimental data showing otherwise. You may want to repeat your study with more limber test subjects and/or more secluded anchorages.


----------



## jimq26 (Nov 7, 2001)

*What do you mean? Ya saying a G-26 is ugly?*



Scarl said:


> I'm in the same boat (sic), BRCincy, except I am looking for a small cruising sailboat for this season. I've mainly been looking at C&C 25s and 27s (as I've club raced both and really like them), but the Grampian 26 might fit the bill... they are dead cheap (often under $5k), have roomy interiors, and are surprisingly fun to sail. The only real downside to a Grampian is they are not the most beautiful vessel on the water.


I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sure it may look a little boxey, but inside you have as much room (or more) than most 30 footers.
Here's a site for some good deals on Grampians - index


----------



## Scarl (Sep 20, 2008)

*Grampian 26*



> I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Sure it may look a little boxey, but inside you have as much room (or more) than most 30 footers.


No, I don't think they are ugly, I'm considering them myself.  But they are not the first yacht to come to mind when people think about beautiful boats. Where they really shine is value... they are inexpensive and surprisingly good, fun, and safe boats. I probably should have mentioned the headroom when I posted, but I'm short enough to have standing headroom in a Shark 24 and seldom think in those terms. ha ha

They definitely fit the bill as an easy to sail, small cruiser, that won't cost an arm and a leg.


----------

