[Michael]

Great read. No-Coast sailors sometimes have a bit different experiences setting off and coming back

[Norman]

Thanks, Capt. Lacks, for a fine and helpful article. I’ve trailered our San Juan 21 for over 20 years from our northern Indiana home (300+ day-sails on 14 different lakes including Lake Michigan), and agree that this is much easier (and flexible) than the time/money/effort it took to keep our O’Day 34 sailboat on Lake Michigan for 8 seasons. But I will ALSO admit that I miss the feel of the bigger boat . . . . !

[Phil]

Remember to watch for power lines and tree branches after you put the mast up!😉

[John]

I’ve been trailer sailing for about 20 years while living in Ogden, Utah. We have grown from a 19′ West Wight Potter to two 26′ Seaward RKs to our latest vessel a 32′ Seaward 32RK that is 10′ 6″ wide. It was very helpful to learn trailering and launching in steps from simple to quite complex. Last week I towed the 32′ from Utah to Florida with no problems.
The advice in this article to start simple and move up is absolutely excellent advice.
One of the things that I point out to my fellow sailors who have 40+ foot sailboats is that I am exchanging a more comfortable boat for a more flexible boat. Unlike their sailboats, my boat can travel at 75 MPH. In 5 or 6 days I can “sail” from California to Florida. That lets me explore far more waters than would ever be possible in a large sailboat. I can enjoy sailing in the Florida Keys in February then escape the heat and hurricanes by going to the Great Lakes or Pacific Northwest in just a few days.

Maintenance is a dream as well. “Haul out” is trivial, with no fees, and can be done at any marina with a ramp. With a GoHoist I can easily lift the boat enough to do bottom paint in my driveway or anywhere else. Even without a hoist I can always drop one bunk at a time to paint in that location or use a few boat stands and clever adjustments of the trailer tongue to access any part of the hull I want.
Big storm coming!!! No problem. Load the boat on the trailer and drive to someplace safe, or just tie the whole thing down.

I dearly love the space and comfort on our best friends’ 44′ FP Orana cat, but am so glad to not have the upkeep headaches that come with it.