best trailerable sailboat under 30 feet

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7 Best Trailerable Sailboats for Cruising

Many sailors balk at the idea of leaving their boat in the water at a marina. Slip fees are expensive, and maintenance bills get bigger the longer you leave a boat in the water. However, if you want a boat under 30 feet long, there are trailerable sailboats that will fit the bill.

Like any boat purchase, you’ll need to analyze precisely what kind of trailer sailer you want. Will a simple weekend sailboat suffice, or do you really need the best trailerable cruising sailboat you can find? 

Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of the best trailerable sailboat. Plus, we’ll look at how to compare them for your purposes.

Table of Contents

Best trailerable sailboats, easy to launch trailerable sailboats, quick setup time, towing weight, catalina 22/25 “pop-top”, com-pac horizon cat for classic coastal cruising, marshall sanderling — small, portable, classy, west wight potter 19 — the tiny go-anywhere sailboat, seaward 26rk with retractable lead keel, corsair f-24 trimaran – sporty sailing, macgregor 26m — maximum speed meets maximum living space, long-range cruising boats, 7 best trailerable boats – a recap, what’s the best trailerable sailboat for a cruise, trailerable sailboats faqs.

• Catalina 22/25
• Com-Pac Horizon Cat
• Marshall Sanderling
• West Wight Potter 19
• Seaward 26RK
• Corsair F-24 Trimaran
• MacGregor 26M

We’ll get into more detail about each brand in my post today, so hang tight!

What Is a Trailerable Sailboat, Exactly?

For this article, the priorities for a trailerable sailboat are:

• Easy to launch
• Require minimum setup to launch and store
• Lightweight enough to be towed by the average vehicle

Before you can really classify a sailboat as trailerable, you need to evaluate and narrow your search criteria. Truthfully, 50-plus-foot ocean-going sailboats are regularly put on trailers. But that’s done commercially, on a big rig, with special permits for oversized loads, and even led cars.  

That probably isn’t what most people mean when they think of a trailerable sailboat. But what is the priority here, the trailerable part or the sailboat part? Compromises are going to have to be made somewhere. 

If you’re looking at the 20-foot-and-under sailboat crowd, finding a trailerable example should not be hard. Most sailboats this size are designed for trailers anyway since they aren’t the sort of boats people want to pay to leave in a slip year-round.

Things get more interesting when you look at the 20 to 30-foot boats. In this class, there are stout ocean-going cruisers with deep keels and lightweight centerboard trailer sailboats designed from the get-go to be trailered by the average car or SUV. The differences between these boats are night and day.

Sailboats often have a hard time at boat ramps. First, deep keels mean that the trailer must extend farther into the water than the average boat ramp allows. This means the ramp needs to go back far enough, and the trailer tongue needs to be long enough not to swamp the car. 

If you have a boat like this, you’ll need to find the right boat ramps. Unfortunately, not all ramps are created equally. If your boat draws more than two or three feet on the trailer, you’re going to be limited to steep, paved, and high-quality boat ramps. Unfortunately, those aren’t standard features, so your cruising grounds are going to be limited.

Usually, ramps aren’t built steeply because they are often slippery. Your tow vehicle will need excellent traction and torque to pull your fully loaded boat out of a steep ramp. The steeper the ramp, the more trouble you’ll have. 

The alternative to finding steep ramps is to use a trailer tongue extender. This lets you get the trailer into deeper water without swamping the tow vehicle. But it also means that the ramp needs to extend deep enough. Many ramps end abruptly. Allowing your trailer to sink off the edge is an excellent way to get stuck or pop a tire.

Pick a boat as easy to launch and retrieve as a similarly sized powerboat to remove all of these boat ramp problems. The soft chines of most sailboats will always require a little more water, but a swing keel and the hinged rudder raised mean that the boat can sit low on the trailer bunks. That way, you only need one or two feet of water to launch, an easy feat at nearly every boat ramp you can find.

The next consideration for a sailboat to be portable enough to call it “trailerable” is the amount of time it takes to step the mast and get it ready to cruise. 

To accomplish this, you need a mast that can be stepped by a two-person team–maximum. Ideally, it will have some tabernacle hardware to enable one person to do the task for solo sailing.

There is an entire family of pocket cruisers that could ideally fit on trailers. But you won’t find the Fickas or the Falmouth cutters on my list, simply because they aren’t easy to launch or easy to rig. But, of course, they’re also too heavy for most vehicles to tow, which leads us to the final point of excluding them this trailable pocket cruiser’s list.

One of the most significant financial burdens the trailer sailer faces is their tow vehicle. You are all set if you already drive a two-ton dually diesel pickup truck. But if your daily driver is an SUV or light pickup, you need to think long and hard about the math of the towing equation. 

Whatever boat you buy cannot exceed the towing rating limits of your tow vehicle. If you don’t have a tow vehicle, you’ll need to buy one. This will double or triple the cost of getting a trailer sailer in most cases. For the same money, you may want to look at a boat that stays in the water at a traditional boat slip. For the cost of a trailer sailer and a tow vehicle, you can probably step into a nice boat that is larger and more comfortable than any towable.

If you have a tow vehicle, you need a light enough vessel for it to tow. Most modern SUVs tow less than 2,500 pounds. Anything more than 5,000 will require a full-size pickup. Remember that the tow weight isn’t just the boat’s displacement—it’s the empty hull weight, plus the weight of the trailer and any extra gear you need to pack into the boat. 

Finding a vessel that fits these limitations on weight isn’t easy. If the manufacturer’s goal is to make it towable, immediate limits are placed on the materials they can use. This means less seaworthiness since boats are built light and thin. As far as stability goes, lead keels are generally out, and water ballast systems or centerboards might be used instead. It doesn’t mean these boats aren’t safe and fun, but they aren’t designed for rough conditions, crossing oceans, or living on in the water full-time .

7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

There are more trailerable sailboats out there than you might imagine. Here’s a look at seven popular options of all shapes and sizes to give you a taste of what you might want to take to sea.

The boats here are selected for their storage and living space. With these boats and a little outfitting, you can spend weeks gunk-holing in the Chesapeake Bay or island hopping the Bahamas. If you broaden your scope to include daysailers with no cabin space, there are countless more options.

One of the worst parts of a small trailerable sailboat or pocket cruiser is the lack of stand-up headroom. One clever solution that you’ll find on some weekend sailboat types is the pop-top. 

The pop-top is simply an area around the companionway hatch that extends upward on struts. So when you’re at the dock or anchor, you get standing headroom down below—at least right inside the pop-top.

You can build a canvas enclosure for your pop-top to use it in all weather. A pop-top makes your boat feel much larger than it is and allows you to move freely to cook or get changed down below or even do a nice boat bed area. 

Later models of the Catalina Sport 22 and Capri 22s lacked this cool pop-top feature, so if you want it, you’ll need to seek out an older model on the used market.

Com-Pac has been building small sailboats since the early 1970s. They currently sell two lines, each with various-sized boats. All are well built, and a majority of their boats are trailerable. 

Most interesting at the Com-Pac traditional catboats . The rigging is more straightforward than modern sloops, with only one large mainsail. Com-Pac boats come with a unique quick-rig system to make getting on the water fast and simple.

The Horizon Cat Coastal Cruising has a displacement of 2,500 pounds with a 2’2″ draft when the board is up. She has a separate head forward and space to lounge either topside or down below. The smaller Sun Cat has slightly few amenities but shaves off a few feet and pounds, making it easier to tow and it is one of these amazing small sailboats. Com-Pacs features stub keels, so their centerboard and hinged rudder do not take up space in the cabin.

On the sloop rig side, the Com-Pac 23 comes in a 3,000-pound traditional sailboat or a very interesting pilothouse. Both are incredibly livable for their size , with shallow two-foot-long fixed keels and high-quality construction.

Another option if you like catboats is the Marshall Sanderling. This salty 18-footer oozes traditional charm , all while being easy to sail and easier to tow. And while she has wooden boat lines, she has a modern laminated fiberglass hull.

The Sanderling has a 2,200-pound displacement, so tow weights will be around 3,000 pounds. At only 18-feet, she’s on the small side for cruising. The cuddy cabin has no galley, and the portable toilet is not enclosed. But that small size means a simple boat that’s easy to maintain and take anywhere. 

An electric motor package is an exciting option on this weekend sailboat!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by @marshallmarinecat

You can’t mention tiny trailer sailers without touching on the famous West Wight Potter . These 15 and 19-foot pocket cruisers have earned a worldwide reputation as the ultimate go-anywhere coastal cruiser.

The West Wight Potter 19 offers the most living space for staying aboard and cruising. So even though its dimensions are diminutive, this little boat packs a lot in. There’s a single burner hotplate and sink and a porta-potty tucked under a cushion. Yes, it’s tight—but the company claims the little boat can sleep five people. Any more than two will feel pretty crowded, however.

The boat comes standard with a mast-raising system that a single person can manage alone. It has a daggerboard for a shallow draft of a half-foot when the board is up. The total towing weight is around 1,500 pounds, which means nearly any car can tow a West Wight Potter.

This little-known trailer sailer is produced at the same Florida factory that makes Island Packet Yachts. That should give you a little bit of an idea of what sort of boat it is—trailerable, yes, but also high-quality, beautiful, and built for cruising. In other words, it’s one of the nicest all round pocket cruisers and it feels like a much larger boat.

The Seaward is easily the saltiest boat on this list . It’s beefy and seaworthy. Instead of a lightweight centerboard, Seaward fits the RK with a bulb-shaped retracting keel. Other big-boat items include a Yanmar diesel inboard motor and an enclosed head. The spacious cabin of the boat features a double berth and is ready for salt water cruising.

According to sailboatdata.com , the tow weight of the 26RK is 6,000 pounds. With the keel up, the draft is 1.25 feet.

Multihull sailors need not feel left out from the trailer sailer club and the pocket cruiser. Beyond the ubiquitous beach Hobie Cat, there are not many options for catamarans. But trimarans are uniquely suited to be towed.

Why? For one thing, performance oriented boats like trimarans are based on it being built light. There is no ballast—a trimaran’s stability comes from its two outer hulls. Additionally, the living space is entirely housed in the central hull–the outer floats are small and sometimes foldable. Finally, there are no keels on tris, so they are extremely shallow draft and perfect for trailering.

If you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping sporty and fun sailing, it’s impossible to beat what a trimaran will offer. Let’s not beat around the bush—most of the trailer sailers on this list have hull speeds around five knots. The Corsair has no such limits, routinely sailing at 15 knots or more .

The new Corsair 880 trimaran has an unloaded weight of 3,659 pounds. It is trailerable behind a big SUV or small pickup and is probably the most fun sailing option that is trailerable at all.

An even more portable option is the older Corsair F-24. It has a light displacement of under 2,000 pounds—so nearly any SUV can tow it.

MacGregor owns the market on trailerable motor sailers since they more or less created the product to fit the bill. The MacGregor 26 is not like other boats. The design combines a planing powerboat with a centerboard sailboat. Imagine scooting along at 20 knots or more when the wind is down or enjoying a sporty sail on a breezy day–in the same boat.

The entire boat is built from the ground up for towing and long-range sailing. So if you want a big sailboat that you can tow behind pretty much any SUV, the MacGregor has to be on your list. 

Depending on the model, the 26-foot-long boats have incredibly light dry weights of between 1,650 and 2,350 pounds. Considering the massive volume of the roomy cabin, the ability to tow such a large vessel opens up an entire world of opportunities for owners. 

It’s not all good news, of course. MacGregor owners love their boats, but they are built light and are not ideally suited for offshore cruising or rough weather. But in bays and for coastal sailing on nice days, few boats can get as much use as a MacGregor. 

The motorboat capability of the 26M and 26X might not appeal to hardcore sailors, but for those looking to maximize their use of the boat depending on the weather, their mood, or location, it makes a lot of sense. 

MacGregor shut down in 2015, but the daughter and son-in-law of the original owners took over production and renamed the boat the Tattoo 26 . The company will soon release a smaller version, the Tattoo 22 .

If the 26 is a bit big to make your list of best trailerable small sailboats, consider the smaller Powersailer 19. It’s nearly identical to the 26, just smaller and lighter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dale Roddick (@droddick33)

What Do You Want Your Trailer Sailer To Do?

After you’ve settled on how you will tow and launch your trailer sailer, now it’s time to dream about what you want it to do. Where will it take you? 

The beauty of a towable boat is that you can travel anywhere. A boat in the water might take weeks or months to move a few hundred miles. But if you can attach it to your car and do 65 mph on the interstate, you could sail on the Pacific on Monday, the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, and the Atlantic on Friday.

We can divide our trailerable sailboats into three groups – daysailers, weekenders, and cruisers.

These are designed with open cockpits and no space to sleep. This is a majority of the sub-22-foot boats on the market. They are designed to be launched, play for the day, and return to the ramp or dock.

A weekender will have rudimentary sleeping facilities. Think of it as a floating tent—it’s not a five-star hotel, but you can sleep under the stars or get out of the rain. Conceivably you could stay aboard indefinitely, but it doesn’t have much room for gear. So most people are ready to get off after a day or two. 

A cruising boat has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities built-in. These might be small and simple, but in any quantity, they mean you can disconnect from shore for a long time. Unfortunately, squeezing all of this into a tow-friendly package isn’t easy, and very few boats do it well. 

The best trailer sailor for your adventures will depend on many factors. Like any boat, whatever you decide on will be a compromise – boats always are. But there are plenty of choices out there, no matter what size your tow vehicle is and no matter what sailing adventures you have in mind.

What size sailboat is trailerable?

Even large yachts are routinely transported by towing across land, so the question is more of how big a sailboat can you tow? Your tow vehicle will be the limiting factor. The upper limit for most large SUVs and trucks is usually a sailboat around 26 feet long.

Sailboats are generally very heavily built, with ballast and lead keels. Sailboats specifically made to be trailer sailers are lighter. They may use drainable water ballast tanks instead of fixed ballast and have fewer fixtures and amenities.

To find the best trailer sailer, you need to balance the total tow weight, the ease of rig setup at the boat ramp, and the boat’s draft. Shallow draft boats with centerboards are the easiest to launch and retrieve.

Is a Hunter 27 trailerable?

No. The Hunter 27 is a one of those fixed-keel larger boats built from 1974 to 1984. The boat’s displacement is 7,000 pounds, not including trailer and gear. That alone makes it too heavy to tow by all but the beefiest diesel trucks. 

Furthermore, the fixed keels had drafts between 3.25 and 5 feet, all of which are too much for most boat ramps. In short, the standard Hunter Marine 27 is too big to tow for most people.

On the other hand, Hunter has made several good trailer sailers over the years. For example, the Hunter 240 and 260 were explicitly designed for trailering. They have drainable water ballast and shallow keel/centerboard drafts less than two feet. 

Is a Catalina 22 trailerable?

Yes, the Catalina 22 is easily trailerable and makes a wonderful weekend sailboat. In fact, there were over 15,000 Catalina 22s made and sold over the years. 

The boat’s displacement is 2,250 pounds, which means your total tow weight with trailer and gear will be under 3,000 pounds. This is within the capabilities of most mid to full-size SUVs and light trucks. Be sure to check your vehicle’s towing capacity, of course.

The centerboard on the Catalina 22 is another factor in its easy towing. With the board up, the boat draws only two feet. This makes it easy to float off the trailer at nearly any boat ramp. You should avoid fixed keel versions of the 22 for towing unless you have access to extra deep ramps. 

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

Can someone tell me why no other manufacturer makes pop tops? Those who have them, love them. Makes sense for head space with a trailerable boat too. Catalina stopped making them decades ago, yet people still swear by them. So, why isn’t there any newer models?

MacGregor put pop tops on many of its trailerables

My cousin back in the Netherlands had a Neptune 22 with pop top. But that was mid 80’s

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9 Best Trailerable Sailboats

Sailing is an excellent activity for the weekends, especially in remote mountain lakes or sheltered waterways. The United States is full of small isolated waterways, inland lakes, and rivers—which make the perfect environment for an adventure in a small sailboat .

Unfortunately, many people are put off by the idea of owning a sailboat due to the associated docking and maintenance fees. Weekend sailors often don’t want to pay for a long-term slip, and there’s no question that the added expense can be a pain.

Luckily, you don’t have to permanently dock a sailboat to enjoy this great pastime.

Instead of docking a large boat, you can purchase a small trailerable sailboat. A trailerable sailboat is a perfect option for part-time sailors and people with busy lives. Trailer sailors are some of the most popular boats in the country, and they’re not limited to light winds and calm seas. Many trailerable sailboats have made some impressive passages both offshore and coastal. In this article, we’ll go over some of the top new and used trailerable sailboats that you can purchase today. 

Table of contents

Best Trailerable Sailboats

1) west wight potter 15.

{{boat-info="/boats/west-wight-potter-15"}}

The West Wight Potter 15 is perhaps one of the most capable 15-foot sailboats around. This neat little vessel is as seaworthy as it is easy to handle, and it’s a great choice for all kinds of cruising adventures.

The West Wight Potter 15 is a 15-foot sloop with an aluminum mast and tiller. This tiny boat also features a small cabin, which has ideal sleeping accommodations for a cruising couple. The cabin itself is spartan compared to its larger relatives, but it’s the perfect design for the minimalist cruiser.

This small sailboat is easily trailerable and can be stored in some garages with relative ease. The West Wight Potter 15 is ideal for inland and coastal waters and sets up (and takes down) fast with minimal fuss. Don’t let the small design fool you—this craft is surprisingly seaworthy.

The West Wight Potter 15 has an impressive cruising record, including a trip from England to Sweden in the brutal North Atlantic. The West Wight Potter 15 can be purchased new from International Marine, and thousands of craft are in circulation already.

2) West Wight Potter 19

{{boat-info="/boats/west-wight-potter-19"}}

We thought it fitting to include the Potter 15’s big brother, the West Wight Potter 19, on this list of the best trailerable sailboats . West Wight Potter boats are well known for their robust design and easy handling, and the Potter 19 is no exception.

The West Wight Potter 19 boasts the seaworthiness and ease-of-handling offered by its little brother, with the benefit of greater sailing comfort and cabin accommodations. This 19-foot sailboat is constructed of fiberglass. The hull contains a liberal amount of positive flotation, which makes the boat practically unsinkable.

The cabin features generous accommodations for a boat of its size, featuring space for a vee-berth, a small stove, a sink, and a portable head. Additionally, the West Wight Potter 19’s cabin can be wired for electricity from the factory, further increasing the level of comfort in this capable trailer sailor.

Like its smaller alternative, the West Wight Potter 19 has a history of some impressive cruises. An individual sailed this craft thousands of nautical miles from California to Hawaii —a single-handed voyage usually reserved for boats twice its size.

That’s not to say that the Potter 19 is a purpose-built long-haul sailboat. This design is ideal for larger lakes, rivers, and coastal cruising. However, the design has demonstrated toughness and seaworthiness rarely found in smaller boats.

The Potter 19, like the Potter 15, is a centerboard craft. This sailboat is available new from International Marine and offers a wide range of options packages and upgrades.

3) Newport 27

{{boat-info="/boats/capital-yachts-newport-27"}}

The Newport 27 is a massive step-up in size and amenities compared to the other boats on this list so far. This comfortable trailerable sailboat originated in 1971—at the height of the fiberglass boat boom. The Newport 27 measures 27-feet in length and feature a flush-deck design similar to the famous Cal 20.

This sailboat, despite its trailerable size and weight, features surprisingly good handling characteristics and generous accommodations. A full 6-feet of standing headroom is available in the cabin, making this boat exceedingly comfortable for longer journeys.

This sailboat is an excellent choice for the trailer sailing sailor who dreams of longer journeys but spends much of the time just hopping around local ports.

Despite its modest size and weight, the design of this small sailboat is proven. Many people sail them long distances and enjoy the quick handling characteristics of its design.

The Newport 27 is a true pocket cruiser, if not slightly larger than most. The Newport 27 isn’t produced anymore, but there is a healthy second-hand market for the boat.

4) Cape Dory 28

{{boat-info="/boats/cape-dory-28"}}

The Cape Dory 28 is a legendary Carl Alberg design known for its commodious living spaces and well-rounded performance both offshore and inland. This spacious little cruiser has the styling and capability of many larger boats, featuring traditional styling and generous amounts of varnished teak and brass. This cozy boat is a great choice for traditionalist sailors.

The Cape Dory 28 features a proven, simple, and robust rig, and it functions gracefully in a variety of conditions. While a 28’ sailboat is hardly considered trailerable by many, it can certainly be hauled-out and transported with relative ease. This is the kind of sailboat that’s just as happy in the boatyard or a permanent mooring.

The Cape Dory 28 offers attractive features for long-haul voyages, plus ease-of-handling and quickness that is necessary for tighter coastal waters. The Cape Dory 28 is ideal for salt-water cruising, though it’s a bit large for small lakes and narrow rivers.

This is certainly not a shoal-draft cruiser—with a draft of 4-feet, it's primarily at home in the water. 

5) Islander 24

{{boat-info="/boats/islander-24"}}

The Islander 24 is a common fiberglass classic that makes an ideal trailer sailing setup. This 24-foot fiberglass boat features a robust design and ease-of-maintenance rarely found on boats with similar capabilities.

The design has been around for over 40 years, and it’s served weekender and cruising sailor alike. The Islander 24 is a well-rounded cruising vessel with a spacious cabin for two (or more). The cabin features a forward vee berth, space for a head, and tables for a sink, stove, or navigation.

The boat is single-handed with ease, and the rig is simple enough to be stowed without too much hassle. The Islander 24 is a relatively common trailer sailor, though many owners leave it in the water.

A vessel of this size is ideal for cruising coastal waters, though some sailors have attempted longer voyages in this vessel. The Islander 24 is available on the used market all over the country. 

6) Contessa 26

{{boat-info="/boats/contessa-26"}}

The Contessa 26 is an excellent classic trailerable sailboat. Don’t let its modest size fool you—this cruising craft has a long-standing reputation for seaworthiness. The Contessa 26 is a fiberglass boat that debuted in 1965 and has since earned a bit of a cult following.

These rather innocuous looking crafts are as fun and capable as they are easy to handle. The boat features a spacious cabin, comfortable cockpit, and plenty of available cruising upgrades. The rig is well-built and resembles the rig of a much larger boat.

The Contessa 26 is an ideal pocket cruising setup for a moderately experienced sailor. The vessel has a narrow beam, which contributes to heeling. The boat is known to heel rather violently, but it stiffens up shortly after and becomes a joy to sail.

A boat like this knows its capabilities and is sure to impress anyone. The Contessa 26 is a safe, hardy, and comfortable cruising boat for minimalists, and one of the best tailorable sailboats in the mid to large-size category.

This boat is a little harder to come by than many other vessels on this list, as around 300 were built. However, if you’re lucky enough to locate one on the used market, it’s definitely worth considering. Contessa built a fine boat, and the Contessa 26 meets the standard with confidence.

7) Hunter 27 

{{boat-info="/boats/hunter-27"}}

If you’ve made it this far down the list, you’re probably surprised that the Hunter 27 hasn’t come up yet. This famous little boat has quite a reputation and happens to be one of the most popular modern trailerable cruisers available.

The Hunter 27 isn’t a traditionalist’s dream, but it offers the modern amenities and capabilities you’d expect from Hunter. This capable little sailboat has the handling characteristics of a truly seaworthy boat and manages well in all kinds of conditions.

The Hunter 27 has a reputation for amazing durability, and the design is sound from keel to masthead. Now, let’s get into some of the features that make the Hunter 27 a very attractive option. The Hunter 27 is a purpose-built small cruising vessel, but the accommodations appear to be a shrunken version of a boat 10 feet longer.

Down below, the Hunter 27 features a full galley, head, a full standing shower, berths, and generous storage space. The Hunter 27 is a truly livable trailer sailor, featuring accommodations that make it suitable for extended cruising or even living aboard. The salon features over 6 feet of standing headroom, with plenty of seating and counter space throughout.

The rig is sturdy and easy to handle. And remember, the Hunter 27 is still a trailer sailor. The boat features a shoal draft of under 4-feet and a displacement of less than 8,000 pounds. The Hunter 27 is available used, and this boat is still produced and available brand-new by Marlow-Hunter. 

{{boat-info="/boats/cal-20"}}

How could we forget the little Cal 20? We didn’t—and it’s certainly worth including the famous Trans-Pac underdog on this list. The Cal 20 is reminiscent of the glory days of fiberglass sailing in the 1960s and 1970s.

This flush-deck racer is a fantastic trailer cruiser for anyone wanting big-boat handling and speed in a compact package. The accommodations on this boat leave something to be desired, but many people find them cozy and acceptable.

The cabin features sitting headroom and a berth, along with small tables for a stove or sink. The Cal 20 has a history of impressive voyages and was a popular choice for daring sailors on long offshore journeys. However, the boat is designed to be quick, safe, and fun on inland passages and coastal cruises.

The Cal 20 is common on the used market and makes a great entry-level cabin sailboat. The Cal 20 features an enormous cockpit, making it ideal for a day on the bay with friends or family.

The boat is easy to handle, and upgrades abound. The Cal 20 is a great little sailboat with a fun history and a massive fan base. This stout little yacht makes an excellent weekender too, and the cabin makes overnighting comfortable. 

9) Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20

{{boat-info="/boats/pacific-seacraft-flicka-20"}}

One of the most legendary small trailerable cruisers is the full-keel Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. A limited number of these boats were produced by Pacific Seacraft during the 20th century, and they have a reputation for incredible seaworthiness and long-range voyaging.

These sailboats have the hull shape of boats twice their size, with a long, deep, full keel running the length of the hull. The boat can handle some serious offshore cruising and features the capabilities of other full-keel sailboats.

The Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 is an amazing find on the used market, as owners tend to cling to them due to their incredible characteristics. There aren’t many trailerable offshore cruisers available, which is because it’s not easy to design a small boat with offshore capabilities.

However, Pacific Seacraft did just that and built one incredible trailer sailor. This vessel is not really designed for shallow lakes and rivers.

The Flicka 20 is known to be a truly seaworthy ocean-going sailboat, which happens to be small enough to fit on an average-sized boat trailer.

Wherever you choose to sail, a trailerable sailboat is often a great choice. The boats listed here are by no means the only options—in fact, there are dozens of excellent trailerable sailboat models on the market. If you enjoy sailing but want to avoid the hassle of a permanent mooring, or if you travel to sail, a trailer sailor is a great choice.

Many sailors pick trailerable sailboats to sail multiple oceans. Many people would agree that it’s a lot more practical to haul your boat from the Pacific to the Atlantic, especially when the alternative option is the Panama Canal .

A trailerable sailboat can give you access to a multitude of sailing adventures—the lake one weekend, the coast the next, and perhaps an offshore voyage or island hopping in the delta.

And with this list of the best trailerable sailboats, you can find the boat that fits your needs (and your budget) and hit the water in no time.

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Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Trailerable Sailboat Reviews: Small Boats, Big Adventures

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: May 24, 2024

We were approaching the trickiest, most hazardous stretch of the Northwest Passage , high in the Canadian Arctic, when we happened upon a sight more wondrous in its own way than all the ice, polar bears and other assorted wildlife that preceded it. Tucked up against a barren shoreline, its anchor embedded in a handy ice floe, was a nifty little trailer-sailer, what we soon discovered was a NorseBoat 17.5 Classic. 

Hopping in the dinghy from our rather cushy 64-foot steel cutter, we pulled alongside and were greeted by a pair of strapping Royal Marines named Kevin Oliver and Tony Lancaster. They were on military leave for a busman’s holiday of sorts: sailing, rowing and occasionally dragging their open boat, with a simple cuddy for accommodations, through the notoriously challenging high northern latitudes. One thing was clear: If these dudes were running the British Empire, there’d still be one.

Those chaps, and that boat, captured my imagination. I thought about them again late last fall on a road trip from New England to Florida with my daughter as we passed one compact camper after another. We both love camping, and we were debating the merits of one mini Gulf Stream to another tiny Winnebago when she said something profound: “Why not have a trailerable sailboat as your RV? You could sleep in it while traveling, then when you reached your destination, you could go sailing.” Why not indeed?

I’ve owned many fully found, systems-rich cruising boats but have always been enamored with the simplicity and versatility of something small and trailerable that you could tow and launch from just about anywhere: the Florida Keys, the coast of Maine, the Sea of Cortez, the Pacific Northwest. (The closest I’ve personally come is a J/24, which can be trailered anywhere, but which is more of a dedicated racer than a pocket cruiser.) There’s something seriously appealing about the idea. Which is why, over the years, I’ve kept a short list of the boats I think could fill the bill, having sailed them to test their potential. What follows are a few of my favorites. 

– TOW LIKE A PRO – Remember to leave extra stopping room when trailering your boat. At the ramp, be considerate of others but take the time you need to launch and recover your boat safely. Always check tie-downs, safety chains, lights – and the drain plug. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

For the Hearty at Heart 

I’ll always relate to those ­hardened Brit lads in the Arctic when I think of the NorseBoat 17.5 Classic. (Perhaps to underscore their no-nonsense attitude, they co-authored a book about their adventure entitled—what else?— Blokes Up North. ) The boat’s Canadian builder has an appropriate nickname for its vessels, which include 12.5 and 21.5 models: the “Swiss Army knife of boats.” The 17.5 Classic is one salty-looking craft, with a pronounced bow, sweeping sheerline, lapstrake fiberglass hull, pivoting carbon-fiber gaff-rigged spar, fully battened mainsail, kick-up rudder, and a pair of rowing stations with a set of 9-foot oars. Options include a full-size tent that encapsulates the entire open boat, though the cuddy works well for most outings, and motor mounts for a 2 or 4 hp outboard. Talk about distinctive. NorseBoat says that the boat can be towed by a midsize car, fits in a standard garage, and is ideal for “cruising sailors who want to downsize, sea kayakers who are moving up, and daysailors who want a high-performance boat with lovely traditional lines.” I agree with that assessment. It will also work, ahem, for grizzled soldiers looking for a “relaxing” break from the front lines. norseboat.com

The Trailerable “Legend”

My lasting memory of the Catalina 22 is a visit I paid to the Southern California plant where they were built some four decades ago. From a balcony overlooking the factory floor, I saw four production lines knocking out the classic little 22-footer, each line producing a boat per day (another facility on the East Coast also churned out one daily). It was the Golden Age of American boatbuilding, and I’ve always considered this compact craft to be the gold standard of trailerables (longtime Catalina designer Gerry Douglas prefers to call it “the Miller Genuine Draft of sailboats: cheap and cheerful”). Seeing that almost 16,000 have been launched over the years, “ubiquitous” also works. The early models were bare bones: no winches, lifelines, nothing. But over the years, Douglas says, “the options grew, and it morphed into a cruiser,” with galleys, heads, holding tanks and other accoutrements. The trouble with all the stuff was that many sailors liked racing their 22s, and the extra gear made the boats heavier and noncompetitive. Douglas eventually went back to the drawing board and designed a lighter version, the Catalina 22 Sport. It was competitive with the older, original boats—and is still produced today. “If you opened up a dictionary with a picture of a sailboat, it would be the Catalina 22,” Douglas says. “I think it has a place in the history of our sport. It was simple, with no bad habits. It introduced a lot of people to sailing and provided a lot of pleasure over the years.” And continues to do so. I’ll take one anytime. catalinayachts.com

Fast and Fun

My first exposure to the Seascape line of quick and trim racers/cruisers—a brand built and launched from Slovenia, which is a rather sailing-crazed nation—came from my colleagues at our sister publication Sailing World , a dedicated racing magazine. They raved about the quality of construction and sailing experience. Then, in 2018, Seascape was acquired by Groupe Beneteau, and all previous Seascape models were integrated into the Beneteau First product range. It provided the line with the sort of widespread, mainstream marketing punch that it deserved. I’ve since sailed a pair of larger models produced by their collaborative effort, but if I were inclined to go the trailer-sailer route, my choice would definitely be the Beneteau First 24 SE (the SE standing for Seascape Edition). It’s a high-tech version of the previous First 24 with a serious boost in performance. The SE line’s sweet spot, in the company’s own assessment, is as a dual-threat boat aimed at competitive one-design racing and adventure sailing. I reckon that 24 feet is an ideal size for both, and the 24SE delivers on the promise with a carbon rig; swing keel with lead bulb; laminate sails; and light, high-tech, infused-­vinylester construction. With ­removable crew bags and modular components that can also be stored ashore when racing, the 24 SE can be set up quickly and easily for cruising or competition. beneteau.com  

– LEARN THE NAVIGATION RULES – Know the “Rules of the Road” that govern all boat traffic. Be courteous and never assume other boaters can see you. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

One Sharp Sharpie

The late Rodger Martin was a South Africa-born naval architect who is probably best known for the robust ­round-the-world racers he conceived for solo legend Mike Plant, which is when I first met him. Tellingly, ­however, when it came to ­designing his own personal boat, he produced the very cool Presto 30. The 30-­footer was an offshoot of the Outward Bound Hurricane Island 30 that he designed for the wilderness program based in Maine, but that was a hybrid sailing/rowing boat. To upgrade it for cruising, Martin basically designed a sharpie, based on the straight-sided 18th-­century fishing boats with a hard chine, flat bottom and centerboard for access to shallow water. With a beam of 8 feet, 6 inches, the boat is eminently trailerable, and Martin regularly towed it south from New England in the wintertime for cruising forays across the Gulf Stream and into the Bahamas. Due to that shallow draft and minimal freeboard, the rig required a low center of effort, which Martin addressed with a simple cat-ketch rig. With the addition of a slightly raised cabin top, he was able to insert basic interior accommodations (which were also somewhat compromised by the centerboard trunk). For a couple who can embrace camper-style cruising, ­however, it fit the bill. In recent years, a couple of Presto fans have tried to put the boat back into production, which has yet to happen. But if you can find a used one, you’ll have a boat with a fine and unusual pedigree. ­ rodgermartindesign.com

An Upgraded Ensign

A couple of years ago, I got myself a 1963 Pearson Ensign, a venerable daysailer designed by the great Carl Alberg that measures in at a smidgen under 23 feet with a full keel and a spacious cockpit. I quite enjoy my Ensign, but designer Tim Jackett has taken some of the ancient classic’s best features and incorporated them into a thoroughly modern upgrade: the Tartan 245. Conceived as an ideal tool for teaching sailing, the 245 replaces that massive keel with a lifting one that has 900 pounds of ballast, which makes it just as stiff as the old-timer. With the board down, it draws 4 feet, 6 inches, but once raised, the draft is just 1 foot, 8 inches—and with its kick-up rudder, you can nudge into the shallows that the Ensign could only dream about. Like the full-size members of the Tartan clan, the 245 has a carbon-fiber spar that’s stepped on deck and is easily raised and lowered. A retractable bowsprit is ideal for flying off-wind reachers; for working sail, there’s a choice of an overlapping headsail or a self-tacking jib. The little cuddy space forward is another feature reminiscent of the Ensign; it can be employed, along with the handy tiller, for camper-style cruising. You may be able to have more kicks on a little sailboat, but I’m not sure how. tartanyachts.com

– LOWER YOUR RATES – Taking a boating safety course won’t just make you a better skipper. It could also help you save big on insurance. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

Happy Little Girl

And now for something completely different: the Pacific Seacraft Flicka (Swedish for “happy little girl”). It’s a 20-foot, heavy-displacement, full-keel pocket cruiser that, yes, you can pop on a trailer and wheel to destinations of your heart’s content. Designed by Bruce Bingham—an illustrator and sailor who, for many years, penned this magazine’s Workbench column—the boat was originally offered in kit form, and then bounced around to a couple of builders before finding a permanent home at Pacific Seacraft, which produced the grand majority of them (reportedly, roughly 400 Flickas were ultimately produced). Bingham loved his, sailing his pretty Sabrina all over creation, which is when I became enamored with the boat. The Flicka certainly fits the definition of a cult boat, and these days, if you look hard enough, you can find one in almost any configuration: sloop, cutter, yawl, schooner, even gaff-rigged. With a startlingly roomy interior, the Flicka is cozy but certainly not the fastest 20-footer you can find. You might not get where you’re going quickly, but you will get there. flicka20.com

To the Third Power

Talk about a boat that was ahead of its time. Any list of good trailerable boats has to include a multihull, and few have reached the overall popularity of the Corsair F-27, the prototype for which was originally launched way back in 1985. It’s designed by Kiwi Ian Farrier, based on another little trimaran he’d created a decade earlier. The signature feature of the three-hulled 27-footer is the folding outrigger system—better known as the Farrier Folding System—which reduces the beam from a significant 19 feet to a mere 8 feet, 2 inches, which makes it eminently trailerable. You can still see (and find) F-27s just about everywhere. They have active one-design racing fleets all over the place, and they make for tidy pocket cruisers when they’re not zipping around the racecourse. From a pure sailing point of view, there’s nothing more enjoyable than finding yourself perched out on an ama of an F-27, coursing along at double-digit boatspeeds, with a light touch on a long tiller extension. We’re talking joy, cubed. corsairmarine.com  

• More: pocket cruiser , print March 2023 , Sailboats , trailerable
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Better Sailing

Best Small and Trailerable Sailboats

Cruising with a trailerable sailboat means that you can voyage in a small and comfy sailboat with the advantage of saving some serious costs. Having a trailerable sailboat saves you money for storage fees, boatyard haulout, and boat insurance, among others. There are two main categories of trailerable sailboats; performance-oriented boats and all-round pocket cruisers.   So, if you’re a part-time sailor but still want to experience the joys of sailing continue reading this article so as to find out which are the best small and trailerable sailboats on today’s market. Know that there are many decent trailerable sailboats that managed both offshore and coastal cruising. So, keep reading and find the one that suits you best!

Catalina 22 Sport – The Best Trailerable Sailboat

Catalina brand is one of the most constructed sailboats in the US and has manufactured a great deal of capable and robust sailboats. The Catalina 22 Sport is one of the most preferred pocket and race cruisers since 2004. The model pioneers for the one-piece hull liner that has become standard in most high volume small boats. Furthermore, it has enough trim along with a well-proportioned rig and a hand-laid fiberglass hull construction. Other great features include a retractable lead keel, a roomy cabin, a spacious cockpit, and a fractional rig with a mainsail and a roller-furling jib. You can get a used Catalina 22 for as low as $5,000 and a brand spanking new one for around $40,000.

>>Also Read: Beneteau vs. Catalina: Which Is a Better Sailboat?

West Wight Potter 15

The West Wight Potter 15 is one of the best small trailerable and seaworthy 15-foot sailboats of all time. It’s easy to handle and great for both coastal and offshore cruising. She has an aluminum mast and tiller, a small cabin that comfortably sleeps a couple and also we can’t miss referring to her elegant design. Furthermore, it can be easily stored, it’s relatively cheap to buy and can be purchased both as a new or used boat, as many sailors prefer it for stepping up from a dinghy to a pocket cruiser.

>>Also Read: Best Pocket Cruisers Under 20 Feet

This small trailerable boat features a modern design and can be a top choice for many sailors, both for beginners or even for experienced ones. She surprisingly manages well in different weather conditions and she’s also relatively easy to handle. As a result, she has earned by right the title of a truly seaworthy small cruising vessel. Moreover, her robust design from the masthead to keel design is proven to be highly durable and comes with a mainsail and 110% genoa. A great feature of this model is the comfy and interior layout that offers a great amount of space for her size.

And that’s why the Hunter 27 is a great liveable sailboat having enough storage space, 6ft of standing headroom, berths, as well as plenty of counter space and seatings. Lastly, as a true trailer sailor, she has a shoal draft of under 4ft and a displacement of less than 8,000lbs. You can find her in today’s market as a used or brand-new model with a price ranging from $20,000 to $45,000.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

BayRaider 

The BayRaider from UK’s Swallow boats is a somehow newcomer to the small trailerable boat market in the US. She features a large and open cockpit, is ketch-rigged, and has a gunter-style mainmast. As for the topmast and mizzen, they’re both carbon-fiber; you can also apply this to the mainmast. This model can be sailed with a dry hull in lighter weather conditions or if you want to maximize its stability you can do so by removing the 300lbs of water ballast. The water ballast offers great performance in light to medium winds and makes the boat suitable for different sailing or weather conditions and levels of experience. Lastly, as she has the centerboard and hinged rudder raised she can be maneuvered even in the thinnest water. She has a self-tacking rig and is easy to trailer; all these features make her a great choice for novices.

>>Also Read: Most Popular Sailboats

Contessa 26

The Contessa 26 is an all-time-classic and small trailerable sailboat. Even if this vessel is quite small she has proven her seaworthiness and is still preferred as an ideal pocket cruiser. She has a roomy cabin and comfortable cockpit, so there’s no need to worry about below deck space. As for the rigging, it’s quite easy to handle and is rigged as a masthead sloop. Also, her construction comprises of a deep keel and hull-mounted rudder; and that’s why she was also used as a racer. The main downside is her narrow beam which contributes to heeling although she stiffens up quickly and becomes easy to sail. In any case, there are many who admit that she’s one of the most reliable sailboats in the mid-size category.

The Hunter 22 is a great daysailer and features an open-transom cockpit and sloop rig, making her the ideal choice for friends and family outings. Moreover, the considerable amount of below-deck space has twin bunks, a roomy cabin, and a portable toilet. Rigging also includes an asymmetric spinnaker and a mainsheet traveler in case you’re keen on racing. Her construction is made out of laminated fiberglass hull and deck, molded-in nonskid, and a hydraulic lifting centerboard. Last but not least, she’s fast, stable, responsive, and is, therefore, an ideal starter-boat for novices.

Islander 24

The 24-foot Islander is a classic choice in the small trailerable sailboat market. This fiberglass model features a sturdy design and has proven her seaworthiness for coastal and family-day cruising. This model was first built in 1961 but is still available on the used market. She has a masthead sloop rig, simple overall rigging, and is appropriate for single-handing. As for below-deck space, she has a spacious cabin for two with a V-berth, and space for a head. Last but not least, many sailors admit that she’s a lot more capable than many of the later model boats in this size range.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 30 Feet

Macgregor 25

This trailerable cruising sloop is a safe, easy-handling, and robust sailboat for 2 persons; perfectly suitable for coastal cruising. The boat has a spacious cabin and great safety features like foam flotation as well as the ability to self-right. Its innovative design features a retracting keel, pop-up rudder, and an easy mast-stepping system that enhances its cruising performance. Moreover, it has a large foredeck and cockpit and its lifelines and shrouds are equipped with handholds. You can easily find a Macgregor 25 on the used market with just $9,500.

>>Also Read: Best Small Sailboats To Sail Around The World

Cape Dory 28

The Cape Dory 28 is a popular trailerable sailboat known for its great performance both offshore and inland. Even though it has a small size it offers comfortable living spaces below the deck. In addition, she has proven to be more capable than other larger sailboats. It’s designed with a well-balanced deck arrangement along with a full-length keel with an attached rudder, a low freeboard, and a well-proportioned traditional trunk cabin. These sailboats were originally rigged as sloops with self-tending and club-footed jibs. This sail plan is really great for stiff weather conditions. Lastly, it can be easily hauled-out and transported regardless of its 28ft size. Ideal for salt-water cruising and for tighter coastal waters you can find a used model for $12,900.

>>Also Read: How Much Do Sailboats Weigh?

The Newport 27 is an all-time-classic that was first built in 1971 and is still considered a common choice for small sailboats amongst sailors. Although it has a small size it doesn’t lack interior space. The standing headroom is just over 6ft, there’s a V-berth, a head, and a hanging locker forward of the bulkhead. Also, settees measure 6ft in length and extend to either side of the saloon. Some variations include a fixed dinette with raised seating fore and aft, a starboard quarter berth, and an aft-placed head. You can find them on the used market from $10,000 to $18,000, depending on their condition and any possible upgrades. Even though it’s not a really robust offshore cruiser, the Newport 27 is still a capable trailerable sailboat and if upgraded and equipped accordingly it can definitely offer decent coastal cruising to a singlehander or a couple.

>>Also Read: What Are The Best Beginner Sailboats?

Trailerable sailboats are a great choice for beginner sailors as well as for couple and family outings. Keep in mind that the aforementioned boats are not the only options on today’s market. I recommend these boats because they’re easy to handle, small but roomy, easy to trailer, and have an overall robust design. Generally, a trailer sailor will save you costs for purchasing but also for marina fees. Keep in mind that many sailors choose to sail overseas with a trailerable sailboat, so there are suitable models for a long-passage voyage. Lastly, small sailboats can offer different kinds of sailing adventures; weekend cruising, coastal cruising, island hopping, and sometimes an offshore voyage. I hope that you enjoyed reading this article and that it will help you out in order to pick the right trailerable sailboat for your needs.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

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