Trailerable canal sailboat?

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Quidnic, Oct 9, 2021.

  1. Quidnic
    Joined: Apr 2020
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    Location: Wales

    Quidnic Junior Member

    Is there a trailerable vessel that can navigate UK canals so max 6’10” beam, that is also capable of long distance cruising?

    I’m looking for something like the Maxus evo 22 which one man sailed single handed around the world but it’s just a little bit too wide at the stern.

    https://www.naturalyachts.info/maxus22

    is there a boat similar but under 6’10” beam?
     
  2. wet feet
    Joined: Nov 2004
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    wet feet Senior Member

    A Drascombe Coaster might fit the canal part of the requirement,but the cruising lifestyle would be a bit spartan.
     
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  3. bajansailor
    Joined: Oct 2007
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    bajansailor Marine Surveyor

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  4. The Q
    Joined: Feb 2014
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    Location: Norfolk, UK

    The Q Senior Member

    The lysander 17 (and 19) were designed for canal use and inshore good weather sea going. The problem is draft, narrow canals are 3ft deep if you're lucky.
    The combination of only 6ft 8in max wide and 3ft max draft make for an unlikely boat for deep sea going, even with a drop keel. Inshore crusing possibly, but unlikely to be a luxury boat, more like just above camping..
     
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  5. Quidnic
    Joined: Apr 2020
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    Quidnic Junior Member

    Yes a coaster does fit perfect the narrow boat canal
     
  6. Quidnic
    Joined: Apr 2020
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    Location: Wales

    Quidnic Junior Member

  7. DCockey
    Joined: Oct 2009
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    DCockey Senior Member

    There is also "air draft" or available height above the water to consider. If a sailboat needs to carry it's rig when operating in the canal then the height above the water of the rig when stowed needs to be considered.

    Also there is the question of what is required to stow and erect the rig. And a stowed rig overhead can be nuisance when using the boat.
     
  8. sharpii2
    Joined: May 2004
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    Location: Michigan, USA

    sharpii2 Senior Member

    I believe it is possible, but only with some design compromises that most would find unpalatable.

    A seagoing sailboat must have a large range of stability. And this is usually accomplished with a lot of ballast deep down.

    Usually, the deeper the ballast, the less of that is needed. Ballast adds weight which harms performance. So, if you need more of it because it is higher up, you end up with a slower boat.

    Sailboats get their performance from initial stability plus hull shape. The initial stability is that that comes from 20 degrees of heel or less. And this usually comes from wider Beam. But what really counts is average Beam. A narrow boat can have a similar average Beam to a wider boat. But it will resemble a box with a blunt bow on it. Not the best shape for going through the water, but it will work. Think Thames barge.

    When a high range of stability is needed also, the size and height of the sail plan must be limited. This is to keep the mast as short as possible. The typical tall Bermuda sloop rig will not work, as it will either provide insufficient Sail Area, or it will harm both the initial stability and the range of stability too much.

    A much shorter one might work, but then the Boom gets too long. So a sail plan with a yard or a gaff would almost certainly be in the picture.

    The box like hull is almost made for Lee boards, which could give the boat adequate windward performance in deeper water.

    This is not the type of sailboat that most of the public would be willing to buy.

    It could be seaworthy enough, but slower than more conventional designs.
     
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  9. CT249
    Joined: May 2003
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    CT249 Senior Member

    What about the famous Van De Stadt 30' Zeeslang/Black Soo/RCOD. They are very light, still fast for their sail area and true size, carry a fairly small and simple rig, and have proven their ability to cross the Atlantic and do the Singlehanded Transpac repeatedly. The standard boat has a deep, high-aspect bulb keel which is actually quite convenient, because it would easily be converted into a lift keel with a narrow keel case that would take up less space.

    The Black Soo/RCOD/Zeeslang doesn't quite make it to 6'10 but it does fit into the narrowboat limit. Designer Yves Tanton is a fan and would probably love to draw a modified Black Soo with lift keel.

    https://forums.sailinganarchy.com/uploads/monthly_04_2007/post-17515-1177305912.jpg


    [​IMG]
     

  10. sharpii2
    Joined: May 2004
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    sharpii2 Senior Member

    I thought up an alternative to lift keels. I will call them "spud keels". They will work on the same principles as drop keels do, but will be outside the hull.

    Each will pass through an upper guard and a lower guard. Each will have a flange on top to keep it from dropping through the upper guard. The guards would be about 30 cm (1 ft) apart.

    A lifting line would pass over a roller, at the sheer of the hull, with one end attached to the keel and the other to the winch shaft.

    The amount of drop can be greater than that of a single drop keel, because it is not limited to the cabin height or the winch height. Some locking device can then be devised to hold the keel down.

    The possible drawbacks are:

    1.) you need two of them, and this will almost certainly mean greater whetted area,
    2.) they somewhat limit the local hull shape, as there can't be a lot of flair or vertical curve to the hull sides, and
    3.) they will have a work-boat appearance.
     
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