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DeFever Cruisers Forum [email protected]

This is a forum of yachting enthusiasts who share a passion for our vessels and the cruising life! 

About This Forum   – This is a membership-only  Forum  with over 500 members representing most states in the US and 13 other nations around the world. Paid membership in DeFever Cruisers is required in order to join this  Forum    Information on memberships and how to join is found at  Join DeFever Cruisers.   Please note that commercial use of the DeFever Cruisers website and this Forum is not permitted.

Our Organization  – Most of our members own a vessel designed by the late Arthur DeFever, but others who admire his designs are welcome. We often cruise with fellow members and gather for fun on scenic beaches.  We plan rendezvous at a resort for seminars, touring other boats, and sharing spirited fellowship.

Our Vessels  – Sometimes called trawlers, DeFevers are traditional in their lines.  They are designed for efficient and extended travel in comfort and safety on the open sea or the inland waterways of the world.  Not all members own DeFevers, we also have some SOB (Some Other Boat) owners who enjoy our members and cruising.

Our People  – We love our boats and we love to cruise. We are mature but never old, adventurous but not foolhardy, self-sufficient but not reclusive, and rich in common sense. We are "real people."

Our Passion for Helping Others  – Many of our members have extensive boating experience, much of which has been on DeFevers.  And as we all know, “boating experience” is not just how to drive the boat, but how to maintain and repair it as well.  There is not much you can come up with that someone in this  Forum  has not already experienced.  The true value of the DeFever Cruisers  Forum  is its members and their willingness to share their time and knowledge.

How it Works   – Like most  Forums , members may post questions about their boats or cruising issues and get advice from other members .

How t o Join   – If you are not a member of DeFever Cruisers, you may join at  Join DeFever Cruisers  which will include membership in this Forum.  

Hope you will join us! If you just became a member of the DeFever Cruisers, please do no t use the "Apply For Membership" button below to join the forum.  You will automatically be made a member and notified via email when your membership has been processed.  (Please be patient, as it takes a real person to complete the process.) If you have been a member  of the DeFever Cruisers for a while, or  did not check the "join forum membership" box when you registered  and want to establish/reestablish your forum membership, ple ase  do  use t he "Apply For Membership" button below to initiate the process to join the forum.  You will be notified via email when your membership has been completed.  (Please be patient, as it takes a real person to complete the process.)

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Best Sailing Forums

‍ Forums are the internet equivalent of a library or the local boatyard, and they’re an absolute necessity to keep the sailing community going strong.

The best internet sailing forums are the Cruisers Forum, the SailNet Community, the Sailing Anarchy Forums, the Sailing Forums, and the WoodenBoat Forum. These forums cover everything from cruising destinations to repair tips.

In this article, we’ll review five of the biggest and best online sailing forums and communities. We’ll cover the layout of each forum, its user experience, and the level of interaction members have with guests. Additionally, we’ll specify each forum’s niche and help you find the best forum for your boat and specific interests.

We examined each forum thoroughly and fairly for these reviews, and we also considered our personal experience as members interacting on these forums.

Table of contents

‍ What Makes a Great Sailing Forum?

The best sailing forums are easy to distinguish from all the rest. A good sailing forum has a sizable community of sailors and sailboat enthusiasts who are both knowledgeable and passionate about sailing.

Sailing forums don’t have to focus on a single topic, but niche forums can be very helpful. For example, a forum dedicated only to Catalina sailboats can be a fantastic resource, as can a general sailing forum that covers a multitude of topics.

Additionally, the best sailing forums are categorized logically, easy to navigate, and effectively moderated. The experience on a sailing forum shouldn’t be too saturated with ads or irrelevant content, and membership should be free (at least for a basic view/post membership).

Types of Sailing Forums

There are a few distinct types of sailing forums online today, and they cover a wide range of topics. The most popular are general sailing forums, which are a great place for sailors of all backgrounds and experience levels to congregate and discuss virtually any sailing-related topic.

Other forums focus on more specific aspects of the sport, such as racing and long-range cruising. These forums are an excellent place to get tips, meet like-minded sailors, explore cruising plans, and find low-key anchorages in remote destinations. People also share their cruising experiences and photos on these forums.

Some sailing forums focus more on the boats themselves. These include brand and boat type forums, boat building forums, and repair forums.

Best Forums for Sailing

We scoured the online sailing community to find the best forums for sailboats, racing, restoration, and sailboat companies. Based on our requirements listed above, here are the top five sailing forums online today.

1. Cruisers Forum

The Cruisers Forum  is one of the most popular sailing forums on the internet. The forum has hundreds of members and thousands of guest users, plus a very consistent and dedicated member base. Topics vary widely on the forum and include everything from cruising logs to GPS reviews.

The Cruisers Forum is what we’d consider a general sailing forum. It covers a broad range of topics, and members are free to post virtually anything sailing and cruising-related as long as it’s in the right category.

Forum Categories

The Cruisers Forum has numerous categories. These include an introduction section for new members, news, and cruising subcategories for each major sailing region. There are also separate regional forums for general topics.

The Cruisers Forum dedicates sections for off-topic discussion and storytelling, among other things. They also have a resources section for books, information, guides, and links related to sailing and cruising.

The forum has an extensive section dedicated to sailboats. It includes categories for monohull sailboats, multihull sailboats, powerboats, general sailing discussion, and a manufacturer forum broken down by popular boat brands.

The forum hosts an extensive ‘Life Aboard a Boat’ section, which focuses on everything from provisioning to earning a living aboard a floating home. The Liveaboard Forum is a popular section with over 127,000 individual posts.

There is a lot to learn on the Cruisers Forum, especially for beginners and those looking to gain experience. There’s an entire forum dedicated to seamanship and boat handling, navigation, training, safety, and more. Additionally, you can learn how to monitor the weather and stay safe on the water.

Overall Experience

The overall experience on the Cruisers Forum is excellent. Members are friendly and responsive, and the forum has an incalculable amount of valuable information already on it. You can find an answer to almost any question relating to cruising, travel plans, boat repair, living aboard, and sailing lifestyle—and if you can’t, you can just ask the forum’s large member base.

2. SailNet Community

The SailNet Community  is another extremely popular general sailing forum with a great member base and a vast array of topics. This sleek, modern forum features a user-friendly design and an amicable member base that’s quick to respond to guest questions.

On the homepage, you’ll find the most recent posts as well as their parent categories. This is useful, as it gives guests and members a constant feed of recent activity without burying posts based on their category.

So, what can you find on the SailNet forum? The forum hosts virtually everything related to sailing, and the posts are well moderated to dispense with spam and miscategorized posts. And as a general sailing forum, you can find a category for most sailing and boating-related topics to post in.

One of the most popular categories on SailNet is the General Discussion forum, as it provides a great platform for all kinds of sailing-related questions. People discuss boats, cruising plans, fiberglass repair, and much more on the General Discussion forum.

There’s also an introduction forum for new members, which helps people get acquainted with the platform and feel welcome. This is an important part of building an online community, rather than a simple information dump like Wikipedia.

As you might expect, SailNet has a large general discussion forum with over 400,000 individual posts. There’s also a large liveaboard and cruising forum with around 100,000 posts and 25 million views. This classifies SailNet as a large forum, especially by sailing forum standards.

There are additional forum categories for chartering, racing, photos, lost vessels, and sailing destinations. There’s even a section for crew requests and job postings. SailNet also includes a large equipment and maintenance forum, which is helpful for repairs. There’s a skills category for learning and instruction, plus a videos category.

SailNet includes a manufacturer forum known as “Boat Builders Row.” Here, there are individual categories for every major sailboat manufacturer (current and historical) in alphabetical order.

SailNet includes a classifieds forum where members and guests can post boats for sale and wanted ads.

The overall experience on the SailNet Forum is clean and pleasant. There’s a ton of useful information on the site, and it’s an excellent place to make friends and learn more about sailing. The forum is free for members, and the ad experience is pretty light.

3. Sailing Anarchy Forums

Sailing Anarchy  is a popular general sailing forum with a huge variety of discussion topics. The theme of the site is ‘anarchy’ in the sense that sailing brings true freedom. Each category has the word incorporated into it for forums like “Cruising Anarchy” and “Dinghy Anarchy.”

Sailing Anarchy has a large and loyal member base. They post regularly and seem very welcoming to newcomers. Like SailNet, Sailing Anarchy uses a newer-style layout that is intuitive and easy to read. These newer forums follow the basic post structure of traditional forums like Cruisers Forum but include a little more flashiness.

Readers can view posts as guests or members, though signing up allows you to post and maintain relationships with other cruisers. The forum hosts numerous categories on everything from general discussion to repairs.

Sailing Anarchy is a general sailing forum that covers just about every topic out there. There’s a general section and a forum for shorthand discussion—which is a category often missed by other sailing forums. Additionally, there’s a set of forums for specific types of sailing, such as racing, dinghy sailing, ocean racing, cruising, and more.

Sailing Anarchy has a photo section where users can post pictures of their boats and cruising expeditions, along with an “On the Water” forum for sailing-related news and events. As you’d expect, Sailing Anarchy also covers multihull sailboats, J/Boats, and sport boats.

Gear and repair discussion is popular on the Sailing Anarchy forum. There’s a “Fix It” section, along with a forum dedicated entirely to sailing gear and equipment. These categories cover gear reviews, repair guides, boat-building tips, and modifications.

The forum also includes an extensive area for non-sailing discussion, where members chat about everything from politics to food. This section has over a million posts in all, as it’s extremely popular with members and guests.

The overall experience on Sailing Anarchy is quite good, and the forum feels like a true community. Members are friendly and helpful, and there’s a wealth of knowledge on all sailing topics available. If you’re a sailing enthusiast, you’ll certainly feel at home on the Sailing Anarchy forums.

4. Sailing Forums

Sailing Forums  is a popular general sailboat forum that primarily covers racing boats and has an engaged member community. Sailboats of all kinds are discussed on this forum, and members are knowledgeable and friendly.

The design of the Sailing Forums is closely related to Sailing Anarchy and other modern online communities. It’s easy to navigate, clean, and free from burdensome ads that interfere with user experience. It’s free to register and also free to post.

The homepage of the Sailing Forums features a feed of the latest posts. And due to the size of the member community, almost every post (that hasn’t been covered a thousand times already) gets multiple replies in a relatively short amount of time. Additionally, the members who reply often include excellent information and tips due to their experience and passion for sailing.

Repair is a popular topic of discussion on the forum, and the majority of the discussion centers around popular small racing boats. These include dinghies and one to two-person trailerable sailboats. This is great for beginners and budget sailors, as most of these vessels can be acquired and maintained for a minimal expense.

The forum has several categories which mostly cover common open sailboats. These include the Capri and Catalina 14.2, the J/24, and the 470 North America. The forum has the internet’s most extensive discussions on the popular Sunfish and Laser sailboats, which have now become somewhat of a cult classic in the sailing world.

The Sailing Forums have dedicated forums for the Sunfish and the Laser due to their popularity. Here, you can find tips on repair, restoration, pricing, and sailing techniques for these popular racing boats. You can completely restore one of these classic dinghies with the advice and recommendations of forum members.

The forum also covers larger boats, maintenance, and sailing trips for a wide range of vessels. You can find information on diesel repair, boat insurance, fun sailing destinations, serial numbers, fiberglass repair, and virtually anything else under the general forum. There’s also a great database of sailboat resources on the forum.

The user experience of the Sailing Forums is very pleasant and intuitive. The forum itself is a massive knowledge depository and probably the best resource for small sailboats on the entire internet. Joining the Sailing Forums is free, and it’s an absolute must for anyone who sails small racing boats like the Sunfish, Laser, and Capri.

5. WoodenBoat Forum

The WoodenBoat Forum  is one of the most knowledgeable boat forums on the internet, and sailing is a huge part of it. Although the forum also focuses on powerboats, sailboat topics are common and cover everything from new boat construction to repair and sailing tips.

The WoodenBoat Forum is filled with information that’s not available anywhere else online. Shipwright skills and tips, which are often passed down generationally, have been preserved on the forum and would have otherwise been lost. There’s also a lot of troubleshooting and discussion of ideas amongst members, which can be invaluable for solving problems onboard.

The WoodenBoat Forum is the ideal destination for anyone restoring a classic boat or looking into building a boat. Owners of sailboats that have wooden interior furnishings can learn an enormous amount about repair, maintenance, and custom work on the WoodenBoat forum as well.

The WoodenBoat Forum isn’t divided specifically by boat type. Instead, the primary categories cover main topics and project types. Sailing is most often found in the People and Places category, Building and Repair, Design and Plans, and the miscellaneous boat category.

The most extensive category on the WoodenBoat forum is called The Bilge. Here, boat enthusiasts talk about virtually anything they want. The Bilge helps increase the sense of community on the forum, as like-minded people get to share life events and generally interesting topics with other members. There are over three million posts in The Bilge.

Other popular categories include Building and Repair, where wooden boat builders discuss their projects, share information, and help each other with skill-intensive jobs. Additionally, the Boat Designs category is an excellent place for prospective sailboat builders and buyers to discuss boat plans, projects, and future ambitions.

The WoodenBoat Forum itself is a classic web forum with a simple interface and logical organization. Anyone who has used a forum in the last two decades will be able to navigate it easily. The community is large and friendly, and they welcome newcomers into the discussion. Overall, the WoodenBoat Forum is one of the best online resources for sailboat owners, boat builders, and boat enthusiasts of all kinds.

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Altitude New Member

Hi. Question. Buying a cruising boat, assumed it would be a trawler in the 50-60' range for the east coast, Bahamas and Caribbean. But noticing recently there are a lot of sport fisher boats - particularly Viking and Haterras in the early 2000 vintages in the same size range that look like a lot of boat for the money (sub $750k in many cases). What are the thoughts on using these for cruising? I don't really have any interest in fishing. Seems like the problems to me are: kind of marginal dingy storage, uncovered/unshaded cockpits, and only flybridge helms, and they can burn some gas - but are also fast. So..... just wondering what thoughts are on this? thank you.

CaboFly Member

In the Sportfish segment there is a lot that changed in that 2000 to say 2007 time frame. Mechanical to Common Rail Diesels. Gelcoat issues for a few builders during that era as well. I like a Sportfish for cruising but you would want to get a good understanding of the segment before buying.

JWY Senior Member

Attributes of what make trawlers good cruising boats are their hull shape (full or semi-displacement), fuel capacity, fuel consumption, and live-aboard conveniences such as water maker, inverters, good stowage, longterm refrigerator/freezer storage. etc.

CaboFly said: ↑ In the Sportfish segment there is a lot that changed in that 2000 to say 2007 time frame. Mechanical to Common Rail Diesels. Gelcoat issues for a few builders during that era as well. I like a Sportfish for cruising but you would want to get a good understanding of the segment before buying. Click to expand...

JWY said: ↑ Attributes of what make trawlers good cruising boats are their hull shape (full or semi-displacement), fuel capacity, fuel consumption, and live-aboard conveniences such as water maker, inverters, good stowage, longterm refrigerator/freezer storage. etc. Click to expand...

ranger58sb Senior member

Altitude said: ↑ Seems like the problems to me are: kind of marginal dingy storage, uncovered/unshaded cockpits, and only flybridge helms, and they can burn some gas - but are also fast. So..... just wondering what thoughts are on this? thank you. Click to expand...

Capt Ralph Senior Member

Altitude said: ↑ they can burn some gas - but are also fast. Click to expand...

rtrafford Senior Member

I cruised quite a bit with my 53c. Really, my driving issue was two components: first was the valuable space "lost" to the fishing cockpit, be it living or storage or added amenities. Second was steps, everywhere. Hell, you had to go down a set of steps to remember why you were headed up a set of steps. That being said, I never should have sold her. I should have kept her as well.

Norseman Senior Member

I did the cruising on a sport-fishing boat for 5 years, but on a small scale: Albin 28TE. (TE for Tournament Express) It worked out great: the big aft fishing cockpit was great for lounging and entertaining, very comfortable for one couple on longer trips, or 3-4 guys on short hops. Economical doing trawler speeds @ 8,5 knots with the single inboard diesel, or run at cruise speed 17 knots to the Bahamas and back. The deep V hull handled the seas well for it's size. I never fished a minute on that boat, but it did cruising very well, Dual Purpose indeed.

Pascal Senior Member

Sportfishers / Convertibles make great tropical cruising boat because of the cockpit giving you easy access to the water. They also allow you to run from weather if needed yet they can be run at hull speed for excellent fuel economy on longer distances. their hull shape is designed for running in rougher whether, at least the real SF like Viking, Hatteras, Ocean etc adding the required equipment like water maker, inverter etc is no problem. Sportfish vs MY vs trawler is really a matter of personal preference, each can do the job

jsschieff Senior Member

What would deter me from using a sport fishing boat to cruise is the lack of light belowdecks. Most sport fishing boats more than a few years old have no portlights in cabins under the foredeck. I find the cabins a bit dark and claustrophobic. Additionally, most sport fishing boats have just a small bow rail or even no bow rail on the foredeck. Not ideal if you are trying to anchor or handle midship and bow lines in an rolly open anchorage that is common in the Bahamas. I am often surprised at the high running angle of many sport fishing boats that thunder by my place on the ICW, with their bows high in the air and their sterns deep in the water producing prodigious wakes. The engines are really straining to push the boat at a good clip at such an inefficient attitude.

jsschieff said: ↑ What would deter me from using a sport fishing boat to cruise is the lack of light belowdecks. Most sport fishing boats more than a few years old have no portlights in cabins under the foredeck. I find the cabins a bit dark and claustrophobic. Additionally, most sport fishing boats have just a small bow rail or even no bow rail on the foredeck. Not ideal if you are trying to anchor or handle midship and bow lines in an rolly open anchorage that is common in the Bahamas. I am often surprised at the high running angle of many sport fishing boats that thunder by my place on the ICW, with their bows high in the air and their sterns deep in the water producing prodigious wakes. The engines are really straining to push the boat at a good clip at such an inefficient attitude. Click to expand...

Now, If your rich and famous, you may not have issue with MPG. And,, I would like to offer my services as your next experienced dish washer and wanna-be CTO..

cleanslate Senior Member

Capt Ralph said: ↑ In shallow water, the angle does increase when trying to apply HP to the water. OTOH, it is some angle that raises the forward V for the boat to cut some chop down for the boats comfort. You can imagine that same hull idling in the slop. Some models, not pretty. I have witnessed some port-light mods including deck hatches. If your not playing half court b-ball up there, install deck hatches (facing aft) up there. Safety or hand rails are a style. They can always be added or modified for your use. I'm not trying to talk you out of a sport hull; just some cruises better slower than others. Sadly, it is not the later performance big fishing boats. Still, the range and MPG varies on the hull. The ultimate MPG will be the trawler with Displacement hull. I still dream of pushing to the lower Bahamas, just going to take a lot of fuel. I have the room for provisions but at near 2 gallons a mile, not the economy. Click to expand...

boatpoor Active Member

We fish and cruise in our sport fish all over the Gulf of Mexico and have enjoyed it for over 20 years . It lacks a lot of the interior amenities of a motor yacht but we enjoy having the large cockpit when we're traveling.

Wow , you really got a lot of the long time extremely knowledgeable people to respond to your post. Everyone has great points . He are some of mine that came to mind. First off , I have the same feeling as you do towards the Sportfisherman boats. They are very attractive with the eye and the speed is sure nice . But it comes with a price and aggravation . Big engines maxed out , HP and RPM wise= big money , big fuel bill and possibly big down time . The manufacturers you mentioned are packing all they can, motor wise, into those boats you are looking at. Those engines in the vessels you are looking at , were run hard in general . Some with open check books and good service. Many with closed check books and poor service . Also many of the boats were run by a hired Captain and crew , who could care less , for the most part , on how hard they were run. Only worry was how to get to the fish …fast. In tournaments you are fishing against the clock, lines in -lines out at “X” time and day. It’s all about speed. Yeah , no dual helm, little natural light bellow, where to put the tender?, tight space, poor access in the engine room, higher insurance rates, much more fuel.. I would be cautious when looking at used Sportfish boats. Consider the boats furtherst away from the popular Ocean inlets … Buy a SF from the Chesapeake, or Great Lakes…lol. The various trawlers offer everything you want. Many have transom swim platform with transom door to get to the water or tender. Many have hoists and davits to store the tender. Many have dual helms, aft cockpit deck with overhang bridge deck ti keep you out of the sun etc. Trawlers, in general have much more room in the engine room for service and access to all the engines and mechanicals. And they usually have nice low Rpm low stressed engines , non turbo, that just chug along and run forever. Helps to keep that aggravation level down, no matter how much money you care to spend.

not much you can do about the lack of windows and portholes one most sportfishes., indeed it is unpleasant. Yes a bow rail is a must on a cruising boat and can be added. as to getting up on plane in shallow water I ve never had an issue with MY so I don’t think SF would be different. 3 to 4 feet under the keel is the minimum I want. The 116 I run now pops up nicely in 9’ of water (5 1/2 draft). If anything it s at hull speed that speed drops by as much as 1 to 2 knots in shallow water. Even my 53 drops from 9 to 7 1/2 knots with only 3’ under the keel. i think the key to any planning boat whether MY or SF is to have the biggest possible engines, as long as access is still good. This way you can run on plane when needed without stressing the engines. I try to avoid running boats over 60-65% load. Can diesels be run 75% all day? Sure. But you can bet they ll last longer at 60/65% as long as the boat is fully on plane.

It's not all that difficult to find a convertible with portlights in all below-deck cabins/heads, full bow rail... and the biggy... even a front window for the saloon. Might not be Vikings or Hatts or Cabos, but some are out there. -Chris

DOCKMASTER Senior Member

My Sportfish has a port light in each of the 3 staterooms. Master even has two of them. Great for light and getting nice ventilation thru-breeze on the one day a year I don’t have rain. I do not have a front window in the salon though. Doubtful I would buy another Sportfish with a front window. Too prone to leaks and you lose a lot of space for galley cabinets or similar. My galley has a very large commercial refer/freezer setup that is up high and fwd in the galley and would not be possible with a window.

bayoubud Senior Member

We traveled on sport fishers we owned to S Fl, Keys, and Bahamas. Of course we fished and liked the speed, fuel was much less back then too. I think an enclosed bridge SF would make a great cruiser too. Surprising how economical a sport fisher with big engines can be at 8 knots. Had a Hatt 50C with 3412's that burned a little less than 8gph at 8 kts! Fuel burn went up fast beyond that speed!

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Cruising a trailer sailer

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Anyone else out there cruising semi permanently on a Trailer Sailer? Quite a number looking but no one responding with their experiences, tips or comments.🙂  

Your boat looks like the US MacGregor 26X, There are a couple who have sailed the Loop in the Eastern US. You should ask on the forums for that brand.  

The Imexus 28 is in a completely different league, size, sailing, stability and quality. Definitely influenced by Roger’s design like the Mach 28 built here in Australia but built in Poland bigger, tougher, topsides double skin with insulation, My partner and I have been living onboard for 4 weeks now and it’s proving a workable cruising trailable yacht for 2 and probablely for 4 for shorter periods like many smaller cruising yachts. Thanks for the heads up on that couple cruising their Macgregor. I have friends who have had them here in Australia but they are fairly light and tippy compared. I have another new friend who has just purchased a TES Versus and that also looks to be a great trailable cruising yacht. Different attributes and pros and cons but a lovely looking yacht for this purpose. Friends here in Australia have the more common RL 28, Farr 750, Court 750, Magnum 850 and the like.  

We've done coastal cruising up to 3 weeks or so on our Seaward 25, but we never felt like spending more time than that on it. We spend a couple months cruising on the Great Lakes on our Catalina 350 each season. It's much better suited for the task. We found our trailerable Seaward 25 a great boat for sailing an area, then trailering it to other places to explore other sailing grounds. We sailed many places we never would have gotten to if we had to cruise a larger boat to those destinations.  

The Seaward 25 has a 2' wing so no issues getting close to shore. We usually don't as we like to anchor a little bit out. Less bugs, more breeze and less weeds. We don't like tying to shore (would rather swing). That said, we're currently in a beautiful anchorage on the North Channel of Lake Huron tied to shore on our 350 (only real way to do it in this particular spot). We generally use an inflatable kayak to get to shore and also have a Portabote with a motor but rarely use it . The Seaward is a comfortable boat, just not up to the sailing conditions we frequently run into on the Great Lakes. We also enjoy the space and creature comforts in the larger boat.  

Looks beautiful!  

Reaching out again. Is there anyone here extended cruising their trailer sailer with road transport as an alternative to other yachts needing to sail between distant cruising grounds?  

I have a Catalina 27 full keel boat that I trailer sail. I have taken it from Utah to Long Beach Ca. and launched 4 times and sailed it to Catalina Island. I don't fit exactly what you do as extended. All though my wife and I are planing to take our boat 900 miles by road to Seattle Wa. and sail into B.C. next season  

The latest Good Old Boat magazine has an article written by a guy who has both crossed oceans and trailer sailed their Nor'Sea 27 for years.  

Yes a really great trailer sailer with some serious offshore ability but almost more a transportable yacht than trailable being really huge and high on their trailer with their significant skeg keel. I really love the gunk holing and ability to dry out of cruising trailer sailers without either deep skegs or drop keels with bulbs whilst recognising this compromises their upwind ability. Also it’s makes these flatter bottom ones generally much easier to launch and to use as caravans between distant sailing destinations when towing. If looking to do long coastal passages or genuine offshore jaunts I don’t think I would choose a trailer sailer no matter how capable.  

I have a Hunter 260 and I have done 3 cruises with her, 1 on Lake Ontario for about a month and 1 on Lake Michigan for about a month and then I used her as a live aboard in Boston Harbor for 6 months. A 26 footer can sure get small but thinking of my time aboard always puts a huge grin on my face! Looking forward to the time that I can move back aboard.  

Sounds great, hope you have lots of fun. Having reviewed those yachts I would tend to rate them transportable rather than truely trailable. Great seakindly yachts for a trailable still bringing all the advantages of access to many cruising destinations without the effort of long and often taxing passages. Their draft and height on trailer are quite limiting in launching and even some shallow coastal and inland waters choices but all easily dealt with through planning and appropriate selections. It seems that many US designed Trailer Sailers were based on making larger yachts smaller for trailering whilst some other countries based the model on upsizing the original trailer sailers like the NZ designed Hartley 16 a more dingy based yacht upgraded to have accomodation. It is an interesting difference in the earlier general direction that things seem to have taken with plenty of exceptions on both sides. Have you got a photo of your yacht on trailer to post here for comparison purposes? Best wishes with your sailing adventures.🙂  

I am looking to buy a Mach 28, Imexus 28 or Magnum 8.5 to go trailer sailing around Australia. Unfortunately I cannot seem to find a single Mach 28 or Imexus 28 for sale.  

So does that mean that your 2010 Imexus 28 is in North Nowra? That is less than an hour's drive from where I live.  

Hi Grith, please call me on 0414187849 to discuss possible purchase of Super dream.  

Corsair trimaran, several sizes, widely proven in ocean sailing for 30 years. Fast and weatherly. More expensive. The cabin is a bit smaller for a given length, but the deck space allows you to carry kayaks, gear, and lounge.  

Been there done that and yes they sail very fast and are a great choice for many but they have their disadvantages as well. Awkward to access and use if living onboard on trailer between cruising destinations, difficult to rig and launch single handed, small and cramped internally for their length, many are very wet sailing in various conditions, don’t like being overloaded somewhat limiting extended remote area exploration, wide and ungainly in many tight locations from marinas to locks and narrow waterways. Having said all that I still lust over cruising trailable dragonflies but they make even my very expensive trailable yacht look really cheap.🙂  

MarkofSeaLife said: Hey @Grith whats this? View attachment 148322 Is that extra fuel tank? Water? The whole set-up looks truly amazing! 😍 Mark Click to expand...

Isuzu NLS models - Outback Travel Australia

Arcb said: That is some heavy lifting for a 3 litre 4 cylinder! My Grand Caravan has a 6 cylinder 3.6 liter. Click to expand...

My campervan to go around Australia was 1.3 litres. In Europe, over all EU countries the average car engine size is 1.55 litres. A Formula 1 race car has a 1.6 litre engine in it. For a light truck like @Grith has, a 3 litre modern engine, fuel injected, economised, is probably fine compared with older trucks. When I was buying a camper van in the USA (about 20 years ago!!) many vehicles were 6 litre V8's... talk about guzzle gas!  

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> > Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. 15-09-2024, 16:00   Boat: 1979 Bristol 35.5 CB tank with a new one about 12 years ago. It is only 32 gallons. I have been scrupulously keeping out- keep tank full, buy from reliable high volume sources, BioNor additive, fresh o-ring on the fill periodically, check all fuel for , high loop on vent hose, etc. Due to extenuating circumstances, my had little use for three years. I didn’t think went bad if dry, but apparently it does. Despite my efforts, my tank has become dirty. I pumped all the fuel out of it and pulled the tank. It has a generous access hole in the top and only one baffle so it is all accessible. The inside of the top is more of a soft cream colored stuff that off easily, but the lower part in contact with fuel has a hard shiny black deposit on it. It is quite adherent. This stuff never would’ve been removed with “fuel polishing”. It may not cause any problems but I am reluctant to just leave it especially since the tank is out. Any ideas about an easy way to clean it? I cannot get my hand in there to scrape it easily.     15-09-2024, 16:38   Boat: Wheeler Shipyard 83' ex USCG type filter remove the water. I use a fuel conditioner every fueling. In the old days when fuel was refined for performance we didn't need conditioner unless the fuel was going to set a long time. 15-09-2024, 17:05   Boat: Farr 43` and flush as a greasy residue. No grease required just application. Note the product warnings and use in a well ventilated area. 15-09-2024, 17:15   Boat: Oyster 435 16-09-2024, 09:28   Boat: Irwin 65, center console, owner’s version , how about pressure wash the ? Yesterday, 07:00   Boat: 44' Custom Aluminum Cutter, & Pearson 30 . Yesterday, 07:16   Boat: Cruising Catamaran Yesterday, 08:19   . My experience was that I had to cut access (tanks had none), reach in and wipe. After that Excursion Into Hell (tanks in-situ, in August, in Mississippi) I then installed a couple Filter Boss systems (have two engines) and I always try to filter fuel going in the . , , , Thread Tools Rate This Thread : Posting Rules post new threads post replies post attachments edit your posts is are code is are are are Similar Threads Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post clayzone Product or Service Reviews & Evaluations 14 03-09-2015 15:30 Mckelley Construction, Maintenance & Refit 9 14-04-2014 05:02 GaryMayo Engines and Propulsion Systems 11 13-11-2012 15:47 dick auge Engines and Propulsion Systems 2 05-09-2010 06:50 - - - - - - - Privacy Guaranteed - your email is never shared with anyone, opt out any time. 156 COMMENTS Cruisers & Sailing Forums Cruisers Forum is an online forum community of cruisers from around the world! Portal; Forums. Visit our Popular Forums. 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SailNet Community Motorboats and Sailing Boats have the same systems and some unique features too! 144 15.7K Jun 13, 2024. 144 15.7K Jun 13, 2024. Sailing Resources ... A forum community dedicated to Sailing, boating, cruising, racing & chartering. Come join the discussion about sailing, destinations, maintenance, repairs, navigation, electronics, classifieds ... [email protected] The true value of the DeFever Cruisers Forum is its members and their willingness to share their time and knowledge. How it Works - Like most Forums, members may post questions about their boats or cruising issues and get advice from other members. How to Join - If you are not a member of DeFever Cruisers, you may join at Join DeFever ... YBW Forum Motor Boat Forum. Hosted by Motor Boat & Yachting. Threads 80.4K Messages 1.1M. Threads 80.4K Messages 1.1M. Vespro 55 test drive - JetDrive. 49 minutes ago; ... 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Login Register: FAQ: It is currently September 2024: Board index. All times are UTC - 6 hours : Forum Topics Posts Europe & Mediterranean Cruisers & Sailing Forums > Scuttlebutt > Destinations: Europe & Mediterranean Click Here to Login: Register: Vendors FAQ: Community: Calendar: Today's Posts: Search: Log in Page 1 of 2 ... transfer sailing boat from north/west Europe to Croatia. Nikola Tesla. 08-09-2024 16:50 by Nikola Tesla. 0: 214 : News and Reviews of Sailboats, Yachts and Cruisers The bluewater-capable sailing yacht Onegin offers a combination of classic design, modern amenities and exceptional seaworthiness. Catalina Introduces the 6 Series The 6 Series—which includes four models: the 316, 356, 386 and 426, all designed and built in the United States—has been named a 2024-25 Boat of the Year nominee. Boats For Sale and Wanted For Sale: Marino Marine Powercord Plus Pigtail Adapter. Part number: 104SPP. For Sale: 1993 Pacific Seacraft 34 $95,000 USD. Boats For Sale and Wanted - Boats, dinghies and trailers! Find that amazing vessel here, free ads for CF members. Boat sales ads will be archived after 120 days if not still active. Cleaning diesel fuel tank I replaced my rusty old steel diesel tank with a new aluminum one about 12 years ago. It is only 32 gallons. I have been scrupulously keeping water out- keep tank full, buy fuel from reliable high volume sources, BioNor fuel additive, fresh o-ring on the fill periodically, check all fuel for water, high loop on vent hose, etc. Due to extenuating circumstances, my boat had little use for three ... catamaran gulet motorboat powerboat riverboat sailboat trimaran yacht