Welcome

Welcome to waterways. It's about trailer sailing cruising on a budget in tropical North Queensland which is home to the great barrier reef. The cruising grounds here have bays, beaches, continental islands,  mangrove forest estuaries and coral reefs. 

 I've liked sailing from an early age, started with dinghys in the 1970's, trailer sailing in the 90's, a hiatus in the noughties,  but back into it since.   Also have a cruising boat building project, see  wylo 2 yacht.

 A good book to read  is "Sensible cruising - The Thoreau Approach" by Don Casey and Lew Hackler. It's got the philosophy that small  is better in many ways. So that's one reason i restarted sailing with a Fatty knees 8, as a later bonus this dinghy could be used as a good yacht tender.

Why a trailer sailer for cruising? No mooring or slipping fees, there's no anti-fouling paint required so is cheaper to maintain. It's easier to work on the boat at home in the back yard. Because trailer sailer's are generally lighter than a keel yachts the fittings, ropes, sails etc are also lighter and hence more economical.

Hartley TS16 Jakarri at Lake Eungella, North Qld.

The trailer sailer usually has a retractable centerplate or keel in lieu of a deep keel. This allows access into shallow waters that deep draft keelboat can't reach. The tides are less of a problem for a shoal draft vessel. Beach landings, exploring shallow rivers, estuary's and bays are possible.

When not in use the mast and rig come down so storage is ashore, away from the higher maintenance salty environment. After a fresh water hose-down the boat can be covered. This reduces degradation from ultraviolet light and salt water. Its more likely maintenance will be carried out ashore.

I enjoy sailing whenever the wind is favourable.  Sailing reduces the carbon footprint and lets us tune-in with  mother nature. However there are times when a good motor is required, in flat calms, approaching a dock etc. Nearly all TS's have small auxiliary outboards.

A TS18 on a glassy lake. The plywood Hartley's were among the first trailer sailer designs.

Most  trailer sailers have no external keel, so usually require a combination of internal ballast, hull form-stability and crew weight to keep them upright. (eg Hartley 16,18 and 21's, Boteril Explorer 16, Ultimate 18, Compass Careel 18)  These types can nose in on a beach and usually sit upright on the sand when dried out. However, the centrecase takes up some cabin space.

Another type of trailer sailer has lead keel below the hull with or without a centreboard. These behave more like a small keel yacht, having a strong self-righting tendency. They're better for going offshore, but may need a small tender - a dinghy, kayak or inflatable to get ashore. They tilt over at an angle when stranded by a low tide and are harder to get on and off a trailer (eg Investigator 563, Savage Nautilus)

A few trailer sailers have bilge keels (eg Jedda 22), some are fixed and other versions retract or swing up (eg Princess 18) They can be beached and stay upright when tides out.

A few specialised trailer sailers use water ballast tanks. (eg Paradox, S.C.A.M.P, McGregor 26) This allows the boat to be trailed light but gain great shoal draft stability in the water. Some can have flat bottoms so have very shallow draft and can dry out upright. 

The Trailer-sailer's towing weight must be well matched to it's tow vehicle. Small TS's can be towed by a cheaper 4 cylinder 2 wheel drive car. At the other end of the spectrum large TS's need a heavy duty and far more expensive vehicle. 

  

It goes without saying that a safe and suitable place to store the boat on trailer is a high priority. A good sized driveway, shed or backyard. Alternatively a secured dry boat storage area for hire.  I often see trailer sailers outside on a back street, it seems to work for some but i wouldn't want to try it.