I watched the salesman at a boatshow in September lower & raise the mast on a Com-pac Sun Cat in about 2 minutes flat. There're pretty small, but if your going to be happy with an M15, you'd be happy with everything but the price on the Sun Cat. I looked at the larger Horizon Cat (LOA 20, LWL 17' 10"), which will sit four comfortably in the cabin, sleep two, and has a vee-berth for the port-a-potty. With all of the toys, trailer and diesel engine, it was listed at 44K, but could probably be had for 38K or so since it's a 2004. They're very pretty, however; and have the tabernacle on the rigging. I noticed the salesman chose to demonstrate on the Sun Cat, and not the Horizon. I'd bet that an M17 is faster than the Horizon Cat under sail because of the jib, certainly at least to windward. Funny, under power, the Horizon would walk away from an M17. For about the same price, you can get a Com-pac 23/3 with trailer & diesel, but at LOA 23' 10" it's a completely different boat (no standing headroom, however). My understanding is that it can take about 90 minutes to rig one without help; so, it's really only for occasional towing. Of course, for 44K you can get a good used boat that's big enough to live on, but that's different story. ;-)
mike_matthews@comcast.net 11/03/04 12:24PM >>> Great suggestion! It seems to me that a tabernacle setup would be a trailer sailor's dream. That or something with a free standing rig (as long as the mast isn't too heavy). Unfortunately, boats of this type seem to be few and far between out here on the west coast. Occasionally I've seen a Com-pac cat for sale, but they tend to be very very expensive. The Nimble Peep Hen really intrigues me but I've yet to see one for sale out here on the west coast. And the odds are not getting better with Nimble Boats shutting down. Although I did hear a rumor that Marine Concepts, the builder of the Sea Pearl (another boat I'd like to look at) has bought the molds for the Hen line from Nimble Boats.
I've since regretted letting the owner of the M-15 talk me out of going to look at his boat. If it's no harder to rig than a Potter 15 then that's good enough for me. Take care, Michael
Michael,
I'm mostly a lurker on the list. I own a 1985 Sanibel 17 (www.widgetsailor.com) which is fairly easy to rig. As a suggestion, if speed at the ramp is a primary concern, perhaps one of the little catboats with a tabernacle mast would be the solution? Leave the main sail on, pop up the mast, pin it, and you're done? I've no experience with these boats, but others on the list might and I'm sure others on the trailersailor lists would.
Maybe the suncat or something? (http://www.com-pacyachts.com/com-pacsuncat.php) Keep us posted!
Todd S. Dubuque, IA ----------------------------------------------------------------------
So I've decided that smaller and simpler is better. Everyone in my family owns a boat so I have access to bigger sailboats. My goal for a trailerable is something I can rig by myself at the ramp in less than half an hour. The quicker the better. It must have enough room for a useable porta-potty. So this is my dilema. I would like a small trailerable that's easy to rig, easy to launch and has a small cabin with a useable porta-potty. Sounds like the M-15? Yes? No?
Take care, Michael
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