Leaderboard

It looks like some buoyancy, trim, and stability evaluations were being conducted in the bathtub. Start them young.

A dolly is simply an A-frame with small wheels used to move boats around on the hard or launch by hand. Many of the available launching spots around here are not suitable for launching straight off a trailer. What I should have said, and was trying to imply, was a weight limit of about 170lbs. It is precisely for convenience's sake that I have not already built a CS15 - it is simply too heavy. I currently sail a Miracle, the 13ft bigger sister of the Mirror. It is about as heavy a boat as I would consider for a quick sail and it has taken my brother and I, both big lads, on an epic weekend adventure. It was indeed a bit cramped, but that was purely because the boat was not designed with storage space in mind. Had there been hatches in the fore-deck and side tanks we would have had no problem with space. We obviously did not try to sleep aboard. We also had the "opportunity" to practice righting the boat after a capsize and turning turtle a mile from shore in very choppy conditions. I am in complete agreement on the trailer. The Miracle lives on a trailer with an integral dolly which is very convenient. You can just make out the dolly wheel behind the trailer registration plate in the pic attached. I have since built another dolly for my 13ft Gypsy to fit the same trailer. Swapping boats is a matter of wheeling one off and rolling the other one on. There is a winch to assist but I would only need it if loading on a steep ramp. Being a light boat, the trailer itself need not be all that bulky. Keeping the combined weight low is another important thing for me due to my yard layout - I need to maneuver the whole lot down an alley by hand before I can hitch it to the car.