riverrat373 Posted April 24, 2013 Report Share Posted April 24, 2013 Hello everyone! I'm the new guy on the block and I hope to learn much on this forum! I live in the Pacific Northwest about 3/4 mile from the Columbia River and have been boating on "The Mighty Columbia" since I was 12 years old! (building rafts out of pallets and polling through lowlands when the Columbia would flood in the spring). I have owned boats from 14' to 25' and currently own a brand new 15' Smokercraft Alaskan with a 20hp Tohatsu 4-stoke motor. No, I don't fish! When I tell people what I own, they always ask "Do you fish for salmon?" My log-in name says it all. I just love to be "on the river". I spend most of my time just "messing about" on the Columbia exploring islands and sloughs and looking for anything valuable or useful floating down the river or along it's shores. My favorite boat was a 25' Macgregor sailboat which I sold about 15 years ago because of problems with my shoulders. It was difficult for me to sail so I purchased a 23' Crusiers Inc cabin crusier.Sold that about 8 years ago when gas prices started getting out of hand. Since then I have had a couple of smaller boats until I bought the Smokercraft which I intend to keep forever! One reason I came to this froum is because I would like to also have a bigger boat for overnight excursions, ( I don't like sleeping on the ground at my age!).I am an avid fan of SMALL CRAFT ADVISOR magazine and in issue # 80 they had an article by a gentleman who converted a small sailboat into a displacement power cruiser and I'm thinking that might be a great way to accomplish my desire for an inexpensive to run overnighter. If anyone on the forum has done that, I would love any advice that they may have on mods, etc.I'm thinking that a 20' to 25' shallow draft, trailerable boat would make an ideal cruiser. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Treichel Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 Most intereting; I have had similar thoughts. Right now I am in Anacortes where I keep a 20' C-Dory on a mooring in Burrows Bay. I'm also building a SOF kayak. Used sailboats with blown out rigging are dirt cheap and may have an appropriate hull, and possible a small engine. Cut down the keel, and make a few more modifications and you may be in business. The main disadvantage may be speed. I like my C-Dory with a 90 HP Evinrude E-Tec. It goes 24knots and consumes little gas; I can raise the engine and slide into any calm beach. I would have a hard time with a boat that only goes7-8 knots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAR Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 This is done with some regularity, though it's not especially common, a good idea for a small, efficient over nighter. A sailboat will not have the interior volume of a powerboat of similar size. You also don't want to build too high up, in terms of a cabin. Simply put, you have to live with what you've got, so don't try to make it bigger. Lastly, don't remove the ballast, but if possible, do remove the appendages. A small outboard will push these trailer sailors easily and sip fuel along the way too. It'll be slow, but it'll be cheap to operate. There are lots of "off" brand trailer sailors from the 70's and 80's that can be had for a song. Find a fat one . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howard Posted July 26, 2013 Report Share Posted July 26, 2013 This is close to what you describe, but someone would have to build it: http://www.skiffamerica20.com/information.html I think it was purposely designed for the type of use you describe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.