Sailboats/canal cruising

[Woody5]

Any recommendations of a 30ish ft sailboat that is equipped for easy removal/erect mast for periods of canal cursing. I’m looking to spend the next few summers exploring the Eastern Great Lakes, NYS barge canal, Champlain, Rideau canal, Trent Severn, Georgian Bay…..

[Brioche]

Have you considered a catboat with mast that hinges down in tabernacle?

[Pete7]

Macgregor 26 either the M or the X series.

If the budget is limited, this has a tabernacle to enable the mast to be lowered.

https://boats.waa2.com/detail?id=463...delle%20mk%202

Or this one in better condition:

https://boats.waa2.com/detail?id=fc6...delle%20mk%202

[Adelie]

Good sailor, standing headroom under bubble, trailerable, retracting keel that can be sailed partially retracted.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/mega-30-od-cc

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Good sailor, standing headroom under bubble, trailerable, retracting keel that can be sailed partially retracted.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/mega-30-od-cc

This is a great suggestion. I had one and I was thinking the same thing (but they are rare and be careful raising and lowing that 38ft mast.).

[Grith]

Imexus 28 or Odin 820 Great mast lowering system, adequate accommodation with standing headroom at the galley, enclosed shower toilet, trailable, very shallow draft and other appropriate features for river and canal use. Still capable of inshore extended sailing/cruising as well making them pretty versatile.
The mast raising lowering system remains insitu at all times and can be entirely managed by one person remaining in the cockpit.
Upsized, more comfortable, better sailing, stronger construction, walk around side decks but similar in concept to the Mac 26x and m creating a modern take on a trailable motor sailer.
My partner and I recently comfortably lived onboard for six weeks on our shakedown extended river cruise.🙂
Photo below shows mast lowered with mainsail and boom still attached and can be lowered much further with these removed and strapped alongside the coach roof for lower bridges.
Dodger, bimini and targa bar can also fold for just above coachroof height bridge clearance requirements.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Woody5

Any recommendations of a 30ish ft sailboat that is equipped for easy removal/erect mast for periods of canal cursing. I’m looking to spend the next few summers exploring the Eastern Great Lakes, NYS barge canal, Champlain, Rideau canal, Trent Severn, Georgian Bay…..

Having done a fair amount of river sailing, I would point out that it is difficult to sail in rivers and canals in the eastern USA. (Topography in other areas is different). So you will indeed be, "canal cursing," as you say.



Generally you will find that the wind bends to follow the river channel, so you will either have the wind directly on your bow or your stern. Or wind that is blocked by terrain and buildings. It is typically not feasible to tack in a narrow channel the presence of other traffic.


I had a Hunter 26 and found that it was too small for a couple for a week and that the mast was too difficult to raise and lower to do more often than seasonally.


If I were going to follow the itinerary you describe I would get a houseboat for the trip and sell it when ready to return to sailing:


https://www.popyachts.com/house-boat...sota-r1-289630

[Grith]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Having done a fair amount of river sailing, I would point out that it is difficult to sail in rivers and canals in the eastern USA. (Topography in other areas is different). So you will indeed be, "canal cursing," as you say.



Generally you will find that the wind bends to follow the river channel, so you will either have the wind directly on your bow or your stern. Or wind that is blocked by terrain and buildings. It is typically not feasible to tack in a narrow channel the presence of other traffic.


I had a Hunter 26 and found that it was too small for a couple for a week and that the mast was too difficult to raise and lower to do more often than seasonally.


If I were going to follow the itinerary you describe I would get a houseboat for the trip and sell it when ready to return to sailing:


https://www.popyachts.com/house-boat...sota-r1-289630

Whilst agreeing that in narrow inland passages that the wind has a tendency to be behind or on the nose we managed to sail for over 50 percent of our recent 6 week river cruise.
The tranquility of sailing versus the incessant drone of the engine was well worth the extra effort in my view. Generally we often just used the large furling Genoa meaning deploying and furling the sail was extremely quick and easy.
With a powered outboard tilt it was easy to swap from sailing to engine and back again as the wind shifted.
The comment regarding mast raising and lowering is such a common complaint from so many but there are many systems that make this an absolute breeze.
My then very slight 15 yo daughter could single-handedly raise and lower my 30 foot mast with the permanently in place A frame with integrated multi purchase block system. Two baby stays level with the mast base held the mast laterally remaining tensioned during the lowering from the cockpit with a sheet winch.
Re size I agree a Hunter 26 is just one size too small for comfortable multi week/month cruises ( but have seen it done in much smaller yachts in camping mode and friends regularly do months on board cruising on a Court 750 trailer sailer). They cruised with us for the six weeks in this much smaller trailer sailer.
An extra 2 feet and some significant freeboard creating much more room inside solves this issue.
I have found not having to deconstruct the living area to create the sleeping space along with an enclosed shower/toilet and standing headroom at the galley are pretty much all that’s required for comfortable extended cruising.

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Having done a fair amount of river sailing, I would point out that it is difficult to sail in rivers and canals in the eastern USA. (Topography in other areas is different). So you will indeed be, "canal cursing," as you say.
Generally you will find that the wind bends to follow the river channel, so you will either have the wind directly on your bow or your stern. Or wind that is blocked by terrain and buildings. It is typically not feasible to tack in a narrow channel the presence of other traffic.
I had a Hunter 26 and found that it was too small for a couple for a week and that the mast was too difficult to raise and lower to do more often than seasonally.
If I were going to follow the itinerary you describe I would get a houseboat for the trip and sell it when ready to return to sailing:
https://www.popyachts.com/house-boat...sota-r1-289630

We have a friend with one of these. Great boats for living on board, expensive on gasoline though. They run fast if you need to!

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by wingssail

This is a great suggestion. I had one and I was thinking the same thing (but they are rare and be careful raising and lowing that 38ft mast.).

They built 142 of them so not that rare.

If the mast will pivot forward you could rig the Bruce Bingham system for dropping the mast which appears to be relatively easy, quick and simple to use.

[Tedd]

Any of the TES Yachts (https://www.tes-yacht.pl/en/tes-yachts-english/). I recently bought a TES 246 Versus and it would be ideal for that kind of sailing. Sounds like you might be in Canada. The Canadian importer for TES is in Ottawa--Mark Janczarski (TES Yacht Canada - Home). Great guy. I don't think they have a U.S. dealer yet but Mark might be able to bring one in for a U.S. customer.

[clockwork orange]

The Macgregor 26 would probably be a reasonable choice, easy to buy and sell when you are done. I think Seaward has/had a range of boats between 26 and 32 that may work. I'm not sure that the Mega 30 can sail with the keel partially retracted, that may be just for trailering.

[Adelie]

Section 3.8 on pg-7 of the Users Manual indicates there is a middle position for the keel.
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/download/mega.pdfx