Can I use this boat to sail California coast?

[Lionshooter]

Could you bump up to something a bit bigger, say a 22-23', maybe even a 24'?It could still be towed with your SUV but would be so much more comfortable on a crossing with adequate (but barely) room for the fam. It would also have a galley and porta potty.
My wife and young son made numerous trips with me from West Palm to the Abacos, Bahamas in our 23' Spirit without any issues, but I wouldn't even consider taking them in anything smaller.

[SoCalGlo]

We had a 26' sailboat for about 5 years, slipped at Cabrillo in San Pedro, and once our boys got to around 6 and 9 the boat was too small for everyone to be onboard comfortably for more than a short daysail. We ended up selling it. We live near Long Beach, which is the area you are considering, and what we do now is belong to a sailing club and get on the 38' - 42' sailboats to head over to Catalina for a few days. We took our now 2 adult sons and the two of us over to Two Harbors for New Years and it was a great trip. Even on the bigger boat we were still a bit crowded but it was okay. Can't imagine a family of 5 on a 19' boat. But like others have said, only you know your wife and family and whether it works for them. There are pros and cons to being in a club, but the best part is no maintenance, no slip or hull cleaning fees, no insurance. If you have your sailing certifications they'll accept you, or you can sign up for sailing courses here, get certified and get into a club. Makes for a cost effective way to take the family on sailing trips over to Catalina. Of course if you're considering using it for extended stays while you are here then the club membership won't fit the bill. Good luck!

[Hene]

I don't know how "little" your kids are. I do agree with the general concensus that the Typhoon, though a good boat, might just be too small for all of you. My family's best trips to Catalina were on a 25' reconstruction of a Block Island schooner when my sister and I were in the five to nine age range. The boat had two pipe berths below and air mattresses for the cockpit. Just a tiny bit bigger than the Typhoon might be easier if you insist on sailing to Catalina with all of you on board.

An option you might consider is for your wife and the kids to go to Two Harbors on the Catalina Express, while you sail your boat from San Pedro to the island and pick them up there. The return trip to the mainland is usually a broad reach, and much faster and more comfortable than the close-hauled trip to Catalina, so they might choose to sail back with you, and be happier about sailing again another time.

[jim King]

I'm always considering the comfort of my crew. On a boat that size and with a crew of 5 you might get them there once but never again. Either consider a larger boat with more room and comforts or just be content with closer day sails.
cheers,

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by japawil

If you’re landlocked in El Paso with little opportunity for sailing locally, perhaps look into joining a sailing club with opportunities to charter (and lessons). Up front costs could be less, with no burden of maintenance and expanded variety of boats available. There are several in CA.

That is a good idea. When we lived in Phoenix we belonged to a club in San Diego ( an hour flight away). But there are several in Southern California. Here is one that has marinas and boats in six ports.

https://marinasailing.com/

[oleman]

IMO; The Pacific, off the coast of all of California until you get south of Tia Juana is too cold for a small boat especially with small children. I would suggest a larger dryer vessel, you can forget using a Honda vehicle model as a tow vehicle for anything to be used off California. San Francisco bay is cold year round after the sun sets! Many times I used a fowl weather jacket in August on a large dry vessel. The Gulf of Mexico down around Corpus Christi is like a warm bath after April until November.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by john745

I'm looking at a typhoon 19 ft sailboat.
We are landlocked here in El Paso Texas and I'd like to get something I can store the house but can still do some very simple coastal sailing and pull it with the Honda pilot. For example maybe sailing to Catalina island? Would this be something this boat could handle or is it too small? I've got a wife and three little kids. Maybe this is too small?

Much appreciated for any suggestions.

No, dont do that with your wife and kids. Not enough boat for when things get nasty. You mean Catalina in California?

[sailingabe41ds]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

No, dont do that with your wife and kids. Not enough boat for when things get nasty. You mean Catalina in California?

People have kayaked to Catalina. I have sailed the Channel Islands for 20 years and though the further south you go the calmer it is ...I would not take anything less than a 25ft sailboat out there. You will get away with it 99% of the time and with todays technology weather forcasts are pretty good. But....I can not tell you the number of times they say one thing and they are way off. They use computer models to predict weather and a many of the weather buoys are out of commission and not updated. I remember one time that I got caught in 42knott winds and 12ft swells and never saw it coming. I have a client who works for NOAA in Oxnard near Ventura. I have told him sooooo many times to come out with me so he can see how his predictions are some times way off. He has never been to the islands nor sailed in his life.

IMHO...get a bigger boat.

Abe

[john745]

Thank you everyone who provided great advice. I think probably the best thing to do is get proper ASA training and join a sailing club. If I lived close to the water I would probably have just purchased it and taken it out from time to time with one of the kids or just my wife.. but we live too far away from H2O so we might as well just look at rental rates.

Or just find one person who is willing to rent when we are in town.

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

You'd be better off just renting a boat that's already here and in the water. Five people on a 19' anything sounds undoable and the hotel rates in Avalon will eat up the down payment on your next real boat pretty quick. You and one other decent sailor could do the crossing from San Pedro to Avalon in a full day on a 19' boat but five people (even if most of them are small) is just not realistic. As most of the island is a marine preserve, what you'll find is a lot of mooring balls (which aren't too expensive) but very few places to drop an anchor. And the water is probably ten degrees colder than the Gulf of Mexico so you'd need to be more serious about everybody getting wet.

I failed to mention that the harbor control in Avalon (or anywhere on Catalina) is absolutely manic about boat sanitation - I doubt the 19' boat could pass the muster. Rent one with a decent head and holding tank if you go out there.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by john745

I'm looking at a typhoon 19 ft sailboat.
We are landlocked here in El Paso Texas and I'd like to get something I can store the house but can still do some very simple coastal sailing and pull it with the Honda pilot. For example maybe sailing to Catalina island? Would this be something this boat could handle or is it too small? I've got a wife and three little kids. Maybe this is too small?

Much appreciated for any suggestions.

I only found Typhoon 18s.
The least inappropriate version for you would be the weekender.

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/typhoon-18-weekender

It would be hard to weekend that with 5 aboard, even if 3 are small kids.

Passport would be ok to pull it.
If you do go for that boat figure out how to tarp over the boom so adults can sleep in the cockpit.
You’ll need a portapottie and everyone will need to comfortable using it with their head sticking up thru the companionway.

You will need to figure out how to launch.
If you have a tongue extending trailer you might be able to launch directly into the water off a boat ramp.
If you don’t have that kind of trailer you’ll need to get straps and maybe spreaders so you can crane it in.
I would help you put it in with the crane at my yacht club in San Diego.

3 summers ago we sailed our Cal20 from San Diego up to Catalina for a week.

During the late spring thru early fall the best time to pull into Avalon is Sun PM thru maybe Wed. If you show up Fri even at noon it’ll be full.
Twin harbors is somewhat better.

A better boat for your situation would be a Cal20 which has a lot more room but has similar issues with needing a crane.
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/cal-20

Similar room to the Cal20 but easier trailering would be a Catalina 22 since the keel swings up. Downside would be higher trailering weight and the swing keel which could become a problem if the weather gets nasty underway.
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/catalina-22

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by joelhemington

I failed to mention that the harbor control in Avalon (or anywhere on Catalina) is absolutely manic about boat sanitation - I doubt the 19' boat could pass the muster. Rent one with a decent head and holding tank if you go out there.

I spent a week there with a porta-pottie.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by john745

Thank you everyone who provided great advice. I think probably the best thing to do is get proper ASA training and join a sailing club. If I lived close to the water I would probably have just purchased it and taken it out from time to time with one of the kids or just my wife.. but we live too far away from H2O so we might as well just look at rental rates.

Or just find one person who is willing to rent when we are in town.

You should look into taking your boat to San Diego though I'd say. Your family could have a lot of fun learning to sail there in your boat, it's warmer and you can always combine it with Sea World and the zoo. Could be a great vacation where everyone loves it AND comes away loving sailing too.

[CruiseN]

I don't think that's a good plan.
I don't know your weather, you are open ocean.
That gulf you have has quite a long fetch but at any hint of northerly you could haul out vessel type of thoughts. Or simply enjoy a protected cove.

On board a 24 footer, every one knew every job OR where they may not sit which wasn't much room. Day sails up to about 5 persons due to room mainly.
Overnighters and month trips were just 3 because it wouldn't be fun sitting in cabin all the time and you'll need room to move up top on cockpit.

Edit.
I'm upside, Southerly. Northerly would blow a disabled out to ocean.
That's maps like quite a big waterway. Could get lost for years enjoying a gulf like that.

Problems we had with our vessel were weight management. Because such a light craft, a man's ratio higher to ballast than when compared with a heavier ballasted vessel.
Sounds like a nice boat though. Neighbour has a trailer sailer of about 24-25 foot. Would suit family use better, she shows better ballast with an early deeper keelson like typhoon reads as. Maybe weight not so figgity but most boats are designed well and designation of crew weight generally in cockpit for performance, cabin for rest of hull.
Might slow down quite a bit with family hence n cabin underway or no access to control lines often.

[radsailor]

My 2 cents: I pretty much agree with everyone else. I currently own a Typhoon weekender and sail solo almost all the time on Chesapeake bay. I just daysail, but would not hesitate to take it across Chesapeake Bay or even out on the ocean. However, unless I were with another sailing addict, I would not take it out on the bay or ocean with another person, adult or child. The boat can handle just about anything, but it is wet (fun on a hot day) and very little room in the cockpit or cabin. The kids would be miserable and your wife probably would be too, not necessarily from the sailing, but from dealing with unhappy children for many hours.

why put yourself and your family through this agony ? Charter a 30' + sailboat wherever you want to sail for a long weekend and see how everyone does. The kids may love it or hate it, but at least they won't be wet and completely confined in a small space.