Trailer Sailer / Pocket Cruiser
A tiny cabin and every lake on the map
Small cruisers with a lifting or swing keel, so you can tow them behind a car and launch at a slipway. You get basic berths and a camping-style galley for weekend trips, and you avoid marina fees.
Length 5.5–7.5 m (18–25 ft)
Typical price €5k–40k used
Strengths
- Explore new waters by road
- No marina fees, store at home
- Reaches shallow anchorages
Weaknesses
- Camping-level comfort
- Rigging and launching take time
- Limited in rough seas
Ratings
4
3
3
4
5
2
8
7
3
9
4
Typical hull materials
Example models (14)
| Model | Length | Built | Hull |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 22Swing keel; one of the most-built cruisers ever | 22 ft · 6.6 m | since 1969 | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| MacGregor 26Water ballast, so it can be towed by a mid-size car; some versions take a big outboard | 26 ft · 7.9 m | 1986–2013 | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Com-Pac 23Shoal keel with centreboard, solidly built | 23 ft · 7.0 m | 1980s– | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Precision 23Keel and centreboard; sails well for a trailer boat | 24 ft · 7.2 m | 1980s– | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Seaward 25Upmarket trailerable with a lifting keel | 25 ft · 7.6 m | since 1984 | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| O'Day 22Cheap, simple, and plentiful on the used market | 22 ft · 6.7 m | 1970s–80s | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Beneteau First 20Lifting keel, twin rudders, sleeps four | 20 ft · 6.1 m | 2010s– | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Jeanneau Sun 2000Lifting-keel French pocket cruiser | 20 ft · 6.1 m | 1990s | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Dudley Dix Cape May 25Lapstrake plywood from plans; 100+ also built in GRP · class or historic type, built by many yards | 25 ft · 7.6 m | 2000s– | Wood-Epoxy / Plywood |
| CLC PocketShipStitch-and-glue plywood kit; tiny cabin cruiser · class or historic type, built by many yards | 15 ft · 4.6 m | 2010s– | Wood-Epoxy / Plywood |
| Etap 21iUnsinkable foam-filled double hull and a lifting keel for the trailer | 21 ft · 6.4 m | 1990s–2000s | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Bente 24Light modern 24-footer that still fits on a trailer | 25 ft · 7.6 m | 2010s– | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Dehler Varianta 65Willi Dehler's small cruiser; around 4,300 Variantas built | 21 ft · 6.5 m | 1960s–80s | Fibreglass (GRP) |
| Puma 23Holman & Pye design from 1971, a classic first cruiser in Spain | 23 ft · 6.9 m | 1970s | Fibreglass (GRP) |