There was a time when I thought power was the thing -- faster, louder, and leave a big wake...However, time passed, and I became hooked on the quiet challenge of sail.  

Hunter 260 Click Picture to Expand

I looked at big boats; however, at 5 knots it takes a long time to get to prime cruising grounds. Purchase price, maintenance and slip fees are also a factor. Plus I wanted a boat I could easily single hand and rig alone. Thus, a trailerable sailboat seemed the most logical choice. The downside of a trailerable is the relative lack of space for cruising and that you are limited to sailing in coastal and inland waters.

There are a number of excellent small sailboats. A few are still in production. Also, a review of John Vigor's "Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" lists a few older models with good reputations. I like the Dana 24 and the Hake Seward 26RK is an attractive choice; they are the right size, have that classic look, and can take rough weather. However, they and other similar production boats are either out of my price range, not really trailerable over long distances, and/or require a pretty big vehicle to tow. 

Easily Beached Click Picture to Expand

As a result, I decided to focus my search on the so-called Class C "Clorox Bottles" by Hunter, Catalina and Macgregor. 

In the beginning, I was not really looking at water-ballast boats. I initially favored the Catalina 25 wing keel because it gets high marks for sailing characteristics and shoal draft. The Catalina 22 is also a  an excellent choice with over 15,000 produced and still going strong. However, I was looking for more cabin space than a 22 ft boat can provide. I looked at a couple of Hunter 26s and compared them to the newer H260. If you want to see the differences between the H26 and H260 click on this link. However, when my wife saw the H260 cabin size and openness at a boat show, checked out the ease of rigging and launching the H260 and was able to get an end of season discount of $8500 for boat, trailer and engine, the other alternatives quickly lost ground. 

Overall, I've been surprised and pleased at how well the H260 sails in a variety of conditions. Once properly trimmed, the boat  settles into a comfortable grove and tracks nicely. Easy to sail single handed, the main provides plenty of power in light winds and the furler headsail makes balancing the sails easy. In sum, its sailing characteristics compare favorably to similar fin keeled boats I've sailed. More importantly, this is a great shoal draft boat -- you can easily run it up on the beach or back it up to some rocks and step ashore. 

The advertised 5000+ pound displacement of the H260 allows it to sail like a bigger boat. Based on an actual dry weight of 4400 pounds (vs the advertised 3500lbs), the boat's displacement may actually be quite a bit higher. We've been through some fairly rough weather together and she's never given me cause to worry about her seaworthiness. However, I would not consider taking her too far off shore as this is still a Class C boat. New sailors often ask how stable the H260 is as compared to similar size boats. In a a recent hunterowners.com forum on sailboat design, Glen Henderson, head designer for Hunter Marine said: 

"The 260, like all keelboats can invert. There is a point on the stability curve where the boat is more stable upside down. I did not design the 260 but I would take an experienced guess that would be around 105 degrees. Less if you have people hanging on to the windward lifeline. That is why the boat is rated CE category C. To get the boat over that far it would take a largish wave or other external influence. The wind alone will not roll the boat over unless the wind was so strong (over 30 knots) that the windage of the hull has enough wind pressure on it to drive it past the limit of positive stability. It would take lot. Prudent seamanship will minimize the risk..." When asked why the H260 was a little wider than most trailerable boats he responded: " I think the designer (Chuck Burns) probably figured that effort was worth the extra hull form stability and extra room inside. Hull form stability comes with added beam (as a rule). I remind you that I don't know the exact numbers for the boat so I am taking a guess." 

There are not many downsides to this boat, but a few deserve mention. 

• First: The H260 is a safe family boat, not a racer. You'll easily achieve hull speed of 6.4 kts. in light air, but if you like playing with the rigging to squeeze every ounce of performance out of a boat, you'll be disappointed with the lack of a backstay, traveler, or jib fairleads. With a PHRF rating from 216 to 224 you'll spend a lot of time at the back of the pack.

• Second: The power is in the large mainsail. Even experienced sailors are surprised how quickly the boat can become overpowered.  In gusty conditions it's important to tend the main or the H260 will round up on you. Although not as "tender" as other boats of the same size, it's important to reef early; once properly trimmed, the H260 sails fast and handles well reefed. This boat can also handle significant weather.

• Third: The 55" rudder is both a strength and a weakness.  The rudder is responsive and can be adjusted to accommodate very shallow water, but like many boats with kick-up rudders it can be damaged in various ways. The stock rudder is easily repaired, and some sailors report success with a shorter 48" replacement from Ida Sailor Marine. It's easy to swap rudders so I always have a spare available.

• Fourth: There is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about water ballast boats, so it's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this form of ballast. There is a pretty complete discussion about small water ballasted boats  at this link.

• Fifth: This boat weighs almost 6,000 lbs including the trailer, engine and other stuff so you must have an adequate tow vehicle. More on towing at this link.

Much of the information on this site also applies to the earlier version H26 and in some cases its smaller cousins the H23.5 and H240. I can't take much credit for originality in anything here. If you get ideas for some of your own projects from these pages - share them with us.

A final note: If you are a trailer sailor, consider joining the Trailer Sailors Association. You'll be glad you did. We took a trip to the Canadian North Channel last year with over 50 boats from all over North America and had a great time.