new 26 foot sailboat

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Enjoy thoughtfully curated features and options that strike the perfect balance between form and function.

• Handcrafted Interiors with Thoughtful Ergonomics
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Elevate your boating adventure with the Ultimate Trim Series. Experience unrivaled customization, state-of-the-art technology, and unparalleled luxury.

• Fully Customizable Ultra-Premium Interiors 
• Ultra-Premium Appointments and Upgrades
• Our Highest Level of Technology

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38 surf ultimate.

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50 sav ultimate.

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• Fully Customizable Ultra-Premium Interiors

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EMBARK ON AN ADVENTURE

Experience your grand adventure in the Regal 26 Express, a vessel that embodies superior comfort and function from top to bottom. With the seemingly-unlimited versatility of the cockpit seating and a generous salon—complete with an entertainment center and full-sized aft berth—this bold cruiser has it all.

Revved Up Savings Event

Save up to $10,000.

Now is the perfect time to join the Regal family and enjoy unforgettable adventures with friends and family. Explore savings of up to $10,000 on in-stock 2023 and 2024 Regal 26 Express models.

Layout and Seating

Lay down the backrest, get comfortable, and soak in the rays on the large sunlounge.

Face-To-Face Seating

Comfortably seat five in the face-to-face seating and enjoy spending time with those that love being on the water as much as you do.

Social Seating

Face forward or aft with a flip of the backrest.

ONE-OF-A-KIND SALON

Regal's uniquely shaped salon provides the most-in-class space with an expansive seating layout and berth for overnight stays.

The cabin's galley features an optional electric stove and refrigerator, a stainless steel sink, and plenty of storage for everything you need to entertain your guests.

SPACIOUS MID-CABIN

Featuring a comfortable double berth, the mid-cabin is an efficient and spacious use of space below deck.

Differentiating Advantages

Elevate Your boating experience with a PowerTower, which lowers with the touch of a button.

Integrated Foredeck Steps

Steps are integrated into your cabin door for easy access to your foredeck, which can be equipped with a sunpad.

Power of Choice

Choose your power.

Like the layout of the 26 Express, but prefer a different power? When you choose Regal, you get the freedom to match your style with your preferred power.

Outboard: 26 XO

Built for ultimate versatility with details crafted to elevate your boating experience, the 26 XO achieves a higher standard of excellence. With ample space and comfort awaiting you in the cockpit, below, you will find hospitable amenities and accommodations designed to keep you and your guests refreshed and relaxed all day long.

Hull Bottom

Build your custom regal boat, photo gallery.

Cockpit Layout

Cabin Layout

26 express specifications.

Standard Features

Cockpit features.

Courtesy Blue LED Lights

Standard blue LED cockpit lights not only provide ambient light to ensure you and your guests can safely maneuver around the boat but also make a statement at the dock.

Foredeck Steps

The foredeck steps are very wide and integrated into the door. Upgraded with Harken bearings, the steps can easily handle the added stress.

Fusion Marine Sound - 4 Cockpit Speakers

The best sound begins with the best equipment. That means four 200 watt Fusion cockpit speakers with an IP65 waterproof rating.

Fusion Stereo Bluetooth

Get the best sound out of the best equipment wirelessly.

Multi-Position Sunlounge

Removable cooler.

The 26 Express and 28 Express features a removable 25 quart Igloo cooler with designated storage that will handle even the thirstiest of crews.

Stainless Drink Holders

Regal's stainless drink holders will last longer than the competitors' plastic ones.

Transom Shower

The transom shower will help keep your boat nice and clean.

Trash Receptacle

A trash receptacle comes standard on every Regal.

Helm Features

12 Volt Accessory Plug

A 12-volt accessory plug is ready at the helm when you need it.

Hand-wrapped Steering Wheel

Regals feature a premium hand-wrapped steering wheel for the utmost comfort and control.

Stainless Binnacle Control with Safety Lanyard

Comfort and safety go hand in hand when at the helm.

Trim Tab Controls

The standard trim tabs give you complete control over your boat even in the roughest of seas.

Hull & Deck Features

The first mate will enjoy the flat foredeck when working the anchor or bow lines.

Anchor Roller

Your next Regal comes standard with an anchor roller and stainless steel guard plate to keep your foredeck free of scratches.

Composite Stringers

Featuring all composite stringers to make the boat stronger and lighter.

Deck Hatch with Privacy Screen

Let the breeze in but keep the bugs out with the deck hatch and screen.

Fast Vent Fuel Fitting

Regal uses stainless whereas others use plastic.

In-Mold Gelcoat Boot Stripe

This superior gel finish will last longer than taped-on vinyl graphics.

Large Engine Hatch

The 26 Express features a large engine hatch that provides plenty of room for service and maintenance.

Limited Lifetime Hull Warranty

Regal offers a Limited Lifetime Hull Warranty.

MarineTred Non-Skid

Diamond MarineTred is incorporated into the mold for a superior finish. It's less abrasive and easier to clean.

Low-To-The-Water Swim Platform

The low-to-the-water swim platform makes enjoying activities in the water easier.

8" Stainless Cleats

Regal features six 8" stainless steel cleats, which won't rust or break over time.

Stainless Deck Hardware

Regals feature upgraded 316-grade stainless hardware.

Stainless Rub Rail

Regal's stainless rub rail not only looks good but also offers added protection.

Stainless Steel Bow Scuff Plate with Lifting Eye

The stainless bow scuff plate protects the gelcoat from trailer chocks and provides for a lifting eye.

Vinyl Ester Barrier Coating

The additional layer of resin coating provides superior protection against hull blistering.

Windshield & Canvas Features

Tinted, tempered and curved windshield.

When you buy a Regal, you know you are buying an un-compromised product. Regals feature a stylish one-piece windshield.

Aft Stateroom Features

Spacious mid-cabin, cabin features.

Fusion Apollo RA670 Marine Stereo

The Fusion radio has full integration for your smart phone via Bluetooth and has AM/FM radio capabilities.

Fusion Marine Sound - 2 Cabin Speakers

Two 200 watt Fusion speakers make the cabin sound like a home theater.

Hull Side Windows

The large hull side picture windows let in an abundance of natural light, making your salon feel like home.

Galley Features

Hand-crafted cabinetry.

The hand-crafted cabinetry looks stunning as you enter the cabin.

Refrigerator

A 4.2 cubic foot refrigerator will store more than enough for your next boating adventure.

Head Features

Toilet paper holder.

Regals feature designated storage for all of your amenities.

Technical & Systems Features

Automatic bilge pump.

The automatic bilge pump takes action before you even realize what is wrong.

Bow Thruster

This transversal propulsion device tremendously increases maneuverability; docking becomes a breeze.

Dual Battery Switch

Regal features a smart battery management system by using one battery for starting and the other for all your electronics. Of course, they are both equally charged via a VSR and can be combined for emergency situations.

Integrated Self Bailing Cockpit System

Keep a clean bilge with all your wash down and rain water draining directly overboard.

NMMA, ABYC, USCG & CE Certified

Regal makes sure that it meets the highest standards of safety in the industry.

SeaStar Electric Steering

There is nothing like fingertip control created by the power steering.

Pressurized Water System

A pressurized water system is standard, complete with sinks, water pump, tank, and a filter.

Weather Resistant Deutsch Connectors

On a Regal, you'll find Deutsch connectors for superior protection and durability.

Performance Reports

26 Express Performance Report - Merc 6.2L 300 B3

26 express performance report - volvo v6 280g5 dp, 26 express performance report - volvo v8 300g5 dpsb, 26x-26xo pdf manual 4-2019.

HOT NEWS from Roger MacGregor :

AFTER BUILDING 40,000 MACGREGOR SAILBOATS, ITS RETIREMENT TIME.  (Sort of) .

It has dawned on the MacGregors that we are suddenly way beyond retirement age, beyond geezerhood, and it’s time to start a new career. We have recently ended production of the MacGregor sailboats at our Costa Mesa, California plant, and are continuing to develop our all new MacGregor 70. We have converted our 5 acre production site to 11 industrial rental units. We are now big time landlords.

EVERY YEAR, FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS , THE VARIOUS MODELS OF THE MACGREGOR 25 AND MACGREGOR 26 HAVE BEEN THE BEST SELLING SMALL CRUISING TYPE SAILBOATS, NOT ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.   WE CAN THINK OF NO OTHER MANUFACTURER, OF ANY TYPE OF PRODUCT, THAT HAS SO TOTALLY DOMINATED ITS MARKET FOR SO LONG A PERIOD OF TIME .

SEE BROCHURES FOR ALL OF THE SAILBOATS WE HAVE BUILT (click here)

MACGREGOR RETIREMENT, DETAILS (Click here)

ROGER MACGREGOR PERSONAL INFORMATION (click here)

HOW WE STARTED AND WHY IT WORKED SO WELL (click here)

THE GOLDEN ERA OF SAILBOAT BUILDING (click here)

INSTRUCTION MANUALS FOR EACH BOAT (click here)

HOW TO SAIL (click here)

VIDEOS (click here)

CONTACT US (click here)

Maneuverability at speed is balanced and predictable, even in heavy seas

26′ venture.

This new model features a deeper V and a little more deadrise which provides smoother riding in the open water. It is made with high-density foam, fiberglass and resin.

26′ Venture Sport

Explore all the c-dory boats, cruise, fish or dive in any waterway.

These boats will become your trusted partner, taking you on the type of adventures that create long-lasting memories.

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• Macgregor 26 Sailboats

Macgregor 26 Sailboats Boats for sale

1993 Macgregor 26' Sailboat

Orlando, Florida

Make Macgregor

Model 26' Sailboat

Category Sailboats

Posted Over 1 Month

1993 Macgregor 26' Sailboat 1993 MacGregor 26 S sailboat with 2002 Continental galvanized trailer and spare tire.  Price includes a Suzuki 6HP with 6 gallon fuel tank.  This package is equipped with lots of options!  Bimini top, Pop-top with enclosure, Mast-crutch (homemade), fish/depth finder, Mast raising system with gin pole, Spinnaker is in excellent condition, Main and jib are in good/average condition, stainless steel boarding ladder, sink, alcohol stove, enclosed head with a port-o-potti, battery with 400w inverter, solar maintainer,  cockpit cushions, bulkhead compass, huge aft berth, v-berth & quarter berth…Loads of room and loads of fun!!

2013 Macgregor 26m Sailboat

Roanoke, Texas

Make MacGregor

Category Cruiser Motorcycles

Length 26.0

Lightly used MacGregor 26M Sailboat, never used in saltwater, always stored indoors and dry. This boat is a close to new as you can get. All setup with motor, trailer and accessories, ready to sail. MacGregors are water ballast boats which make them lighter and easier to trailer. Although MacGregors are no longer manufactured, parts, etc. are available on line and from Tatoo Sailboats. Full specs and information about the boat may be found here: http://www.macgregorsailboats.com/ This listing includes:SailboatFactory MainsailMast Raising SystemFactory Genoa SailHeadsail Furling SystemFactory Aluminum TrailerBatteryMotor - Suzuki EFI 4 Stroke - Power Start - Power Tilt - 20HP5 Gallon Fuel TankBimini w/coverFan - Solar Powered ReversibleCompass - LightedDual USB Charger and Power Outlet on Pedastel Porta-Potti - Installed and setup, but never usedFire Extinguisher and Air HornOriginal documentation for all itemsThe motor has only been used for motoring in and out from the launch area. I would estimate it has less than 10 hours time on it. It can move the boat fast enough to drain the ballast tank, but is not so heavy as to affect the sailing characteristics of the boat. The EFI (electronic fuel ignition) makes it super reliable. It is also the largest motor that can be pull started in an emergency situation. More pictures and information are available, just ask. This boat is located in Roanoke, TX in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. While there is no intentional misrepresentation, the buyer takes full responsibility for inspecting the merchandise for suitability before the transaction.

MacGregor 26M Sailboat

Wesley Chapel, Florida

One Owner, Ordered from and Rigged by Boating Atlanta June 2008. Stored on Aluminum Trailer NO BOTTOM PAINT.Lowrance LMS Fish-finding Sonar and Mapping / Tracking GPSRoller Furled Genoa with Sunbrella Cover. Matching Main Sail Cover.Main Sail Slides and Pulleys allow for Both Sails to be Raised and Lowered from Cockpit. Stern Rail Seats.Sunbrella Bimini TopFactory Cockpit Cushions and CarpetPlus Standard Equipment.Priced for Quick Sale ( sorry other M26 sellers ) Have a Contract to buy a 340 Hunter.

2002 Macgregor 26X sailboat & trailer

Virginia Beach, Virginia

2002 Magregor 26x There is a lot of great information about these boats online. I have thoroughly enjoyed this boat for the last 5 years and almost everything on it has been upgraded and continually maintained. It is not a project, it is turn key and ready to go.2015 - Brand new motor, control cables & steering, running rigging, interior cushions, carpet and electronics. The motor is a brand new model Suzuki DF20A fuel injected and was purchased March 2015 and has the remainder of the 3 year factory warranty. During the installation new teleflx exteme shift and throttle control cables, telelex rack & cable and fuel lines/filter were installed. The controls are flushmount and the motor is mounted on an adjustable jackplate with all cables and wiring concealed and run directly to the motor. The motor averages .3gph~5mph, .5gpph~6mph, and 1gph~9mph.Sails: Cruising Weight North Sails main with 3 reef points, shelf foot & cunningham. Main control via double mainsheets led back to the helm. Original Doye main and boom included. CDI furler, Factory Jib, additional working Jib and spinnaker included. Sail control with cabintop tracks & 7' schaffer T tracks along the cockpit combing. Jib, main sheet, and furling lines led along the 7' tracks to easy reach at the helm & multiple cam cleats (10) for easy sail control. Exterior- all running rigging new and color coded. Full cockpit deck and swim platform with ladder. Full factory cockpit cushions, boarding ladder, large bimini with rear supports & 6' standing headroom underneath. Factory lower sunbrella bimini also. (can be set on the 7' tracks and slid along the entire cockpit) Sunbrella mainsail cover, 22 lb delta plow anchor on windline bow roller, Danforth stern anchor and mount, 8 stainless dock cleats, LED running and anchor lights. Bottom coated with 20 mils of 2 part high build epoxy and Petit SR Pro bottom paint (2014) Original trailer used twice a year & overhauled in 2012.Interior - 20 gallon fresh water tank, electric fresh water pump, & stainless sink. Stainless flushmount alcohol stove and butcherblock countertop. Custom cabinets under every seat & unused area for dry organized storage. Wood dining table with plexi insert (original table/berth included). Led Lighting throughout including above V berth, aft berth & bathroom. All leds on dimmers. 95% of wire replaced with marine tinned duplex including mast wiring & 3 deep cycle batteries. New standard horizon VHF in 2015 along with 4 speaker marine stereo & wired remote at pedestal, 2 speakers above V berth and 2 weatherproof in cockpit. 100% dry and without any leaks or smells. Numerous other interior modifications for comfort & access. This is one of the last 26Xs made before the switch to the 26M. Throughout the run of the X the model progressed and several significant changes were made by the factory for safety, durability, and reliability. According to them this included a different deck layup & lamination system around 2000 that was much stronger with no balsa coring. It also included a steering redesign with a different console, steering box, stainless vs aluminum rudder mounts, resigned rudder blades and a lot of other little changes to the interior & exterior build. This being one of the last ones off the line has all of the factory updates. I have always kept this boat well maintained and ready to go with no issues "waiting" to be fixed. It has never once left us stranded or in a difficult situation. There many other features on it best discussed in person. We are still using it regularly and it is currently slipped in the Virginia ICW in fresh water until January 2016 when it will be put on the trailer and kept at the same location with onsite ramp. My reason for selling is that I have bought a larger boat. If you are a serious buyer please contact me for a phone number and time to come take a look at it in person. I am willing to spend weekend going over everything on it and helping the buyer load it on the trailer if not local.Most of the pictures were taken 9/15/2015.

1996 MacGregor 26x Sailboat

Charleston, South Carolina

The classic MacGregor 26X. Sail or motor, your choice. Sails or cruise, 50hp motor to more than cruise. She is in "turn key" and ready to go! V berth Large overhead opening hatch Storage below Electronics GPS Fishfinder Vhf Salon Starboard settee converts w/ storage below Salon table lowers to firm additional berth Port settee with storage below Galley Sink w/ hand pump Alcohol Stove Storage below Head Private with door Porta Potty Aft cabin Open and large Deck Stainless Steel bow pulpit Lifelines gated at cockpit Anchor locker Anchor, rode and chain Main, jib and Genoa all is good shape Mainsail with cover Jib sheet car tracks on deck Genoa sheet tracks on cockpit coming Lewmar #6 winches Cockpit Pedestal steering 4:1 mainsheet 50 hp Honda Outboard Bimini top Dual rudders SS fold down swim ladder

2001 MacGregor 26x sailboat

Yuba City, California

Selling my 2001 MacGregor26X – have purchased larger boat. With 50HP Yamaha outboard engine (under 30 hours) Boat trailer with new tires and brakes. Boat is in very good condition with custom trailerable cover ($900). Fully loaded, Lots of extras, upgrades and spare parts Sails include: main, roller furler w/jib, Genoa, boom vang. Bimini Mast raising system Garmin GPS with depth finder Cockpit has full cushions, compass, fold-up table, cup holders Cabin: Window shades, VHF marine radio, stereo system, voltmeter, sink, new marine carpet, head w/new john Dual batteries, Alcohol Stove, solar vent and more Sleeps up to 6 people.

2001 Macgregor 26X Sailboat/Motorsailer

Edgerton, Ohio

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE 2001 Macgregor 26X Motorsailor - Water Ballast and easily trailerable - Excellent Condition - 26 ft. length, 7 ft. 10 in. beam, 10 in. draft - Newer sails with roller furler jib and spinnaker - Cushions all excellent and clean - Stored inside every winter and when not in use - All rigging ready to go - 50 horsepower Johnson engine with low hours - Makes excellent sailboat and/or powerboat - Mast raising system easy to set up - Sleeps 6 - rear berth is king size - Includes original Macgregor trailer with surge brakes, in very good condition

MacGregor 26X Sailboat 2002

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

SAFE FAST EFFICIENT SAIL ALL DAY FOR FREE!!! UNSINKABLE,WILL PLANE70 HP Suzuki Four Stroke outboard, only 100 hours. Power Trim & Tilt West Marine VHF85 2 way Marine Radio Eagle Fish Elite 642c i GPS Fish-finding Sonar & Mapping GPS Butane StoveGalley Sink Sanipottie and sink. Trailer with search breaks Bimini Custom Upholstery in a High quality British Tan Vinyl Two 6 Gallon Gas Tanks Two Batteries with switch off,1,all,2 Anchor Main & Jib Equipment: 5 life vests Throwable flotation 1st. aid kitFire extinguisher Bed cushions Berth cushions New bottom paint Windex Taylor made fendersLocation: Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

1997 MacGregor 26X Sailboat

Las Vegas, Nevada

1997 MacGregor 26X This MacGregor 26X is a great trailerable sail boat that is also powered by a 15 HP Honda 4-stroke engine that operates well without any problems. Engine controls are on the center console to the left of the helm. It is a terrific boat for learning to sail. It is very forgiving and yet it can also be very competitive in club racing. It has a retractable keel with a draft of about 10 inches, allowing you to beach the boat all the way to the shoreline. This boat really has a lot of room for its size! It is good for motoring and sailing allowing you to go anywhere even when there is no wind. With a larger motor, it can easily pull a water-skier or a person in a tube. It's a very enjoyable boat that's easy to sail and very stable. EQUIPMENT The MacGregor is equipped with mainsail, jib and spinnaker along with sail bags. It has all of the standard equipment including stainless steel wheel, engine controls on the pedestal, hinged helm seat which allows easy access to motor and swim ladder on the transom, Emergency exit hatch on the foredeck, anchor locker, one over-sized gas tank, mooring cleats, custom mast raising winch, anodized mast and boom, deck tracks for jib and genoa, self furling jib, water ballast system, positive foam flotation, self-bailing cockpit, non-skid deck surfaces, stainless bow pulpit, stainless safety rails and lifelines, twin kick-up rudders, and swing centerboard. Also included is a Danforth anchor with 3/8" chain and poly rope. INTERIOR The boat has a galley with a sink and faucet as well as storage under the seats and in the drawers. It has a private head with a new porta-potty and a sink. There is full-standing headroom in the cabin and it can sleep six. AUXILIARIES Running lights, interior lights, electric panel, 2 commercial deep cycle 12-volt batteries, battery charger and isolation switch, Sony CD radio with interior and exterior speakers, handheld Magellen GPS, V berth, aft queen berth, and convertible dinette, helm and cockpit seat cushions, sail cover, and more. A fully functional Bimini over the after deck keeps you cool as you speed across the waves at 4 knots. TRAILER The dual axle trailer with surge brakes is upgraded from the normal singe axle trailer and can safely run at highway speeds in any State with absolutely no wandering. Tires are in almost new condition with an accompanying spare. "Boat also comes with a spare mast raising system as well as a spare mast ($1400 value). This spare mast is brand new and has never been installed. Old mast works very well but the previous owner felt that he had to have a new mast in reserve, just in case (??)" Contact Information: Brian (907)-252-1280. Please call me if you have any questions or you'd like to view the boat. This boat is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. PRICING NADA pricing for this boat quotes a price of $12,535 for low retail and $14,240 for average retail. This does not take into account the additional new mast which has a value of $1400 and the upgraded trailer would cost $3500 to replace. This gives this package a conservative value of $15,500 to $16,000 and we are offering this boat, motor and upgraded dual axle trailer at: $12,950 (including the spare mast.) THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS FROM THE MANUFACTURER "Every year, for the past 35 years, the various models of the MacGregor 25 and MacGregor 26 have been the best selling cruising type sailboats, not only in the United States, but in the entire world. We can think of no other manufacturer, of any type of product, that has so totally dominated its market for so long a period of time. The MacGregor 26 is one of the fastest and best handling of the trailerable cruising sailboats. It is easy to sail, and easy to trailer to your favorite sailing waters. You don't need an expensive mooring. It can be stored on its trailer, launched at any ramp and rigged in just minutes. On the trailer at highway speed, you can visit great places that water-bound boats will never see, and you can avoid the expense of in the water storage. The MacGregor 26 offers high speed powering without compromising sailing performance. You can have the peace and quiet of sailing, or the fun of powering around at a good clip--over 22 mph. Unlike any other boat, it opens up a world of endless variety--sailing, swimming, fishing, diving, water skiing or just fooling around on the water. Its high speed under power lets you get to cruising waters that are out of reach for a conventional six mph sailboat. You can live on this boat on land or on the water. Launch the boat, anchor in a quiet cove, and you can be as far away from the world as you want to be, You can have your own island, for free, at some of the most beautiful vacation areas on earth. Unlike land bound recreation vehicles, you will not be limited to crowded and expensive RV parks. You will never tire of the wonderful sensation of shutting off the engine and enjoying the quiet serenity of moving along under sail MacGregor has delivered over 5000 of the 26X, 3000 of the new 26M and a total of over 38,000 sailboats. They have been thoroughly proven over millions of hours of sailing. No other boats can match our quality, performance, comfort, convenience and low cost" "The price is low, the trailer is your mooring....... and the wind is free"

1999 MacGregor 26 X Sailboat

Olympia, Washington

1999 MacGregor 26 X Sailboat Locations Olympia, Washington Price $15,000 Great to sail and fast under power sips gas and cruises at 17 miles per hour with gear and crew. Water ballast allows boat to go from sailboat to power boat in less than 5 minutes. When drained weighs 2550 pounds making it easy to trailer. Sleeps up to 5. 50 HP Yamaha 4 stroke, 100 hours Roller furling Jib, Mainsail Shore power, inside lighting, butane stove and gas BBQ Bathroom with sink and port-a-potty Factory inside cushions, full cockpit cushions. Canvas Dodger and canopy VHF, stereo with CD player, Garmin Depth finder, integral cockpit compass MacGregor trailer 8' inflatable tender, self inflating life vests, lines, anchor etc. included. This ad was posted with the eBay Classifieds mobile app.

2005 MacGregor 26M sailboat

Parker, Colorado

Like new, original owner, fresh water only; low engine hours on Mercury 60 HP Big Foot two-stroke outboard motor; includes: mainsail; 150% genoa with roller furling; Raytheon 365 speed, depth and fish finder; compass; boom vang; head/portopotty; galley with single burner alcohol stove.

2005 Macgregor 26M Blue Hull Sailboat

Pell City, Alabama

2006 Yamaha 50 HP 4stroke, 4cylinder engine. Custom made aluminum trailer with hydraulic brakes, jack front wheel, spare wheel and tire, bearing buddies on wheels and torsion bar suspension. •Mainsail and Genoa with CDI flexible-furler 2 and sail cover •Mast raising system •Fortress aluminum anchor, chain and rope. •Spring-fitted front hatch. •Mast fitted with tip light and wind vane. •One line in cockpit "Jiffy-Reefing". •All lines to cockpit (line clutches, boom vang and mainsheet) fitted with swivel snap shackles. •Richie Compass and engine RPM meter. •Garmin GPS 178C Chartplotter and depth charter with chip and transducer. •Raymarine SportPilot shaft mounted autopilot with remote position sensor. •Two 12 gallon gas tanks with straps and in line gas filter. •Quick disconnect rudder to motor lineage. •Swim ladder. •BiminiTop •lcom IC 302 VHF transceiver with DSC emergency button, fold down antenna. •6 gallon pressurized fresh water supply to sink.

2013 MACGREGOR 26M SAILBOAT BLACK HULL

Springfield, Virginia

I bought this boat brand new in 2013 and with full factory equipments that factory had to offer at the time. My wife does not like it so I ended up buying another 24' jet boat and I have to sell this one. It is currently at my slip at Washington Sailing Marina. I only sailed for one hour with my instructor and used the motor approximately less than 3 hours to run around a little bit and that was it. I spent most my time on my 24' jet boat. I enjoyed the time with this sailboat mostly on installing electronic equipments, stereo system, bow thruster. That's right, I installed Sideshift bow thruster to help make it much more maneuverable and easier to moving in and out of slip under any condition. Sideshift is the only best company making add-on bow thruster, a very high quality thruster. You can visit them at www.sideshift.com. Black hull is rare and it is awesome to look at. In fact, I have many good comments from bystanders. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this boat. You can have a peace of mind and never have to wonder if anything is wrong with it; just like buying a used car and wonder if it has ever been in an accident. I also have this boat listed locally, so I preserve the right to end this listing early if someone bought it. If you are in the market for an excellent used Macgregor sailboat, then this is it. My lost if your gain. Please make an offer only you are serious about it then we can arrange a sea-trial; otherwise, lets not waste each other time. My contact is [email protected] . Here the list of items on this boat, I might miss a few thing. sideshift bow thruster SS230 serie. Visit www.sideshift.com for more details on this awesome bow thruster. Extremely useful in maneuvering tight spot and under severe whether condition. A must for any 26’ boat. Aluminum trailer with deluxe trailer upgrade: include brake actuator, disc brakes, galvanized torsion bar axle, aluminum brake caliper housings, and since plated brake discs.Black Hull gelcoat with white stripes and underbodyEvinrude E-tec outboard 60 hp engine white color, this engine also have built-in diagnosis system to check itself every time you start the engine. Top speed about 20 mph, 7000 rpm, winterize this engine take about one minutes, it basically winterize itself. Outboard linkage: links the engine and rudder so the steering wheel will move both the outboard engine and rudder at the same time.Transom ladderGarmin 547xs chartplotter/fishfinder combo with transom mount transducerNMEA 2000 network cable added so that the garmin 547xs can read and display the engine critical data.Genoa sail with CDI furling systemBoom vangMain sail furling system to raise the main sail up and down with ease, very nice feature.Mast raising systemSony marine amplifier and Kicker subwoofermarine CD/MP3 head unit 2 sony marines 6 1/2” speakers2 clarion marine 6 1/2” speakersAlcohol and electric stovecockpit filler cushionscockpit black bimini to match with black hull2 stainless steel cockpit cup holder1 LED cockpit light to light up the cockpit at night6 LED courtesy lights inside cabin120 V power inverter. cabin fananchorsolar power exhaust fan to suck out moisture 200 Walt solar power panel to recharge battery while sailing out there.Total of 4 deep cycle batteries bank on board2 gas tank for a total of 17 gallons.

26' MacGregor 26M planing sailboat w/trailer

Bremerton, Washington

Very clean and well equipped 26M. Very easy and stable to sail with all lines to the cockpit and added easy set-up features. Only 8' wide, with a nice trailer to transport the boat to the San Juans, the Idaho lake country, or anywhere you want to sail. 70hp Susuki and a planing hull will make this boat get up and go. Enough room below to accomodate 2-4 people, with the huge berth under the cockpit. 30 minute drill to erect mast and be ready to go. Store the boat at home when not in use to save on those slip fees. Nice, tidy, little sailing machine. Come take a look.

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• 26′ Legend

With more living space, a larger galley, and huge deck, the Osprey 26′ Legend gives greater livability for families while offering the high performance and quality you’ve come to expect from Osprey. Standard features are fabric upholstery, shower, CD player, and full galley with extra deep sink for the chef in the family. Shore power is also standard, as well as a seawater wash-down system, a substantial radar arch, transom door, and swim step. Additional options include a full stand-up head and flip-flop cabin seat that allows you to face forward or turn around to join the party in the spacious dinette. If you have a big family, or just need the extra room, with two layouts to choose from the 26′ Legend is the ideal choice – combining extra comfort with the performance you’d expect from a power fishing cruiser.

26′ Legend Specifications

• Length Overall 26’
• Cabin Headroom 6’
• V-Berth Length 6’ 10”
• Cabin Size 9’ x 6’ 6”
• Cockpit Size 7’ x 8’
• Fuel Capacity 150 gal
• Water Capacity 30 gal
• Waste Capacity 12 gal
• Displacement 6500 lbs (dry)

Power Options

• Single Gas Stern Drive
• Single Diesel Stern Drive
• Single Outboard
• Twin Outboards

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Rig It and Set Sail!

6338 Presidential Court, #201 Fort Myers, Florida 33919 +1.239.985-7505

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26’ FRANCES. A small double-ended cruiser.

HULL NUMBER 1 of the Frances design, built by Tom Morris in 1975. It had a custom tall, double spreader sailplan, no pulpits, and beautiful sails, for racing.

LALUZ. A flush decked Frances that has sailed more than halfway around the world.

THE TALL RIG boosted performance in light airs, but required a reef much sooner when the wind piped up. The majority of FRANCESes had a short house so you could stand up in them.

The second FRANCES was fractional sloop rigged with a self-tending jib. The first few FRANCESes were flush decked like this. When a short house was added with full headroom (if one was less than six feet tall), and more efficient sailplans were designed, interest in the boat blossomed. Before all was said and done, more than 200 yachts were built to this design.

ORIGINAL FRANCES DIMENSIONS

LOA: 25′  10″

LWL: 21′  3″

BEAM: 8′  4″

DRAFT: 3’  10″ (NOW 4′-1″)

DISPLACEMENT, as built: 6,800 lbs Full load 7300 lbs (approx)

BALLAST (lead):  3,500  lbs

SAIL AREA (100% foretriangle): 317 to 340  sq ft (varies)

DISPL/L RATIO: 316 – 330 (varies)

SAIL AREA/DISP RATIO: 14.5 to 15.6 (varies)

LA LUZ cruising in the tropics. She sailed from Maine to New Zealand.

The FRANCES is one of recent history’s most admired small cruising designs. Well over 200 of the small yachts are now sailing, and they are well loved wherever they voyage. I decided to design this small but capable cruising boat in 1974. My own boat was flush-decked, and I cruised it from Maine to Rhode Island. Another (LA LUZ) is halfway through a circumnavigation. A third (YANLI) has sailed from England to Australia and then to Hawaii and back to Australia.  Many of the sisterships added a small house for full headroom, and a variety of sailplans have been fitted.

FRANCES es were built in fiberglass by Morris Yachts in America and Victoria Marine in the U.K. Quite a few fine examples were custom built from our plans of cold-moulded wood using the WEST system.

And now, in her dotage, new aspirants are restoring these fine old boats for their own adventures. Sailing the open ocean in such a small boat is borderline foolhardy- though many have successfully crossed oceans. But if you are aware of the discomforts of facing a storm at sea in something of this size, and are aware of the many advantages of a small, manually handleable yacht, the Frances is one of the better alternatives.

The lines of the original FRANCES.

A preliminary sketch for the first FRANCES .

I often ponder what it might be about the FRANCES design that makes it so popular. I think it must be the aesthetics first and foremost.  But the real surprise is how well it sails. Nearly half of her weight is ballast, and it is made of lead. So despite her shallow draft she is reasonably stable and surprisingly fast. Of the various rigs the ones with larger headsails and smaller mainsails proved to be the faster and more weatherly, at the expense of more work trimming, of course. Some of the earlier sailplans were frankly overcanvassed, and a new sailplan, designed in 2020, offers more drive with less heeling,

YOU COULD add a spinnaker, and then you could race her. With a shallow keel and a lot of wetted surface, racing the short-rigged Frances is an exercise in futility. But it’s colorful and if there’s not a lot of windward work, you might just possibly collect silverware.

In the last year I have been contacted by three Frances owners who want to improve their 45-year-old boats, and one who intends to build a new one. The biggest improvement among many small ones is to fit a carbon fiber mast and a new sailplan. This new rig falls about halfway between the old short and tall rigs. It specifies a roller-furler for the jib and a genoa, and a solid vang for the boom, plus a deployable Spectra inner forestay and Solent jib for windier conditions. If you own an old Frances and want to improve it, or can buy one for a reasonable price but are realistic about the significant cost to bring it up to date, contact the designer and invest in a new rig and sails that will significantly improve your boat’s performance, and leave the political craziness and economic uncertainty of life ashore behind.

The original FRANCES hull is pared away in width below the points where the cabin sole needs width and the fairing radius between keel and hull is tight. This is a shape without a lot of form stability, so the FRANCES compensated with an unusually low center of gravity thanks to 3500 pounds of lead ballast.

THE NEWEST SAILPLAN. It uses a carbon fiber mast and simplified rigging with sweptback spreaders, a single aft lower shroud, and larger diameter stainless steel rigging. The offshore or inshore mission of each boat can be addressed by the amount of overlap of the genoa. This particular boat’s owner anticipates heading off on an immediate ocean crossing, so the genoa is of modest overlap and a deployable Spectra stay and Solent jib are available for heavy weather.

I adored my little FRANCES . She was beautiful, well mannered, stable enough, and just plain fun. Her sleek lines cut through resistance like a dreadnaught. Point FRANCES toward a destination and she was unstoppable. Her timeless virtues seem to have disappeared from the modern world. They just don’t build ’em like FRANCES anymore.

LA LUZ had a big genoa so she goes very well in light airs. She spent five years sailing in the South Pacific and ended up in New Zealand.

THE NEW VERSIONS will have a short cabin very similar to this, perched atop the midship raised deck. The perception of space this lends to the interior is quite amazing.

WITH THE SHORT, almost 6-foot headroom house, the interior of a Frances could feel much larger than you’d expect on a 26-foot boat. This is a custom WEST-system boat built in New Zealand.

The Aft Head arrangement for the Frances with one seaberth and a permanent double. (Note: The companionway steps may have to be slid forward depending upon your choice of propulsion).

The Aft Head arrangement for the Frances with two settees, and a large double berth forward. (Note: The companionway steps may have to be slid forward depending upon your choice of propulsion).

The original FRANCES is a highly respected, classic design. She’s comparable in many ways to an MGTD or a J3 Cub. They spewed oil and weren’t very fast by today’s standards, but they were so cute and stylish and safe that owners have enjoyed every minute of their use for decades. The hullform is conventional, heavily ballasted , with no concessions made for speed. It has a CSV (capsize screen value) of 1.70. Anything less than 2.00 is considered a good choice for offshore voyaging.

This design is featured in both of my recent books; MY YACHT DESIGNS and the Lessons they taught me, and THE BOATS I’VE LOVED— 20 Classic Sailboat Designs by Chuck Paine. Both are beautiful, full colored, first class books which give you lots more information on this design, and can be purchased on this website.

QUITE A FEW sailplans have been fitted to a FRANCES. This is one of the “tall rigs”, which could even be raced, and really got the boat going in light to moderate airs, but are too overcanvassed for offshore voyaging.  If your idea is to sail around the world, the more conservative rigs, with a three-foot shorter mast, would require reefing less often.

A British built cutter rigged FRANCES.                                                photo credit Charlie Whiteman

FOR MORE PHOTOS OF LA LUZ , A FLUSH-DECKED FRANCES THAT HAS BEEN SAILED HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD, CLICK HERE:

http://frances26.org/laluz.php

Further information may be obtained from:

CHUCKPAINE.COM LLC Tenants Harbor, Maine 04860-0114

To email Chuck:

[email protected]

A LONG, FUN HISTORY OF THE FRANCES 26 DESIGN

You’ll find great histories of the FRANCES design in both of my books, available as digital downloads from this website. But a recently formed Facebook Group called The Chuck Paine Yacht Designs Fan Club has produced all sorts of photos from owners all over the world, and a few interesting anecdotes. With the benefit of these gifts from the 48-year history of the Frances design, here is a much longer story, told mostly in pictures..

The first of many eventual sailplans had a tall fractional sloop rig with a self-tending jib set on a jibboom. This worked okay before  jib roller-furling became popular, but the boomed jib gave up some potential sail area and the tall mast was heavy and required a lot of rigging with its weight and windage.

THERE I WAS at age 30. Young and ambitious, I’d come up with an idea of what life was about for me. Design a new yacht, build a prototype in my beautiful rented shop, sell it to one of the many emerging fiberglass boatbuilders and do it all over again. With my superb shop full of the finest tools someone else’s money could buy, a pretty girlfriend who looked like she might stick around, and my loyal dog Shep at my feet, what could possibly go wrong?

IN 1973 I had recently quit my job working for Dick Carter as a draftsman. I’d met this girl (now my wife) and decided to take her on a backpacking trip from Scotland to India. I had this idea that when we returned I would take my life savings and design and build a boat. The Westsail 32 had become a life-changing phenomenon for sea-seeking vagabonds, and I figured what the world needed was a smaller, more affordable double-ender.  26 feet was all I could afford so that determined her size. I lucked out and was able to rent this beautiful, heated and insulated shop full of the best woodworking tools for next to nothing. This shows the nearly finished hull upside down in midsummer of 1974, when I met this guy named Tom Morris who was getting started as a boatbuilder and fell in love with the design. We made a handshake deal that he would take a fiberglass mold off my hull, invest in a lot more tooling and a ballast mold, and I would press on and finish my boat in time for me to take it to the Newport Boat Show in September, and we would both become rich and famous. In the end, luck intervened.

AFTER TOM MORRIS had taken his mold off my hull the day came to turn her over.

AS THE SUMMER wore on my boat was nearing completion. Her hull was built using the then popular foam core over stringers method, with a conventional glass covered plywood deck over frames.

WITH MY BOAT NEARLY FINISHED, the shop burned to the ground. Gone were my new boat, my life savings, all my tools, my landlord’s beautiful shop that I had planned to live out my life in, and my newfound livelihood. But I dusted myself off and determined to take the insurance settlement and build another Frances in the Spring.

IN A STROKE OF GOOD FORTUNE I had met Tom Morris and he had committed to building new Franceses. When he heard about the loss of my boat he offered to sell me a hull from his new mold at cost, and space in his shop in Southwest Harbor in which to complete it. I hired my twin and he moved to Maine to help me get it built. We worked together for six months of intense work and got her finished in time to show her at the 1975 Newport Boat Show. Tom and I sat together on the side deck for four days and sold boats… it was that easy back in the halcyon days of fiberglass boatbuilding.

WHEN CUSTOMERS CAME ALONG who wanted to build a FRANCES of some other material than fiberglass, I would sell them the appropriate plans. Most of these customers hailed from other parts of the world. This one is Tom Thumb , built in Australia.

NUTCRACKER was built in the WEST System by a lady sailmaker from Toronto.

HERE’s NUTCRACKER 46 years after first launched, restored to like-new condition. WEST System cold molded yachts last virtually forever, given a facelift every 50 years or so.

TOM THUMB coming at you. A lot of boat, a lot of ballast, and a lot of wind.

A GUY NAMED DICK CROSS BOUGHT A KITBOAT FROM Tom and hired my brother Art to help him finish it. Art drew a rig with a huge 150% overlap genoa, and in less than ten knots of wind the boat really flew. Like many well-drawn double-enders his boat KARMA could be easily steered by a wind-vane self steerer. Here Dick is having a kip while the boat steers itself happily to windward. Dick was a man’s man. No roller furling on that genoa, and if the breeze got above 10 knots he’d have to wrestle it into submission and hoist a smaller jib. And don’t forget his version had a bowsprit.

IN 2022 I caught up with hull number one of the FRANCES, built by Tom Morris alongside the hull that I was completing in his shop. She’s still going strong. I still remember that her original owner asked me to design a tall double-spreader rig for her so that she could be raced.

TOM MORRIS sent this photo of one of his first builds, BLENKEZOUKER, to most of the European yachting magazines. As a result Bernard Hayman, the then editor of Yachting World in Britain, wrote an embarrassingly favourable editorial, decrying the fact that it took a bloody Yank to design something so beautiful. Four British boatbuilders saw the editorial and heard that it had in the words of Hayman elicited more inquiries to Yachting World than any article in its history, and asked to build it under license. Tom Morris and I chose a young and ambitious entrepreneur, Peter Gregory, and his new company Victoria Marine, to build the Frances in the UK. In a few years he had built more than 150 Franceses is various versions, and commissioned three more Chuck Paine designs to be built at his shop in Warsash at the mouth of the Hamble river. The success of the Frances and my next design for Peter, the Victoria 30 , caught the eye of Charles Maunder at Bowman Yachts in Woolston (Southampton, UK), and in the next few years he built hundreds of yachts to four of my designs.

CHUCK AND DEBBY at their first London Boat Show, 1977.

HERE’S ONE OF the many Franceses at her birthplace Stone Pier Yard in Warsash, UK. Not your typical English weather, but when the sun shines in southern England, it’s glorious.

A CUTTER RIGGED Frances somewhere along the coast of England.  The wobbly perimeter of the sunshade makes me crazy.

THUS BEGAN MANY YEARS of commuting to England to sell boats, and to convince either Peter or Charles Maunder of Bowman Yachts that he needed a new design. I would attend the London Boat Show at Earls Court Exhibition Centre every January, and the Southampton Boat Show every September. In all those years I can’t recall  a Southampton show when the relentless rain that typifies an English summer didn’t cease for the week in September that I had to be at the show

A TYPICAL Southampton Boat Show scene.

DITTO. Was it my sunny disposition that brought the fine weather?

GALAVANT WAS built in New Zealand in wood/epoxy. If you ever get to Christchurch, drive to its seaport Lyttleton and maybe you will find her there.

SOME OF THESE home-built boats were really nicely done. GALAVANT ‘s owner decided to open up the interior by eliminating the usual “main bulkhead”, using a series of hanging knees to provide adequate strength. I like it.

SAME BOAT looking aft

I PARTICULARLY LIKE the cabin sole- nice, light color.

ANOTHER PHOTO OF HER SHAPE.

FELICITY . A British Frances that sailed to Maine.

SOLEIL . Tom Morris owned this one himself for awhile.

A VICTORIA FRANCES. Location unknown. This is the tidy original “British Cutter” rig. Not fast, but it could stand up to much more wind than the tall, racy rigs.

I FOUND YANLI in Bateman’s Bay, Australia. When I encountered her I didn’t know her story. She must have been shipped there on the deck of a freighter, I thought. Nobody would be crazy enough to sail a Frances that distance. Then through the Chuck Paine Yacht Designs Fan Club on Facebook I learned her actual story. A fellow bought her new in Warsash, UK. He financed her. Put down his down payment, hoisted the sails, and that was the last the bank heard from her owner for years. He sailed her south to the Canary Islands, then across to the Caribbean. Then through the Panama Canal. Howcum the bank didn’t have an arrest warrant waiting for her at this obvious choke point I can’t fathom. Then on he sailed to New Zealand. As if that weren’t enough adventure sailing too small a boat on too large an ocean, he then sailed across the Pacific again to the North, to Hawaii. And that is where the bank finally caught up with him. The bank arrested the boat and sold it to an Aussie. Who then sailed it BACK across the Pacific to Australia. Which is how I got to take this photo in Bateman’s Bay Australia three years ago- not looking too bad after the equivalent of sailing around the world!

THE JOYS OF downwind sailing.

INYONI . Needs some bottom paint.

TOM THUMB in Sydney, Australia.

TULA . Someplace in Florida, I think.

FREJA . Location unknown.

A BRITISH BUILT FRANCES, someplace in England..

THE CUSTOM VARNISHED companionway and forward hatch are nice touches.

FELICITY SAILED transatlantic from the UK to Maine. She lives in Rockland, Maine now, a few miles from my home.

WILDWOOD is one of the Tom Morris built beauties.

THIS BRITISH BUILT Frances is trying out her new mainsail.

A HOME-BUILT Frances on turnover day. Location and details unknown.

FELICITY wing and wing.

TOLERANCE . In my dotage I’ve come to find varnished teak railcaps intolerable. I really like the ones that are simply painted white. They’re so much easier to take care of. And if the shape of the design is inherently beautiful, varnished teak is just gilding the lily.

A CLOSEUP OF GALAVANT sailing in Lyttlton Harbour, NZ.

ERICA . I think she’s at Universal Marina on the Hamble river.

GALAVANT Galavanting nicely to windward.

GALAVANT’s colorful reacher.

ONE YEAR PETER GREGORY showed one of his creations in the water at the Southampton Boat Show.

WHIM. Tollesbury, Essex, UK.

WHIM ‘s nice, wide open interior.

SOLEIL’ s Interior

SOLEIL – Morris built Frances

SOLEIL ‘s Galley.

A CUTTER RIGGED FRANCES. Location unknown.

AN ENGLISH FRANCES somewhere in the UK. One reason the Frances sails reasonably well despite the shoal draft is the absence of a garboard radius. The entire keel does its work of preventing leeway- all the way up to where it meets the hull.

A cutter rigged Frances somewhere in the UK.

ELLA is one of the two FRANCESes I am aware of that fitted a gaff rig.

My Cruiser Life Magazine

7 Best Trailerable Sailboats for Cruising

Many sailors balk at the idea of leaving their boat in the water at a marina. Slip fees are expensive, and maintenance bills get bigger the longer you leave a boat in the water. However, if you want a boat under 30 feet long, there are trailerable sailboats that will fit the bill.

Like any boat purchase, you’ll need to analyze precisely what kind of trailer sailer you want. Will a simple weekend sailboat suffice, or do you really need the best trailerable cruising sailboat you can find? 

Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of the best trailerable sailboat. Plus, we’ll look at how to compare them for your purposes.

Table of Contents

Best trailerable sailboats, easy to launch trailerable sailboats, quick setup time, towing weight, catalina 22/25 “pop-top”, com-pac horizon cat for classic coastal cruising, marshall sanderling — small, portable, classy, west wight potter 19 — the tiny go-anywhere sailboat, seaward 26rk with retractable lead keel, corsair f-24 trimaran – sporty sailing, macgregor 26m — maximum speed meets maximum living space, long-range cruising boats, 7 best trailerable boats – a recap, what’s the best trailerable sailboat for a cruise, trailerable sailboats faqs.

• Catalina 22/25
• Com-Pac Horizon Cat
• Marshall Sanderling
• West Wight Potter 19
• Seaward 26RK
• Corsair F-24 Trimaran
• MacGregor 26M

We’ll get into more detail about each brand in my post today, so hang tight!

What Is a Trailerable Sailboat, Exactly?

For this article, the priorities for a trailerable sailboat are:

• Easy to launch
• Require minimum setup to launch and store
• Lightweight enough to be towed by the average vehicle

Before you can really classify a sailboat as trailerable, you need to evaluate and narrow your search criteria. Truthfully, 50-plus-foot ocean-going sailboats are regularly put on trailers. But that’s done commercially, on a big rig, with special permits for oversized loads, and even led cars.  

That probably isn’t what most people mean when they think of a trailerable sailboat. But what is the priority here, the trailerable part or the sailboat part? Compromises are going to have to be made somewhere. 

If you’re looking at the 20-foot-and-under sailboat crowd, finding a trailerable example should not be hard. Most sailboats this size are designed for trailers anyway since they aren’t the sort of boats people want to pay to leave in a slip year-round.

Things get more interesting when you look at the 20 to 30-foot boats. In this class, there are stout ocean-going cruisers with deep keels and lightweight centerboard trailer sailboats designed from the get-go to be trailered by the average car or SUV. The differences between these boats are night and day.

Sailboats often have a hard time at boat ramps. First, deep keels mean that the trailer must extend farther into the water than the average boat ramp allows. This means the ramp needs to go back far enough, and the trailer tongue needs to be long enough not to swamp the car. 

If you have a boat like this, you’ll need to find the right boat ramps. Unfortunately, not all ramps are created equally. If your boat draws more than two or three feet on the trailer, you’re going to be limited to steep, paved, and high-quality boat ramps. Unfortunately, those aren’t standard features, so your cruising grounds are going to be limited.

Usually, ramps aren’t built steeply because they are often slippery. Your tow vehicle will need excellent traction and torque to pull your fully loaded boat out of a steep ramp. The steeper the ramp, the more trouble you’ll have. 

The alternative to finding steep ramps is to use a trailer tongue extender. This lets you get the trailer into deeper water without swamping the tow vehicle. But it also means that the ramp needs to extend deep enough. Many ramps end abruptly. Allowing your trailer to sink off the edge is an excellent way to get stuck or pop a tire.

Pick a boat as easy to launch and retrieve as a similarly sized powerboat to remove all of these boat ramp problems. The soft chines of most sailboats will always require a little more water, but a swing keel and the hinged rudder raised mean that the boat can sit low on the trailer bunks. That way, you only need one or two feet of water to launch, an easy feat at nearly every boat ramp you can find.

The next consideration for a sailboat to be portable enough to call it “trailerable” is the amount of time it takes to step the mast and get it ready to cruise. 

To accomplish this, you need a mast that can be stepped by a two-person team–maximum. Ideally, it will have some tabernacle hardware to enable one person to do the task for solo sailing.

There is an entire family of pocket cruisers that could ideally fit on trailers. But you won’t find the Fickas or the Falmouth cutters on my list, simply because they aren’t easy to launch or easy to rig. But, of course, they’re also too heavy for most vehicles to tow, which leads us to the final point of excluding them this trailable pocket cruiser’s list.

One of the most significant financial burdens the trailer sailer faces is their tow vehicle. You are all set if you already drive a two-ton dually diesel pickup truck. But if your daily driver is an SUV or light pickup, you need to think long and hard about the math of the towing equation. 

Whatever boat you buy cannot exceed the towing rating limits of your tow vehicle. If you don’t have a tow vehicle, you’ll need to buy one. This will double or triple the cost of getting a trailer sailer in most cases. For the same money, you may want to look at a boat that stays in the water at a traditional boat slip. For the cost of a trailer sailer and a tow vehicle, you can probably step into a nice boat that is larger and more comfortable than any towable.

If you have a tow vehicle, you need a light enough vessel for it to tow. Most modern SUVs tow less than 2,500 pounds. Anything more than 5,000 will require a full-size pickup. Remember that the tow weight isn’t just the boat’s displacement—it’s the empty hull weight, plus the weight of the trailer and any extra gear you need to pack into the boat. 

Finding a vessel that fits these limitations on weight isn’t easy. If the manufacturer’s goal is to make it towable, immediate limits are placed on the materials they can use. This means less seaworthiness since boats are built light and thin. As far as stability goes, lead keels are generally out, and water ballast systems or centerboards might be used instead. It doesn’t mean these boats aren’t safe and fun, but they aren’t designed for rough conditions, crossing oceans, or living on in the water full-time .

7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats

There are more trailerable sailboats out there than you might imagine. Here’s a look at seven popular options of all shapes and sizes to give you a taste of what you might want to take to sea.

The boats here are selected for their storage and living space. With these boats and a little outfitting, you can spend weeks gunk-holing in the Chesapeake Bay or island hopping the Bahamas. If you broaden your scope to include daysailers with no cabin space, there are countless more options.

One of the worst parts of a small trailerable sailboat or pocket cruiser is the lack of stand-up headroom. One clever solution that you’ll find on some weekend sailboat types is the pop-top. 

The pop-top is simply an area around the companionway hatch that extends upward on struts. So when you’re at the dock or anchor, you get standing headroom down below—at least right inside the pop-top.

You can build a canvas enclosure for your pop-top to use it in all weather. A pop-top makes your boat feel much larger than it is and allows you to move freely to cook or get changed down below or even do a nice boat bed area. 

Later models of the Catalina Sport 22 and Capri 22s lacked this cool pop-top feature, so if you want it, you’ll need to seek out an older model on the used market.

Com-Pac has been building small sailboats since the early 1970s. They currently sell two lines, each with various-sized boats. All are well built, and a majority of their boats are trailerable. 

Most interesting at the Com-Pac traditional catboats . The rigging is more straightforward than modern sloops, with only one large mainsail. Com-Pac boats come with a unique quick-rig system to make getting on the water fast and simple.

The Horizon Cat Coastal Cruising has a displacement of 2,500 pounds with a 2’2″ draft when the board is up. She has a separate head forward and space to lounge either topside or down below. The smaller Sun Cat has slightly few amenities but shaves off a few feet and pounds, making it easier to tow and it is one of these amazing small sailboats. Com-Pacs features stub keels, so their centerboard and hinged rudder do not take up space in the cabin.

On the sloop rig side, the Com-Pac 23 comes in a 3,000-pound traditional sailboat or a very interesting pilothouse. Both are incredibly livable for their size , with shallow two-foot-long fixed keels and high-quality construction.

Another option if you like catboats is the Marshall Sanderling. This salty 18-footer oozes traditional charm , all while being easy to sail and easier to tow. And while she has wooden boat lines, she has a modern laminated fiberglass hull.

The Sanderling has a 2,200-pound displacement, so tow weights will be around 3,000 pounds. At only 18-feet, she’s on the small side for cruising. The cuddy cabin has no galley, and the portable toilet is not enclosed. But that small size means a simple boat that’s easy to maintain and take anywhere. 

An electric motor package is an exciting option on this weekend sailboat!

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You can’t mention tiny trailer sailers without touching on the famous West Wight Potter . These 15 and 19-foot pocket cruisers have earned a worldwide reputation as the ultimate go-anywhere coastal cruiser.

The West Wight Potter 19 offers the most living space for staying aboard and cruising. So even though its dimensions are diminutive, this little boat packs a lot in. There’s a single burner hotplate and sink and a porta-potty tucked under a cushion. Yes, it’s tight—but the company claims the little boat can sleep five people. Any more than two will feel pretty crowded, however.

The boat comes standard with a mast-raising system that a single person can manage alone. It has a daggerboard for a shallow draft of a half-foot when the board is up. The total towing weight is around 1,500 pounds, which means nearly any car can tow a West Wight Potter.

This little-known trailer sailer is produced at the same Florida factory that makes Island Packet Yachts. That should give you a little bit of an idea of what sort of boat it is—trailerable, yes, but also high-quality, beautiful, and built for cruising. In other words, it’s one of the nicest all round pocket cruisers and it feels like a much larger boat.

The Seaward is easily the saltiest boat on this list . It’s beefy and seaworthy. Instead of a lightweight centerboard, Seaward fits the RK with a bulb-shaped retracting keel. Other big-boat items include a Yanmar diesel inboard motor and an enclosed head. The spacious cabin of the boat features a double berth and is ready for salt water cruising.

According to sailboatdata.com , the tow weight of the 26RK is 6,000 pounds. With the keel up, the draft is 1.25 feet.

Multihull sailors need not feel left out from the trailer sailer club and the pocket cruiser. Beyond the ubiquitous beach Hobie Cat, there are not many options for catamarans. But trimarans are uniquely suited to be towed.

Why? For one thing, performance oriented boats like trimarans are based on it being built light. There is no ballast—a trimaran’s stability comes from its two outer hulls. Additionally, the living space is entirely housed in the central hull–the outer floats are small and sometimes foldable. Finally, there are no keels on tris, so they are extremely shallow draft and perfect for trailering.

If you’re looking for adrenaline-pumping sporty and fun sailing, it’s impossible to beat what a trimaran will offer. Let’s not beat around the bush—most of the trailer sailers on this list have hull speeds around five knots. The Corsair has no such limits, routinely sailing at 15 knots or more .

The new Corsair 880 trimaran has an unloaded weight of 3,659 pounds. It is trailerable behind a big SUV or small pickup and is probably the most fun sailing option that is trailerable at all.

An even more portable option is the older Corsair F-24. It has a light displacement of under 2,000 pounds—so nearly any SUV can tow it.

MacGregor owns the market on trailerable motor sailers since they more or less created the product to fit the bill. The MacGregor 26 is not like other boats. The design combines a planing powerboat with a centerboard sailboat. Imagine scooting along at 20 knots or more when the wind is down or enjoying a sporty sail on a breezy day–in the same boat.

The entire boat is built from the ground up for towing and long-range sailing. So if you want a big sailboat that you can tow behind pretty much any SUV, the MacGregor has to be on your list. 

Depending on the model, the 26-foot-long boats have incredibly light dry weights of between 1,650 and 2,350 pounds. Considering the massive volume of the roomy cabin, the ability to tow such a large vessel opens up an entire world of opportunities for owners. 

It’s not all good news, of course. MacGregor owners love their boats, but they are built light and are not ideally suited for offshore cruising or rough weather. But in bays and for coastal sailing on nice days, few boats can get as much use as a MacGregor. 

The motorboat capability of the 26M and 26X might not appeal to hardcore sailors, but for those looking to maximize their use of the boat depending on the weather, their mood, or location, it makes a lot of sense. 

MacGregor shut down in 2015, but the daughter and son-in-law of the original owners took over production and renamed the boat the Tattoo 26 . The company will soon release a smaller version, the Tattoo 22 .

If the 26 is a bit big to make your list of best trailerable small sailboats, consider the smaller Powersailer 19. It’s nearly identical to the 26, just smaller and lighter.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dale Roddick (@droddick33)

What Do You Want Your Trailer Sailer To Do?

After you’ve settled on how you will tow and launch your trailer sailer, now it’s time to dream about what you want it to do. Where will it take you? 

The beauty of a towable boat is that you can travel anywhere. A boat in the water might take weeks or months to move a few hundred miles. But if you can attach it to your car and do 65 mph on the interstate, you could sail on the Pacific on Monday, the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday, and the Atlantic on Friday.

We can divide our trailerable sailboats into three groups – daysailers, weekenders, and cruisers.

These are designed with open cockpits and no space to sleep. This is a majority of the sub-22-foot boats on the market. They are designed to be launched, play for the day, and return to the ramp or dock.

A weekender will have rudimentary sleeping facilities. Think of it as a floating tent—it’s not a five-star hotel, but you can sleep under the stars or get out of the rain. Conceivably you could stay aboard indefinitely, but it doesn’t have much room for gear. So most people are ready to get off after a day or two. 

A cruising boat has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities built-in. These might be small and simple, but in any quantity, they mean you can disconnect from shore for a long time. Unfortunately, squeezing all of this into a tow-friendly package isn’t easy, and very few boats do it well. 

The best trailer sailor for your adventures will depend on many factors. Like any boat, whatever you decide on will be a compromise – boats always are. But there are plenty of choices out there, no matter what size your tow vehicle is and no matter what sailing adventures you have in mind.

What size sailboat is trailerable?

Even large yachts are routinely transported by towing across land, so the question is more of how big a sailboat can you tow? Your tow vehicle will be the limiting factor. The upper limit for most large SUVs and trucks is usually a sailboat around 26 feet long.

Sailboats are generally very heavily built, with ballast and lead keels. Sailboats specifically made to be trailer sailers are lighter. They may use drainable water ballast tanks instead of fixed ballast and have fewer fixtures and amenities.

To find the best trailer sailer, you need to balance the total tow weight, the ease of rig setup at the boat ramp, and the boat’s draft. Shallow draft boats with centerboards are the easiest to launch and retrieve.

Is a Hunter 27 trailerable?

No. The Hunter 27 is a one of those fixed-keel larger boats built from 1974 to 1984. The boat’s displacement is 7,000 pounds, not including trailer and gear. That alone makes it too heavy to tow by all but the beefiest diesel trucks. 

Furthermore, the fixed keels had drafts between 3.25 and 5 feet, all of which are too much for most boat ramps. In short, the standard Hunter Marine 27 is too big to tow for most people.

On the other hand, Hunter has made several good trailer sailers over the years. For example, the Hunter 240 and 260 were explicitly designed for trailering. They have drainable water ballast and shallow keel/centerboard drafts less than two feet. 

Is a Catalina 22 trailerable?

Yes, the Catalina 22 is easily trailerable and makes a wonderful weekend sailboat. In fact, there were over 15,000 Catalina 22s made and sold over the years. 

The boat’s displacement is 2,250 pounds, which means your total tow weight with trailer and gear will be under 3,000 pounds. This is within the capabilities of most mid to full-size SUVs and light trucks. Be sure to check your vehicle’s towing capacity, of course.

The centerboard on the Catalina 22 is another factor in its easy towing. With the board up, the boat draws only two feet. This makes it easy to float off the trailer at nearly any boat ramp. You should avoid fixed keel versions of the 22 for towing unless you have access to extra deep ramps. 

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

Can someone tell me why no other manufacturer makes pop tops? Those who have them, love them. Makes sense for head space with a trailerable boat too. Catalina stopped making them decades ago, yet people still swear by them. So, why isn’t there any newer models?

MacGregor put pop tops on many of its trailerables

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10 New Cruising Sailboats Under 35 Feet

• By Cruising World Staff
• Updated: November 3, 2020

It wasn’t so long ago that 30- to 35-foot cruising sailboats were likely to be the largest yachts found in many a harbor. And while 40-something and even 50-something footers are all the rage at boat shows today, there’s a lot to be said for setting sail on a boat big enough to carry family and friends, but still small enough to be easily maintained and handled alone from time to time. Small cruising sailboats are simple to dock or tie up to a mooring, and finding long-term marina space is easier as well.

Choosing a cruising sailboat, no matter the size, is a big decision. And it helps to have a trusted list of boats to get started. Here, then, is a look at 10 of the best daysailers , weekenders and coastal cruising sailboats under 35 feet that are all in production and can be purchased new.

Alerion Sport 30

A quarter-century ago, Garry Hoyt launched what would come to be known as the daysailer genre with the introduction of the Alerion Express 28, a boat designed by the late Carl Schumacher that featured a minimal interior and a large cockpit where an owner and guests could enjoy the simple joy of sailing. Traditional and lovely looking—but with a quite modern underbody and a powerful sail plan—Hoyt, ever the marketer, proclaimed the boat to be “the prettiest girl at the dance.”

Since then, a number of siblings ranging from 20 to 41 feet have been added to the Alerion family, including the Alerion Sport 30, which retains the graceful sheer line, oval ports and stylish overhangs of the original Schumacher design. Yet with input from naval architect Langan Design Partners, it also embraces a solid measure of performance-oriented DNA.

Read more about the Alerion Sport 30 »

Bavaria Cruiser 34

In every Boat of the Year contest, it seems, a boat rises up after sea trials to make a lasting impression on the judges. For 2018, that boat was the Bavaria Cruiser 34.

Says Boat of the Year Judge Tim Murphy, “The Bavaria was a lovely boat to sail. It has a single rudder, and she answered her helm just beautifully in the conditions we had today. We started off with around 10 knots of breeze that built to 13 to 15 knots. As a sailboat, it was just a pleasurable sailing experience, among the best we had during our judging. It was among the boats that felt like a really happy sailing experience.

Read more about the Bavaria Cruiser 34 »

Beneteau Oceanis 30.1

Sailed as part of the 2020 Boat of the Year sea trials, the 31-foot-3-inch Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 was the compact yacht best-equipped and spec’d out as a dedicated cruising boat, and not coincidentally, it was also awarded the title of Best Performance Cruiser for 2020. But don’t let her cozy interior accommodations fool you; this is also one peppy little vessel.

Read more about the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 »

The 2017 Boat of the Year (BOTY) contest featured a stellar crop of crossover cruiser/racers; however, when all the testing was said and done, our independent panel of judges was sold on the Dehler 34, naming it the year’s Best Performance Cruiser. Designed by the highly regarded Judel/Vrolijk naval-architecture consortium, whose reputation was fostered by longtime success in international yacht-racing circles, the 34-footer combined contemporary good looks and a sweet turn of speed with better-than-average comfort and accommodations below. It didn’t hurt that the boat, nicely equipped at $215,000, was the least-expensive entry in the entire 2017 fleet. All in all, it proved to be a winning formula.

Read more about the Dehler 34 »

Dufour Grand Large 360

Dufour Yachts introduced its new 360 Grand Large model to CW’s Boat of the Year team in 2018 as a coastal cruiser intended for a couple or perhaps a small family. With that in mind, judge Alvah Simon found numerous clever elements to praise within the boat’s 35-foot-2-inch hull—a relatively modest LOA compared to the many 40-, 50- and 60-footers on display at the U.S. Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland.

Read more about the Dufour Grand Large 360 »

After a roughly 10-year hiatus from the U.S. marketplace, the Slovenian builder Elan is back in a big way. For the 2017 Boat of the Year contest, the company launched a pair of new boats in the States, including the Elan E4, a 34-foot-9-inch performance cruiser with an emphasis on performing, designed by renowned British naval architect Rob Humphreys. The brand has been in business for seven decades and lately is perhaps even better known in America for its skis. Not surprisingly, given its complementary product lines—lots of sailors are fine skiers—its boats are as sleek and sporty as its boards.

Read more about the Elan E4 »

Grand Soleil 34

Way back in the 1970s, when the well-known Italian boatyard Grand Soleil was just getting started, its first model was a Finot-designed 34-footer. With over 300 units sold, it was an instant success, and launched the company on an upward trajectory that spanned the intervening decades, mostly with an ongoing series of much larger, more complex racer/cruisers. For 2020, the builder decided to return to its roots with a completely revamped Grand Soleil 34, and it’s a terrific boat.

Read more about the Grand Soleil 34 »

Value. How does one determine it? Price is most certainly a factor. In the case of new boats, and our Boat of the Year competition, it means something more. As sailors, we wish to recognize good boats that not only are affordable but offer other, tangible rewards. The ability to get couples and families out on the water, to have a weekend escape, to take them on coastal vacations and even maybe a sabbatical to the islands, all without breaking the bank. For 2019, the judging panel determined that one boat had the potential to do these things better than the rest, which is why they awarded the Best Value prize to the Hanse 348.

With a price tag under $200,000, during sea trials the Hanse 348 wowed the judging team from the get-go. “In only about 8 knots of breeze, we were seeing 5.7 knots upwind and pointing very nicely, and even registered 6.5 knots once we cracked off,” said Tim Murphy. “It’s a pretty sweet little boat.”

Read more about the Hanse 348 »

Italia 9.98

Of the performance cruisers that made their North American debut in 2020, in terms of sheer appearance, the futuristic 34-foot Italia 9.98 was easily the most distinctive. There are actually two versions of the boat: the 34 Club—which is the cruising alternative, the primary features of which are its twin wheels—and the 34 Fuoriserie—the racing model, and the one we tested, with its tiller steering being the identifying characteristic.

Read more about the Italia 9.98 »

Beginning with the popular little J/24 way back in 1977, J/Boats has become famous for its steady introduction of terrific racing and cruising boats, almost all of which shared one main characteristic: They sailed like a witch. More than four decades later, having built more than 50 separate, mind-boggling models, the Johnstone family that designs, markets and sells the brand shows no signs of slowing down. Their latest offering, for 2020, was another fast and fun racer/cruiser: the 32-foot-7-inch J/99.

Read more about the J/99 »

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Owner's Review of the MacGregor 26 Sailboat Models

There is some confusion about all of the different MacGregor 26 models and some controversy about their sailing abilities.

The MacGregor 26 evolved after the Venture 22 and the MacGregor 25, which had been built from 1973 to about 1987. The M25 had a weighted centerboard keel like other trailer able sailboats but featured positive flotation, a low price, easy trailer ability and a comfortable interior with an enclosed head (porta-potty). These features carried forward into M26 models and helped make MacGregor one of the bestselling sailboats.

Differences in MacGregor 26 Models

• The MacGregor 26D (daggerboard), built from about 1986 to 1990, introduced water ballast to replace the weighted keel. When the water was drained for trailering, the boat weighed only 1650 lbs, making it even more attractive for towing with a regular automobile. The daggerboard, like a keel, helps prevent the boat from being blown sideways but could be lifted up for shoal water and trailering.
• The MacGregor 26S , 1990 to 1995, replaced the daggerboard with a swing centerboard (which kicks up in an accidental grounding) and made other smaller changes. Together, the 26D and 26S are often called the "classic" MacGregor 26, and sometimes the 26C. Owners of these earlier models tend to refer to them as "the real sailboats" prior to the changes coming with the MacGregor 26X.
• The MacGregor 26X , 1996 to 2004, marked a major change from the earlier "classic" M26 models by allowing a relatively huge outboard engine that essentially turned the 26X into a powerboat with a mast. Earlier models typically carried outboards as low as 5 or 6 HP (max. 10 HP), but the 26X now took up to 50 HP. For comparison, many thirty-six foot sailboats of this era, displacing more than five times the M's weight, had inboard engines of 25-30 HP. The water ballast could be drained of power, allowing the M26X to come up on a plane like a speedboat. The outboard well had to be moved to the centerline, with twin rudders to each side, and steering changed from tiller to a small powerboat-type steering wheel. The cabin height was increased for greater room inside and the boat is said to sail less well than the earlier 26.
• The MacGregor 26M (motorsailor), 2005 to present, continued the 26X's trend, now allowing up to a 60 HP outboard. The swing centerboard was replaced with a daggerboard to free up more space below and the second tier of windows was added with standing headroom. The boat is advertised to motor at 24 MPH. In addition to the water ballast, there are 300 lbs of permanent ballast, likely needed for stability with so much windage and the high weight of the engine. At 2550 lbs dry (excluding engine), it now needs stronger vehicle and tow package.

Risks and Precautions

Many traditional sailors joke about MacGregors because of the light fiberglass construction (the hull can "oilcan" flex in places if you push hard against it) and its powerboat characteristics since 1996. Many say it is not a "real sailboat." Most misunderstood, however, is the water ballast that has been a hallmark of all twenty-six models.

The water ballast tank is horizontal and only a foot or so beneath the surface, unlike a vertical ballasted keel or centerboard that extends much deeper. Some have even questioned how water, weighing the same as the water displaced by the boat, can be called ballast at all. The ballast tank has been well engineered, however, and does provide righting moment the same as a keel when the boat heels over, because the weight of water far out from the centerline on the "uphill" side (in the air once heeled over) does pull the boat back down the same as a weighted keel.

This does mean that the boat is more tender, or tippy, initially. A story has been told about a sailor on one edge of the deck who grabbed the mast when the boat heeled, and his own weight pulling on the mast that far above the waterline caused the boat to capsize all the way over. Whether true or not, the story illustrates a common perception of how tender the MacGregor is.

It is true that an M26 with 10 people aboard capsized with two fatalities -- most likely due to uneven distribution of the human weight on the boat.

Safely Sail the Water-Ballast

In normal conditions, however, careful sailors can safely sail the water-ballast M26 by following standard precautions:

• Reef sails when the wind is blowing.
• Maintain good balance with crew weight balanced against heeling.
• Prevent accidental gybes.
• Keep the ballast tank full and well-sealed.
• Maintain steerage control at all times.
• Heave to or take other storm action in high wind or waves.
• Don't drink and sail.

The larger safety issue is that for many owners, the M26 is a "starter boat" and they may not have the experience or knowledge to avoid possible problems in time. The bottom line is that anyone who goes sailing needs to be fully aware of the limitations of their boat and practice all safety guidelines.

Experience With the MacGregor 26S

Having owned and sailed a 26S extensively for three years, it indeed sails fairly well and lives up to its reputation of being a roomy and easily trailered pocket cruiser. This sailboat can meet most budgetary needs and has room enough for a family of three to cruise for up to a week at a time.

It is a light boat, but with sailing experience and caution, trouble in winds to thirty knots can be easily avoided. The fiberglass is thin but you can avoid running into rocks. Thousands of MacGregor owners have had experiences where they thoroughly enjoyed sailing.

Keep in mind that it's a light boat and always take the precautions listed above. For powerboat owners of the 26X and 26M, the boat should be as safe as any powerboat but do not hit a rock or another boat at 24 MPH.

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WATCH: Man accused of drunkenly driving golf cart, leading deputies on chase in The Villages

SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — A 21-year-old man was arrested early Friday for drunkenly driving a golf cart and leading deputies on a chase in The Villages, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office said.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Officials said that shortly after 1 a.m., deputies saw a red golf cart traveling eastbound on County Road 466 near the Oak Hammock Path.

Deputies said Christopher Esdale was driving the golf cart in the middle of the roadway -- which is not an approved roadway for golf carts -- when they tried to stop him several times.

Read: Driver dies after crashing SUV into support pole at Disney World

Investigators said that they stopped their patrol car in front of the golf cart and Esdale drove onto the grass to drive around the patrol car.

Officials said that after finding the golf cart again, deputies got out of the patrol car and pulled Esdale out of the cart as he was trying to pass them again.

Read: Buc-ee’s Road Trip could net you $2,000

The Sheriff’s Office said that Esdale had glassy eyes and slightly slurred speech and smelled of alcohol.

Esdale was arrested on charges of fleeing/eluding law enforcement, resisting law enforcement without violence and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

SCSO said Esdale was booked into the Sumter County Detention Center.

See the video below:

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Beatriz Oliveira, WFTV.com

Beatriz Oliveira is a Content Creator for WFTV.com.

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