Capri 18 

The Trailerable Pocket Cruiser by Ron Houston

Four Years ago I had no sailboat. I had never sailed except in my mind through reading and observation. My parents had owned powerboats and had given that up in the frustration of maintaining an ever-failing motor/stern drive unit. With the pressures of raising three children and trying to stay employed, my wife and I could only fish from the dock and look out on the water. Two events changed this situation. The first was a trip to the Detroit Boat Show. Here, among all the cabin cruisers and ski boats were a few vendors of sailing craft. While the larger ones were definitely out of our price range, the trailerable sailboats were more economically feasible than the power craft. The second event was the acquisition of Internet access. It took little time to find The Trailer Sailor Web site and Boattraderonline.com. The seed germinated and began to grow.

We have vacationed at the top of Michigan’s mitt for many years. My wife’s family has owned land in the Roger’s City area since her grandfather had sawn and milled lumber there between the World Wars. On every visit, time was set aside that I might walk the docks of the Marina and look at the boats. I decided that the summer of ’97 would be the year I would finally be on the water.

It was time to do the homework. I visited all the dealers and brokers in our area, both physically and via the Internet. The number of available craft was staggering. In order to thin the herd, priorities had to be set:

1. It had to be trailerable. Slip fees with winter hauling run $1500 per annum. This money was not in the budget.
2. My 6 cylinder Dodge Dakota would be the tow vehicle.
3. Porta potty was a must.
4. It must sleep two people. The kids were in college or just about out of high school. They rarely vacationed with us anymore.
5. The sleeping accommodations had to be accessible while the boat was on the trailer. The family cottage had been getting smaller with each additional grandchild. We needed to go off by ourselves.
6. We had to be able to set up and sail it ourselves. Terms that came to mind were “forgiving” and “uncomplicated”. The ability to sail Lake Huron’s wind and waves safely was a major concern.

The list shortened. With every opportunity came the research into the particular craft. Sailnet’s Boatcheck was called on. Owners were e-mailed and numerous questions asked and answered. In July I found a dealer who had two Capri 18s for sale. One was an ’89. The other was a ’95. The older boat fit our budget. We asked all the questions and liked all the answers. The owners were very helpful in explaining what the boat was and also what it was not. I have had the opportunity to advise others since and try to maintain that standard. We bought the boat.

After a short commissioning class that unveiled the mysteries of stepping the mast and rigging, the still unnamed boat followed me home. After a week of “driveway practice” we were ready for “Up North”. Well, ready or not, the week of our vacation had arrived.

Three sailing seasons have passed. We have hauled our Capri 18 some 200 miles each way to sail the Michigan’s Great Lakes waters at the top of the Mitten. Michigan is blessed with harbors about a days sail apart. We could put the boat in near to our home in the Detroit area and sail to Chicago. Unfortunately we haven’t had the luxury of the free time for such an adventure. We can however be at the top of the Lower Peninsula in a leisurely 5 hours. Then we can launch or overnight on the trailer. It really depends on the time, weather, ramp traffic, or family commitments. While we have done the complete set-up and launch in less than 30 minutes, we usually opt for a more leisurely approach. I can step the mast myself, but it goes smoother with my wife helping. With one of us on the cockpit seats and the other on the cabin top, the pole is up. We use a safety line from the spreader bracket to the forward cleat for insurance incase the shrouds tangle. The rest of the time is spent transferring gear from the back of the pickup to the boat. We try to keep trailer weight to a minimum. When we launch, we’re ready to cruise. But this isn’t usually the case. Lake Huron has few sheltered anchorages. We have booked a transient slip and use it as a base of operations. With limited stowage, we use the pickup as a secondary base for clothes and food. The harbors we have frequented all have very nice restrooms with showers for the boaters. Just about all the comforts of home!!!

Visiting with other denizens of “boat city” has been an enjoyable pastime. It might well be said that you meet the nicest people at the marina. Conversation varies from boat handling, gear, and destinations to what they do in their “other” life. Fishermen, yachtsmen, daysailers, and locals can usually find a topic to share. One gentleman shares a bagpipe rendition of “Amazing Grace” from the sound system of his 40 ft sloop at sundown (in memory of his wife). People with dinks, row around talking to others over the transom (gotta get one of those, mount it on the truck). Leaving a copy of “Sailing for Dummies” on the cockpit cushions has created some interesting encounters.

Now, you may be saying that this isn’t cruising. Rather more like daysailing on an “away game” basis. We can sail to the next harbor, spend the night, and sail back. If conditions deteriorate, we can usually get back to our truck and trailer and just transfer our base of operations. On one trip to Traverse Bay on the Lake Michigan side we were pleasantly surprised to find they have a bus that travels between several harbors. We discovered this when weather on the Huron side was dicey. So we loaded up the boat and moved!!! The waves were kinder in the sheltered waters of the bay and the rain stopped there a full day before the east side.

Sailing the Great Lakes in 18 footer is an experience. You need to pick and chose when to go out. The waves are shorter in length than the ocean. In fact they are about twice the length of the Capri 18. In a following sea, it can be a bit like riding a hobbyhorse. This is how we arrived finally on a name for our boat (“bob”). We didn’t heed a forecast and got caught in a wind shift that went from a pleasant sail to 25+ knots and 4 to 6+ foot waves. Unable to make headway back to our harbor, we opted for the next one downwind. The wind wasn’t the problem compared to the waves. We sledded down quite a few before we made the 20-mile trip, took a hard right hand turn and came into the quiet waters of the marina. We talked to several people who had watched our progress. When we retrieved our truck and trailer the harbormaster was glad to know we had gotten out of harm’s way. Several larger sailboats had a harder time entering the harbor. One had to get into the commercial harbor (limestone quarry) to drop sail and motor back. One crunched his bow on the rocks. This one little “blow” generated a lot a tales, and instigated quite a few readiness exercises. My wife has quite a different perspective on “the tippy thing” (heel).

Having a truck and trailer “at the ready” is an asset. I can still picture the skippers of larger non-trailer boats standing around the docks during a three-day fog. Some were late getting back to the rat race; others were being driven insane by their spouses wanting to get “off the boat”.
My wife is a definite asset for cruising. She enjoys sleeping aboard, with the gentle rocking. With the center cushions in place, we have a very nice bedroom. During our time on the water we are close without a lot of the regular pressures. On a Capri 18 close is the only option. We used to camp in a 9x12 tent and consider the Capri a luxury accommodation. We spend the week sleeping aboard, cook some meals, and enjoy the marina life. A great vacation getaway wherever it may be.

Describing the amendments added to our Capri 18 will definitely take another article. For now, as I write this in February, I just need to throw another log of patience on the fire until we can go again trailer cruising.