SeaPiper 35 Delivery Update and Reviews

[DDW]

Sort of funny, one of the major selling points is that it is trailerable. I guess that makes my AT34 trailerable too but, I would hate to personally trailer the boat.

Trailerability is a major attraction of the boat for me. As an AT34 owner, I can assure you that an AT34 is not trailerable in any sense of the word.

I would not consider the Seapiper to be trailerable in the sense of a runabout, but the ability to pretty easily put it on a trailer and move it without using a boat mover, even if you have to rent a truck or hire a driver to do it, is attractive. The difference in being able to easily bring it home for the off season, or reposition it across the country is the attraction for me. It cost me nearly $20K to move the AT34 across the country, I could move the Seapiper for about $1200. At that price it could be done seasonally.

If I could bring myself to sell a couple of the boats I already own, I'd be tempted by it, or perhaps a custom version similar to it. The unusual arrangement puts me off, but that could be corrected with money.

 

[Alaskaflyer]

Lol



Hey, I like the design too. If I didn't have two growing boys to also fit on board for eating and sleeping, along with the wife and I, I'd consider one seriously, for our "door number two!" planning option which requires a trailerable boat (instead of the liveaboard-sized larger trawler which is behind door number one for us.)

 

[Mako]

I've never had -- or wanted -- refrigeration or hot water or any of that luxury stuff. Just a propane stove and furnace, that's enough to keep me happy.

Never understood the whole he-man attitude when it comes to boats, especially sailboaters.

These same people in their homes and apartments have refrigerators and aircon and hot water and they shave and shower and smell pretty each day, just like everyone else.

But get into a boat, with sun and sweat and wind and salt and vomit and stickiness... well then it’s like some rite of passage or proof of manliness to drop hygiene and make your wife crap in a bucket or a litter box.

Don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings here, just sharing honest thoughts [emoji846]

 

[Benthic2]

.......Price....may seem a bit steep but, it's a boat......

I was thinking the price was a major selling point. A brand new diesel powered boat with 1000 mile range for $190k seemed very reasonable. For reference a new Ranger 31 is $350k

 

[rslifkin]

Never understood the whole he-man attitude when it comes to boats, especially sailboaters.

These same people in their homes and apartments have refrigerators and aircon and hot water and they shave and shower and smell pretty each day, just like everyone else.

But get into a boat, with sun and sweat and wind and salt and vomit and stickiness... well then it’s like some rite of passage or proof of manliness to drop hygiene and make your wife crap in a bucket or a litter box.

Don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings here, just sharing honest thoughts [emoji846]

For some, I think it's just a simplicity thing. They hate the complexity and extra stuff to maintain more than they hate the downsides of not having it. Hot water and a fridge are important to me, but there's a lot of stuff on boats that I look at as "extra" and would only add to my own boat if I hit a point where I decide I need it.

 

[BrianG]

Trailerability is a major attraction of the boat for me. It cost me nearly $20K to move the AT34 across the country, I could move the Seapiper for about $1200. At that price it could be done seasonally.

mind listing a few of your towing resources? I have a 29'x 8'2", 11,000# trawler I'd love to ship across country.

 

[DDW]

I have my own truck, but there are lots of long haul small operators with a diesel pickup, that's all you need for that boat - assuming the height is legal. If you are paying someone to do it, it will be more than $1200 (that's about the fuel cost) but far less than $20K for a boat moving service. I'd guess <$5K.

 

[socalrider]

I have my own truck, but there are lots of long haul small operators with a diesel pickup, that's all you need for that boat - assuming the height is legal. If you are paying someone to do it, it will be more than $1200 (that's about the fuel cost) but far less than $20K for a boat moving service. I'd guess <$5K.

$2.50 per (one way) mile is what I was quoted and paid for a 28' sailboat from Idaho to San Diego. Fantastic experience, can't recommend highly enough: Star Boat Guy

 

[BrianG]

I have my own truck, but there are lots of long haul small operators with a diesel pickup, that's all you need for that boat - assuming the height is legal. If you are paying someone to do it, it will be more than $1200 (that's about the fuel cost) but far less than $20K for a boat moving service. I'd guess <$5K.

Do these long haul small operators typically have the trailer? or does the boat owner provide it?

 

[DDW]

Boat owner has to provide it. Occasionally you can find trailers with enough adjustable stuff to fit, but I'd assume if I bought a Seapiper intending to trail it that I'd have a trailer built. If I was trucking any boat back and forth across the country I'd have a trailer built for it. If you are talking about a one time deal, especially east bound, you should be able to get a pretty cheap backhaul from a boat mover. More boat move west than east. I know several trucks that left Anacortes east bound empty, and would have loaded a small boat on there for the price of fuel (about $3000 for those guys). If it is over width or over height, they are going to want more money because it costs a lot for permits and lead/follow escorts.

To get a backhaul, you need to be flexible on date and be able to move quickly. What these guys do is try to line up the backhaul when they are westbound, they'd rather have a full paying load. But if they get here and sit for a couple of days, they will take almost anything.

 

[BandB]

Boat owner has to provide it. Occasionally you can find trailers with enough adjustable stuff to fit, but I'd assume if I bought a Seapiper intending to trail it that I'd have a trailer built. If I was trucking any boat back and forth across the country I'd have a trailer built for it. If you are talking about a one time deal, especially east bound, you should be able to get a pretty cheap backhaul from a boat mover. More boat move west than east. I know several trucks that left Anacortes east bound empty, and would have loaded a small boat on there for the price of fuel (about $3000 for those guys). If it is over width or over height, they are going to want more money because it costs a lot for permits and lead/follow escorts.

To get a backhaul, you need to be flexible on date and be able to move quickly. What these guys do is try to line up the backhaul when they are westbound, they'd rather have a full paying load. But if they get here and sit for a couple of days, they will take almost anything.

Many professional boat movers have trailers for the purpose and others have access to them. The boat owner doesn't have to provide for them.

 

[DDW]

We are talking about two different things here. One is professional boat movers who have a big truck and trailer. The other is long haul towing service which is a guy in a diesel pickup. Big or medium trawler you need the pro boat mover and his equipment. The difference for the Seapiper (and many of the Rangers and others) is they can be hauled on a conventional ball hitch trailer. Yeah it is a big and probably specialized trailer, but nothing like a pro boat mover's equipment. This is a selling point for both Seapiper and Ranger. I do not know of any long haul towing service that has a trailer configurable to a random small trawler, I suppose it could be done but the market is tiny. People that buy them for that point already have a trailer.

BrianG confused me a bit with his post, but as I now understand it, he has a smallish trawler that might well fit on a ball hitch trailer, but he doesn't have one and just needs a one way ticket east. That's why I suggested a back haul on a pro boat mover.

 

[OldDan1943]

I think, and I maybe wrong but, I thought SP offered a trailer too, at an additional price.
I have seen the pictures of a SP on a trailer and think, 'Oh yea, they call this trailerable.'

 

[Tazling]

Welcome aboard

We boat much the same way, staying 'out there' for as long as possible. Fuel pulls us in. We can get water from steep mountain streams.

In over ten years we've slept in a marina twice; once in Prince Rupert and once tied to the breakwater floats in Shearwater.

The fuel capacity/engine/hull design of the Seapiper is intriguing.

We've entertained dreams of Cortes if where we live goes ape sh$t crazier in an industrial way...in a nutshell, what's it like living on an island, off an island, off an island?

Yep, we are clearly kindred cruising spirits. Many a load of summer clothes have I washed in fast meltwater (brrr!) and many a bucket of beautiful clean meltwater have I ferried back to fill the tank.

Shearwater's pretty cool. I've only been in Rupert for a few days some years ago when we went over to the Charlottes. Yes the long legs on the Seapiper are quite interesting because of the independence aspect -- many many sea miles between fuelling stops!

Been following the Kitimat situation here with concern, I hear ya. Cortes is... well, it's Cortes. It's a great community, very self-organising and mostly positive, nice climate (compared to Rupert!!) and decent sailing and cruising right on the doorstep. OTOH, big tourist season every summer, gentrification happening at breakneck pace... Anyway PM me if you want to know more.

 

[nwboater]

Boat owner has to provide it. Occasionally you can find trailers with enough adjustable stuff to fit, but I'd assume if I bought a Seapiper intending to trail it that I'd have a trailer built. If I was trucking any boat back and forth across the country I'd have a trailer built for it. If you are talking about a one time deal, especially east bound, you should be able to get a pretty cheap backhaul from a boat mover. More boat move west than east. I know several trucks that left Anacortes east bound empty, and would have loaded a small boat on there for the price of fuel (about $3000 for those guys). If it is over width or over height, they are going to want more money because it costs a lot for permits and lead/follow escorts.

To get a backhaul, you need to be flexible on date and be able to move quickly. What these guys do is try to line up the backhaul when they are westbound, they'd rather have a full paying load. But if they get here and sit for a couple of days, they will take almost anything.

Ritzo, who heads up SeaPiper told me he’s designed a cradle for shipping the boats from China that will be easily converted to a trailer for hauling the SeaPiper overland.

 

[DDW]

There are many trailer builders who will build a trailer to suit for this type of boat. It isn't terribly expensive, in the context of buying a new boat.

 

[MurrayM]

...Cortes is... well, it's Cortes. It's a great community, very self-organising and mostly positive, nice climate (compared to Rupert!!) and decent sailing and cruising right on the doorstep. OTOH, big tourist season every summer, gentrification happening at breakneck pace... Anyway PM me if you want to know more.

Well, if we did move there, the gentrification threat would very low...not quite Trailer Trash, but a comfortable step up into Duplex Chic for sure

 

[Tazling]

Well, if we did move there, the gentrification threat would very low...not quite Trailer Trash, but a comfortable step up into Duplex Chic for sure

More Regular Folks would be very welcome! Living aboard here is still possible, though it may become a battle in the next decade. The trend further south is for gentrifiers to buy up all the shoreline and then insist that the "lowlifes" living on boats at anchor or on moorings must be cleared out of their waterfront view. I mean, what right does a blue-collar working stiff (most likely living on a <$50K boat because he can't afford anything on shore any more) have to share the same view as a $2M trophy home owner? Don't get me started. Anyway that hasn't hit us yet but the way things are going... who knows.

But Cortes is still pretty cool. Interesting people -- eccentrics gravitate to small islands! -- lots of harbours, cruising territory all around, decent sailing a fair amount of the summer. Good artesian water. And though we find the winters long and dark, after Kitimat they would seem mild.

 

[OldDan1943]

There are many trailer builders who will build a trailer to suit for this type of boat. It isn't terribly expensive, in the context of buying a new boat.

One point everyone has failed to mention.
Let us consider, you trailered the boat to a place you wish to explore.
Where do you find a boat ramp or perhaps a crane or travel lift?
If stay a year, where do you hide the trailer?

 

[DDW]

One point everyone has failed to mention.
Let us consider, you trailered the boat to a place you wish to explore.
Where do you find a boat ramp or perhaps a crane or travel lift?
If stay a year, where do you hide the trailer?

Those are quite minor problems in the scheme of things. If those are going to slow you down, best to keep your boat in a marina close to home. There are launch facilities sufficient to launch a SeaPiper throughout the civilized world, as well as facilities to store a vehicle and trailer.

 

[ssobol]

Those are quite minor problems in the scheme of things. If those are going to slow you down, best to keep your boat in a marina close to home. There are launch facilities sufficient to launch a SeaPiper throughout the civilized world, as well as facilities to store a vehicle and trailer.

But often, finding a suitable one is a PITA.

 

[OldDan1943]

But often, finding a suitable one is a PITA.

If you are at a public ramp, long term storage of trailer is not possible/permitted.
Any yard will charge you for trailer storage on their property.

 

[DDW]

OK, we (I at least) am not talking of using this as a fishing boat, putting it in every day at every little podunk town. I am talking about relocating the boat coast to coast, or storing it for the winter. Do you think I can find a suitable facility to launch and store in say Washington, and another in say Maine, and perhaps one in Cabo, and Florida? I can assure you that I can find hundreds of such facilities. Yes they will charge you for storage - aren't you paying for storage in your berth?

Again if this is what's slowing you down, maybe staying at home is right for you. Anybody that has done any longer distance cruising is long used to these minor challenges.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Mako wrote;
“Never understood the whole he-man attitude when it comes to boats, especially sailboaters.”

Masculinity has always been a big part of trawler popularity. Think of a pleasure-boat that’s more masculine than a trawler. And ya go X3 w a rounded stern and FD hull ... hahaha

 

[BandB]

Mako wrote;
“Never understood the whole he-man attitude when it comes to boats, especially sailboaters.”

Masculinity has always been a big part of trawler popularity. Think of a pleasure-boat that’s more masculine than a trawler. And ya go X3 w a rounded stern and FD hull ... hahaha

Wifey B:

You mean fat and slow I assume?

Not the way I like my man. Slim and fast, thank you.

 

[u4ea32]

$2.50 per (one way) mile is what I was quoted and paid for a 28' sailboat from Idaho to San Diego. Fantastic experience, can't recommend highly enough: Star Boat Guy

BIG fan of Star Boat Guy! Pulled my Olson 40 around

 

[u4ea32]

I towed my 32 fountain all over. 8.5’ beam is no problem, height and length also easy. Pay attention of course! 20k lbs is within the towing capacity of my $30k when it was new F350 dually.

Towing this thing seems like it would be absolutely no problem. Launch ramp is trivial, just need 4x4.

 

[Benthic2]

...You mean fat and slow I assume?....

I think we...ahem....they would prefer "robust" and "deliberate"

 

[backinblue]

Wifey B:

You mean fat and slow I assume?

Not the way I like my man. Slim and fast, thank you.

You sure you don't what to re-think the "fast" part?

 

[Mako]

Towing this thing seems like it would be absolutely no problem. Launch ramp is trivial, just need 4x4.

Agree with the 4X4 part. Once you're pushing 8000lbs or more you need the 4x4 or will often times not be able to get back up the ramp, with your rear tires sitting on algae.

My current load is about 5500lbs, and I've never had issues, but that doesn't mean I'm always nervous that will be slipping and sliding. Hmm, thinking about it, I need to get a tow strap just in case I need a little tug getting up the ramp.