Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Buried treasure trove uncovered for trailer sailers

by Media Services on 2 Aug 2009
John Crawford Marine maintains the once popular trailer sailer is making a comeback. Matthew Hodson
John Crawford Marine at 1029 Manly Road, Tingalpa, Brisbane, has created a valuable trailer sailer reference library for the boating public, based on information gathered by the dealership and customers over the past 45 years.
 
Matthew Hodson, owner and managing director of John Crawford Marine, has released digitally reworked marketing brochures, boat tests, reviews and general information gathered since John Crawford Marine started a boatyard on the Esplanade at Wynnum in 1964. 
 
Matthew said he recently found himself in a unique position cataloguing the Queensland history of trailer yachts - better known as trailer sailers - which were once an integral part of the marine industry.
 
'After being involved in the sale of new and used trailer sailers for the past four decades, a treasure trove of information had been buried in our storeroom.
 
'I realised the original documentation, which we had accumulated, was a valuable research resource that needed to be preserved and shared,' said Matthew. 
 
With the help and assistance of current and previous staff, John Crawford Marine has catalogued all the information and uploaded it to its website (www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au) for free public access. 
 
The resource includes information on 125 makes and models of trailer sailers.
 
Although manufacture of trailer sailers has dwindled in Australia, Matthew maintains the once popular trailer sailer is making a comeback.
 
He said that, during the mid 80’s, inflation and the increased cost of petroleum based products, such as fibreglass resin, caused the price of trailer sailer manufacturing to skyrocket. 
 
'With the sudden huge rise in price, the average family could no longer afford the boats and the industry all but collapsed,' said Matthew.
 
'But a few loyal boat builders continued to produce low volume/high quality trailer sailers for the local market. 
 
'With the current high cost of fuel, rising marina storage charges and the changing economic climate, I am beginning to see a return to trailer sailers once again as an affordable form of boating.'
 


Matthew said the newly released resource material, which includes owners’ stories, would help potential trailer sailer owners make an informed choice on size and brand on used makes that would otherwise be near impossible to find.
 
John Crawford Marine invites anyone with literature, photographs or stories, which would be suitable for inclusion in the library, to email to sales@johncrawfordmarine.com.au or post to John Crawford Marine, PO Box 351, Cannon Hill, Qld, 4170.
 
Over the years, brands sold through the John Crawford Marine dealership have included the Farr 6000 and 7500 built in Auckland, New Zealand, the Sunmaid 20 and Sunbird 25 made in South Australia, the Hood 20 and 23, Clipper 17 and 21 made in Queensland and the Sabre 22 imported from New Zealand, prior to being manufactured in Clontarf, Queensland.
 
John Crawford Marine works in conjunction with the Trailer Sailer Club of Queensland and Matthew said the TSCQ webpage (www.tscq.org.au) also contained information that may assist in trailer sailer research.


For more information contact:

Matthew Hodson

John Crawford Marine

1029 Manly Road
Tingalpa Qld 4173
P: 07 3890 2322
F: 07 3390 6933
E: matthew(at)johncrawfordmarine.com.au
W: www.johncrawfordmarine.com.au

Switch One DesignZhik 2024 DecemberNavico AUS Zeus3S FOOTER

Related Articles

Tom Hicks Round the Island Race Photo Gallery
Stunning images from the Solent photographer out on the water Stunning photos from Solent Photographer Tom Hicks out on the water as he caught the action in the 2025 Round the Island Race on Saturday.
Posted today at 5:14 am
Scandinavian Gold Cup at Sopot, Poland overall
Jürg Menzi wins third on Marie-Françoise XXII Marie-Françoise XXII (SUI 233, Jürg Menzi, Jürgen Eiermann, Christof Wilke) has won the 2025 Scandinavian Gold Cup in Sopot, Poland, after the event went the full length to seven races.
Posted today at 4:20 am
SailGP: Final race win saves series for BlackFoils
A victory in the final fleet race of the day boosted the Black Foils into fourth after three races A victory in the final fleet race of the day boosted the Black Foils into fourth after three races on the opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix.
Posted today at 4:12 am
SailGP: Spain lead in New York - Day 1
Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix, after a consistent day's sailing on the murky and rainswept Hudson River. Full replay and leaderboard in this story.
Posted on 7 Jun
Freestyle Pro Tour Sardinia day 3
Tow-in time in Porto Pollo Day 3 marked the start of the tow-in action at the 2025 Freestyle Pro Tour stop in Porto Pollo, with two qualification rounds splitting the 12 riders into two groups of six, each providing the top 3 riders with a ticket to the finals at sundown.
Posted on 7 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix day 1
Spain overcomes storm clouds, topping the standings Diego Botin's Spain SailGP Team leads the fleet after a stormy and tactical opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. France, ROCKWOOL Denmark and New Zealand are all hot on his heels for all-important leaderboard points.
Posted on 7 Jun
Strong start at Loro Piana Giraglia
Saint-Tropez laid on fine conditions for the first day of inshore racing Saint-Tropez laid on fine conditions for the first day of inshore racing at Loro Piana Giraglia, organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.
Posted on 7 Jun
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 5
Veterans and Rookies each demolish their fleets to win with two races to spare Both the 49er and Nacra 17 European Championships were secured with one fleet race and one medal race remaining to be sailed.
Posted on 7 Jun
Loro Piana Giraglia day 1
Spectacular conditions welcomed the competitors, with a beautiful sunny day. The 72nd edition of the Loro Piana Giraglia kicked off this morning in Saint-Tropez. A total of 139 boats hit the water: 29 Maxis competed on the Pampelonne course, while the rest sailed a coastal course in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
Posted on 7 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup overall
American Magic Quantum Racing are Galician royalty, winning 2nd event of 2025 with a race to spare. Delivering an impressively consistent series across 10 races sailed in broad range of weather conditions Doug DeVos's US flagged crew of American Magic Quantum Racing won the second regatta of the 2025 season to lift the prestigious Royal Cup.
Posted on 7 Jun