For Ron and Sue Lange, who live aboard their 24-foot Alaskan Trailer Tug Popeye in the summers, the little boat defines flexibility.

If they want to cruise the San Juans, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound or the Discovery Islands, they leave from the south Puget Sound area. To go farther north into MacKenzie Sound, they trailer Popeye up Interstate 5 into Canada and launch in Westview.

Thus is the power of a trailer cruiser: the ability to incorporate land routes into your float plan and launch or land a cruise from just about anywhere. The increased mobility makes it easier to visit more places in less time, dodge rough weather and bypass difficult stretches.

Trailer boats – whether power or sail – can also be more economical. While you may need a larger vehicle for towing and a trailer to go with it, trailer boats eliminate slip fees and save on fuel costs. On long trips, the boat can also become a home-on-wheels at rest-stops and camp grounds.

Overall, the setup can stretch the utility of a smaller boat. While larger cruising boats often have all the comforts of home, trailer cruising stresses simplicity. In fact, it's that practicality – and the novelty – that make it so attractive.

"If the boat meets your needs and you enjoy the experience of cruising, that's what's important," Ron Lange said, "not the size of the boat."

RON LANGEPopeye cruises the inside passage that leads to Alaska. THE POPEYE

The Langes, of Roseburg, Oregon, know well the joys of trailer cruising. Every summer they stay on the 24-foot tug for a month, cruising the inside passage that leads to Alaska. They say it's their boat's easy maintenance, versatility, shallow draft and economy that make it so easy to appreciate. Last summer, during a one month cruise, Popeye traveled to 22 different anchorages and marinas.

Popeye was built in 1996 by the now-defunct Murphy Boat Company in Lacrosse, Wisconsin. The company built only 10 Alaskan Trader tugs before it went out of business.

Before Popeye came into their lives, the Langes (Ron is a retired fireman, Sue is a real estate broker) used to trailer their 25-foot Catalina sailboat. But the effort to prepare the mast and sails before launching took hours. They wanted a boat that was more carefree, something mobile, something that was easy to unload from a trailer.

Enter Popeye. They were the boat's third owners, purchasing her, they said, for her pilothouse layout and very "shippy" appearance.

With a draft of 30 inches, shallow depths that keep larger boats away are no problem for Popeye. And with one half the horsepower of most trawlers, Popeye can make the same journey, see the same sunsets, and explore the same remote inlet on the north coast of the inside passage, for a fraction of the fuel price.

The Langes gave Popeye the personal touch before their first big cruise. Sue added brass fixtures and lanterns, lace window coverings and comfortable upholstery. Ron did some woodwork and installed inlayed flooring. They had a custom made canvas bimini installed to shade the stern cockpit, a covering that is easily removed when the boat leaves the water for trailering and gives them a little more space on board in the summer.

Ron and Sue think it is particularly fun, they said, to drive along the highway, which always elicits the waves of passersby. The couple was once followed for 20 miles into a rest stop by another motorist who couldn't take his eyes off the little tug following behind their truck on a trailer.

WHAT IT TAKES

If you want to join the ranks of those who trailer their boats, you'll need to satisfy a heavy list of needs, starting with the right vehicle.

Having the proper tow vehicle can mean the difference between enjoying the tow experience or dreading it. We have all seen rigs zooming down the highway with sagging trailers wagging behind. A tow rig is like a tool. You can buy an inexpensive tool that is made for occasional use, or a commercial, heavy-duty tool that will not only make the job easier but will last longer and increase your level of safety (in this case, on the road).

According to the experienced travelers like the Langes, at a minimum you need a three-quarter ton truck to safely tow a load of 8,000-pounds. Perhaps the best-suited vehicle for the job, they say, is a one-ton dualie.

"When it came time to change trucks, I ordered a truck that I felt would best meet our needs," Ron Lange said. "I chose a one-ton 4 x 4 dualie with a standard transmission. Our truck's main purpose is for towing a variety of trailers. I chose the one ton over the ¾ ton because it had heavier duty suspension, brakes and differential. When you get into windy, rougher roads and the trailer starts to work the truck, the heavier suspension will resist the bobbing effect from the tongue of the trailer."

Having four-wheel drive is essential in two situations. The first is when you are retrieving a boat on a launch ramp, which can be slippery and steep. A deep-hulled boat requires that the trailer be backed deep into the water. When pulling it out, it takes considerable power to break the surface tension of the water while also moving forward. A four-wheel drive vehicle will not only provide more traction, but will offer more pulling power by using lower gears.

Four-wheel drive is also important when you have to stop on a steep hill on wet pavement. Sometimes two-wheel drive does not give you the necessary traction to get started again.

Everyone has a different comfort level when pulling trailers. Before you buy you need to evaluate the load you'll be pulling and where you'll be taking your boat, then drive a number of vehicles, consult Consumer Reports and do enough research to satisfy yourself that the new truck can handle the load.

TRAILERING

One of the obvious disadvantages of this type of cruising is the need to purchase and maintain a boat trailer. But maintaining your trailer properly – and learning how to use it – is vital to a safe experience.

No matter the size of the boat you're pulling, there are checks that need to be performed before each use of the trailer. Tires should be in good shape, with no sign of wear or cracks. Wheel bearings need to be greased and all lug nuts should be tight. In addition, all the straps and harnesses that hold the boat to the trailer need to be checked for damage. Brakes and trailer lights are a common problem because of their exposure to salt water.

When the Langes purchased Popeye and tried to load her onto the trailer for the first time, they found that she had been loaded off-center and tilted. The loading procedure had to be done over and over again until the boat was centered on the trailer and ready for the trip home. Ron decided, right then and there, that he did not want to face this frustration on every trip, so he designed a custom keel guide to capture the keel and center the boat perfectly without struggle.

Even with a properly maintained trailer and a carefully-loaded boat, it takes time to learn how to tow safely, figuring out where your blind spots are and how the extra weight affects your speed and braking capabilities. Trailer cruisers must also be particular about the launch ramps they use.

It is important that your launch ramp is long enough, wide enough and deep enough for the boat and trailer to work properly. Make certain that there is enough ramp to get the job done, particularly if you are dealing with tidal changes. It is essential to launch or retrieve a boat the size of Popeye when the tide is high. If you are unsure about the length of the ramp, you might ask someone with local knowledge.

RON LANGEThe view from inside Popeye's snug, efficient pilothouse.

Always be aware that after retrieving a boat from the water the trailer brakes will be water-logged. As a result, the stopping distance will be increased (until you hit the brakes several times), and, if you are on wet pavement, the possibility of the trailer jack-knifing is significantly increased.

PICKING A VESSEL

Of course, the largest decision will always be the boat. Boats of all sizes and shapes are towed all over North America. The first rule is that you will want a boat and trailer whose size do not require a towing permit. The maximum-sized trailer that can be pulled without a permit varies from state to state, but the average dimensions are 40-feet long, 8-feet wide and 13 feet high.

Often, the size restrictions brought by a trailerable boat eliminate some of the other niceties of cruising. For example, a good vessel for towing is often suitable for no more than two-people when it comes to overnight trips. Popeye, for example, has a very cozy V-berth but there is no room for overnight guests. Even day-company can be cramped. Although the interior of the tug is functional, the living space is limited.

Small boats are also usually noisier than larger boats because it is not possible to isolate the engine compartment. Storing a tender aboard can also be a challenge. The Langes tow their "rubber ducky" behind their boat rather than store it onboard while underway. But the ability to tow a larger and faster dingy is limited.

Small boats also do not typically handle as well in rough water. Popeye's crew has to be extremely cautious before setting out over waterways that require several hours of transit. But, for many, those restrictions are a small price to pay for a lifestyle that allows maximum flexibility.

As Ron Lange sees it, every boater has to consider the sacrifices they're willing to make in order to enjoy the cruising experience. "We have almost always been the smallest boat in the anchorage or marina," he said, "but we have totally enjoyed" the journey.

"At the end of the day," added Sue Lange, "when we are sitting at the pub or on the dock sharing stories with other boaters, one realizes that boaters are all there for basically the same reasons, their love of the water and the adventures found from being on the sea."

Carol-Ann Giroday and Rick LeBlanc live aboard Sea Foam, a 40-foot Eagle Pilothouse Trawler based on the Fraser River in Canada. Carol-Ann is a teacher and Rick is an engineer. Their work has appeared in magazines such as Sea, PassageMaker and Power Cruising.