Ever considered a trawler?

My parents live aboard their 42' Krogen (as many people do). They "live" in Rock Hall in the Summer, Marathon, FL in the winter and the ICW in the Spring and Fall. Read their adventures here: (http://joearmand.blogspot.com/)

I have spent significant cruising time on this boat, going from the Keys to Fort Lauderdale last spring. The "speed" is something you get used to. The only thing I'll say is that while running, it is a pretty stable platform so you pretty much just go about your business (opposed to running at 26 knots). If you stare at the horizon, it will make you nuts.

The trick seems to be to have the time and attitude to enjoy the ride! As long as I'm working for a living and need to cram as much fun as possible into a weekend, 26 knots is the only way to go. Once time is not an issue? Who knows...
 
festivus44 said:
The "speed" is something you get used to.
Click to expand...

So, I guess at those speeds (or lack thereof)...you're relegated to running down stream on the rivers (Mississippi, Tennessee, etc..) - especially if they are swollen. It would appear that some great prior planning would go into making the Great Loop where at some point you'd be heading upstream through the Hudson on a counterclockwise trip.

Or maybe you just stay out of rivers all together??
 
Last edited:
They just time the tides on the hudson, I see many many trawlers and sailboats doing the great loop. They do move slow though. On one trip there was a loaded trawler heading up the hudson, I passed him early on, stayed two nights up the river and went by him on my way back down. He was going so slow that he hadn't made it up that far yet.

Catskill and kingston is the point where all the sailboats either put up or take down their masts. They travel a very long way on their engine at a slow speed especially if they are fighting the tide.

I was thinking of doing part of the great loop in my 280, then I added up how much the flights back and forth to the boat would be.... it would be nice not to have to work.
 
Gary,

I think this just might be your dream trawler. Check out the bridge on this puppy. There's lots of romm to hide out from the 4 screaming kids, the 2 stupid dogs, and the angry wife. ;-)

I think I could handle 9 or 10 knots on this boat. We saw a sister ship to this boat in Vancouver last year and it was a HUGE 64' boat.

I really like the 48 Maritimo. It's not that hard on fuel (for it's size) and it seems like it would be a great cruising boat.

http://www.nordhavn.com/brokerage/listings/images/samurai/samurai.html
 
Trawler? Hearsay I say!

Gary, you young whipper snapper you can remember the original fuel crisis ... the formation of OPEC and the Saudis taking the world hostage?

That oil shock to the us reformed US boating from the heavy displacement hulls to yup sail boats. Sailing underwent a huge rebirth in demand as the fuel costs soared for those big Chris Crafts etc .... the motor sail boat capable of 150 - 200 miles a day took over and remained the darlings of the dock until the late 80's when power came back.

I predict that the large catamaran motor sailors will take off in response to the new world of $100 barrel oil.

A 50 foot cat with two 80-100 HP Yanmars would likely burn 1 fifth the fuel to cover the same 200 mile passage. Want to go 500 miles on the wind alone no problem ... run the genny for AC and away ya go.

I know that a long term idea of $4.00 diesel has be looking over my shoulder back at sail.:smt013
 
The Kadey Krogen would be a good choice as a trawler for running down to the Bahamas since they have a shallower draft than a Nordhavn. A few owners of Krogens have done some ocean crossing at a better fuel burn rate than you could ever get out of a Sea Ray. I've seen 1nm to a gallon rates with 3000 nm range with these two boats that you can only dream about with a Sea Ray! Much better for retirement since they are live aboard. It just seems like a Sea Ray is more designed around the weekend boating crowd than the live aboard crowd that makes up the trawler market.
 
Four Suns said:
Doesn't seem like take a big depreciation hit like planning boats either... wonder why that is.
Click to expand...

A trawler is definitely in our future, and was from the beginning of our renewed interest in boating. I have every issue of Passage Maker magazine back to their inception! Gary, you can't go wrong with Nordhaven - they're the gold standard, and built like a tank!

I think the depreciation is less because the demand is so high for this type of boat right now - baby boomers retiring and setting out on their "cruises-of-a-lifetime" - the Loop and so forth. There are a lot more go fast boats like our Sea Rays around than trawlers, and a less financially stable younger population (in general) chasing after them.

I've watched prices on several of my favorite models for years. You can buy a very nice used boat, do the Loop, and cruise it around for several years, and basically sell it for what you paid for it. That's what we plan to do eventually. The 290 is just a way to scratch the itch for a while as we work toward retirement - if that will still be possible in post-Obama America.
 
SeaRM said:
So, I guess at those speeds (or lack thereof)...you're relegated to running down stream on the rivers (Mississippi, Tennessee, etc..) - especially if they are swollen. It would appear that some great prior planning would go into making the Great Loop where at some point you'd be heading upstream through the Hudson on a counterclockwise trip.

Or maybe you just stay out of rivers all together??
Click to expand...

The idea on the Loop is to go WITH the flow of the rivers, and the weather. Leave the Great Lakes in the fall, down the Tenn-Tom, heading south as it gets cooler, spend the winter in the Gulf, then back up the east coast in the spring, Great Lakes and Canada the following summer. At trawler speeds, taking your time to stop and enjoy many of the towns along the way, the whole deal takes about 1 year. I've never heard anyone remark about any difficulty heading up the Hudson, and I hear it's absolutely beautiful!

The America Great Loop Cruisers Assn, http://www.greatloop.org/index.php is a tremendous resource for those interested in getting more info on this "trip of a lifetime".
 
The answer to your question is yes. Old thread or not...:)

My wife is pretty firm on the idea of some future boat being a trawler. Maybe not the next one, but eventually yes. We've looked at Nordhavns, Ocean Alexanders, and Selene's. The Selenes are very solid boats and are much more affordable when looking for something that's 3-4 years old. The new OA 54 and 60 have a fantastic helm and gorgeous interiors. Plus, they have a huge amount of space aft of the flybridge (which is what we really liked). This area would be a fantastic entertainment area. The Nordhavn's smaller than a 55 really seem cramped in the interior spaces. They are beautiful capable boats though- I just need more open interior space. And, guess what? I'm not planning on crossing the Pacific or Atlantic anytime in the future.

The reason we are gravitating to that style boat? Increasingly we find ourselves puttering along more than going at planing speeds. Why? it's more relaxed and we have the opportunity to actually have conversations/visit with our friends on board. Also, the bigger thing is the pilot house set up. You can drive in comfort down below and still be able to be part of the conversation. Plus, the pilot house doors have huge advantages in docking, or simply getting some fresh air if you don't want to be totally in the elements up on the fly bridge. And, check out how much these boats do not depreciate. You cannot really find "deal"s on these. Lastly, who would NOT want a stand up engine room??
 
Last edited:
I was fortunate enough to get a tour of this boat, er..ship in WPB a few years ago.
Owner had recently passed and my FIL was friendly with the Captain. As trawlers go, this baby was serious. Ice-breaker class, designed to cruise the North Atlantic for whales. IIRC the asking was $6-$7 mil. She's no Euroyacht, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder when functionality precedes aesthetics.

http://www.trinityyachts.com/94whalesong.asp

Check out the link for the floor plans. Interesting layout; the owner liked to run the boat so they designed the Master Stateroom aft of the Pilothouse.
 
We got a tour and partied on a Nordhaven fifty or sixty or seventy something last Spring. It was at Baypoint Marina for a while. They had crossed the Atlantic in a group before. The required parts list to cross with that group costs more than my boat.
 
Hampton said:
We got a tour and partied on a Nordhaven fifty or sixty or seventy something last Spring. It was at Baypoint Marina for a while. They had crossed the Atlantic in a group before. The required parts list to cross with that group costs more than my boat.
Click to expand...

Isn't that the truth! Go find the blog on the Nordhavn site for the Great Siberian Sushi run. The amount of money spent preparing those boats for that trip is beyond my comprehension.
 
They can't price diesel fuel high enough to get me to go 9 knts. However the boat manufacturers in my boat class could improve their product by truly looking at some of the mechanics of the Nordhaven.
Until I reach 90 years old I'll be happy making over 20 knts. I enjoy the trip as much as everyone but I really enjoy where I'm going much more.

Jack
 
Canuck said:
Gary,

I think this just might be your dream trawler. Check out the bridge on this puppy. There's lots of romm to hide out from the 4 screaming kids, the 2 stupid dogs, and the angry wife. ;-)

I think I could handle 9 or 10 knots on this boat. We saw a sister ship to this boat in Vancouver last year and it was a HUGE 64' boat.

I really like the 48 Maritimo. It's not that hard on fuel (for it's size) and it seems like it would be a great cruising boat.

http://www.nordhavn.com/brokerage/listings/images/samurai/samurai.html
Click to expand...


What's not to like? I'll take one.
 
Gary,
I looked at trawlers, I don't think going 9knots is a big deal. Could you run your current boat at trawler speed and get the same economy. Trawler or displacement speed would be 1.34 times the square root of your waterline. My guess is your waterline is 40 feet. The square root of 40 = 6.31, so 1.34 = 8.4 knots. After that the boat is trying to get on plane, try that speed for 10 hours and see how that feels. I am going to try my boat at that calcuated speed and see how it goes. I am assuming 1,200 RPM , 2.5 gph each side and 9 knots.
 
One brand of trawler not mentioned sold but is sold at my marina is Mainship. I think it is more moderately priced than some mentioned so far but my slip mate has a 40' Mainship bridge boat. Another person just got delivery of a Mainship 45 Pilot which has a pilot house with air conditioning, twin yanmars and two staterooms. Both boats are roomy and sparked some interest from my wife and I, but for the time being we are quite content with our 320 which can cruise quite nicely at 6-8 mph and sip 5-6 gallons an hour.
 
dpvandy01 said:
Hey I still love the Nordhavns but pardon my ignorance.. as this is not the last time you'll see it.. but where does the "blue water" fit in? is it just a fancy house boat or does it have any moxy for cruising? Is that Marlow a true displacement hull or semi-displacement or semi-planing?? seems like pushing that much water that fast would not be to terribly economic? Again, pardon the stupidity but i'm just currious
Click to expand...

I have a friend with a bluewater. He was hit while riding his motorcycle and is now parapalegic. The Bluewater with its low profile set up nicely for him to retrofit it fo wheelchair access. He now has a company that sets up boats for wheelchair access. There is a use for most every boat!

http://rollintheriver.com/about.html
 
I worked in a lot of engine rooms on trawlers while on HHI. Many were cleaner than many kitchens at home. One day we would like to retire and live on one.
 
We went so far as to get the Nordhaven literature before buying the Tiara. We also took a hard look at Cabos. Then we boated on a friend's Grand Banks. After a few hours, I knew that I could never spend 10 hours on Lake Michigan going 8 knots. We would never be able to travel anywhere with our schedules. We enjoy running 250 miles in a day and then using our boat as a floating condo. With a trawler, it seems to be more about the journey vs. the destination. Each to his own.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,182
Messages
1,428,060
Members
61,088
Latest member
SGT LAT
Back
Top