flagold
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2010
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- 54
OK, I'm a little biased, I'll admit that. *As a result of our trawler movies we get questions on "loop" boats quite often an I thought I'd post one of the replies:
<h3 style="font-size:12px;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;width:375px;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;">Trawlers</h3>I am 58 and and will be able to retire in a couple of years or so. My wife and I want to cruise around in our own boat for an extended cruise. We were thinking of a sailboat, but I am beginning to drift towards a trawler, especially since seeing your videos.*
Matt, what do you think would be the advantage of a trawler over a sailboat? We would not want to spend over $40,000.00 if we can help it.*
We want to do the great loop.*
Thanks.*
Ron:
We thought of sail at first as well, but that idea was quickly discarded by short trips on portions of the loop with our C-Dory (and that was also a candidate at first). *Main problem with the sailboat is that it really isn't a sailboat on the loop, it is a motorboat. *Vast sections are not amenable to sail, with bridges, very close quarters, sheltered passages, etc. *Just to many problems for the fraction of the time spent sailing. *If we wanted to go outside and sail the Atlantic up the coast, that would be fine, but that isn't doing the loop either, and in the end we summed up our health (she was bucked off a horse, I crashed an airplane - 2 bodies with O backs) and decided the sailboat wasn't practical or realistic at our stage no matter how we sliced it.
Then came the perfect boat - an old Prairie trawler that had been loved, then discarded as a fish boat, and then loved again by an old solo bluewater sailor trying to bring it back. *He had put in a new 52 hp engine, fridge, stove top, shaft, A/C, overhauled the electrical and entire plumbing. *Then came divorce . . . and we now have the boat, still no interior and we don't think we'll put one in, we do fine with a couple chairs and a card table or mix and match for whatever we're doing. *Electronics I installed (I had plenty of that in Aircraft). *The draft is under 3 feet - huge factor for a good loop boat, you can get into all the places most want to go, most of the time without the dingy. *With a flybridge you have sightseeing at its best, and that's another reason for a flybridge trawler (maybe the best reason of all). *Looking down, there is a safety factor in navigating shoals if the water is right, and looking ahead and behind as well for obstacles, or landmarks. *Price on Praries is anywhere from $50K for a loved one to $25K for a fishfixerupper. *The boat itself is a Hargrave design of the usual 70's tank specification for fiberglass layup - 2 shaft seals and a prop protecting keel, sail rudder (can turn in its own length with practice). *It's not a go fast boat with any horsepower, but that's not what we boat for anyway. *I do hope this helps answer your question. *Very best of luck in finding your boat! *Matt Mattson
[video=[MEDIA=youtube]XjryApXHZKo[/MEDIA]]
<h3 style="font-size:12px;background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;width:375px;padding:0px;margin:0px;border:0px;">Trawlers</h3>I am 58 and and will be able to retire in a couple of years or so. My wife and I want to cruise around in our own boat for an extended cruise. We were thinking of a sailboat, but I am beginning to drift towards a trawler, especially since seeing your videos.*
Matt, what do you think would be the advantage of a trawler over a sailboat? We would not want to spend over $40,000.00 if we can help it.*
We want to do the great loop.*
Thanks.*
Ron:
We thought of sail at first as well, but that idea was quickly discarded by short trips on portions of the loop with our C-Dory (and that was also a candidate at first). *Main problem with the sailboat is that it really isn't a sailboat on the loop, it is a motorboat. *Vast sections are not amenable to sail, with bridges, very close quarters, sheltered passages, etc. *Just to many problems for the fraction of the time spent sailing. *If we wanted to go outside and sail the Atlantic up the coast, that would be fine, but that isn't doing the loop either, and in the end we summed up our health (she was bucked off a horse, I crashed an airplane - 2 bodies with O backs) and decided the sailboat wasn't practical or realistic at our stage no matter how we sliced it.
Then came the perfect boat - an old Prairie trawler that had been loved, then discarded as a fish boat, and then loved again by an old solo bluewater sailor trying to bring it back. *He had put in a new 52 hp engine, fridge, stove top, shaft, A/C, overhauled the electrical and entire plumbing. *Then came divorce . . . and we now have the boat, still no interior and we don't think we'll put one in, we do fine with a couple chairs and a card table or mix and match for whatever we're doing. *Electronics I installed (I had plenty of that in Aircraft). *The draft is under 3 feet - huge factor for a good loop boat, you can get into all the places most want to go, most of the time without the dingy. *With a flybridge you have sightseeing at its best, and that's another reason for a flybridge trawler (maybe the best reason of all). *Looking down, there is a safety factor in navigating shoals if the water is right, and looking ahead and behind as well for obstacles, or landmarks. *Price on Praries is anywhere from $50K for a loved one to $25K for a fishfixerupper. *The boat itself is a Hargrave design of the usual 70's tank specification for fiberglass layup - 2 shaft seals and a prop protecting keel, sail rudder (can turn in its own length with practice). *It's not a go fast boat with any horsepower, but that's not what we boat for anyway. *I do hope this helps answer your question. *Very best of luck in finding your boat! *Matt Mattson
[video=[MEDIA=youtube]XjryApXHZKo[/MEDIA]]
