Wanted: Looking for 32-36 trawler

I am looking for a 32-36ft trawler with a single diesel to us for Fl Keyes and trips to the Bahamas.I am looking at Albin, Marine trader, older Grand Banks and Mainship pilots. Does anyone have advise as to what years to stay away from? The trawlers are 1980- 1990, and the Mainship Pilots are 2002- 2004 with 370 Yanmar turbos. My price range is 30k-100k. Thanks

Hello bluewater1953,
I have a 1983 34 Ft. Marine Trader for sale that you may be interested in. The boat is in the Port Charlotte area if you would like to come take a look. We are currently asking $59,900.00. To see pictures and specs. go to Yacht World and see YW# 63109-2406397. If you are interested please call me at 941-204-1414 or my broker, Tommy Head at Red Fish Brokers 866-375-5832.

I hope to meet with you soon,
Robert Paxton

I toured ReefDrifter - it's in very nice shape. We just decided a 34 footer was too small for us.

Not sure your budget range will get you a decent Grand Banks in the year range you're looking at. Perhaps a GB32. Not the best open water boat on the planet for several reasons but certainly well built. The upper end of your budget range could get you a decent GB36 but it would be a pretty early fiberglass model like ours. So mid-1973 on up to perhaps mid-1980s. Note that I did not say you won't find examples of GBs in the lower part of your budget range, I said decent GBs. There are some real junkers out there that can be had for cheap but like any junker they'll take a hell of a lot of time, labor, and money to being them up to something approaching snuff.

pilot sedan trawler

i was in Stuart with my boat yesterday. It is a 40 pilot sedan trawler, Cat diesel with 270 hours, new genset, 300gal fuel and 300 water. Price is 34,350. I have complete specs. Call me at 239-247-2505 or email reliabletow@earthlink.net. Jerry Smith

pilot sedan trawler

Here are a couple more pics of my boat for you. Headroom is 6'4" in salon, 7' below.

Finally, to answer your Yanmar question, many Mainships were built with a 6 cylinder diesel know as a 6LPSTE, in the 315hp class. this engine was a joint project with Toyota, and was a medium duty forklift engine before yanmar converted it, with a 4 valve head. This is a bad engine, and you would be well advised to stay away from any Yanmar 6LP. So bad that Yanmar lost a class action suit, and repaired them for free for 7 years. The 7 years are up. Poor Warren Luhrs at Mainship bought a ton of these engines. The Luhrs main plant in St. Augustine closed, probably due to economy, and these engines. However, the 370 is a decent engine, and the 4LH is a super engine.

We're looking at a Mainship 40 with a Yanmar6LY3-UTP. Any problems with that engine that you know of?

The 6LY series are decent engines. The UTP is in the middle of the horsepower ratings, at 380HP. I like to see these engines run at the lower HP outputs, where they run a bit cooler, and longer. As a single engine installation in a 40 Mainship, the engine should be ideal.

On another note, there is an interesting trawler at York Road Marine, a 60' Krogen design. I peeked at it yesterday, and it is powered with twin 333 Cats, an older 6 cylinder engine series, with a good history, and 2 gensets. The boat certainly needs TLC, but just ran in there after a bottom job elsewhere. What is particularly interesting is the price, and it is said that the boat can be had for a very low price. It was built in 1968, 2 inch teak, glassed over. a budget boat for sure. Interested parties can contact york Road Marine at 239-283-1149, Tom is the proprietor.

jglabrown said:

We're looking at a Mainship 40 with a Yanmar6LY3-UTP. Any problems with that engine that you know of?

Click to expand...

The problems with ANY high reving high horsepower to weight engine are the same. The engine life will be 100% based on how the engine was run, and how it was maintained.

Most people don't realize this, but high HP to weight engines, if run at high horsepower settings just do not have the same life as if they were run at low horsepower settings.

So, looking at a semi displacement boat with 2K hours on a high HP-weight engine like the Yanmar, or the Cummins (just two examples) is really a crap shoot. If the engine was run hard it could be much nearer to end of life than you think. If it was run easy then it could have a few thousand hours left in it.

The problem is that at least with the Cummins (I've never had a Yanmar) engines a engine survey is not that great at predicting where in the lifecycle that engine is. All you really get is oil analysis and blowby. Actual under load testing will determine if the engine meets specifications that day only. Remember that they don't take apart engines for a engine survey.

Then you run into maintenance. On these types of engines manitenance is more complex and expensive than other engines. Aftercooler servicing is the really big difference. This can be a pretty expensive job, and maintenance records are the only real way to determining where in the lifecycle the aftercoolers are.

For those that think high hp to weight diesel engines typically last a really long time, just look at Yacht World. Try to find a high HP High reving engine on YW with over 2K hours on it. Its pretty hard. Then try the same thing with lower HP to weight engines. you'll see these with over 5K hours really consistantly.

Excellent replies; thank you both.

You should look at Woodsongs' Monk 36. A very nice fully updated trawler in great shape. I know it isn't on your brand specific list but, it is well within your desired price range.

Sailor of Fortune said:

You should look at Woodsongs' Monk 36. A very nice fully updated trawler in great shape. I know it isn't on your brand specific list but, it is well within your desired price range.

Click to expand...

Ditto. And with the newly lowered price, I would act fast.