New to trawlers

Hi my name is Gary Herron. Been boating for about 6 yrs. I have a Dixie boat works. It a 21' cuddie cabin. Want to get a trawler or a tug what are some great starter boats and what size should I start out with. Every opinion is greatly appariated. Thanks do my boating in Northeast cheseapeke.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

Welcome aboard,

Welcome Met,

Albin 25'.

Thanks for the welcome mat. I was just wondering what size is a good starting size trawler. 30' to 35' or a little smaller?

Met-Ed said:

Thanks for the welcome mat. I was just wondering what size is a good starting size trawler. 30' to 35' or a little smaller?

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What you need depends on what you plan to do with it. Going out for a weekend getaway with a friend can be done very nicely on a quite small boat. Planning on doing the Great Loop for a year, you might want something larger. Cruising the ICW and protected waterways can be done on a very modest boat. Rounding the horn of Africa would require something more substantial. There are a number of places that rent trawlers. May be a good idea to rent a couple of times to see what feels good.

Ted

Thanks so much! Maybe renting to try out a boat is a great idea. Do you know what marinas rent them?

Welcome Gary
Lets try and narrow this down a little bit so you can have some fun looking at the web sites where there are boats for sale .

1) do you have a price range? eg $20,000 to $50,000 or maybe higher

2) are you going to trailer this or keep it in a marina?

3) from looking at your location you might be boating mostly on the Delaware or are you thinking of more coastal?

4) typically how many on board?

5) day use? weekend? several weeks at a time? live aboard?

6) long distance running?

7) fish much?

8) happy with 8 mph or want a little more once in a while?

Gary - each item tells us something about the potential direction to look. Also playing footitis with boats is very spendy so when you are thinking about your use take a little reach and answer the questions considering the boat you really want rather than good enough for now.

Thanks a lot of great info. I usually go out on the cheseapeke bay. Any info on sundown trawlers?

Take your time looking and when you find the perfect one, get a complete survey with OIL SAMPLES. There are a lot of older trawlers out there that look beautiful on the surface, but are falling apart inside. I have spent 40 years working on boats and have seen people all excited about their new boat, then walk away from boating because of breakdowns and the cost of repairs. That is a real shame because boating can be so much fun.

You need to establish the facilities and capacities required/desired and then choose a trawler that accommodates them (and your pocketbook). Our 35-footer works well for us.

We made the switch from cruising sailboat to power a couple of years ago. For us the priorities were trailerability. comparatively low price, and quality design. An Albin-25 was our answer.

Just go and buy a 34 American Tug and get out there and start enjoying life on the water. There are a few out in you area for sale. I wouldn't waste your money on oil samples. Just get a good surveyor and a mech inspection. Sounds like you already have some knowledge. You asked for opinions and you'll get many. This one of course is just mine. And welcome aboard.

Cheers