Older and affordable trailerable trawlers?

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Our Albin 25 did not have a shower, the head compartment was not configured for one. We used "Sun Shower" bags and showered on the swim step. I am not sure if other A-25's are equipped with a shower. That was a non issue for us.
 
jeffnick said:
Big Duck is everything you are looking for except for having a Chevy 350 I/O, and weighing in about double what you're looking for.

We are currently at Lake Powell after towing 2000 miles across country. There's plenty of room for 4 adults, a 2 yr old and dog.
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Big duck may work for protected waters but I'd hate to cross an angry bar in big duck I'll bet she will submarine in a heartbeat
 
Seems to me that you're pretty closely describing one of the larger C-Dories, except for the flying bridge. I'm acquainted with two very happy owners of C-Dories
 
However, C-Dories are not old nor cheap

They're a bit too new on the market for that.
 
CPseudonym said:
I think the Scout 30 qualifies as a trailerable trawler. There was one for sale in the classified section of the forum. There was a Monterey 31 listed there some time back too that came with a trailer.
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not heard of them, will check em out thanks.
I've been looking at outboard powered grady whites and noticed that if sailed at 5-8mpg they get trawler economy and yet can be opened up to +30knts for a fast run. Got me toying with the idea of buying one.
 
....... and priced between $10K and $20K .......
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That price range for a trawler is going to get you a "project boat" and probably a big project. Figure in a lot of time and money repairing and replacing things.

As for a flybridge on a trailerable boat, that's pretty hard to do because of height restrictions and low bridges. Ranger Tug has a 31' model with a folding flybridge but it's pretty heavy and more than ten times your proposed budget.

It's close to $400K and you would need a $60K truck to tow it. And you would need a place to store it. Your neighbors would frown upon parking it in your driveway.
 
Vote for Nimble - we see them all the time up here on the canal, great little boats fort the price. With a 50hp Honda, they can cruise at around 7 or 8 knots burning about 1 or 2 gallons an hour.
 
We have a 25 Rosborough. Nova Scotia made (until recently; now in NH). Outboard powered; cruises easily at 16-18 kts. with twin 90's. Usually we go slow; but when it is rough the boat perfroms beter on plane. First made for Nova Scotia PD boats; so very seaworthy. A little pricey tho; unless you find an older one that needs some TLC.
 
CPseudonym said:
I think the Scout 30 qualifies as a trailerable trawler. There was one for sale in the classified section of the forum. There was a Monterey 31 listed there some time back too that came with a trailer.
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Craig,
Is the Scout 30 FG, strip planked or what? As long as it wasn't a wood boat w seams opening up when dry it could qualify as a trailer boat. Would take a dedicated V8 truck to pull it around. Scout for under $20K?
 
The price of an outboard is far more than than the price of dropping a new crate engine into an open cockpit. C-Dorys can't be had for less than $40K.
The OP could get a Bayliner Explorer 2670 as they come up for sale once in awhile. I found the following specs from a listing:
1982 - 26' 7" Semi-Displacement Hull; very stable.
8' 5" Beam with a 2' 2" Draft.
Single Volvo Penta 4 cyl. gas engine with a 270 outdrive. Very fuel efficient: 5 litre / hour.
 
It is very hard to find a boat for less than $20,000 unless they need a lot of work. The boat I ended up buying had good running gear, but needed some interior work. Ended up owning a 2000 Donzi Z275. It is lighter than the Bayliners of the same length and has almost the same layout. Also the beam is narrower. Don't need a permit to tow it. We paid 20,000 f0r the boat and $8,000 for a bigger truck to haul it with. We replaced the wood with Starboard, fixed the water heater and the head. Also put another set of brakes on the tri-axle trailer. Ended up spending $5000 more to make it comfortable. It has a 7.5L Mercruiser B3 I/O This is our first pocket cruiser. Depending on how things go over the next several years we may go for something bigger. This is a new Adventure for us. Now that everything has been fixed, we are ready to go on cruises. Just a matter of figuring out where to go first.
 
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<li class="b_algo" data-bm="7">Home - America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association

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America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) TM is an organization of people who share a sense of adventure and a curiosity about America's Great Loop.
 
I've had two Bayliners so far. The first was a mid-80's Ciera Sunbridge 2750...it had a nice interior and was a fast boat, but the engine and outdrive were in bad shape and I sold it. It was fast, but it was a fuel hog. For it's size though, there was a lot of useable room in that boat. At about 7500lbs, it needed a full-size truck to tow it.

Scroll forward to now...after owning a MacGregor 26X for a while (trailerable motor-sailer) then a 30' Endeavourcat sailing catamaran, I ended up with another Bayliner...1989 3818. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this boat...it's truly a 2 bedroom/2 bathroom floating condo. Salon, galley, shower/bathtub, 2 private staterooms, 2 heads, large flybridge, twin Hino diesels that are fuel efficient and reliable, barely sips fuel if you go at hull speed, but can still get up on plane and run around 15 knots without breaking the bank...it really is a fantastic boat.

The 38xx's are not trailerable though (42 feet long and 14 feet wide), and not in the price range. However, the slightly smaller Bayliner 32xx *might* be trailerable in some states...and you might also be able to find one of those for $20K or so. There was also a 28 foot Bayliner that was trailerable, but I'm strugging to remember what it was called. Bayliner has traditionally done a really nice job with making roomy and useable interior layouts in their cruisers and yachts.

The thing I finally arrived at is that a trailerable boat just wasn't big enough to be completely comfortable AND have ample room for a couple guests. I think you have to be in the 30 foot range to get one real stateroom and good amenities, and you have to be somewhere around 40' to get two good sized staterooms. However, I went thru several trailerable boats before I decided this, and I knew exactly what I was looking for and getting when I bought the first and second "stay in the water" boats. So, keep searching, find what you think you want at a good price, and see how it goes. A trailerable boat is less risk than a "stay in the water" boat, and they are generally easier to sell.

And funnily enough, I just realized that I'm the one who started this thread years ago! :lol: I've learned quite a bit since then.

Good luck,
Dave
 
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davesisk said:
Hey guys...I'd love to find a roomy trawler that's still trailerable. I guess my standard of comparison would be the Macgregor 26X sailboats...they are 26' length, 8.5' beam, have a roomy cabin, and use water-ballast when sailing, so they are fairly light for trailering (a little over 2000 lbs minus the trailer). These can be had from around $10K - 20K (depending on condition and outboard engine brand/year) for a 1990's model (which is reasonably modern). They typically come reasonably well equipped. Most other sailboats are either 1) roomy and comfortable but not trailerable, or 2) trailerable but just too cramped to be comfortable. It's also the only trailerable sailboat with wheel steering and that can handle an outboard up to 50HP or so.

From what I have seen so far, the typical trawler offers more roominess than a typical sailboat (the Macgregor 26X included). I also quite like the flybridge often found on trawlers, although that's not absolutely necessary. I like the idea of one or two outboards instead of an inboard gas or diesel...for an older boat, it's much less expensive to re-power when it's outboards involved and IMO they are easier to work on, as opposed to climbing around in an engine bay. (Although I guess in the case of twin outboards, the price tag can add up.) I know there are several to choose from...the Ranger Tugs, the Albin trawlers, the Rosborough trawlers, etc. I haven't found any yet that fall into a used price range comparable to what I could find a Macgregor 26X for.

I've got an 80's Bayliner Cierra 2755 now...it's trailerable, but really heavy...my diesel truck sweats and grunts pulling it up and down hills...something a little lighter would be an easier tow. The engine is getting old and tired, and I'm not sure it's worth repowering it (it's worth about $6500 as is, and it would still technically be worth $6500 if I repowered it for $15K...it would just sell easier). Eventually, I'd like to have something too big to even consider trailering, but for now...I'll save myself a lot of expense and hassle. Now, I might very well leave it in a slip all summer, for instance...but I want to be able to pull it out myself versus paying a yard $700-800 just to pull it out of the water. Now, I *suppose* I could pull the inboard engine and outdrive out the Bayliner, mount a smaller (like 30-40hp) outboard on it and call it a "trawler"...LOL...but I don't know how well that would work overall. (I do have a small 2-stroke 8hp outboard mounted to the swim platform that has pushed it OK in times when I've had an engine issue on the water). Whatever I did, I have to contend with the fact that I need to put a used engine in it or on it, or I've got more in it than I would ever get out of it. (Which would be fine if I intended to keep it forever, but I don't.)

I'll take a roomy and well-equipped interior over lots of exterior space, although I really like the idea of a flybridge. Someone has suggested a houseboat to me once on this forum, but I'd like to at least be able to take it for short trips on the ocean (like maybe 3-4 trips up and down the NC coast). I know there's at least one old offshore houseboat made by Cutter in the 70's...but man, that thing was UGLY! LOL. My plan would be to spend a night or two on it over the weekends, anchor it out at some beach areas, take to it some of the downtown areas on the North Carolina coast...essentially use it as a reasonably comfortable floating condo that does get taken on a few "road trips" via water.

So, what I'm looking for: reputation for being a tough old boat...trailerable...roomy...one or two outboards...and priced between $10K and $20K...preferably a 1990's but would consider 1980's or even 1970's if the hull, decks, etc., have a reputation for holding up well. What brands/models/years should I be looking for?

Something like these Rosborough trawlers would be perfect IF it had a flybridge and could be had for $10K-20K. classifieds | compactyachts.com

Just a random side thought: too bad the US doesn't allow diesel outboard motors to be imported. A diesel outboard couldn't possibly be any worse than an older 2-stroke outboard...we have plenty of diesel inboards already...what's the big deal about this???

Thanks in advance for your guidance,
Dave
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Good Afternoon,

I was in the same boat (no pun intended). My dream boat would be a Lord Nelson Victory Tug that was towable. Obviously, that does not exist, so I spent several years building my dream boat. It is a 30' tug-styled boat that is as near to my goal as I could make it.

Well, things change, so now I'm having to get rid of my boat. This boat is not for everyone, the "go-fast crowd" wouldn't have it! Take a look at my posting under boats for sale, and see if it is something you would like.

Regards,
Bob
 
Good Afternoon,

I was in the same boat (no pun intended). My dream boat would be a Lord Nelson Victory Tug that was towable. Obviously, that does not exist, so I spent several years building my dream boat. It is a 30' tug-styled boat that is as near to my goal as I could make it.

Well, things change, so now I'm having to get rid of my boat. This boat is not for everyone, the "go-fast crowd" wouldn't have it! Take a look at my posting under boats for sale, and see if it is something you would like.

Regards,
Bob
 
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