Golden Star Trawlers? Anybody heard of them?

I have a broker in FL who has been searching for a trawler for me for a long time. He found one in New York, a little ways up the Hudson. It's a 1987 "Golden Star" sundeck 38. Twin diesels, ooh ah. Broker tells me it's on stands in the yard. I've googled around -- including this site -- and I found a little here and there, but not much. Taiwanese, looks like it was a nameplate they used for about 3-4 years, about 1986 to 1989. Some references say it was a name used by CHB (Chien Hwa Bros.) for a little while, but then other search results say something different. Some search results say it came out of the same yard as Grand Banks and is generally comparable to GB, which sounds pretty decent to me, but then who knows if that's true. Before I spring for a plane ticket to Westchester for a quick hop out there, does anybody know anything about that nameplate? Generic Taiwanese trawler, acres of woodwork inside, etc?

Thanks.

I have a 83 Chung Hwa built Sundeck, if you have some pictures to post I could compare them with our vessel if you are interested. The Grand Banks yard would be a plus of course, but my 8 years under and over our Present 42 has shown it to be an excellent build as well. Don't let the second hand stories of "pallet wood being used in the house construction" on the Taiwan trawlers concern you. I've seen ours firsthand- and it's not the case. Expect beautiful teak joinery, a stout hull and great lines. Also, as with any of these vessels- window leaks, soggy decks and leaking fuel tanks are possible as well..


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Lehman 135 Twins

There is on listed under trawlers in California on E-Bay the pictures of the vessel look really good it has nice lines.
Bill

Bill
I couldn't locate. I did find a YW listing of one sold. It's definitely not a Chung Hwa or GB hull design in my mind. Course, that doesn't seem to mean as much these days?.
http://m.yachtworld.com/mobile/boats/1984/Golden-Star-Trawler-2655288/ptiisburg/CA/United-States


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Lehman 135 Twins

My mistake this is a Golden Gate CHB. Here is the link.
39 ft CHB Golden Gate Trawler Double Cabin with Twin Diesels Trades Welcome | eBay

Nice looking ship.


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Lehman 135 Twins

eBay boat

That boat was listed as a "Buy it Now" for 28k and no one bit, looks like a lot of boat for under 30k.

At the risk of somebody snatching "The One" away from me, here's the listing I'm talking about:

http://www.popyachts.com/Boat/47625/For-Sale/New-York/Golden-Star/38-Sundeck.html

Nice Sundeck

Hey kthoennes--
That's a good looking boat and pretty much the model/design I'm most interested in at the moment. I'm gunshy of the Volvo's after poking around TF, and I'd like to find a single engined boat, but it's nice to know it's attractive to others. Right size and layout arrangement, real clean and low hours on the engines--very nice! Everyone says you can't beat a Sundeck for space and bang for your buck, and while a Cockpit or Europa looks nice for the inside/outside ease, to get that whole aft cabin for just a few steps up to the sundeck looks like the way to go to me. Good luck!

Greetings,
Mr. k. Your secret is safe with me but a question, if I may....Will the extra 5' LOA be enough?

Billylll said:

My mistake this is a Golden Gate CHB. Here is the link.
39 ft CHB Golden Gate Trawler Double Cabin with Twin Diesels Trades Welcome | eBay

Click to expand...

Love the sellers write up. He pretty much makes the point of why people hire brokers didn't he? Wonder why he didn't? Those Pop Yacht guys will handle older boats no matter the location. Nobody told him it's the buyers who pay for haul outs? Reading between the lines it appears buyers go look then flee. Good boats are usually bought by the first or second looker.

Greetings,
Mr. phk. I too enjoyed the write-up particularly, from the ad, "NO SALT=NO DAMAGE ON THE UNDERSIDE." Comedy at it's best.

kthoennes
I saw RT's question about the five feet and I think it is valid. Perhaps I could point out that a 38 has a narrower beam than a 40 by typically about 2 feet. That means there is a big difference in interior space. If you check the weights between a 38 and 40 or 42 you will again see a big difference. Much more ship going up that 2 more feet.
I can't comment on the engines but i will say the boat looks good. I am a bit nervous about the price. With a little shopping you might swing a full 40 or 42 for these dollars

Thanks everybody for the discussion so far. (That eBay listing is pretty amusing, I noticed that one on eBay shortly after it was listed.) You're right about the dilemma about size. We're about 7-9 years away from the Loop. We've had our current boat for about three years and there are still so many projects to be done, so I know it takes a long time -- far longer and far more money than anybody expects -- to bring a boat up to a condition to run serious long distance, even (mostly) coastal. We're in that gray area, that gradual transition time between shopping for a bigger boat "for now" and shopping for The One. The current boat has been a good education for me, teaches me boat systems, maintenance, sliding into a tight slip gently on a windy day with enough freeboard to power a wind farm, and all the boating costs -- like I just paid $30 for four replacement bronze carriage bolts to mount the new bow pulpit. It's a vehicle (literally and figuratively) for things like getting my FCC ship radio station license and learning that whole elaborate process (even though radios are almost never used at all on my piece of the Missouri River). I'm very slow and very OCD about boat projects so it will take me forever to get a boat ready, so knowing me we're starting to shop for The One already. Seven years will fly past in a blink I know, so if I'm going to learn basic diesel maintenance I figure I better start pretty soon. It's always the "where do we stop" question, how big, how much more in shipping and mooring and launching and fees... Right now 38 feels like the right size, under six figures, looks nice and clean, twin diesels (I'm not that good a boater, I'm resigned to trading off fuel economy for twins so I can spin on a dime and not crash into expensive things). We've been on enough 38's to have a good sense that we like that size but then sometimes I think I should just go ahead and buy a 72' monster, cast a shadow over all other boats in our current marina and be done with it. Like this one:

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/19...le-Bay/Sint-Maarten-(DUTCH-PART)#.U4Uey0Io7cs

I am new here, but do have a 1985 38' Golden Star Sportfisher. It was custom built for the original buyer and I nor the surveyor have been able to find another like it.
It seems all of them were aft cabin models with a forward v-berth, but mine has a forward v-berth but has a huge aft cockpit for fishing. The boat is solid, powered by twin Perkins range 4 motors with turbo's. Very well built. I will try to get a picture posted soon.

I would not invest in a plane ticket until I saw multiple clear photos of the engine compartment, battery banks, fuel tanks, under side of the deck in the rode locker and close ups of the running gear. The hard truth is there is something wrong if thats all its worth

The Golden Star brand was started by the principles of Bestway Industries in the late 1980's. Bestway built motor yachts principally under the LaBell name for Marine Trader. Relations with Don Miller of Marine Reader weren't good so Bestway tried to break their supply agreement and started to manufacture and sell boats under the Bestway brand. Legalities started and Bestway lost so the principles started Golden Star. Bestway vessels were well engineered and sturdily built. I would assume the same for Golden Star. Ion the original owner of a 1984 52' Kha Shing built moron yacht under the Vista brand. Quality is excellent and this vessel has served us very well. Give the Golden Star a try.