Outboard powered Trawlers?

Does anyone know if some of the early small Ranger Tugs came with outboard?

I see the R-21's now come with diesel.

PC- I believe diesel is all that is used in the full line of Rangers.

On the subject of slanted windows and OB powered rigs, here is a current listing in Seattle Craiglist:

2008 Sea Sport 260 Alaskan Pilothouse

Al said:

Another boat for sale on our local online blog site:
A common conversion of a former I/O boat to OB. So common as to not be unusual as a first choice over new engine/outdrive.

Staying with my 6.plus knot pocket trawler, like the comfort, time on the water watching and enjoying the passing shoreline with my Sirius radio ear head set tuned to Willie's Road House, cup of "gas boat" coffee.
So much is missed pounding through the water watching for drift and raising hell on the kidneys. Just saying.
Al



Boat for Sale
26 foot Olympic XL Hardtop with 225 hp Honda Outboard (20 hours) and 15 hp High Thrust Honda Kicker. Both Engines excellent condition & just like new! Both with 3 year warranty remaining. Rigged for sportfishing / dual station hydraulic steering. Includes Scotty Pro-Pak Downriggers, King 3-axle Galvanized Trailer in very good condition. New Stand-up Head. Lots of gear and too many extras to list. $35,000.00 OBO call 617-2413 Serious inquiries only.

Posted: Sat, 30 Aug. 2014
Expires: Mon, 29 Sep. 2014

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Thanks for those links:

Very interesting about converting an I/O to OB; nobody's thought of that here. Is this an easy conversion . it sounds right as the OB and will sit on the transom and give approx the same balance/trim as the inboard diesel.

Love the tuff boats.

eyschulman said:

If it has not been mentioned what about a OB down east type. These boats are proven seaworthy and can run economically slow or faster and there is a wide selection from 24 to 30 foot many are trailer capable. To look into this try Downeast form for leads to this type.

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We know absolutely nothing about down east boats over here.
I would be grateful if you give me a summary of their characterises.
Would a 32' be suitable for OB's?

Skipping back through some posts...hard not to go ahead and say it....

But it's been said and supported by some...that a TRAWLER...is a boat that drags nets for a living.

Well...I have seen plenty of outboard boats dragging nets for a living and never most of the boats owned here...yes one GB that was fitted out for trolling...but not to many of the generically called trawlers here...

So before we eliminate "outboard trawlers" .....some here ought to listen to the ebb and flow of "info" here that can only be called entertainment....

psneeld said:

Skipping back through some posts...hard not to go ahead and say it....

But it's been said and supported by some...that a TRAWLER...is a boat that drags nets for a living.

Well...I have seen plenty of outboard boats dragging nets for a living and never most of the boats owned here...yes one GB that was fitted out for trolling...but not to many of the generically called trawlers here...

So before we eliminate "outboard trawlers" .....some here ought to listen to the ebb and flow of "info" here that can only be called entertainment....

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Thanks for your support.

As a matter of fact, the little photo you see by my name is a Cheetah commercial fishing Cat, and it is used by inshore fishermen on the south coast of England as a lobster boat.

Here's the link: Cheetah Marine LLP

I thought I would muddy the waters some more:

Does the cheetah have forward sloping windows: check
Is it a commercial boat used by fishermen: check
Is it a stable platform: check
Can it cruise at displ speeds : check

So.....

My little Cat IS a trawler by those definitions: so there!:lol:

Rustybarge wrote;
"Very interesting about converting an I/O to OB; nobody's thought of that here. Is this an easy conversion . it sounds right as the OB and will sit on the transom and give approx the same balance/trim as the inboard diesel."

That is very popular in the US and usually done the quick and dirty way by attaching a standoff bracket to the transom so the OB is entirely aft of the transom ...... with nothing under it for support. The CG is moved further aft when it's already probably too far aft. It's not ideal or even good but it's easy and inexpensive. Also considerably more room is generated in the aft cockpit .. A plus to be sure but the pluses are few.

My take on it is that if one wants a bigger boat just extend the stern .. and some people do.


Rustybarge I like your posts just not the subject of trying to be vogue by turning your high performance OB boat into a trawler. It isn't. And many have tried that in the past w much much more trawler like boats than yours. Trawlerness is vogue now and all things vogue pass so if you're a very patient man you may succeed but by the time you do it won't be vogue anymore.

I like what I see of both you and your boat but I for one won't be calling your boat a trawler. But a good poster you are and I hope you become a long time member here especially with your "out of the box" and "other world" experience and background you have a great potential to keep us thinking and in perspective.

manyboats said:

......... My take on it is that if one wants a bigger boat just extend the stern .. and some people do.

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I would say if one wants a bigger boat, the simplest and most practical solution is t sell the too small boat and buy a bigger boat.

manyboats said:

There are trawlers and there are outboard boats.

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I know that there are outboard boats.

However, I'm not so sure that trawlers exist.

manyboats said:

Rustybarge wrote;
"Very interesting about converting an I/O to OB; nobody's thought of that here. Is this an easy conversion . it sounds right as the OB and will sit on the transom and give approx the same balance/trim as the inboard diesel."

That is very popular in the US and usually done the quick and dirty way by attaching a standoff bracket to the transom so the OB is entirely aft of the transom ...... with nothing under it for support. The CG is moved further aft when it's already probably too far aft. It's not ideal or even good but it's easy and inexpensive. Also considerably more room is generated in the aft cockpit .. A plus to be sure but the pluses are few.

My take on it is that if one wants a bigger boat just extend the stern .. and some people do.

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Actually, Eric, the beauty of the I/O conversion to outboard power is being able to keep the full transom with no cut out. Usually the outboard sits on a bracket attached to the transom completely outside the boat. Look at how the Roseborough engine is mounted.

Moonstruck said:

Actually, Eric, the beauty of the I/O conversion to outboard power is being able to keep the full transom with no cut out. Usually the outboard sits on a bracket attached to the transom completely outside the boat. Look at how the Roseborough engine is mounted.

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Yes,having the OB on a bracket makes fishing a breeze, and opens up the whole aft area.

Trawlers Midwest has one of their own design, powered by a Merc outboard. Simple, but elegant in its own right. Trailerable, also.

Actually I'm just jealous because I didn't think of it first.

Seriously I could do that to my own 18.5' OB boat. But I'm already dealing w an aft CG problem as the helmsman and first passenger need to sit way fwd to trim properly and the ride is rather rough up there. I'd need to move the fuel tanks up under the foredeck if I was to balance the boat and move the seats aft some. Look at N4712's picture and see how far aft the CG is w the engine that far out back.

However if you're converting an IO to a OB on a bracket boat the CG may not change that much as the IO's engine is/was so heavy. Especially if the original IO boat was overpowered ... and many or most were/are. I have a Winner 18 and most W18's were probably IO's so the bracket conversion may .. Just may not be so bad. Especially if I had a 2stroke OB. But still bad IMO.

Most people aren't very concerned about CG but I am. For a planing boat I still think the boat w an inboard engine is best. I've seen inboards w a high speed shaft from the back of the engine to an IO leg on the transom. One was a heavily built (about 34') boat w an unusually large leg. Could have been a trawler. But it eats up more boat space. But has great possibilities ... Perhaps for trawlers.

Small older outboards w/o much of a "well" or "slop tray" were fine until first the deep Vee hulls requiring the engine to be mounted considerably lower and then the weight of outboards over the 4 stroke issue kinda sold the outboard boat down the river so to speak. The 6cylinder Merc OBs didn't help either w the very tall engine requiring lots of room in the tilted position. But thankfully they probably don't build boats to fit the tall Merc's anymore.

For a trawler having the engine full aft results in a light boat because it's an OB and even lighter fwd because the engine's are aft. Not a good formula for beating into head seas. May bring a new meaning to "beating".
And in following seas balance is even more important. A light bow could be all over the place and there's that heavy stern deep in the water where a wave can get a good hold on it and have it's way w the boat.

The more I think about it the less I like the OB trawler idea.

rwidman said:

I would say if one wants a bigger boat, the simplest and most practical solution is t sell the too small boat and buy a bigger boat.

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That's far to simple!

Have to give Psneeld a chuckle, Recently returned from a voyage to Wrangell, Alaska about 85 miles one way. While there a commercial Gill Netter tied up close by. It is a 34 foot CHB trawler. The owner has the aft cabin removed and the gill net reel assembly installed. Now that is good thinking. The CHB appeared an older model. The owner has acquired a modest priced hull with known reliable engine.
In the overall the rig surely did not look out of place among the fishing fleet as many of the current commercial boats are in reverse, converted to pleasure use.

I echo Manyboats- RustyBarge your created forum subject is interesting, your inquiries are stimulating.

Being an adoped child raised as a "Swede" and later finding my birth Mother to learn I am 100% Irish make reading you makes the world smaller and warmer.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH:

I hope it works...

May there alw ays be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with love

Al said:

Have to give Psneeld a chuckle, Recently returned from a voyage to Wrangell, Alaska about 85 miles one way. While there a commercial Gill Netter tied up close by. It is a 34 foot CHB trawler. The owner has the aft cabin removed and the gill net reel assembly installed. Now that is good thinking. The CHB appeared an older model. The owner has acquired a modest priced hull with known reliable engine.
In the overall the rig surely did not look out of place among the fishing fleet as many of the current commercial boats are in reverse, converted to pleasure use.

I echo Manyboats- RustyBarge your created forum subject is interesting, your inquiries are stimulating.

Being an adoped child raised as a "Swede" and later finding my birth Mother to learn I am 100% Irish make reading you makes the world smaller and warmer.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH:

I hope it works...

May there alw ays be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with love

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As John Wayne said in The Quiet Man: " The top of the morning to you"

The land of saints and scholars, or as the locals see it ' whores and robbers'.

...just joking; or maybe not!

Al said:

Have to give Psneeld a chuckle, Recently returned from a voyage to Wrangell, Alaska about 85 miles one way. While there a commercial Gill Netter tied up close by. It is a 34 foot CHB trawler. The owner has the aft cabin removed and the gill net reel assembly installed. Now that is good thinking. The CHB appeared an older model. The owner has acquired a modest priced hull with known reliable engine.
In the overall the rig surely did not look out of place among the fishing fleet as many of the current commercial boats are in reverse, converted to pleasure use.

I echo Manyboats- RustyBarge your created forum subject is interesting, your inquiries are stimulating.

Being an adoped child raised as a "Swede" and later finding my birth Mother to learn I am 100% Irish make reading you makes the world smaller and warmer.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH:

I hope it works...

May there alw ays be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with love

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OK good one...so we have a GB "troller" and a CHB "gillnetter:...both of which my dingy can do under oars...

Man.... where are the TRAWLERS that look like our avatars????

Get out there and scour the earth...oh...never mind...anyone in the southeast on the ICW can take a nice snapshot of an outboard powered Shrimp Trawler.....

How about an outboard powered motor yacht?

24 passenger vessel: twin 300hp/ 35'

24 Passenger Outboard Catamaran



Survey vessel: twin 225 hp OB.

Yep Peter, tons or "tonns" of similar craft in Southeast Alaska. The largest manufacture of aluminum boats in Alaska is in Wrangell.

You are driving Psneeld wild!! His above response had me rolling on the floor, it is a beaut!

"OK good one...so we have a GB "troller" and a CHB "gillnetter:...both of which my dingy can do under oars...

Man.... where are the TRAWLERS that look like our avatars????

Get out there and scour the earth...oh...never mind...anyone in the southeast on the ICW can take a nice snapshot of an outboard powered Shrimp Trawler.....
psneeld is online now Report Post

Al said:

Yep Peter, tons or "tonns" of similar craft in Southeast Alaska. The largest manufacture of aluminum boats in Alaska is in Wrangell.

You are driving Psneeld wild!! His above response had me rolling on the floor, it is a beaut!

"OK good one...so we have a GB "troller" and a CHB "gillnetter:...both of which my dingy can do under oars...

Man.... where are the TRAWLERS that look like our avatars????

Get out there and scour the earth...oh...never mind...anyone in the southeast on the ICW can take a nice snapshot of an outboard powered Shrimp Trawler.....
psneeld is online now Report Post

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Thanks for that link, love this 38' twin 350hp water jet....
....err, slightly out of my price bracket.

With enough money you can do just about anything. This passed us on the Potomac River in Maryland. I believe it belongs to the US Army

I would hate to pay the fuel bill. Oh wait; As a taxpayer I am paying the fuel bill.

Craig (Cpseudonym) could have an OB powered trawler.

Find the 40hp OB with the biggest prop and lowest gear ratio. Order it w the longest lower unit available. Modify the stern to accommodate the OB and away he goes.

With the lightweight plywood hull and the removal of the big heavy inboard engine hull speed will be easily reached ... probably continuously. Sure a planing hull requires twice the power to go at displacement speed but the lightness of the hull will require less than half the power. A 40hp OB should push that boat of his for considerably less than 2 gph.

Would be a little squirrelly in a windy harbor but it should be easier to control than the inboard w it's small prop and tiny rudder. Just think'in.

Could work Eric but Bliss has a very heavy fiberglass hull, over an inch thick actually. The plywood hulled boats are much lighter than this one.

manyboats said:

Craig (Cpseudonym) could have an OB powered trawler.

Find the 40hp OB with the biggest prop and lowest gear ratio. Order it w the longest lower unit available. Modify the stern to accommodate the OB and away he goes.

With the lightweight plywood hull and the removal of the big heavy inboard engine hull speed will be easily reached ... probably continuously. Sure a planing hull requires twice the power to go at displacement speed but the lightness of the hull will require less than half the power. A 40hp OB should push that boat of his for considerably less than 2 gph.

Would be a little squirrelly in a windy harbor but it should be easier to control than the inboard w it's small prop and tiny rudder. Just think'in.

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+1
I agree, it needs very little power to push a boat at 5 or 6 kts; it doesn't matter how much it weighs.

Rustybarge said:

+1
I agree, it needs very little power to push a boat at 5 or 6 kts; it doesn't matter how much it weighs.

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Don't forget the effects of wind and current.

Labeling a fast, light-weight boat a trawler is a disservice.

markpierce said:

Labeling a fast, light-weight boat a trawler is a disservice.

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To whom?

Linnaeus? I thought he stopped at rocks after he boogered that attempt all up.

rwidman said:

I would say if one wants a bigger boat, the simplest and most practical solution is t sell the too small boat and buy a bigger boat.

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You should know better than to try to inject logic and common sense into these kinds of discussions, Ron.

Here is the thing, new modern 4stroke outboards cost almost $100 per horsepower with a best case lifespan of 6000 hours, used daily like on a tour boat with super maintaince perhaps on the outside 9000 hours. In the end the diesel is now cheaper last longer and you get more hp per dollar, and you do not have gasoline aboard.. I do love4 stroke outboards though. Smooth, quite, just nice.