Hi from a newbie

Well, the admiral has decided she wants to be able to stand up when she has a shower so we are crossing to the dark side, selling the sailboat and looking to buy an ex fishing boat to convert into a extended range cruiser.I am a marine engineer so am well aware of the challenges of doing this (one of the reasons I want to)
Question for the aussies on here. I'm very taken with the Sharpie cray/trawlers in the 45' range but don't know a lot about them and am a little nervous buying a used wooden boat. Is there a standard construction for these boats, ie edge glued, caulked carvel, GOP etc? I don't seem to able to find much info on them.
We are currently in Fiji for cyclone season then Vanuatu & New Cal next winter before heading back to NZ to sell so plenty of time for asking lots of questions before the big move.

Hi Nightcap and welcome to the forum

Nothing wrong going to the darkside a few of us have done so

Benn is the man you need to talk to when you see him on line.
He is of your profession also and has a wooden boat he built around 48 ft I think it is

Australia is a good place to find that type of boat going cheap and seaworthy to boot as a lot of smaller fishermen are selling their boats ATM

I would go for a hard chine first and carvel next but a bit rollypolly there

A splinded boat would be a good buy however Benn can enlighten you more

Allan

Nightcap,
Welcome, all is not dark when you go from A to B with out having to go also to C, D F and G.
As a Ginger Beer you have the creds to cdonvert a good boat.
A sharpie is the way to go for a cruising boat, preferably not too old so that it is not nail sick and you have less problems with cracked ribs.
A nice combination of hardwood (spotted gum) below the waterline and pine, (Oregon, hoop or other is good as it lends it self to splining and a lovely smooth finish but a hardwwod topsides is also very strong.
X trawlers are still available and some in VG condition, I know of a couple around Bundaberg and Gladstone also another in Tin Can Bay.
X cray boats are fantastic but being deep bellied carvels they are fantastic sea boats but deep draught and roll their guts out so not the best for being at anchor and this is how you spend most of your time.On these flopper stoppers and paravanes become a must.
I was going to head down that way before I built Tidahapah.
Where are you based when you get home. I am normally in Mooloolaba but presently Tin Can bay until at least Feb.

Send me a PM if you want to get in touch and I will give youn my e-mail and mobile number.
Allan I am heading up to Tin Can on Wed.
Benn

Thanks guys, I'm actually a Kiwi & will be returning there to sell the sailboat but intend shifting to Oz to buy & convert the trawler (because the range of boats is so good & I love the place)
I'm in a bit of a dilemma about hard chine, I love the initial stability but we will be doing some serious bluewater miles (I want 3-4000 nm range!!!) so need to have something that will see us through the worst. That being said, I have skippered some hard chine gin palaces on 1000nm+ bluewater deliveries & have been pretty impressed with their behaviour in some of the crap I put them through. The whole paravane thing worries me as well. Call me old fashioned but hulls were built to move & restricting that movement seems wrong to me. Having had little - no experience with them however I might be an easy convert. Fuel consumption???

You going to need a big boat with large fuel tanks, probable full displacement and hull speed.* Fuel capacity around 1500 to 2000 gallons for 3 to 4,000 NM range?* I agree with you for blue water a boat should be stable/blue water capable with out stabilization.*

The reason fish are popular on trawlers is the hydraulic stabilizers are not very efficient at slow speeds and its hard to get a good angle for the fins.* I have had the major hydraulic stabilizers reps look at the Eagle and they said for the bucks, $30,000+, they would not be worth it. One sales rep did not even get out of the car. They addvised better to added ballast, twin keels, and/or active stabilizers fish.* Our keel and bilge is already filled with concrete so we can not add more*ballast, so I been looking at twin keels, sort of like hard chimes, to reduce/restrict the roll, and filled with concrete would added ballast.* I will have a marine engineer involved.**Some commercal trawler have them.*We will also added fish stabilizers but hopefully will not need/use them.* Sort of back up.

Our boat*is*58 ft, 43 tons single 671, 165 hp with 1200 gallons has a range around 2 to 2,500 miles. **If I was going to cross an ocean, I would be looking at steel commercial trawler or at least trawlers that were mfg/built that also built commercial trawlers.** So I would also walk/talk the commercial docks/yards as well.* Commercial is usually cheaper than pleasure as they do not have the glitz/shine, but they do have most of the creature comforts.* There is a 60 ft steel trawler, Steelady, at our dock I that drool over!* Its for sale if you are interested? *

Sails are becoming an option on some of the trawlers.* The sails are not the main power but they can increase the range.** There are also two 50+ ft motor sailors, one is steel that I also have look at. I talk to both owners that have been down/up the coast and they mostly motor and sail at the same time.* They both of 100 to 150 hp engines and 1000+ gallons tanks.* *The Steel on is for sale!
*
So I would be looking at a commercial trawler and/or a motor sailor in the 50+ ft range.*


-- Edited by Phil Fill on Tuesday 30th of November 2010 10:41:01 AM

Nightcap,
I don't know if you read or get the Coastal Passage a paper/on line mag every cruiser on the Qld coast reads.<a href="http://www.thecoastalpassage.com/" title="The Coastal Passage">www./thecoastalpassage.com
</a>Last 2 editions have a good article written about a couple who changed over from rag to power and have a converted trawler, have travelled the coast down around Tassie and are now heading backn up north.
Australia, Kimberlies, Indo, PNG etc all good areas to cruise in a well set up power boat without having to go the full monty with a &1 million plus "passagemaker"
Benn

Hi Nightcap

Here is another link that may answer some of your questions

http://cruisingunderpower.fastmail.net/

Allan

TCP is great, I had forgotten it existed. Thanks for the link. Ironically I'm writing this while MOTOR sailing due to serious lack of wind and a desire to finish the day with a cold beer at some nice resort. As far as fuel capacity goes I'm prepared to use internally stowed bladders to increase the range for long legs and also to allow me to buy extra fuel when price is good. I did a delivery recently with an extra 700 gallons in purpose (Australian) built bladders housed in cofferdams and they were fantastic. The engine room had CCTV so I was able to monitor movement easily through the 4-5 metre swells & 25k knots wind we had for most of the trip.
Steel is definitely an option as I understand it a lot more than wood but I'm not boxing myself into a corner and only considering certain types/materials. We'll have plenty of time for looking so hope to take as much advice on board as possible and come up with the best we can find/afford.
Cheers
Pete

Nightcap,
Bladders are ok but really only a short term solution.
I have a 500 lt bladder (Turtle pac) that I stow on the aft deck when I want extra range like an extended trip to the Swains from Mooloolaba.
I am doing an engine change now so new engine should also increase the range.
What size boat are you contemplating.
From what you have said I would imagine 45 to 50 ft.
Most X trawlers would normally have good fuel tankage but little water tankage (the beauty of water makers)
Don't worry about the sea keeping capabilities of a sharpie, they are A1 just marginally down from a nice carvel hull.

Benn

-- Edited by Tidahapah on Wednesday 1st of December 2010 06:54:07 PM

-- Edited by Tidahapah on Wednesday 1st of December 2010 06:55:24 PM

Yes, we're looking at 45-50' and the bladder is only an option for the odd long bluewater passage. Ideally I would like to add extra steel tanks as long as I wouldn't be losing too much usable internal volume. There is also the option of carrying fuel to remote islands that often have a problem with regular supplies.