Design characteristics/traits in 36'-40' or seaworthiness

Been doing my research before I actually look at any boats - this forum has been a great help.

With a budget hopefully of around 75K most of what I see will be in the 80's.

For example from what I read the GB are very wet boats, and on a beam they have jerk to their roll.

So which makes are known for example to handle a following sea good/bad

or which handle waves well head on I guess the flair of the bow or angle of the stem.

Are certain designs really bad in a beam sea.

So from your experience or in talking to others can anyone shed some lite.

tks

I don't believe that you will find any meaningful difference is sea keeping ability in any 36-40' flybridge trawler with a semi displacement hull and a flat transom. Everything that you will hear is just dock talk.

Canoe stern, full displacement, ballasted, yes. Otherwise no difference.

David

An older Monk 36 will fit in your price range. Similar in most specs, there are some differences between a GB 36. Here are a few that influenced our choice:
Single bed on centerline in the aft cabin.
In a year and a half, I have yet to take any significant spray on board. Just lucky? Maybe.
Most Monks do not have teak decks. Most GBs do.
Early Monks came with Perkins engines, later ones, Cummins B 4 & 6 cylinders. GBs mostly used Lehmans or a few Cat 3208's.
GB has a europa model, Monk does not.
The Monk has a 3/4 size refer, the GB is half size.

Good luck in your search.

I like the layout on the Monk.

Don't count out a Defever. Arthur Defever designed realllllly beautiful, sea worthy boats and we absolutely love ours. My wife is prone to sea sickness but has never once felt queezy on Mollie. She is a Davis Defever 42 and rides very smooth even when we get hit by the big freighter wakes. We picked her up this June in that same price range.

I strongly suggest not relying on reading and get out on the water in various hull designs and/or observing other boats. Most importantly, different people have different reactions to different motions and navigate in different sea conditions (or not). And, as noted above, love to pass along hearsay and dockside legends rather than relate direct experience.

Thanks George,

I understand what you mean, but I don't mind listening to opinions first hand or not.

Soulshine said:

Don't count out a Defever. Arthur Defever designed realllllly beautiful, sea worthy boats and we absolutely love ours. My wife is prone to sea sickness but has never once felt queezy on Mollie. She is a Davis Defever 42 and rides very smooth even when we get hit by the big freighter wakes. We picked her up this June in that same price range.

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I assumed they were higher $$$, just took a look at YW they are in my range.

what years are wood and which are FG

What engine(s) do you have?

caltexflanc said:

I strongly suggest not relying on reading and get out on the water in various hull designs and/or observing other boats. Most importantly, different people have different reactions to different motions and navigate in different sea conditions (or not). And, as noted above, love to pass along hearsay and dockside legends rather than relate direct experience.

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Some folks come here to start the learning process. Not everyone has access to a fleet of various boats to test out at their convenience. It's a lot easier to say "get out on the water in various hull designs" than for many of us to actually do it.

This forum exists for folks to share their knowledge and experiences. It's a source for people to gather information upon which to build. One man's hearsay and dockside legends is another man's first chance to hear this perspective.

Jimbo, I hope the contributions to this thread help you as you wade through a sea of opinions and facts.

Mollie is a 1977 with factory fiberglass decks (huge plus). Single Ford Lehman 120 (bullet proof when taken care of IMHO). Tons of room in the ER to move around and perform maint. Burns about 2gph and hold around 450g fuel, 200g water. She is built to go places. Don't let the single screw hang you up. (Defevers come both ways) Crawl around on boats with twins though and get a feel for what you are up against when it comes to working/servicing your engines. Originally thought we had to have two screws but now, I wouldn't trade my single. A lot of builders copied Arthur's designs and you will notice that as you walk the docks. Beware and do your home work on build quality! Nothing beats looking at boats. Cruise the docks, check out owners forums for info and try and crawl around as many as you can. It took us about 18mos. before Mollie found us and we knew it instantly when we boarded her. Looked at more boats than I can count prior to that fateful day in June. Happy hunting.....enjoy the process.

As for the cut off from wood to fiberglass hulls....not exactly sure but think you are probably around 1970-1972 ish..... Just FYI...You probably won't be able to find financing for a woody which is too bad because we found some really nice old woodies that were super cool.

Single screw is not an issue, too many single engine aircraft to consider.

I love wood I work with it all time as a hobby, but not for the hull.

Had 4 new sailboats since '72, one was 27 years old when I sold it, the buyers surveyor couldn't believe how great the condition was. So I can fix an maintain easily, never paid a boat yard.

buying a used trawler is another issue.

I can do a pretty good pre survey before I make an offer and thereafter get a pro to survey it.

No sense paying a surveyor to find an obvious deal breaker.

FlyWright said:

Some folks come here to start the learning process...This forum exists for folks to share their knowledge and experiences. It's a source for people to gather information upon which to build. One man's hearsay and dockside legends is another man's first chance to hear this perspective.

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Absolutely, there isn't a big enough to convey my acknowledgement of those words. Been on or near the water most of my life and have learned a ton right here. Chatter on here, whatever hand, chases me to other sources, google, other forums and the local yards and docks.

Jimbo...walk the docks. People are so willing to talk about their boats if approached. I've spent hours with some of them.

The Coot's blunt bow makes a wet boat powering into waves and wind. So what's the problem?



No issue if exposed on the bow when conditions are calm or proceeding down wind.

Mark, Are those photos Before:



and After?



(Great pic of Perla, btw.)

Surely those photos were taken on different days, as were these:

The thing is, how is a newby able to discern what is good or bad information or "opinions" from a few anonymous strangers with unknown real world credentials? At the very best all you get are some clues, not answers; some clues are good leads, many not… and have to be validated in the real world unless you are a complete gambler.

We have met so many people who bought boats almost blind, based on hearsay, dockside legends (TF specialties), peer pressure and first impressions at the dock, that were much less happy (or in many cases fed up) with their choice of boats. "If we had only known… "

Or witness "serial boat buyers" playing Goldilocks in search of the "just right" boat. Of course buying a boat if you are going to be a weekend warrior or vacation boater is a little less critical decision than one you will live and cruise on full time.

There are a vast number of boats accessible to anyone; it only takes a few charters to figure out pretty well what's right for you, including the (power)boating life itself.

FlyWright said:

Some folks come here to start the learning process. Not everyone has access to a fleet of various boats to test out at their convenience. It's a lot easier to say "get out on the water in various hull designs" than for many of us to actually do it.

This forum exists for folks to share their knowledge and experiences. It's a source for people to gather information upon which to build. One man's hearsay and dockside legends is another man's first chance to hear this perspective.

Jimbo, I hope the contributions to this thread help you as you wade through a sea of opinions and facts.

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And this us exactly what we did.
Read for 5 years, and the boat we bought is perfect for what WE wanted and needed.

And it was the only the second boat we went out on.

I think the concept of Seaworthy and Seakindly are being mixed in this thread.

Seaworthy is the vessels ability to survive intact what ever conditions encountered..

Seakindly is how well YOU enjoy the encounter.

markpierce said:

The Coot's blunt bow makes a wet boat powering into waves and wind. So what's the problem?

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Well, I guess there could be at least one problem. This revealing photo sent to me by FlyWright.

JIMBO, Lots of good advice and insight on this forum but beware that you may be conned into thinking you are looking at trawlers( like I was) till you buy one!! Then you find out what you bought is not a trawler after all you have the wrong anchor,to much chain and the wrong dingy. JIM p.s. but it still puts a smile on my face seeing it

The lack of bow flare on grand banks has always bothered me for that reason. Everyone does not need the exaggerated Carolina bow but some flare is needed.

It's the missing middle picture!!!

Who needs the extra systems complication of an 'improvised'
anchor wash down system?

Ted

Charter several times before you buy.

bayview said:

The lack of bow flare on grand banks has always bothered me for that reason. Everyone does not need the exaggerated Carolina bow but some flare is needed.

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GBs are most assuredly wetter than many other brands of "trawlers".

But then again GB owners don't spend a lot of time online researching how to cure leaky window frames, leaky teak decks, faulty factory wiring, cracked shaft tubes, etc.

Jimbo2015 said:

So which makes are known for example to handle a following sea good/bad

or which handle waves well head on I guess the flair of the bow or angle of the stem.

Are certain designs really bad in a beam sea.

So from your experience or in talking to others can anyone shed some lite.

tks

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Every hull shape has its pro's and cons.

For overall comfort in rough water at reasonable price, I'd choose something like a Willard 36. It would be great in both a following sea and a head sea.

In a big beam sea, it would be very rolly with its rounded bilges, but it would be a soft roll unlike a hard chined boat which has a sharper snap back. All boats are uncomfortable in a big beam sea without some form of stabilization.

Some say the Willard 36 was the first true passage maker powerboat due to the seaworthiness of the hull shape.

Meanwhile, I'm cozy and dry in the pilothouse.

AusCan said:

Some say the Willard 36 was the first true passage maker powerboat due to the seaworthiness of the hull shape.

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Not sure about all the rest but to my eye it is one of the best looking of this class of boat. I'm in love with the layout and large "back porch" too.

but only a few were built in the 60's