Top trawler/cabin-cruiser brands

Hi everyone,

I'm a currently boatless guy from the Boston area interested in one day owning a cabin cruiser of some kind (whether trawler-style or not, but I sure am drawn to those). I don't have much experience with boats, though I do love being on the water, and will need to start out with a small boat (center console, etc.) before even thinking about owning a bigger one, so we're talking long-term goals here. I've been looking at boats online (it's fun to dream) and I'm just wondering which makes are considered the premium ones in the full displacement trawler and semi-displacement yacht categories, 40-60 foot range? I know Nordhavn is highly regarded, as is Fleming. Who else are the "top" brands for these styles? Not that I'll probably ever own one of the top brands (though who knows), but I'm curious to see examples of boats "done right".

Got a vintage in mind? How do you distinguish a "semi displacement" boat from a planing boat? Deadrise? To me there really isn't a good definition of that.

Generally my top of mind list, from when we were shopping, is :

Hatteras (what we picked, and ever so glad we did)
The rest in no particular order:

Offshore
Ocean Alexander
Grand Banks
Defever
Krogen
Marlow

No longer made, but excellent: Tollycraft,

Many other manufacturers made some good boats and some not so good boats.

To add to the list above....

Selene
Diesel Duck
Bering Yachts
Sea Ray
Nordic Tugs
American Tugs

Note: Once you define how you intend to use your boat then the list becomes much smaller. i.e.; passage maker, coastal cruiser, live aboard, fish machine, etc. etc.

caltexflanc said:

Got a vintage in mind? How do you distinguish a "semi displacement" boat from a planing boat? Deadrise? To me there really isn't a good definition of that.

Generally my top of mind list, from when we were shopping, is :

Hatteras (what we picked, and ever so glad we did)
The rest in no particular order:

Offshore
Ocean Alexander
Grand Banks
Defever
Krogen
Marlow

No longer made, but excellent: Tollycraft,

Many other manufacturers made some good boats and some not so good boats.

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Thanks for the thoughtful answer and list! No particular vintage in mind, from not-too-old to new builds (since by the time I'm in the market, even today's new builds will be not-so-new). As far as semi-displacement, probably not the wisest choice of words. I meant a boat that, in addition to being able to get up on plane, is also a good boat (good fuel economy, seakindly, etc.) to use at displacement speeds.

Diesel Duck 492 said:

To add to the list above....

Selene
Diesel Duck
Bering Yachts
Sea Ray
Nordic Tugs
American Tugs

Note: Once you define how you intend to use your boat then the list becomes much smaller. i.e.; passage maker, coastal cruiser, live aboard, etc. etc.

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Thank you as well! Intended use would be as a coastal cruiser, good for living aboard part-time. I definitely wouldn't be looking for anything to cross oceans with, though having some range would be nice for shorter crossings in open water.

I failed to mention one other VERY important component that needs to be considered when choosing 'your' perfect boat which will definitely change the above list' of potential boats is "budget".

Diesel Duck 492 said:

I failed to mention one other VERY important component that needs to be considered when choosing 'your' perfect boat which will definitely change the above list' of potential boats is "budget".

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Yeah, that one's tough to answer since I'm not in the market yet and even the timing isn't certain; it's why I'm not really trying to figure out what boat would be right for me at the moment. I'm just more curious to see what good boats look like, and it's tough to tell a nice boat from a nice-looking boat when you know as little about boats as I do. It's why I figured I'd ask about trustworthy, reputable brands.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. Whilst you are not incorrect in seeking out "trustworthy, reputable brands" ANY vessel, regardless of make can deteriorate VERY quickly if not maintained. A better built, higher quality vessel will simply take a while longer to degrade due to higher initial build parameters.
It can easily be argued that buyers of new, more expensive vessels have more incentive to maintain their investment and for a goodly proportion of boats, that is true. Those that can afford the higher initial cost usually have sufficient disposable income to perform necessary maintenance and upkeep.
SO, that being said...read as much as you can, go on as many boats as you can, talk to and ask questions of as many owners as you can, enjoy the chase and at this point in your adventure, look at EVERYTHING.

Maintenance is King ! (and proper maintenance is extremely rare).

Many of the "premium" brands have achieved that status through brilliant marketing, simple longevity and word of mouth from owners who do not want to slag the brand they paid so dearly for. Sound a little depressing, no just pragmatic. I crawl in and out of these things for a living. I've seen two boats in thirty years that I could not find anything wrong with and they were both home built.

boatpoker said:

Maintenance is King ! (and proper maintenance is extremely rare).

Many of the "premium" brands have achieved that status through brilliant marketing, simple longevity and word of mouth from owners who do not want to slag the brand they paid so dearly for. Sound a little depressing, no just pragmatic. I crawl in and out of these things for a living. I've seen two boats in thirty years that I could not find anything wrong with and they were both home built.

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So brand isn't at all an indicator of build quality?

vp1 said:

So brand isn't at all an indicator of build quality?

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In my experience brand quality rarely equates to more than fancier upholstery.
This is to be expected Since few builders are building for the Bugatti Veyron market.

vp1 said:

So brand isn't at all an indicator of build quality?

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In my experience brand quality rarely equates to more than fancier upholstery.
This is to be expected since few builders are building for the Bugatti Veyron market.

Greetings,
Mr. vp. Brand can indeed be an indicator of build quality in very many cases but the "proof of the pudding" in the long run is maintenance. Case in point...
1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow for Sale | ClassicCars.com | CC-560813
A hand build car using top quality materials....

WOW! When I sold my '74 RR it sold for a helluva lot more than $4500. Sad to see a Rolls Royce treated like that!

Thanks everyone for the info!

I say this in all sincerity, when your boat finds you, you'll know. Don't focus so much on brand, focus more on if the the boat meets your needs.
This is coming from a guy who drove a Pinto Station Wagon for many years, but only back and forth to work.
Best of luck on you search.

vp1 said:

I'm a currently boatless guy from the Boston area interested in one day owning a cabin cruiser of some kind...I don't have much experience with boats, though I do love being on the water..

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If you are serious about becoming a boater, one of the best investments you can make right now is signing up for a fall/winter Power Squadron course. It will be fun, you will meet and talk to folks with various boats and the lessons you learn will serve you well for a long, long time.

List all USPS Websites

Hawgwash said:

If you are serious about becoming a boater, one of the best investments you can make right now is signing up for a fall/winter Power Squadron course. It will be fun, you will meet and talk to folks with various boats and the lessons you learn will serve you well for a long, long time.

List all USPS Websites

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Unfortunately USPS courses are harder to find in Boston than one would think (they're usually down on the cape or well outside the city, neither of which are convenient for me). Both them and USCG Aux did have some courses nearby at the beginning of this past summer, but I missed them and right now neither are showing anything near me for the remainder of the year. I'm planning on looking again at the beginning of next year, and if I don't find something, I'll do an online course. I've also spoken to a local boat rental place that offers lessons, but they'd like me to take the classroom/online course first, so I think that's going to be the plan.

Not to hijack my own thread, but do people have a preference between USPS and USCG Aux for lessons? Both for the basic safe boating course and other courses (navigation, etc).

boatpoker said:

In my experience brand quality rarely equates to more than fancier upholstery..

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Ahem, important for some to know the advantages and realities of well built, thoughtfully designed, reliable equipment layouts, water intrusion avoidance and stability calculations to successfully know the differences.

Please advise Tony Fleming that a SeaRay Fly is every bit as quality good as an F55. And Jim Leishman would enjoy knowing my DF 48 is as quality good as a N52. Or Moonstruck knowing his Sabre is no better quality than an equivalent sized Cruisers. I'll stop with these 3 absurd comparisons. But real differences do abound.

Greetings,
Mr. s. As I said...

Hawgwash said:

If you are serious about becoming a boater, one of the best investments you can make right now is signing up for a fall/winter Power Squadron course. It will be fun, you will meet and talk to folks with various boats and the lessons you learn will serve you well for a long, long time.

List all USPS Websites

Click to expand...

Absolutely agree!!
We joined USPS before we decided on a boat and have continued over the 25+ yrs. Learning (+ practice) goes a long way to building confidence and confidence increases your boundaries and the enjoyment. Besides... maybe you'll meet someone who needs a hand or crew member now and then.

Welcome aboard