Marine Trader Plaque

Hi all,

When I Got my 34DC the flybridge plaque was gone. I think the owner the had it when hi covered slip,collapsed on it decided to keep it. I am looking for a replacement. Any ideas?


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Raymond Goff
1978 Marine Trader 34

Our Trawler – m/v Liberty – Travels of a 1978 Marine Trader 34 DC

Contact Marine Trader directly:
Marine Trading International at 200 Main St, Toms River, NJ 08753
(732) 286-4000
Also DBA Miller Yachts
Don Miller passed away a few years ago but the place doesn't appear to have changed.
Perhaps someone will pickup the phone.

The item you require is known as "the meatball". Some MTs had it, some didn't, Even the MT salesmen didn't know why some did and some didn't. Mine don't. You don't need it. Everyone knows you have a Marine Trader.

Phone number out if service.


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Raymond Goff
1978 Marine Trader 34

Www.libertytrawler.com

I'll stop in there next time I'm in the area.

Google says it is permanently closed.

I drove by there a few weeks ago and there were Marine Traders floating at the dock. Not good looking ones but they were still floating.

I might find someone around who can help. Til then.

alormaria said:

I drove by there a few weeks ago and there were Marine Traders floating at the dock. Not good looking ones but they were still floating.

I might find someone around who can help. Til then.

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Raymond I think you are out of luck. I stopped in at the old Marine Trading International offices and they are truly defunct. Lots of nasty signs from government and financial agencies along with chain link and razor wire fencing. I braved the threats and took a look through the windows.
It looks exactly like I remember it from 23 years ago when I bought my MT. It looks as though they just left at 5:00 and never returned. The boats in the marina look much worse up close. You would not want one of the "meatballs" from this place.

Thanks. I am repairing some damage on the front of the flybridge and will paint at some point. I will just fill in the holes and go "meatball"less




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Raymond Goff
1978 Marine Trader 34

Www.libertytrawler.com

Can you not find someone who would let you cast an impression of theirs? (Presuming it has a raised design and letters.) And make your own new one.

Might be a whole new cottage industry!

https://rochester.craigslist.org/bpo/5846610273.html


Just spotted this. Is this the meatball in question?

Holy crap! You really can buy anything on Craigslist!

I pm'd the OP in case he is still looking for one. It was just posted less than an hour ago too, and I had just looked at this thread for the first time and googled it to see what the heck a meatball was! My Puget has no meatball but it does have a Puget Trawler bronze plate on each side of the rear main cabin.

BTW, how does one readily distinguish an MT from other CHB trawlers? Whats different about them? Thanks!

78puget-trawler said:

BTW, how does one readily distinguish an MT from other CHB trawlers? Whats different about them? Thanks!

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The hand carved teak work is outstanding on the interior. Even the doors are hand carved.

Not all Marine Traders have an exterior "meatball". Mine is brass and in the forward cabin.

78puget-trawler said:

BTW, how does one readily distinguish an MT from other CHB trawlers? Whats different about them? Thanks!

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Ha and there is the question. Many of our Taiwanese boats were made in a bay in which all the manufactures traded blue prints. That is why when you look at the 80s era boats some galleys look the same, as brother A would call brother B trading prints.

My Puget has the same thing, carved doors etc. Must be more to it than that.

78puget-trawler said:

BTW, how does one readily distinguish an MT from other CHB trawlers? Whats different about them? Thanks!

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An indescribable "je ne sais quoi"?

BCBG perhaps.

So in reality not so much I guess. Peas in a pod.

78puget-trawler said:

So in reality not so much I guess. Peas in a pod.

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I do think it is different, at least mine is. Maybe the original owner customized it. I don't know.

Maybe this will help. I'll describe mine. I have 2 doors, 1 on the aft deck that leads down a semi circular staircase into the main salon. The staircase is solid and not a ladder type. The second door is starboard side. It is a full size sliding door directly into the main salon at the lower helm.

My galley is 3 steps down forward and is the full width of the boat. A ton of counter space and cabinets. Starboard side has a built in microwave and prep area. Port side has sink, stove and fridge. Under the removable stairs is the door to the engine room. Forward from the galley is a queen vberth with sink and enclosed head.

Aft is the owners stateroom. Down 3 solid steps from the main salon with hidden storage. Walk around queen, make-up table, a ton of drawers and hanging lockers. A full size enclosed head complete with bath tub.

My aft deck is huge and has full size outdoor sectional furniture.

Honestly? They may say the boat is 36ft. But sure does feel A LOT bigger.

Donna, your boat is a totally different model than mine or Al's. We have 34' CHB's and they are not the same boat as yours at all.

Yes I understand that. I thought you asked what the difference was between them?

No, I meant whats the difference between an MT and all the other 34' CHB boats. Am fully aware that all brand names had different models, but the most common is the 34 footer aft cabin boats like mine and Al's, because he I think jokingly made it sound like the MT was somehow different or special and I wondered how.

My mistake 78puget. My apologies.

No need to apologize, just trying to clarify my question.

Good style, good attitude.

I wonder if the OP has seen this thread? I sent him a PM, but haven't seen a reply. My Puget Trawler has those things as well. I don't know if they did it on all PT boats, but mine has a teak transom and on the aft cabin has instead of the usual one big window, it has 3 of the oval portlights trimmed in wood. Same on the back face of the aft cabin, unlike most CHB's. I have not seen another 34 CHB so fitted. Would like to know if anyone else has. And as I mentioned before, have the bronze name plates too.

There are also large differences year to year. I happen to have one of the very few Chien Hwa 35s I have seen, which is different yet again. Mine is an 86, but there is another 81 at my marina. Our two boats are very different, while the deck and hull are similar. But even his hull had wood rub rails while mine are glass. Our interior layout has the galley on opposite sides, and the rear hatch and ladders are opposite, and there is a centerline berth in mine. I also have a aft raked fiberglass mast, and his is standard aluminum. I know these are a separate yard from the rest of the CHB & MT, but I think there would be changes from year to year and for different layouts within the model run.

As we get further in time from the heyday of Taiwan based builders, the origins of the surviving Taiwan built Trawlers gets lost in those mists of time.
In about 1998, Passagemaker Mag had an article on those origins. I may have a copy of that article on my own Taiwan built boat, and will look next time I am there.
IIRC, there were dozens of builders in Taiwan, but very few of them produced a lot of boats. The CHB label was attached to a lot of the boats that came out of that myriad of builders. So did Marine Trader. Some of the larger builders went on to enduring success, such is Ocean Alexander. My own C & L was from a builder that survived several years.
The differences between several of the named brands are slight, and the differences within a brand are slight. eg. There is a MT in the marina where I keep my boat, that is close in details to my C & L, so close that other than optional equipment, I can't identify any differences at all. There seemed to be few molds, but many builders using each unique mold, so you will see several different brands of boat that look, from the outside, to be sisters. Brands like Puget Trawler, Grand Mariner, Albin, Marine Trader, C & L, and more, all came out of Taiwan in those years in shapes that are familiar.

CHB BUYERS GUIDE



Link above is something I saved, bookmarked, years ago from which site I have no idea anymore.
I see Charles Culotta was involved.
Take a look and see if it is of any use. It wont answer all questions but maybe clear some of the murk about the Taiwanese built trawlers.