Does anyone go from a trawler to sail?

Giggitoni said:

Most of the sailboats I see around here are under engine propulsion....

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How TRUE! We owned a sailboat for 25 years, purchased it new. The problems we encountered were related to where it was that we wanted to go along with how long it would take. Sure, one can tack all day and be a purest or run the engine and just get there.

One of our friends moved forward with a brand new 45' Hunter center cockpit and sailed all around the Caribbean for almost 10 years. When they finally put their boat up for sail, I check the posting. The Yanma engine was advertised as having 3850 hours on it. Yes indeed..........they sailed

Very true, while we were out cruising we motor sailed quite a bit. My problem/issue with our trawler is that trips of any distance have to be based on the location of fuel docks. With the sailboat there is much more freedom, if I want to go from Galveston to Florida I pick a weather window and head out and I would get there a whole lot quicker than hugging the coast to schedule fuel stops.
I know there are power boats in our marina that have made the trip across but those are well out of our price range.
Bob

I am a motorboater that uses "Tradewinds" for Cat vacations in the Caribbean. Look them up. We have been very satisfied with the boats, food and service for years now. It gets me from the dark side to sailing for as much as I need.

DECAPTN said:

I am a motorboater that uses "Tradewinds" for Cat vacations in the Caribbean. Look them up. We have been very satisfied with the boats, food and service for years now. It gets me from the dark side to sailing for as much as I need.

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We've thought about that but would prefer to get there on our own bottom again. Same with going back to Maine, rather use our own boat, no schedule or time constraints.
We've chartered in the Virgins before buying our sailboatbut there is always the dreaded "deadline" to turn the boat back in.

We just did that from LI to S Freeport ME. Loved it. Wished we had planned a longer trip. Good folks at Brewers

I'm currently in the process of doing this. Selling my beloved 34' CHB and transitioning into a 42 Catalina. Biggest issue I foresee is many of my old haunts will not be readily accessed with a near 7 foot draft.

Black Dog said:

I'm currently in the process of doing this. Selling my beloved 34' CHB and transitioning into a 42 Catalina. Biggest issue I foresee is many of my old haunts will not be readily accessed with a near 7 foot draft.

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The Catalina 42 is a nice boat with a proven track record, great owner groups, and unusually good manufacturer support.

Draft can be an issue of course, but like with anything else you get used to it. My waters are different than yours, but there weren't too many places that I felt uncomfortable going with a 7 foot draft. I admit that at least one of those (Swinomish Channel) was significant.

Black Dog said:

I'm currently in the process of doing this. Selling my beloved 34' CHB and transitioning into a 42 Catalina. Biggest issue I foresee is many of my old haunts will not be readily accessed with a near 7 foot draft.

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Good for you, wish it was us. If the boat doesn't have a watermaker, get one. Best investment we ever made in our sailboat. Gives you total freedom of where to go, when to go and how long to stay. With 110 gal of diesel we could run the genset to make water and charge batteries much longer than the beer usually lasted. Worst mistake we ever made was to sell that boat.

BobH said:

Good for you, wish it was us. If the boat doesn't have a watermaker, get one. Best investment we ever made in our sailboat. Gives you total freedom of where to go, when to go and how long to stay. With 110 gal of diesel we could run the genset to make water and charge batteries much longer than the beer usually lasted. Worst mistake we ever made was to sell that boat.

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Hey Bob, just curious, why did you sell and get into a trawler? When did you make the change?

"My problem/issue with our trawler is that trips of any distance have to be based on the location of fuel docks."

If you are willing to run at sailboat displacement speeds , most motorboats have plenty of range for the waters they can operate safely in.

FF said:

"My problem/issue with our trawler is that trips of any distance have to be based on the location of fuel docks."

If you are willing to run at sailboat displacement speeds , most motorboats have plenty of range for the waters they can operate safely in.

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How true. With 25 years of sailing behind us, we travel in our Silverton 40' on one engine at 1800RPMs. This gives us a two knot advantage (about 7K) over our old sailboat. Our fuel consumption at this speed averages between 1.4-1.6 miles/gal vs 0.4 mile/gal running with two engines on plane.

Now of course, if the sea turns to poop, time for two engines.

Yeah, for me, I don't think fuel burn would be the main driver to go from trawler to sail. I would put more emphasis on things like being able to cruise safely in heavier weather, having redundant propulsion, the ability to use the boat in larger seas and windy conditions if you choose, and being more "connected" to the conditions and always having to tweak the sails, adjust something to keep busy. Romance!

I realize one could do all these same things with the right power boat (except for the tweaking maybe), but I think at a much greater cost than a sailboat. It would require a well constructed blue water capable boat with good stabilization, and they aren't cheap.

cardude01 said:

Yeah, for me, I don't think fuel burn would be the main driver to go from trawler to sail. I would put more emphasis on things like being able to cruise safely in heavier weather, having redundant propulsion, the ability to use the boat in larger seas and windy conditions if you choose, and being more "connected" to the conditions and always having to tweak the sails, adjust something to keep busy. Romance!

I realize one could do all these same things with the right power boat (except for the tweaking maybe), but I think at a much greater cost than a sailboat. It would require a well constructed blue water capable boat with good stabilization, and they aren't cheap.

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There is a difference in being able to sail in heavy weather and actually wanting or needing to sail in heavy weather.
Just because I can does not mean I want to!
As a matter of fact, I will do whatever I can to avoid choppy, windy nasty conditions. It is a lot of work, not comfortable and although it is rewarding, "hey, we survived!" nothing I look forward to ever!

We have averaged about 2000 miles a year on our current sailboat, with the exception of this year and the year our female Scottish Terrier had puppies in July. Much of that was sailing but far, far too much of it was motor sailing.
We tend to get 6 or 7 great sails in every year. Those moments where all of the efforts pay off. Those are truly magical days that we will miss as we move to our Tug. What will not be missed are the many hours motoring to Block Island against 20 knots of wind on the nose for 4 hours while baking in the heat and bouncing in the disturbed waters off of Point Judith or at North Reef. Those moments are not so magical and are far too common for my tastes. I guess I'm ready to make the move in the opposite direction.
Bruce

Just to be fair, here is one of the good ones...
Bruce

That makes sense.

But, the romance! The connection with the sea!

When it comes to sailing I have no idea what I'm talking about. I am just thinking out loud

Bruce B said:

Just to be fair, here is one of the good ones...

Bruce

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Oh, so it's not always like that? ?

cardude01 said:

Oh, so it's not always like that? ?

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Ha! When it is nice out I tend to have a camera out taking photos and videos. Not easy when it is choppy. I'll go see if I can find any!
Bruce

Well, what do you know?
Bruce

cardude01 said:

Hey Bob, just curious, why did you sell and get into a trawler? When did you make the change?

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Long story. Lived aboard and cruised for six years. Wife wanted back on land, sold boat and bought house. Looked for motor sailer but couldn't find one we liked and could afford. Thought about doing the Great Loop and bought present boat with that in mind. Read more about the loop and decided it was not for us, too many schedule restraints, too many boats going to the same places at the same time, not our style.
Galveston Bay is not, in our opinion, the ideal place for a power boat. Really no place to go for just a weekend, no isolated coves to anchor out, etc. With a sailboat you can at least just sail around the bay for a day.
If boat doesn't sell we might consider parking it somewhere on the East Coast and then cruise the Atlantic ICW for a month every so often. Of course that would eliminate my escape plan for when the kids come to visit.

BobH said:

Thought about doing the Great Loop and bought present boat with that in mind. Read more about the loop and decided it was not for us, too many schedule restraints, too many boats going to the same places at the same time, not our style.
.

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Not our style either but we've loved doing the loop. On schedule restraints, I'm assuming you're talking about only being able to cruise NY and the Great Lakes from May through September or so. That is a restraint. Too many boats to same places at same time is a matter of choice. You don't have to travel in packs with the others, we haven't. Will you be around other boaters in most areas? No more so than anywhere else in peak boating season. In fact, on the loop there are many places to escape the crowds.

Can't say whether the loop is right for you, but can say there are an infinite number of ways to cruise it and don't think because many choose to do it one way, that's the only way. The AGLCA members tend to like the camaraderie of sharing the experience and running a bit as groups of people. That's the very nature of their association, especially those most active. It's somewhat like those who enjoy doing weekend group cruises vs. those who prefer to go independently. You will definitely see a lot of places nothing like Galveston. Everyone has their own favorite areas too.

Bob,

I understand. I've been to Galveston bay a few times on my boat and couldn't figure out where to cruise either. Coming into Clear Lake I did have to dodge tons of sailboats out day-sailing.

I kind of have the same problem you do down here in Rockport. We don't have that many interesting places to go either, but maybe more than you do. Most of my problem is we just don't use the boat enough. Wife is not that into it right now-- she has so much stuff going on during the week and most weekends that we don't have that much time. Or we are not making the time. So, I usually go down to the boat once a week and work on it, and cruise around sometimes, and make lists of what to work on next. ?

I've thought about something like this to sail around on. Keep it here in town on the trailer. Ever seen one of these sail?

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/201...2462/Boca-Raton/FL/United-States#.V8bwKDQ8KnM

After having sailed for over 60 years both recreationally and for a living, there is a big part of me that misses that unique feeling of trimming sails and working with the weather that I have before me but there comes a time when the mind is still willing but the body refuses to follow. Making the transition to our Senator 43,I enjoy the creature comforts she brings to me but will always miss easing a sheet and just slip sliding away.

Having the boat close by is definitely an advantage. I like to get away and tinker, there's always something that could be improved. We live right by Lake Conroe so a small sailboat on a trailer (another Hobie) might cure the sailing itch, but still not the same has going out on the big water.
Oh well, just have to wait and see.
We may yet get around to do the loop.

FredB said:

After having sailed for over 60 years both recreationally and for a living, there is a big part of me that misses that unique feeling of trimming sails and working with the weather that I have before me but there comes a time when the mind is still willing but the body refuses to follow. Making the transition to our Senator 43,I enjoy the creature comforts she brings to me but will always miss easing a sheet and just slip sliding away.

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I agree completely Fred. Sailing is an active process that I do miss. However, my back and knees don't miss it at all. If I lived in a different part of the world, I likely would have stuck to sail, but where I am, and at my point in life, power makes more sense.

Greetings,
145 post and no one, that I noticed, has asked the question "Why the h*ll would anyone want to?" One can wax nostalgic about the calmness, serenity, enjoyment of fiddling with the strings and rags and back up to an engine BUT, and I think it's been mentioned more than once, just remember sitting in an unprotected cockpit for 8 hours in a gale, soaked to the skin and longing for a hot bath.
Seriously people. You want calmness and serenity? Take up yogic meditation. You like fiddling with strings and rags? Take up sewing/knitting. Save on fuel? How much does a set of sails cost? I'll bet more than 5000 gallons of diesel.
Sorry, just don't see the attraction. No room. Cave dwelling. No level surfaces. Yup, a sailboat WILL take much heavier weather than the majority of power boats but...
National Weather Service among a plethora of others.

HAHA RT,
I enjoyed your sorta negative post and can comment.

I/we may actually go from a trawler to a sailboat .. If I'm not too old when we sell Willy. For years I've been looking (not actively) giving the McGreggor 26 a passing thought. I really like OB's and the variable displacement feature appeals to me tremendously. I like my Willard 30 for many reasons. But a 15 knot cruise it does not have. Also another biggie is the moorage bill every month and the trailerability is golden. The open cockpit could be enclosed and a Wabasto could supply some warmth.

But this is not a typical trawler to a typical sailboat. So though I would actually go from a trawler to a sailboat I'm probably not addressing the OP's question ... to his liking . Sorry. Is that you RT?

OH I see it's cardude and he talks of going from an air conditioned trawler obviously not very much like Willy. But perhaps after our fall cruising I'll call on some advertised McGreggors and see if I find a trade in posibility. A California gent that I really like wants to part trade his Nexus 22' OB. I'm only luke warm on that.

Eric,

You would be going from what appears to be a very nice boat (although slow) to an outboard boat with an mast. If you want to go to a sailboat, pick a boat that was designed to actually sail reasonably well.

Not that I'm biased or anything... ;-)

Surely you must be joking. McGreggors? Might as well consider a Seagull kicker for it to really enjoy personal endurance

dhays said:

Eric,

You would be going from what appears to be a very nice boat (although slow) to an outboard boat with an mast. If you want to go to a sailboat, pick a boat that was designed to actually sail reasonably well.

Not that I'm biased or anything... ;-)

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What he said!
Sailing in a boat that performs well is a joy...
Anything else is like comparing a Twinkie to a French croissant!
Just my .02 cents
Bruce

Dave, foggy and Bruce B,
Well I misled ya'll quite seriously .. sorry.
Don't know if you sailors are ready for this but I'd probably not sail the McGreggor at all or very little if I kept the rig. May take the whole rig mast sails and all off and substitute a much shorter mast for a very short rig good only as a steadying sail or get me home. I would rig it as a motor sailer very heavy on the motor. I don't have any interest in sailing boats over 20' and then only light boats. A Star may be fun but the keel is too much trouble. I love to row and paddling is OK .. sailing not so much.

And foggy I have no use for the Seagull OB's. I have a 60hp Suzuki that would be perfect for the McGreggor.