Trawler for Alberg 37 Sailor

I have spent the last 35 years sailing on the Great Lakes and am going to transition to a trawler. My sailboats have always been full keel heavy weather tanks, starting with a Pearson Vanguard and then an Alberg 37 and then downsizing to a Cape Dory 25D. I just loved the way these boats could take a beating when caught out in the weather. I am looking for some recommendations on trawlers. Some of my criteria:

1) No exterior teak. I did all my maintenance on these sailboats and I am teaked-out.
2) Cost less than say $180,000.
3) Good for a couple to travel from the Great Lakes through the Caribbean and who knows how much further. Full time liveaboards.
4) Built heavily and can take some weather if caught out.
5) 36 to 42 feet.
6) I prefer fewer and simpler systems so that the systems are robust and less prone to failure. I try and make my boats unstoppable.

Thanks in advance for your wisdom!

I would suggest you take a few cruises on trawlers to understand how differently they handle. In my opinion, Roll, will be a big factor going from full keel sail to a Trawler. Most trawlers less than 40’ are unstabilized. A lot above 40’ are stabilized. Try both. Roll can limit crew comfort. Wind direction becomes less a factor, but wave height becomes more of a factor with a trawler. Getting used to being warm and dry, not setting sails and all the extra space will be welcomed. Many sailors become trawler owners few go back.

The list of offshore voyaging trawlers is very short ,and expensive, , they will be smaller inside to carry fuel, water and supplies.

A Carib cruise can be done with a boat without offshore scantlings or outfitting, but on the seasons and weather sked ,if you have loads of time.

Check out the Krogen 42, many for sale on yachtworld. We made the transition from full keel sailing to trawlers years ago. Good Luck, you won’t miss tacking.
Bill
Cape Dory 25 & 28

HiDHo said:

Check out the Krogen 42, many for sale on yachtworld. We made the transition from full keel sailing to trawlers years ago. Good Luck, you won’t miss tacking.
Bill
Cape Dory 25 & 28

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With your desire to "travel from the Great Lakes through the Caribbean and who knows how much further", the Krogen is the only trawler I can think of that can handle that mission easily and meet your budget.

Systems though are what you get with a trawler. Most Krogens will have a genset and A/C and all of the plumbing and electronics to boot. The Krogen's size and layout does make it easier to maintain that stuff though.

David

GCM52 said:

My sailboats have always been full keel heavy weather tanks, I just loved the way these boats could take a beating when caught out in the weather. I am looking for some recommendations on trawlers. Some of my criteria:

1) No exterior teak. I did all my maintenance on these sailboats and I am teaked-out.
2) Cost less than say $180,000.
3) Good for a couple to travel from the Great Lakes through the Caribbean and who knows how much further. Full time liveaboards.
4) Built heavily and can take some weather if caught out.
5) 36 to 42 feet.
6) I prefer fewer and simpler systems so that the systems are robust and less prone to failure. I try and make my boats unstoppable.

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KK is a good choice, but you have described the Willard 40. Full keel, 7000 lbs of ballast, double-ender, and many, many have been cruised for long periods and long distances (including Hawaii) by a couple. Simple systems, minimal exterior wood.

And well under your $180k pricepoint.

Willard has fairly active owner's group which I moderate. All trawler enthusiasts are welcome -

Willard 40 - Daytona Beach

Willard 40 - Virginia

FF said:

The list of offshore voyaging trawlers is very short ,and expensive, , they will be smaller inside to carry fuel, water and supplies.

A Carib cruise can be done with a boat without offshore scantlings or outfitting, but on the seasons and weather sked ,if you have loads of time.

Click to expand...

What is the list in the 36-42 range?

Krogen 42, Grand Banks 42, 36 to 42’ owner built or contracted for steel trawlers, Defever 44, Hatteras LRC. There’s also the Nordhavn 36 but I don’t think $180K buys one.

I think HiDHo meant the Nordhavn 40 as they haven't built a 36 AFAIK. I also would question the GB 36 and 42 as well as the Defever 44. Some add Selenes to this list, but I don't know much about them.

Voyaging Under Power by Robert Beebe is the authoritative book on long range, blue water trawlers. Get a copy to understand what makes a blue water trawler. My criteria for that designation includes: displacement hull like a sailboat, ballasted like a sailboat, limit of positive stability at least 90 deg, downflooding protected, etc. But without a sail, any boat meeting these criteria will be rolly.


If you don't need full blue water capability then other quality trawlers like the Hatteras LRC42 comes to mind as it is a displacement hull but I don't think it has any ballast so its limit of positive stability will be less. It is a nice cruiser and will handle the Caribbean if you watch the weather.


But as mentioned earlier the only tough, blue water capable trawlers that will meet your budget are the Krogen and the Willard.

David

My bad it’s a 35.Oops just noticed I’m at post 999 since Feb 2012 going to have to slow down posting, don’t want to be one of those posters.

There is an interesting 77 Seaton 48 on Yachtworld for $149k, seems a lot of boat for the money but I don't know if I would want to go that big. The Willard 40 in Daytona Beach, linked above is interesting. Owners bailing after putting a ton of money into a boat is my favorite way to buy. They are selling this Willard right after doing what appears to be a pretty costly refit. There is a Nordhaven 35 for sale on Yachtworld that is a bit outside the budget but it really looks appealing. Nordhavens just look bulletproof. There are also some KK 42s in the budget range but I flinch at teak decks.

The W40 is a relatively small 40-footer compared to a tri-cabin layout (think: GB 42 or similar); or even the KK42. It's a sedan layout which means there is good outdoor space. My favorite feature of the W40 is the engine room. No, it doesn't have stand-up headroom (nor does the KK), but because it has a midship thwart tank versus twin saddle tanks, the ER is cavernous - the newer W40 listed on Yachtworld in California has a Splendide W/D in the ER (I was aboard this boat from Long Beach to La Paz MX in 2005 - 1000+ nms and averaged 7.2 kts and about 1.8 gph).

I'm with you on the teak decks. Even when reasonably well done as KK invariably does, they are an unnecessary nuisance.

I have always sort of liked the N35CP - I stepped aboard Hull #1 back in the day when I was at Dana Point for other reasons. It too has a decent ER and is nicely setup for a couple. As I recall, it was a bit of a bastard child for PAE - was supposed to do 15+ kts with its 350hp turbo Yanmar, but came in over-weight and could not get on-plane. Tuck a nice 4-cyl Deere such as the newer Willard 40 mentioned above has, and you have something decent.

I'm also not a fan of cored hull/decks. The KK certainly has cored portions, and some of the W40's had cored decks, but I don't know which years or if the last ones built did.

A lot depends on your cruising style. If you still retain much of the simplicity of an older boat like an Alberg 37 (I once had a crush on an Alberg 30), the Willard will please. But many people fall in love with the spaciousness of the KK. They are both good boats - just depends on what you want.

Also, if the 48-foot Seaton is acceptable, think about some of the Defever 44's. They look like a standard-issue tri-cabin boat, but they are really big and have a nice engine rooom. The do, however, need stabilization. In terms of seaworthiness, I'd rate the Willard as #1 due to ballast and lower A/B ratio, KK a semi-close #2, and the Defever a distant #3. Can't speak to the Seaton, but would probably be a closer #3 (though the ER looks tight). All have examples within the <$200k range.

My thanks to the folks that responded to this thread, I think a Willard 40 is probably the best bet for me to pursue. Second would be a KK 42, but I think I could get a Willard in better condition given my budget. Thanks to this forum I got an offer from a super nice guy to look at a Willard 40 in Wisconsin even though that one is well outside of my budget. I also may fly down to look at the one in Daytona Beach where the owners are selling right after what looks like a major refit. Are there any weaknesses more unique to a Willard 40 that I should be looking for?

I am noticing some early onset symptoms of boat fever.

GCM52 said:

Are there any weaknesses more unique to a Willard 40 that I should be looking for?

I am noticing some early onset symptoms of boat fever.

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I'm not really aware of any known deficiencies on the W40 - they are pretty simple boats. More of a matter of whether it's the right boat for you given it's size and layout, as mentioned earlier, they are a somewhat small 40-footer. You may want to ask about topside blisters which affected some of the early 1980's boats (bottom blisters are fairly common, but in my opinion, cosmetic only). Fuel tanks should be fine - Willard, in the W40, had moved to aluminum fuel tanks that are mounted in the front of the engine room (versus saddle tanks, which are much more typical on boats of this size).

Not specific to Willards, but check for window/port leaks, noticeable soft spots on the decks. The W40 owner you're meeting with is very knowledgeable on W40's, I definitely ask him about foam-coring. I know some of the W40's had cored decks, but not all. He might know. Also, ask him about ballast - the Willards used ballast from concrete and steel punchings. I know of no W40's that have had issues, but a few W36's have.

Feel free to reach out to me directly if I can help. Also, if you haven't already joined the Willard Boat Owner's group on Groups.IO, please feel free to do so. We've been at it for 20+ years and have +18k messages.