Definition of trawler?

[markpierce]

My no-alarm sender is one-foot-plus above keel level. More than once the boat acted squirrely, the keel dragging in the soft mud of the lower Napa River.

 

[geoleo]

another hole

in the water into which the owner is forced to fill with $

 

[psneeld]

Note their advertising from the 1990s.

View attachment 112125

Yet go to any boat sale website, use the "trawler" filter and see how many Grand Banks show up.

Someone besides me must think they might be considered trawlers.

 

[slowgoesit]

Yet go to any boat sale website, use the "trawler" filter and see how many Grand Banks show up.
Someone besides me must think they might be considered trawlers.

Well, then they're Wrong! All WRONG I tell you! Or maybe not. I always thought of our last boat, a GB36, as a trawler . . . Wouldn't be the first time I've been wrong though!

 

[Nomad Willy]

I’ve always thought the GB’s were the best example imaginal of a rec trawler.

Name one better ..

 

[Lostsailor13]

I remember the first time I saw one,and was amazed from that point on,and always considered them the OG until I found out about Willard,but seeing that first GB is the reason I have a full displacement cruiser today lol

 

[FF]

Its all advertising , remember in there day the Trumphy were called by the mfg ."houseboats".

 

[Fish53]

I have a suggestion to add to this thread based on my distaste for calling a trawler that ain't a trawler a trawler. Why not just call it a Full Displacement Powerboat? it seems to fit, unless of course we go off on the Fast Trawler limb again. Truth is many of what is thought of as a trawler yacht are not even full displacement and true full displacement powerboats for pleasure are few. My Albin 36 certainly was not although my current boat is. Just a thought and perhaps an opportunity to elicit the ire of a few again.

 

[Art]

I have a suggestion to add to this thread based on my distaste for calling a trawler that ain't a trawler a trawler. Why not just call it a Full Displacement Powerboat? it seems to fit, unless of course we go off on the Fast Trawler limb again. Truth is many of what is thought of as a trawler yacht are not even full displacement and true full displacement powerboats for pleasure are few. My Albin 36 certainly was not although my current boat is. Just a thought and perhaps an opportunity to elicit the ire of a few again.

Actually it's pretty simple!

Irrespective of hull shape, power source or superstructure design:

"Trawler" = Any boat "trawling" net or seins for catching sea life.

"Pleasure Boat" = Any boat used for the "pleasure" of marine enjoyment.

That also means any trawler that has been stripped of its working gear and is used for pleasure is no longer a "Trawler"! It has than become a Pleasure Boat"!!

 

[Nomad Willy]

Fish53,
Most (meaning about 90%) of rec trawlers are SD. FD is too slow for the largely yachie types that “drive” rec trawlers. Their proper name IMO is “heavy cruiser”. When they were a very few heavy cruisers available diesel engines were too heavy for recreational boats. As they became lighter they entered the rec boat arena.

But the name “Heavy Cruiser” is IMO very accurate and established but forgotten.

I don’t (as Fish does) that we call rec trawlers trawlers. When you talk of a trawler at least 99% on people will assume your’e talking about a rec trawler .. not a big fishing trawler. Trawler is established for fish boats as well as recreational boats that to a very small way look like fish boats.

The chance that “heavy cruiser” could come back as the noun identifying heavy cruiser is remote or perhaps slight. If we on Trawler forum started calling them heavy cruisers in a couple of years they may start to go back to heavy cruiser. But I wouldn’t bet on it. But it would be right.

But no fish, IMO there’s no such thing as a “fast trawler”.
They are HEAVY cruisers and thus too heavy to go fast.

 

[psneeld]

Maybe because no one died and left anyone on TF in charge of maintaining the English language.


Only on here do I hear people whine about the definition.

 

[Hippocampus]

Today while walking on the beach (it was warm 37 F) saw a trawler. Doors down and trawling. Hope he caught a lot of fish. Mares tails and wind on a cold day but beautiful Ed Hopper light.

 

[mvweebles]

Actually it's pretty simple!

Irrespective of hull shape, power source or superstructure design:

"Trawler" = Any boat "trawling" net or seins for catching sea life.

"Pleasure Boat" = Any boat used for the "pleasure" of marine enjoyment.

That also means any trawler that has been stripped of its working gear and is used for pleasure is no longer a "Trawler"! It has than become a Pleasure Boat"!!

So, did you join "TrawlerForum" expecting to find a bunch of commercial fishermen, or a bunch of recreational go-slow boafs? Did you decide on TrawlerForum versus SeinerForum?

Personally, I've been surprised at how few trawlers are on this forum. And I'm speaking of the recreational brand. Ton of motoryacht. Ton of boats that look like trawlers above the waterline but don't have the range to get past the horizon.

Peter

 

[Nomad Willy]

Well put Peter,

 

[Art]

So, did you join "TrawlerForum" expecting to find a bunch of commercial fishermen, or a bunch of recreational go-slow boafs? Did you decide on TrawlerForum versus SeinerForum?

Personally, I've been surprised at how few trawlers are on this forum. And I'm speaking of the recreational brand. Ton of motoryacht. Ton of boats that look like trawlers above the waterline but don't have the range to get past the horizon.

Peter

You did good Peter... Eric needed that! :lol:

 

[Fish53]

I actually didn't want this to get so contentious but I suppose I'm responsible for a large portion of it. Perhaps it is inappropriate for me to have joined here, I originally joined to engage in mostly technical type discussions but of course that didn't last long. I'm afraid after over forty years of proudly calling myself a trawlerman in the old Grimsby tradition and mastering all of the arcane skills involved in the trade I was taken aback by some of what I viewed on this site. Here were boats incapable of going even slightly offshore manned by persons with the seamanship skills of a Kansas farmer expressing opinions about furniture layout and comparing swatches of fabric like so many suburban housewives. Now that certainly doesn't describe you all by any means but there is that element and being old, opinionated and thin skinned I found it grating. Yes I am a purist and even hanging a pair of doors, winches and a net reel on a lobster style boat still doesn't make it a trawler. To those like myself that worked wooden Eastern rigged side trawlers on places like Georges, the Grand banks and the Flemish cap share more with the dorymen of old than our modern counterparts and still take pride in the traditions. To see this reduced to cartoon proportions in every marina and boatyard is unsettling. But time moves on and things change, not always for the better. So for me it's best to let nomenclature be damned and just enjoy my time on the water and wish you all the same.

 

[FF]

Range is seldom a big problem unless one is crossing oceans. Simply operating a boat slower makes a dramatic improvement in range.

The hassle for offshore for many is scantlings. The hull, deck and pilot house are not built strong enough to be caught out offshore in a storm.

A storm that will crash waves on the deck or against the PH hour after hour for a day or three?

What we today call a trawler is a fine recreational vessel that does great , in the use it was built for.

To cross blue water requires MUCH more, however some folks have done well by watching the weather and chancing it.

 

[psneeld]

Captain is a rank in the military, it's also a word used to describe just about anyone running a boat of any kind.


Just because I am retired military, I don't get all trivial and want to separate the two as they have been around both ways for long enough to understand and accept.


I live with all the different sides of these discussions... usually not even getting in the discussion unless someone decides they are "the word king".

The word "recreational trawler" is common and popular in so many circles.... no need to even start the list.....



So I don't feel one bit out of line to disagree with so many here....because it's NOT my definition...just one I went along with as I got more and more into boating....on many levels.

 

[mvweebles]

Fish53 - you are not responsible for this, though I must say you post goes a long way to propagating the disconnect - "comparing fabric swatches like a suburban housewife....." Touche!

Willard launched the Wm Garden designed "Cruiser" (sedan) in 1961. Somewhere around 1966 or so - 54 years ago - they introduced a pilothouse style boat they called the "Trawler" model. As I mentioned in an earlier post Grand Banks, perhaps the most recognizable and iconic trawler-yacht in existence, doesn't even market their boats as "trawlers" yet that's what everyone knows them as.

After a while, a term sticks and becomes known in the vernacular. For example, would anyone really use an American Tug or Nordic Tug as a tug boat, even though they are self-proclaimed tug-style boats?

Like yourself, though from an entirely different direction, I was expecting something different when I joined this forum a couple years ago. I was familiar with CruisersForum which is sail-oriented and has a mix of day-warriors and cruisers (though not many of the latter). I also belong to a small forum of active cruisers along the Pacific side of Mexico/Central America - messages are sparse, but very useful. I was expecting more of a cruiser-set here in TrawlerForum which is just not the case. Few trawler[yachts], fewer folks using their boats as cruising platform. A lot of snowbird shuttles, but not a lot of adventuring going on. That's not a bad thing, it's just different than I was expecting. As it turns out, I've become one of the sedentary crowd of keyboard advisors and pundits too.

In short, while I fully understand your post and have a lot of respect for folks with backgrounds such as yours, the fact is the term "Trawler" has been coopted by market types, and frankly, thankfully so. While there are plenty of motoryachts on these pages, they are used more similarly to 'trawlers' than, say, go-fast Tiara express cruisers (also nice boats, but not conducive to trawler-speed/lifestyle).

This forum has been great for me to ask technical questions and sources for oddball parts as I undergo a refit. Fingers crossed I transition into more of a cruising lifestyle within the year at which point I'll hopefully become less active here. I have yet to find the cruisers-forum for powerboaters that doesn't have an elitist cliquish feel to it (and wouldn't have me as a member anyway). So I suspect I'll revert to the old style of forum - meet people along the way and get their best thinking.

Peter

 

[Hippocampus]

Joined this forum to learn. Think the divide isn’t boats but rather usage. It that usage that in large measure determines what boat you get.
So if you go weeks with no fuel or fresh water or food source and need to be totally independent of support services you are much more likely to pick a vessel that can accommodate that lifestyle. You will have the tankage, tools, and spares to allow a belt and suspenders approach. This is equally true coastal or blue water. It implies a FD hull or very large vessel.
Even now with our advances in weather forecasting we have reliable predictions for 3 days, decent for 5. Once you get past that you can make educated guesses but can expect that on occasion it will get very sparky. With intelligence and not being bound to schedules you can hopefully avoid sustained force 8 and above but you will see line squalls at a minimum. But if you make passages beyond reliable weather predictions sooner or later you will be caught out.
So I totally agree with Fish53. I continue to want to learn everything I can about long range cruising boats and skills for long range cruising. A few of the boats called trawlers are appropriate for this activity. Most are not. The same marketing distortion has occurred with sail leading to endless discussions of what is a blue water boat.

 

[Hippocampus]

Peter about the elitist cliquish attitude think you find that everywhere. Doesn’t matter if it’s people buying Fein instead of big box brands or Sage instead of Reddington or Musto instead of West Marine. Some will buy the name. Some actually just want what will serve their need best and care a rodents rectum what label is on it. There’s been the same elitist attitude on every forum I’ve been on. Attainable Adventures, sailing anarchy, sailnet, even OCC. However been very encouraged that the actual cruising community has much less of that. We’ve been thinking about the transition to power some years back so been asking questions. Firmly believe once you’re cruising either in power or sail most people are really nice, helpful and not at all snotty. Have helped and been helped by a very diverse crowd through the years. Cheer up. Spit up the anchor. The dilettantes, pretenders and snots don’t get far and don’t have your endurance. Be self motivated and ignore what others may think.

 

[obthomas]

I have been on TF for some time and avoided this thread because I knew that the definition of a trawler got its beginning in Apocrypha. My curiosity got the best of me as to why this thread has been around so long; I opened it for the first time on the 16th page. Just as I had imagined, I feel so stupid now.

 

[mvweebles]

I have been on TF for some time and avoided this thread because I knew that the definition of a trawler got its beginning in Apocrypha. My curiosity got the best of me as to why this thread has been around so long; I opened it for the first time on the 16th page. Just as I had imagined, I feel so stupid now.

A·poc·ry·pha: noun. Biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture.

New word for me! Well put!

Peter

 

[Nomad Willy]

In the US now people will do most anything to be cool or Vogue.

Take the word yes. People rarely use it anymore. “Absolutely” is universally used in it’s place. Not that there’s something absolute about what the’re trying to say ... there isn’t except in rare occasions.

It strated out as a means of putting emphasis on one’s expression. And it may have been at least partly justified to that end but in short order since it was the “new” way of talking and “in w the new out w the old” took over and soon teenagers the world over were substituting absolutely whenever they needed to say yes.
Then people on TV, political commentators that should know better picked up the new ball and ran w it. Even professional orators that most people look up to were making terrible misuse of a very common word.

I don’t know what there going to use the word yes for when the use of absolutely becomes old fashioned ... as all these fads eventually do.

The word absolutely is probably used millions of times a day now where the simple word yes is far more appropriate. And three syllables less.

So the inappropriate use of the word trawler is fly stuff as compared to absolutely so Fish53 this may make it a bit easier for you. But I see it’s close to home for you and I do understand. Sadly it’s unlikely to change.

 

[bayview]

If I remember correctly GB started the trend ad Asian competitors followed suit.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Bayview,
Didn’t GB always call their boats cruisers?

 

[markpierce]

Shouldn't one ask the founder of this site what is meant by "trawler"?

 

[MurrayM]

Why aren't there as many trolls trolling about trollers on TF as there are trolls trolling about trawlers?

 

[Sailor of Fortune]

I guess you can see there is no hard definition and been discussed ad nauseum... Run what ya brung, have fun and don't look back. Lots of good advice on this forum...other than this topic

 

[syjos]

What's wrong with calling it a boat?