Definition of trawler?

[rslifkin]

I'd think of it in levels: coastal trawlers vs ocean going trawlers (which extends into full on passagemakers). Differences being range, ability to handle bad weather, self sufficiency, etc. In other words, just how far can you reasonably and safely take the thing.

 

[BruceK]

...Silly me. I thought y'all would agree....

Hope springs eternal. Maybe one day.

 

[syjos]

Sandpiper was advertised as a 40 foot Bluewater Pilothouse Trawler in the 70's. It has a round bottom, full displacement, ballasted hull, a single engine and built in Taiwan. Gobs of teak, now gone.

It carrie's 600 gallons of fuel and 400 water. Too much fuel - never put in more than 450 gallons.

2400 mi range at 8 knots 3800 at 6.5.

I call Sandpiper a trawler, others a passagemaker.

 

[mvweebles]

In theory, my AT34 with a Cummins 380 and 400gal of diesel with a burn rate of 2.1 at 8 knots, based upon sea trials data, should go close to 1400 miles but, I would not bet the farm on that.
One point to address and consider is where are the ER air supply is located. For the AT, the ER supply is on the side of the boat as opposed on the stack or the side of the boat inside the raised, protected deck.

That's great mileage at a very nice pace. I'd do the same route with your boat in a heartbeat (adequate time/respect for wx, etc). Someone posted difference between coastal cruising and ocean crossing which I think is a good differentiator and explains the difficulty in defining a trawler except they have a certain robust, traditional appearance. Many boats have crossed oceans, but few are well equipped to do so.

OldDan - You're the person who previously owned a N46, correct? A foot in each camp (coastal v offshore) , no?

 

[markpierce]

Got the range to reach from San Francisco to Seattle, but don't want to continually bounce in the rough seas in between. Boredom!! Fatigue!!

 

[OldDan1943]

OldDan - You're the person who previously owned a N46, correct? A foot in each camp (coastal v offshore) , no?

Yes, I'd still have it except a yard ape decided he could pulll a jack before he put in a new jack. Yup, fell over and put the port stabilizer into the owner's stateroom. Totaled but, that's another story...... sigh

 

[OldDan1943]

Got the range to reach from San Francisco to Seattle, but don't want to continually bounce in the rough seas in between. Boredom!! Fatigue!!

SMILE, you, as the owner get the best stateroom. A good supply of food, "liquid", DVDs and a well trained crew..... you could camp out in your SR until they woke you for your watch.

 

[mvweebles]

Got the range to reach from San Francisco to Seattle, but don't want to continually bounce in the rough seas in between.

Mark - You certainly have a tank of a boat to do it with - I like the Coot, a lot.

Different thread, but do want to point out to others that the California/WA/OR coast is do-able for relatively experienced boaters with a decent vessel, who have some basic weather knowledge, and a relaxed schedule. A fellow Willard owner (30-footer - actually, it was my old boat that I owned 25+ years ago) of average capabilities recently changed jobs and needed to get his 1972 Searcher model from Ventura to Olympia WA (100nms past Seattle). It took him over a month, and he was held-up in Ft Bragg (125nms north SF) for a couple weeks waiting for a major storm off Cape Mendocino, but he did just fine. He had one tough night along the central CA coast (Cape San Martin), but had many, many nice days.

 

[BrianSmith]

What are the defining characteristics of a trawler?

I thought a trawler was a boat with a full displacement hull built to move economically at abut 70% of the theoretical hull speed. The hull shape would be optimized for efficiency at less than hull speed. Trawlers would be in the lower range of horsepower per ton with not nearly enough power to plane. Trawlers would slower, wider, have more room and carrying capacity than planning hulls but burn much less fuel. Is there a min or max size to be considered a trawler?

That's pretty much what I think of when I think of a trawler. Our boat fits your description, and we always call it a trawler, except when talking to my 84 y.o. mother, and then it's a "houseboat".

 

[jimisbell]

It depends on where you are. Down here, if you say own a trawler, the next question is, how long have you been a shrimper?

Yes, same in south texas. Never did any shrimping with mine so I guess its not a Trawler.

 

[Joe Pica]

Hum, No one mentioned Great Harbours which are displacement speed only cruising "vessels" that have done long open extra coastal cruising(to Bermuda from Jax) One to Hawaii from Jax.. Small efficient engines with extensive range. They are extremely heavy and have huge internal volume.

 

[OldDan1943]

Yes, same in south texas. Never did any shrimping with mine so I guess its not a Trawler.

LOL, wonder what the reaction would be if I said, my boat is a tug. LOL

 

[BobMc]

The idea of a pleasure trawler originated with Robert Beebe and the design of his trawler, Passagemaker, as outlined in his book "Voyaging Under Power" published in 1975. From there the term has been expanded, mostly in the 1990s by the public relations weenies who wanted potential buyers to see any boat their company was making as a "trawler." Now, the terms is used interchangeably with everything from an over-powered planing hull, to an overpowered (in true "trawler" terms) semi-displacement hull such as Grand Banks, to semi-displacement hull speed trawlers, but hasn't progressed as far as including jet skis, AFAIK!

Fishing trawlers have always been "trawlers" and that is where Robert Beebe got his original idea of a pleasure trawler.

What are the defining characteristics of a trawler?


So what is your definition of a trawler and what do you feel are the pros and cons of trawlers.

 

[MapisM]

Fishing trawlers have always been "trawlers" and that is where Robert Beebe got his original idea of a pleasure trawler.

Correct. In fact, "pleasure trawler" is actually an oxymoron, sort of.
Trawlers are boats/hull forms designed for trawling, i.e. dragging nets for fishing.
It's that simple: the very specific requirements of fishing shaped trawlers as we know them, not the use of boats for pleasure.

That said, there's nothing wrong in building a pleasure boat whose hull, propulsion, etc. are akin to real trawlers.
But since no "pleasure trawler" on earth has ever been used for dragging nets, the trawler definition, which is pointless on a pleasure boat in principle, became more aspirational than technical.

To the point that most boaters nowadays would equally call trawler a Nordhavn and a Beneteau ST - heaven forbid!

 

[healhustler]

Hum, No one mentioned Great Harbours which are displacement speed only cruising "vessels" that have done long open extra coastal cruising(to Bermuda from Jax) One to Hawaii from Jax.. Small efficient engines with extensive range. They are extremely heavy and have huge internal volume.

Qualified point, Joe. Also, considering those factors, worth a mention is the Pilgrim 40. Durbeck, Nelson and Island Packet are among other FD makers whose boats check the boxes.

 

[BobMc]

I was using the term "pleasure" trawler to distinguish our boats we use for pleasure from those workhorse fishing trawlers which were the genesis of the species! Should have used quotes!

Correct. In fact, "pleasure trawler" is actually an oxymoron, sort of.
Trawlers are boats/hull forms designed for trawling, i.e. dragging nets for fishing.
It's that simple: the very specific requirements of fishing shaped trawlers as we know them, not the use of boats for pleasure.
:

 

[South of Heaven]

I had an A25 for 6 years before the Willard purchase. I named her “Trawlerette”. Kind-of a way of saying “small trawler”. I lived to regret that name for several reasons.
Not a “motor cruiser” unless she’s actually powered by an electric motor.

Trawler;
An extra heavy pleasure craft with a hull designed for slow speed.

Define heavy. There's another 4 pages to tack onto this thread. Lol

 

[OldDan1943]

Hmmm, so if I take a 'retired' fishing trawler and convert it into a live aboard, it is no longer a trawler?

Throwing gasoline onto this discussion.

 

[Art]

Hmmm, so if I take a 'retired' fishing trawler and convert it into a live aboard, it is no longer a trawler?

Throwing gasoline onto this discussion.

"Throwing gasoline onto this discussion." Twins engines??

 

[Dan_can]

It amazes me the need of some people to define something or argue about it (although this friendly discussion is entertaining no doubt). I’m sure most of people here say “I’m going to my boat” or “yacht” but I highly doubt someone says “ I’m going to my trawler” (sailboaters I know are over jealous of “their” term yacht and may frown upon power boats

 

[OldDan1943]

"Throwing gasoline onto this discussion." Twins engines??

Single of course.

 

[Art]

Single of course.

Was a joke Dan!! Only a joke!! LOL

 

[Nomad Willy]

Weight is what mostly makes a boat into a trawler.
Full displacement design has little to do w trawlerness as the vast majority of trawlers are clearly semi-displacement in hull design.

 

[OldDan1943]

Was a joke Dan!! Only a joke!! LOL

Hey, my 'retired trawler' so I said it is single engine.

 

[Lou_tribal]

I will risk my own definition.
A trawler is a slow boat, fuel conservative, with great living area, handled by an old bloke loving the freedom of cruising and being at sea... and of course eating any penny you may still have in your pocket

L

 

[Art]

I will risk my own definition.
A trawler is a slow boat, fuel conservative, with great living area, handled by an old bloke loving the freedom of cruising and being at sea... and of course eating any penny you may still have in your pocket

L

Good definition!

 

[rolomart3]

IMHO the term "trawler" is used often to mean "cruiser" and viceversa. A definition more appealing to me is "a powered vessel capable of passage-making across oceans cruising at fuel- efficient speed".

 

[syjos]

It amazes me the need of some people to define something or argue about it (although this friendly discussion is entertaining no doubt). I’m sure most of people here say “I’m going to my boat” or “yacht” but I highly doubt someone says “ I’m going to my trawler”

I agree 100%

This discussion is entertaining. As most general question like twin vs single, definition of full displacement, radar or autopilot etc.

I am also curious as to why people need black or white answers to their general questions. Most things on boats are in the gray areas and tough to define.

Everybody I know says "I'm going to my boat" no matter the boat size.

If anyone says "I'm going to my yacht" and the yacht is less than 75 feet or so, I would assume that the person has a really small pee pee.

 

[Art]

We simply say: We're going to "The Office"

 

[High Wire]

Trawler = 1/speedboat