Definition of Trawler please :)

[Bryant]

Trawler

Hello All,
I read some posts here before joining. Seemed like a good match to my ambitions. Curious how you define trawler though ?

Also how do you post a picture?

FYI registering was met with error messages until I entered the name of another user as a reference took almost an hour....

Good question. It’s like pornography; difficult to define but I know it when I see it.

 

[ben2go]

Good question. It’s like pornography; difficult to define but I know it when I see it.

Simple, it's the filming or photographing of sexual intercourse. Everything else is voyeurism. I kind of feel sick because I know this fun fact. At least that's what's in the law dictionary I owned from 1960.

 

[OldDan1943]

The unknowing usually ask me if mine is a shrimp boat. So, my definition of a trawler is that it looks like a shrimp boat.

Didn't some Congressman say that?
I guess it is not important.
I'll get the beer, you get the pretzels and we can watch it and make a decision

 

[Bryant]

Trawler

Simple, it's the filming or photographing of sexual intercourse. Everything else is voyeurism. I kind of feel sick because I know this fun fact. At least that's what's in the law dictionary I owned from 1960.

Son, lighten up. I was referring to the question of “What is a Trawler”?
Everyone has a different option. It was a joke. Get it? Apparently you didn’t.

 

[FF]

“What is a Trawler”?


What is a Sportscar?

 

[OldDan1943]

Can we agree on these two points?

Round bottom, protected running gear

 

[psneeld]

No....even plenty of commercial fishing Trawlers don't have a round bottom....and some have twins. I ran a former tawler/seiner now workboat that had a little keel but the pros were up in pockets...semi-displacement hull.

No definition will ever be perfect but it's definitely more just a "look" than a trait or two

 

[OldDan1943]

Okay, let's include what I forgot...

Can we agree on the "traditional" definition of a round bottom, keel and shoe protected running gear, full-displacement hull, single engine, fuel efficient able to travel great distances at hull speed, can carry a large load gracefully.

Remember, we are talking about hull design.

Realize, I am talking about a trawler hull design, not an "occupation" nor intended purpose and not a semi-displacement hull.
If we include semi-displacement then we'd have to call my tug, a trawler and as pointed out to me, "a tug is a tug."

May I suggest, if one is going to include 2 shaft boats, then I guess both would protected running gear?

I did find it interesting when someone mentioned 2 engines 'feeding' one shaft.

 

[psneeld]

No again....as you say....


"Can we agree on the "traditional" definition of a round bottom, keel and shoe protected running gear, full-displacement hull, single engine, fuel efficient able to travel great distances at hull speed, can carry a large load gracefully."


Could be a sailboat, could be a motorsailer, eliminates a huge number of what have been called Trawlers from the beginning if you eliminate twins, add full keel, only round bottom, etc


Again...it's more "look" than substance.

 

[OldDan1943]

No again....as you say....

"Can we agree on the "traditional" definition of a round bottom, keel and shoe protected running gear, full-displacement hull, single engine, fuel efficient able to travel great distances at hull speed, can carry a large load gracefully."

Could be a sailboat, could be a motorsailer, eliminates a huge number of what have been called Trawlers from the beginning if you eliminate twins, add full keel, only round bottom, etc

Again...it's more "look" than substance.

So when a broker or an owner says "trawler", how would you respond?
I can accept "a tug is a tug". Not sure how to define it. SHRUG

 

[psneeld]

If you are asking me what is a trawler....I don't tell people ....I show them a picture of an example or point one out.


Or have them show me a boat or a picture then I tell them yes, no or maybe.

 

[OldDan1943]

LOL Okay, I will refer all questions to you. SMILE

 

[Woodland Hills]

Can we agree on these two points?

Round bottom, protected running gear

No. Lots of modern commercial trawlers have hard chines since it is a lot cheaper to build a steel boat with plate bent in only one direction.

 

[OldDan1943]

No. Lots of modern commercial trawlers have hard chines since it is a lot cheaper to build a steel boat with plate bent in only one direction.

You are confusing with the hull design and the intended purpose or use of the boat.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Dan,
No he’s not.
Hard chine/soft chine is a prominent feature of hull design. Has almost no effect on performance and also many older wood sailboats are hard chine.
And of course hard/soft chine has nothing to do w a boat’s mission as a rec trawler either.
Other than opinionated people that sit on opinions w/o any validity twin screw/single screw has nothing to do w it either. I’ll give ya that there are many rec trawlers w twin screws. 35 to 40’ most are probably twins. 45’ and up they are mostly singles. But the # of engines has nothing to do w the definition of rec trawler ...... IMO.

What defines a trawler is weight, speed (or lack of) and the equipment onboard. A specific boat always running 7-8 knots does not make it a trawler.

 

[OldDan1943]

Dan,
No he’s not.
Hard chine/soft chine is a prominent feature of hull design. Has almost no effect on performance and also many older wood sailboats are hard chine.
And of course hard/soft chine has nothing to do w a boat’s mission as a rec trawler either.
Other than opinionated people that sit on opinions w/o any validity twin screw/single screw has nothing to do w it either. I’ll give ya that there are many rec trawlers w twin screws. 35 to 40’ most are probably twins. 45’ and up they are mostly singles. But the # of engines has nothing to do w the definition of rec trawler ...... IMO.

What defines a trawler is weight, speed (or lack of) and the equipment onboard. A specific boat always running 7-8 knots does not make it a trawler.

My Nordhavn fit the definition of a trawler.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Dan wrote;
“My Nordhavn fit the definition of a trawler.”

This is funny.
Dan the N46 fits another classification of pleasure boat better .... passagemaker. So if you asked if the N46 was a trawler the answer would be “of course” but as a trawler there are numerous features that aren’t optimized for trawlering. That’s why the N46 is such a good passagemaker.
I’ going to stick my neck out and say your AT is more of a trawler than the N46.
What’s your response to that haha.

 

[Rufus]

A pilot in an old Navy squadron had Ferrari. He called it his penis extender. Same thing.

 

[BandB]

A recreational trawler is anything you want it to be. If you say your boat is a trawler, then it is. Most people associate it with slow traveling boats but that's not even clear as to how slow. It's another word some use for recreational cruising vessels of some type. If you get hung up over the definition of trawler, you'll never find an anchor.

 

[OldDan1943]

Dan wrote;
“My Nordhavn fit the definition of a trawler.”

This is funny.
Dan the N46 fits another classification of pleasure boat better .... passagemaker. So if you asked if the N46 was a trawler the answer would be “of course” but as a trawler there are numerous features that aren’t optimized for trawlering. That’s why the N46 is such a good passagemaker.
I’ going to stick my neck out and say your AT is more of a trawler than the N46.
What’s your response to that haha.

Nawwwww, my AT has a chine. It is over powered by an electronic Cummins 380. I have no idea how much HP I use to keep it at hull speed of (mathematically computed) 7.3 nm/hr (1200RPM). I use about 1.4 g/h. Loaded 1/2 and 1/2/
3000 RPM, 17 nm/h at 18.1 g/h, loaded 1/2 and 1/2

The Nordhavn..... bringing down from Long Island, when outside, wot.... best guess, 2 g/h loaded full fuel and full water. On the Nordhavn, never worried about fuel. As I recall, it carried 1000 gallons. Filled it once, when the boat transferred ownership, best guess, about 800 gallons of fuel +.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Dan,
That’s basically where I am w Willy. Hardly ever check the tanks. Did just recently and had no idea what I had. 1/4 tank (25 gallons). A bit over 25 hours running.

Over powered dosn’t mean you’re not a trawler. But if you can really plane your boat is probably too light to be a trawler ... heavy cruiser. But there’s a big difference between lower SD speeds and upper SD speeds. Boats that do upper SD speeds probably don’t have heavy duty cleats. And if they did the skipper would be thinking of getting some lighter cleats.

 

[OldDan1943]

Dan,
That’s basically where I am w Willy. Hardly ever check the tanks. Did just recently and had no idea what I had. 1/4 tank (25 gallons). A bit over 25 hours running.

Over powered dosn’t mean you’re not a trawler. But if you can really plane your boat is probably too light to be a trawler ... heavy cruiser. But there’s a big difference between lower SD speeds and upper SD speeds. Boats that do upper SD speeds probably don’t have heavy duty cleats. And if they did the skipper would be thinking of getting some lighter cleats.

I sort of doubt my boat will every plane.... too much stuff onboard.

You lost me when you started talking about cleats. The AT cleats are pretty substantial, for its size and weight, with backing plates.

The need for speed??? Try to stay ahead of the weather, race the tide or get in before dark. Ah and to have a bit more control when entering or leaving a cut.

 

[ben2go]

Son, lighten up. I was referring to the question of “What is a Trawler”?
Everyone has a different option. It was a joke. Get it? Apparently you didn’t.

 

[BandB]

Boats that do upper SD speeds probably don’t have heavy duty cleats. And if they did the skipper would be thinking of getting some lighter cleats.

We have a boat that does 40 knots and has heavy cleats. Our 25 knot boat does too. I don't know what you're basing your statement on.

 

[syjos]

I refer to Nordhavns, Northern Marines and other ocean capable boats as "Expedition Yacht".

 

[Wayfarer]

I generally reserve the term trawler for boats that look salty, traditional, or commercial. It's just a style thing as far as I can tell. Clearly, it's highly subjective.

The previous owner of my new vessel was clear in his opinion. 'Trawlers are for dead fish! This is a motor yacht for ladies and gentlemen!'

I think he was quoting Herreshoff? Maybe?

 

[markpierce]

This is a semi-annual question with the same answers.

 

[Nomad Willy]

We have a boat that does 40 knots and has heavy cleats. Our 25 knot boat does too. I don't know what you're basing your statement on.

What I meant was that if you want to identify a heavy boat it’s more revealing to look at the parts of the boat. Beefy dense and heavy (there’s that word again) parts will be found on heavy boats. I once built an ultralight boat and installed black nylon plastic cleats. Smallish too. And not more than I needed either. If you take all the cleats off your boat and put them in a sack you’ll have a very heavy sack full of cleats. On a heavy cruiser one will be likely to find 3x4” rub rails on a 40’ boat cut from very heavy and dense wood. They will be bolted through heavy FG, steel or wood structures ... all heavy. Windows are thick (heavy) glass and decks the same. If you take a close look heavy boats will be heavy and strong in most every way.

Plywood boats of the 50’s and 60’s were very light. Made possible by the high strength of plywood. Cleats on those boats were very light also. Many were shaped and styled more like rockets than boat parts. And amazing speeds were achieved w very little power. Good thing as the engines then were small. In the early 50’s 25hp was the biggest outboard you could buy. But of course the size and power of outboard engines went up rapidly after that. And using FG the weight of the boats went up too.

So BandB trawlers take after fish boats and other commercial boats. Heavy beyond most all trawlers but not light like what you find on light planing boats. Extra weight is not a smart thing to have on any boat but especially a planing boat. But trawlers have cleats that will be (usually) heavier than you’ll find on planing boats.

 

[Simi 60]

What I meant was that if you want to identify a heavy boat it’s more revealing to look at the parts of the boat. Beefy dense and heavy (there’s that word again) parts will be found on heavy boats. I once built an ultralight boat and installed black nylon plastic cleats. .

On our boat the Sampson post for anchoring is a16inch square post checked into the deadwoods and keelson which are of a similar size.
That's backed up by several inches of timber running forward to the stem post which is probably 12 inch thick.

On our previous 10 metre performance sailing cat she had your aforementioned nylon cleats and 1/4 inch bolts x 2.
From memory, at a pinch and if you were bold, you probably could have lifted her out of the water , in theory, by those cleats.

 

[FF]

"fuel efficient able to travel great distances at hull speed"

Usually "hull speed" requires about 2x the fuel burn of 1 K less.