Definition of Trawler please :)

[OldDan1943]

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

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

and if you never start your engine, you will have fantastic fuel economy too.

 

[OldDan1943]

Well folks, I thought I had nailed the definition of a trawler but, there are alway naaa sayers....
If I were to believe some folks, even my Nordhavn did not qualify as a trawler. SHRUG

I have accepted, my American Tug does not fulfill the definition of trawler... a tug is a tug.

So when someone comes up with a definition of a trawler..... lemme know and I will shoot them down too.

 

[Woodland Hills]

I don’t know about this cleat thing: my Hatteras has large through bolted cleats that easily handle 1” lines. It also weighs over 100k lbs and will plane....... But I know it’s not a trawler.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Well folks, I thought I had nailed the definition of a trawler but, there are alway naaa sayers....
If I were to believe some folks, even my Nordhavn did not qualify as a trawler. SHRUG

I have accepted, my American Tug does not fulfill the definition of trawler... a tug is a tug.

So when someone comes up with a definition of a trawler..... lemme know and I will shoot them down too.

Dan,
The only Tug I’d call a tug is a Lord Nelson. What feature or element of your AT makes it or identifies it as a tug? Your AT is clearly trawler IMO. And the N46 is primarily a passagemaker but does most trawler duties well or better. But an NT or a GB is more of a thoroughbred trawler. You could say the N46 is mostly a passagemaker but could be rated as 75% trawler. The concept that a passagemaker is the supreme trawler or the mother of all trawlers is misconceived IMO. There’s freighters and tankers. Different w different names.

I’ll see if I can find your trawler def.
“In my feeble little mind, I would say, a trawler has round bottom, full displacement hull design, slow moving, fuel efficient, single engine, wide beam, able to carry a heavy load gracefully, able to survive heavy weather, a salty looking profile. Some trawlers have a fly bridge, others, pilot house only. Example: Nordhavn or Kadey Krogen”

That’s it?
Most arent “round bottom.
Most aren’t FD
Most aren’t fuel efficient. Sailboats are though.
Most mid-sized and most trawlers (like GB36) are twin engine.
Wide Beam.
Bingo ya got one!
Able to carry a heavy load gracefully.
Yes to that one but the load is mostly itself.
Able to survive heavy weather.
Modern planing cruisers are probably as capable.
Salty look.
Got another one for two full counts.
Fly bridge.
What about the NT? About the most trawler-like trawler I could name and the’ve almost never had one.

You nailed it but almost essentially only the perception that other boaters would perceive as a trawler definition.

What it is is a “Heavy Cruiser”.
But of course there are as many definitions as there are TF members.
But I’ll hold mine up to “heavy” scrutiny.

 

[BandB]

I don’t know about this cleat thing: my Hatteras has large through bolted cleats that easily handle 1” lines. It also weighs over 100k lbs and will plane....... But I know it’s not a trawler.

It is if you want to call it one. lol

 

[Slowmo]

You'll get a million opinions but really to be strict, a 'trawler' is a fishing vessel but the pleasure boats called trawlers have a distant link to these. I believe to understand the 'trawler style' you have to have some understanding of the history. Here's my view based on watching this genre develop over the past 60 years.

In my view the genre for pleasure craft got a start when William Garden began to design pleasure vessels that were rooted in the west coast fishing boat. However, first design that really hits the modern 'trawler stayle is his 'Wanderer' 42' power boat (The Wanderer Class Diesel Cruiser ). These are floating definition of what became the 'trawler style'. I suspect that Ken Smith who penned the GB was heavily influenced by Wanderer. Others like Art DeFever also designed boats that were designed to cruise at less than 10kn, many of which had a striking similary to the Garden design, at least in appearance. These made good 'coastal' cruisers in the west where conditions on the coast can be rough and there is no ICW to get away from it.

Two things, again in my view, gave 'trawler style' a big boost. First in the mid-60's American Marine introduced the Grand Banks. While the GB is in fact a planning hull it was optimized to run at 8-10kn with relative modest power. In later years they had the power to plane and eventually they modified the hull a bit to get better lift and speed. But the GB moved the 'trawler' style from custom to production.

The second big boost to trawler style was the energy crisis of the 1970's. Suddenly planning boats were too expensive to operate at a plane, and boats that were optimized to run at 'semi-displacement' speeds were popular. The majority of these were based on some version of a planning hull but with deeper keels (directional stability) and modest power. These included Mainship, DeFever, Monk, Cheoy Lee, Marshall Bros 'Californian', the various Taiwan boats (Ocean Alexander, CHB, Marine Trader etc), and Island Gypsy (Hong Kong yard that had formerly made GB before they moved to Singapore). Most of these also adopted the traditional look. At the same time some of the established US builders introduced new designs such as the Hatteras LRC, Tollycraft 43/48 etc, and the Bayliner motoryachts of the late 70's. Interestingly, Garden actually did influence the Bayliner Motoryachts of the late 70's-80's. While hull designs varied, common factors were traditional look and moderate speed (8-12kn).

So in my view the 'trawler style' is really just that, a traditional look. The style has evolved to include not only the West Coast style but also the North East style. In addition, the pretense of 'trawler speed' has been dropped. Modern 'trawlers' often have the hull and power to do in excess of 20kn, something the old Wanderer could never have done due to its hull shape. But, they still have that nod to a 'traditional' look.

 

[syjos]

You'll get a million opinions but really to be strict, a 'trawler' is a fishing vessel but the pleasure boats called trawlers have a distant link to these. I believe to understand the 'trawler style' you have to have some understanding of the history. Here's my view based on watching this genre develop over the past 60 years.

In my view the genre for pleasure craft got a start when William Garden began to design pleasure vessels that were rooted in the west coast fishing boat. However, first design that really hits the modern 'trawler stayle is his 'Wanderer' 42' power boat (The Wanderer Class Diesel Cruiser ). These are floating definition of what became the 'trawler style'. I suspect that Ken Smith who penned the GB was heavily influenced by Wanderer. Others like Art DeFever also designed boats that were designed to cruise at less than 10kn, many of which had a striking similary to the Garden design, at least in appearance. These made good 'coastal' cruisers in the west where conditions on the coast can be rough and there is no ICW to get away from it.

Two things, again in my view, gave 'trawler style' a big boost. First in the mid-60's American Marine introduced the Grand Banks. While the GB is in fact a planning hull it was optimized to run at 8-10kn with relative modest power. In later years they had the power to plane and eventually they modified the hull a bit to get better lift and speed. But the GB moved the 'trawler' style from custom to production.

The second big boost to trawler style was the energy crisis of the 1970's. Suddenly planning boats were too expensive to operate at a plane, and boats that were optimized to run at 'semi-displacement' speeds were popular. The majority of these were based on some version of a planning hull but with deeper keels (directional stability) and modest power. These included Mainship, DeFever, Monk, Cheoy Lee, Marshall Bros 'Californian', the various Taiwan boats (Ocean Alexander, CHB, Marine Trader etc), and Island Gypsy (Hong Kong yard that had formerly made GB before they moved to Singapore). Most of these also adopted the traditional look. At the same time some of the established US builders introduced new designs such as the Hatteras LRC, Tollycraft 43/48 etc, and the Bayliner motoryachts of the late 70's. Interestingly, Garden actually did influence the Bayliner Motoryachts of the late 70's-80's. While hull designs varied, common factors were traditional look and moderate speed (8-12kn).

So in my view the 'trawler style' is really just that, a traditional look. The style has evolved to include not only the West Coast style but also the North East style. In addition, the pretense of 'trawler speed' has been dropped. Modern 'trawlers' often have the hull and power to do in excess of 20kn, something the old Wanderer could never have done due to its hull shape. But, they still have that nod to a 'traditional' look.

Great write up!

Thanks.

 

[Xsbank]

Trawler: any boat except a Sea Ray.

 

[BandB]

Trawler: any boat except a Sea Ray.

Wifey B: Oh, that's two of you saying my Riva is a trawler. Nomad because of the cleats, you because it's not a Sea Ray.

 

[Nomad Willy]

WifeyB,
Izzat your Riva in the avatar?

 

[BandB]

WifeyB,
Izzat your Riva in the avatar?

Wifey B: Stock photo of the baby one's model but not of either of ours. Riva hides the cleats, like so.


Not huge like our bigger boats which are also not trawlers.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Slowmo,
Love your historical development of the trawler boat.
Wish it was based more on hull design but most people relate far better to style than hull form. There’in lies the difficulty of nailing a “fits all” definition of trawler.

But another element I like to avoid is what most call “trawler lifestyle”. I don’t even know it exists frankly and if it does what does it effect or revolve around?

But I liked your “definition” a lot. But I think mechanics and hulls should play a big role in a definition. And the relationship of boat weight and how it limits trawlers and shoe horns them into the slots where they exist.

Then there’s economics.
The forces of economics have a profound effect on many of the aspects of what a trawler is. If a trawler is 50% heavier than a cruiser the buyer must pay for all that extra stuff the trawler requires. And then the weight affects the seaworthyness capabilities in both negative and positive ways.

The more I look at this definition question .. a committee may be needed to produce a truly comprehensive definition.

 

[Nomad Willy]

WifyB,
Nice substantial looking cleat. It actually looks like it was taken off a PNW fish boat.
Older Rivas had in-house hardware custom made directly by the boatbuilder. Truly stunning works of art. Also the wood boats had wood that came from forests owned by Riva. They logged the trees and air dried the sawn lumber in house for many years before it became part of a boat.
I have no idea how the FG boats are built but very likely their builds are done w a lot of the old Riva in-house perfection.

 

[BandB]

WifyB,
Nice substantial looking cleat. It actually looks like it was taken off a PNW fish boat.
Older Rivas had in-house hardware custom made directly by the boatbuilder. Truly stunning works of art. Also the wood boats had wood that came from forests owned by Riva. They logged the trees and air dried the sawn lumber in house for many years before it became part of a boat.
I have no idea how the FG boats are built but very likely their builds are done w a lot of the old Riva in-house perfection.

Wifey B: Riva has had challenges at times. Like the Rivarama supposedly had problems and became the Rivarama Super. Still tremendous boats in rough water plus performance. I'm prejudiced but think they've stuck to their heritage well. That includes lots of mahogany on the Rivarama Super. Guess that's worse even than teak. We keep it indoors.