Does anyone go from a trawler to sail?

[cardude01]

I always hear about folks coming from sail over to the "darkside", but has anyone ever successfully done the reverse? Can one go from an air conditioned and heated pilothouse to an open cockpit and survive the change?

Sometimes I get bored cruising the ICW, and wonder if I would be happier fiddling with lines and tweaking sails (and getting wet). I've only sailed small boats like Hobie Cats and never a big boat, so of course I don't really know what I'm talking about.

 

[psneeld]

Yes...a bit rare but some do.

A lot of times the going back or towards still has some of the same requirements of trawler cruising.

So motorsailers are a frequent choice....pilothouse and many of the same comforts as a trawler, but a primary or equal source of propulsion.

If I get the itch to go down island...that would be my choice...but like many, kids and grandchildren can take a bite out of wanderlust.

 

[Giggitoni]

Most of the sailboats I see around here are under engine propulsion....

 

[cardude01]

Yeah, I still have the itch to go somewhere before I get too old.

Reason I ask is, a possible trade has presented itself where I could get into a boat of the same age and condition (possibly) as mine that could take me there. But I do wonder about sitting outside the entire time, so I wonder if I'm "tough enough". Of course I THINK I am, but who knows. My wife thinks I'm insane.

 

[BandB]

Yeah, I still have the itch to go somewhere before I get too old.

Reason I ask is, a possible trade has presented itself where I could get into a boat of the same age and condition (possibly) as mine that could take me there. But I do wonder about sitting outside the entire time, so I wonder if I'm "tough enough". Of course I THINK I am, but who knows. My wife thinks I'm insane.

Wifey B: Your wife's right. We always are.

We get out sailing by just chartering for a day three or four times a year.

Oh, and those who go from Trawler to Sailboat aren't likely to be on this site now.

 

[psneeld]

Hey...usually it is not just about sitting outside...but what climate you are doing it in.

Plus, sailboats are a seaworthy tube in general...like tube living?

Find a good compromise and see for yourself.

It's only money....how much would a sale to sail and back to trawler set you back? More than you can afford in 10 years? If so, think long and hard...especially the part...are you REALLY going to take off and go black for a length of time from family and friends? That is usually the thing that trips up "world voyagers" ....and they just stay local cruisers where their trawler WAS the better option.

Better to boat in your backyard with the right boat than to buy a world cruiser that never does and sucks in your backyard cruising area....the boating story of wayyyyy too many.

 

[Steve]

The couple that I bought my trawler from had been long time sailors. They switched to power, he enjoyed it but his wife missed sailing. So, they sold the Monk to me and were buying another sailboat.

 

[cardude01]

Wifey B:

We get out sailing by just chartering for a day three or four times a year.

That would obviously be the logical thing to do. Why did you have to break out the logical argument-- I'm in romantic mode here!

?

 

[healhustler]

Yeah, I know a few that made the switch, but nost of 'em just settle for a big, thick, oversized mast, you know, like Mark's.

 

[cardude01]

Hey...usually it is not just about sitting outside...but what climate you are doing it in.

The heat here is what worries me-- my last trip down the ICW I had to turn on the genny and AC. It was too damn hot. But if I was out in the ocean, with the wind in my hair, mainsheet in my teeth.....

Plus, sailboats are a seaworthy tube in general...like tube living?

My current boat is tube living, except for the pilothouse. I actually don't mind it.

are you REALLY going to take off and go black for a length of time from family and friends? That is usually the thing that trips up "world voyagers" ....and they just stay local cruisers where their trawler WAS the better option.

Yeah, that's the kicker, and I don't know for sure. The best laid plans....

 

[cardude01]

Yeah, I know a few that made the switch, but nost of 'em just settle for a big, thick, oversized mast, you know, like Mark's.

That's probably more like what I need. And as you know, I've looked at them forever. But the ones I like are not close to an even trade, and far away.

 

[Heron]

Better to boat in your backyard with the right boat than to buy a world cruiser that never does and sucks in your backyard cruising area....the boating story of wayyyyy too many.

Good thought. If I was still on the Chesapeake I'd be back in a Sailboat. Where I am now is not conducive to the type of boating we did there.
For us, and our current cruising grounds, the small trawler type makes much more sense...

 

[Pack Mule]

Yeah, I still have the itch to go somewhere before I get too old.

Reason I ask is, a possible trade has presented itself where I could get into a boat of the same age and condition (possibly) as mine that could take me there. But I do wonder about sitting outside the entire time, so I wonder if I'm "tough enough". Of course I THINK I am, but who knows. My wife thinks I'm insane.

I look at sailboats almost everyday on YW probably more than trawlers. I've been thinking the same thing lately , but my wife also knows I'm crazy . I like the look of an old Taiwanese ketch with a long turned up bowsprit . We will probably never go anywhere so the boat we have now is more than likely perfect for us . But those ol ketches sure make a dreamer like me all warm inside and instill a sense of freedom. Go for it man . What else you gonna do?

 

[dhays]

If you are really going to an area that has steady wind, open water, and reasonable weather, a sailboat is wonderful. The steady wind will keep the heat down, give you sailing opportunities, and that in turn makes dealing with seas a lot easier. A sailboat under sail (even motorsailing) is just a lot more stable and gives a more comfortable ride. However, there is that constant exposure to the sun and or cold.

There are sailboats that do have some type of pilothouse like design that gives you the sun and some cold protection (just need a place to get out of the cold wind).

In my mind the boat decision will be based more on geography than anything else.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. 01. "I'm in romantic mode here!" I'm just guessing but I think you're spelling romantic V-O-D-K-A.

 

[Aquafarm]

This female would have loved to stay with sail ( albeit a larger sailboat) ..or at least a motor sailer.
But no one was getting younger and handling the sails etc was becoming a chore.
I was won over by the light, galley and headroom of our MV....but still miss the silence of sailing.
So if we had a "sail boy" to bounce around the deck I'd go back....maybe...I am getting to like the dark side :lol:

 

[Donsan]

The heat here is what worries me-- my last trip down the ICW I had to turn on the genny and AC. It was too damn hot. But if I was out in the ocean, with the wind in my hair, mainsheet in my teeth.....


My current boat is tube living, except for the pilothouse. I actually don't mind it.



Yeah, that's the kicker, and I don't know for sure. The best laid plans....

Cardude, you are seriously over dreaming this!

 

[cardude01]

Greetings,
Mr. 01. "I'm in romantic mode here!" I'm just guessing but I think you're spelling romantic V-O-D-K-A.

Normally yes, but it's only noon here so not hitting the vodka already.

?

 

[cardude01]

I look at sailboats almost everyday on YW probably more than trawlers. I've been thinking the same thing lately , but my wife also knows I'm crazy . I like the look of an old Taiwanese ketch with a long turned up bowsprit . We will probably never go anywhere so the boat we have now is more than likely perfect for us . But those ol ketches sure make a dreamer like me all warm inside and instill a sense of freedom. Go for man . What else you gonna do?

Ahhh, so I'm not the only one. Cool.

 

[psneeld]

This female would have loved to stay with sail ( albeit a larger sailboat) ..or at least a motor sailer.
But no one was getting younger and handling the sails etc was becoming a chore.
I was won over by the light, galley and headroom of our MV....but still miss the silence of sailing.
So if we had a "sail boy" to bounce around the deck I'd go back....maybe...I am getting to like the dark side :lol:

A flying bridge would have kept the silence in boating.

When driving from there, the wind is usually louder than the engine noises.

People who used to sail and now are concerned when they can't monitor the motor sounds from the flying bridge, I ask them if they could hear the crevice crack corrosion on the upper part of their sailboat stays.....

It is all a tradeoff and how you deal with the multitude of issues.

 

[Northern Spy]

If someone offered me a Fisher motorsailer as trade for my Nordic Tug, I'm not sure what I would do...

 

[BandB]

The romance of sailing disappears quickly to me if I have to do all the work. We've had some incredible days sailing. Off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Annapolis, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, and San Francisco some that come to mind quickly. But we got to just enjoy in ideal sailing conditions and location and someone else doing all the work that accompanies sailing. To do it all the time, we couldn't deal with the slow speed, nor having to work so much at it.

The nice thing for us is that as we do it, it's still a very nice vacation day from our full time vacation. It's much like fishing to us. We love the occasional day fishing on a charter with a professional who knows what he's doing. We do that about the same amount we sail.

It's a bit of the situation where when you boat all the time, then what do you do different for a change of pace and that's where sailing and fishing fall for us.

 

[Phyrcooler]

No I wouldn't... but...

I find myself really missing the peace, quiet, and relaxed feeling I had while sailing. So, I'm toying with either buying a sailing dinghy (Gig Harbor), or building one (love the nesting PT-11) for puttering around the bay. That way I can have the best of both worlds.

 

[TDunn]

You don't have to be totally out in the weather on a sailboat. Lots of sailboats have pretty complete cockpit enclosures. I even know a few people who have an outlet from the heating/cooling system in the cockpit. Basically I am talking about the same sort of enclosures you see on a lot of fly bridges. I have friend with a 49' center cockpit boat with a full enclosure and heat/cool system vents in the cockpit. His cockpit is like another room. He does have to run the generator to run the heat/cool, but his boat uses so much power that he needs to run the genny anyway.

 

[healhustler]

Dude: Why compromise? A Fisher Pilothouse or even this spiffy Beneteau 46 Cabinetta!

 

[dhays]

You don't have to be totally out in the weather on a sailboat. Lots of sailboats have pretty complete cockpit enclosures. I even know a few people who have an outlet from the heating/cooling system in the cockpit. Basically I am talking about the same sort of enclosures you see on a lot of fly bridges. I have friend with a 49' center cockpit boat with a full enclosure and heat/cool system vents in the cockpit. His cockpit is like another room. He does have to run the generator to run the heat/cool, but his boat uses so much power that he needs to run the genny anyway.

I always had the same feeling about full enclosures on a sailboat cockpit that I do with full enclosures on a fly bridge. If you need a full enclosure added, then you bought the wrong boat. A full cockpit enclosure on a sailboat significantly inter fears with the sailing of the boat. It is fine if God boat is simply being used as a FD power boat, but if that is all you are going, better to buy a power boat.

 

[dhmeissner]

I agree with your wife, that makes us both crazy.

 

[fryedaze]

I know a guy who did the Great Loop in his trawler. He wintered in Boot Key Harbor and the hard core sail-boaters got to him. He sold the trawler, bought a sailboat and now has dream of sailing around the world.

 

[CPseudonym]

If someone offered me a Fisher motorsailer as trade for my Nordic Tug, I'm not sure what I would do...

Every time I see a Fisher on yachtworld my knees tremble a little. My wife knows beyond any doubt I'm nuts and she decided sailing is not for her the first time she saw one slap the mast into the water.

 

[what_barnacles]

Every time I see a Fisher on yachtworld my knees tremble a little. My wife knows beyond any doubt I'm nuts and she decided sailing is not for her the first time she saw one slap the mast into the water.

there you go, eradicate the dreams of closet sailors.

My 43' OA has several if not most windows that have fractures. The previous owner told me that the pass they were heading thru stood the boat straight up in the air and luckily they fell down going forward, and upon contact the windows broke. Glad it wasnt me, I stood a 24' boat up like that once, I really dont think a 43'er would be much fun.

Just sayin...