Guests at Trawler Speed

[Gdavid]

I agree with the opinion that it is tasteless as a guest to complain about such things. That said I am curious if it is a combination of engine noise along with the slow speed that feels odd. In my experience the 34 relies heavily on the floor covering (carpet tiles on ours) to dampen the noise of the perkins and above 1600-1800 rpm the turbo noise starts becoming very pronounced, on a planning boats you expect a lot of engine noise at cruise speed but the noise increase relative to a small speed increase is low reward. If you typically take guests on a cruise to nowhere, perhaps slowing down so you can converse easily would be an improvement, you aren't going to cover much more ground at 8 knots than 6 and if you don't have a destination you need to reach it may not matter. Some engine room sound insulation and tightening up the fit of the hatch boards will be in the future for us but for this year I think a throw rug will suffice.

 

[RBack]

If there is any moment in boating I feel goes too slow - it's the part getting to the harbour and preparing the boat (loading & starting up).
As soon as the last [mooring] line is tossed aside, I'm out where I should be.
If there is any situation here on earth when "the journey is the goal" kliché rules - then that's when travelling by boat.
If it takes longer time to get somewhere - then that's equal to more quality time.

 

[RBack]

If there is any moment in boating I feel goes too slow - it's the part getting to the harbour and preparing the boat (loading & starting up).
As soon as the last [mooring] line is tossed aside, I'm out where I should be.
If there is any situation here on earth when "the journey is the goal" kliché rules - then that's when travelling by boat.
If it takes longer time to get somewhere - then that's equal to more quality time.

... and if possible guests doesn't approve... I won't force them to be on the boat.

 

[BandB]

While I'm still appalled at your guests, a couple of suggestions I'd add. With first time guests, take more time telling them in advance what to expect and planning the first trip. 8 hours on the water seems like nothing to you, but can easily seem like heaven on earth or like the world's longest day to someone new. Special lunch plans or a destination plan for that day, even a planned activity, can help get things off to a good start.

Maybe their first time too isn't a long trip but just a three hour tour, not to end up like Gilligan though.

 

[rwidman]

We don't normally go out for day cruises, mostly for a week to a few months so we seldom have guests while underway. Friends do visit us at the marina but with no expectation of leaving the dock.


We have had a few guests come along for part of our trip (less than a day) and have someone meet them and take them back home.


That said, or guests have never complained about the speed of our boat. That would seem a bit rude.

 

[hjorgan]

Our old Proline walk-around (not a trawler) can do 40 knots or 4 knots. Just depends on how you use the throttles. Best of both worlds but we are looking for a trawler. 8 knots sounds perfect and the space would be welcome.

 

[steelydon]

Like most of you I am seeing the world at 7.5 kts. I Started moving South in December a few days at a time with a different 2-3 man crew for each leg. A leg is usually 5 days and I have found that by managing expectations they were tolerant of the slow speed especially if the port of calls were interesting and time was allotted for history, restaurants, etc. Even my friend from Texas who had a restless night offshore on a 40 hour overnight run has joined me for a couple of these recent legs. So I guess I am lucky to get return guests who share the helm and expense and only one has put us aground.

Day trips out of my home port of Beaufort NC include harbor tours where you can't show off the speed of a go fast anyway. If they did complain perhaps you could put them ashore on a daydock and see if they are better suited to walking.

Steelydon

 

[cappy208]

Different strokes for different folks. At least you can find out who to NOT re invite next time on a couple hour cruise instead of embarking on a week delivery with a bunch of curmudgeons.

Boating isn't equally universally shared in admiration or appreciation by all. I guess this is why some people 'just don't get it'. If more people 'got it' there would be more asprins afloat to have to avoid. Maybe we should all be lucky more people DON'T like slow boating and prefer fast adrenaline rushes (Away from me and mine).

 

[Baker]

There is an exit from Clear Lake to Galveston Bay right in front of all the restaurants where all the go fast boats power up and flex their fiberglass penis. I was in My Prairie with a boat load of guests and when I got to that spot, I announced, "Are you ready for power up?". I went from 1000RPM(4 knots) to 1800RPM(6.7knots) and then looked around with great pride as we "zoomed off". They all looked at me like, "Is he serious??!!!".....yep, I was. And then explained that this is the cruising speed of this boat. None of them were ever disappointed per se. Just a little surprised at why anyone would have a boat that cruises at 7mph. We were never going anywhere so it didn't matter.

 

[alormaria]

My brother in law says it's like being on a never ending tour.

 

[cafesport]

Totally normal, but by nature a self fixing problem. People are
all different which is good, but it tends to make socializing in groups challenging. Not everybody has the time, much less a desire to see everything all the time. That's why we people invented readers digest and planing hulls.

 

[User915]

Two different boats in two different places, cruising at different speeds.

 

[User915]

So, we have different funs... with different friends.

 

[Lou_tribal]

My brother in law says it's like being on a never ending tour.

If only it could never end!

 

[mbevins]

My aft cabin Viking is obviously capable of >20knt speeds but when we take guests out for an evening/afternoon cruise 7knts is the speed. How do you have any conversation or enjoy appetizers and drinks at higher speeds? Making sure my guests ​have a great day is paramount to us, not a single person has ever complained about going to slow.

 

[BandB]

How do you have any conversation or enjoy appetizers and drinks at higher speeds? .

Some boats are quieter than others. 59 decibels at 20 knots. Our loop boat is 70 decibels at 27 knots.

For many reasons, sound has always been important to us in purchasing.

Appetizers, no problem.

We have no drinks underway.

 

[markpierce]

It's nicer outside when there is little apparent wind.

 

[eyschulman]

The vast majority of boaters on the site are here because we share relatively common boating interests. When it comes to guests, be it a sail boat or particular type of power craft by experience I use care in who I invite. I don't want to be the instrument of discomfort for family or friends. Once someone accepts an invitation I believe they are by social convention obligated to be civil about it. I have learned not all friends or family are good candidates to be restricted or discomforted on a boat which they neither expected or easily tolerate. As mentioned on other posts a self fixing problem.

 

[GFC]

Launch the dinghy, give them 5 gals of gas and tell them where to be at 5:00 for drinks.

This reminded me of a funny thing when we were cruising the San Juans with my wife's daughter and son (both mid-20's). We were anchored in the cove on the north side of the island and my wife and I were cruising around in the dinghy.

The 'kids' hollered across the water and asked if they could have margaritas. I have always mixed my margaritas onshore before we head out, so each bottle of Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix is actually full strength margaritas.

I told them to have at it with the margaritas. They took my bottle of Patron silver, mixed up a batch of margaritas according to the directions on the mix bottle and proceeded to get totally hammered before we got back to the boat.

Kids, can't live without 'em and can't live with 'em. :lol:

 

[gaston]

My wife read through 49#posts and summed it up very well she said Well there's a lesson there don't ask those rascals again

 

[FF]

Many guests are not boaters , so are simply delighted with moving in the water.

Most are as impressed being onboard at 6K as 25K .

Why subject them to high G loads? And lots of noise?

 

[CaptTom]

The 100-foot "booze cruise" boat that goes out of our home harbor sometimes just idles along the river for a few hours, if it's rough outside. Passengers don't seem to know or care where the boat is going. All they know is they're on a boat!

Likewise, cruise ships often drift or idle overnight between ports.

Guests we've had (over the age of about 12) haven't been interested in speed. They just enjoy being out. Granted, the 12-and-under crowd loved our last, fast boat. Especially when they got to steer erratically at high speed. Most of the adults hated that.

"It is NOT fun"

 

[JDCAVE]

We have to chuckle at boats zooming past us while we wait for feeding Humpback Whales to surface. The whales usually stay down for five minutes, so a lot of boats never notice them at all. Seven knots or so is a perfect speed for noticing details

Humpbacks! They scare the %|€*~! out of me!

 

[bikeandboat]

As the person that started this thread, I do understand not inviting the people that just do not like "trawler" speed on the water. Sometimes it is hard to determine who will like it and those that will not. The main problems I have had through the years is when the trip is two days or more. Not much problem on afternoon cruises which have been referenced often. I do recall one instance a few years ago which was actually on a friend's boat I was helping bring up the Mississippi River. Our speed would often drop to 2 or 3 MPh when fully in the current. We had to leave one guest at a dock in Baton Rouge because he could not stand seeing the skyline and bridges for a couple hours before we actually arrived there. The trip was more pleasant once he found other transportation for the trip home.

 

[FlyWright]

I feel your pain! It's sometimes hard to know who will like the slow and easy ride and who will find it frustrating. As probably most folks here, during the planning stages I try to explain our destinations and time enroute as well as food/drink options.

Over the years, I've invited guys from my fishing club to join me on overnight fishing trips. I've learned the hard way to ask first about health issues, special diet or med requirements that might need to be addressed while away from the dock.

Sometimes you think you know someone until you spend a few days with them on a small boat!

 

[BruceK]

Operating boats at trawler speed means your guests are with you much longer.

 

[Lou_tribal]

Operating boats at trawler speed means your guests are with you much longer.

... which, in some case, may be a problem

 

[hmason]

Just to give you all a laugh. We invited a couple out for the day.The husband was an active sailboat racer and belongs to a racing YC. On our route out to open water we pass his club. As we approached he abandoned the fly bridge and hid below until we were out of sight of his club. You can't make this up.

 

[djones44]

... which, in some case, may be a problem

Having to make a passage in a rough sea at trawler speeds is hard on guests. Now single engine, that's where I will miss the option of hopping up onto the plane and slicing out of there.

I pick my exposures very conservatively to avoid such episodes, in league with my autopilot and the flatter water of morning and evening sorties.

 

[Al]

That's interesting. We've never had anyone comment about our "cocktail speed". I'm usually between 5kts-7kts and the only comments I hear are about how relaxing it is.

I believe I will obtain your term " Cocktail Speed" as the common term to describe our normal range of speed.

We are members of the 'Sleep Two', Eat Four' and 'Drink Six' class of boat. Over the years we have reduced the number to 'Sleep Two' 'Eat and Drink Four".
We too have learned the hard lesson of inviting folks who were thought to be compatible and ends up being more of a strain in efforts to entertain. Just don't need the 'Aggravation '
More pleasure selecting fellow boaters, locate a destination, meet there at your speed, enjoy the anchorage and return to each's craft at the end of the evening.

Al-Ketchikan