Looking for a trawler need help

[edbulmer]

I'm looking for a trawler, I have been sailing for years but now want a boat I can live on with my wife. *A sailboat just doesn't give us enought living space. * Can anyone suggest the best size of trawler for living on 7 months a year and travelling around the great lakes. *We want to live live in comfort but we are not fancy folks and to not want something *too big. *So what kinds are the best ones and why are the price ranges so large. * For instance I saw one 40 footer a Skyline that is for sale for 37,000 then a 40 footer Grand Banks $150,000. * And is there a boat show that would feature lots of trawlers to look at? *Does the Annapolis show or the Miami show have them? *I know nothing about them.


-- Edited by edbulmer on Monday 4th of July 2011 06:50:09 PM

[Steve]

I have been to the Annapolis and Miami boat shows in the past, both had a good number of trawlers on display. I am very happy with my 36' Monk trawler, I am not a liveaboard but several owners of this model are.
What is your location?
Many trawler owners have been serious sailors in the past, probably if you spend some time around marinas with trawlers you may be able to meet some of them to get more ideas. You also may want to "google" Marine Trawler Owners ssosoation (MTOA) and Trawlerfest. both have meetings in different areas of the country these are attended by lots of trawler owners or future owners.
Good luck with your search I believe you will get lots of help on this site.
Steve W.

[Capn Craig]

I or anybody else or that matter need more information as to what your wants/ needs are.* Biggest factor is probably is what's your budget?* What kind of distance and time do you plan to use your boat for?* what is budget to feeed the beast?* There are some really cool trawlers available for a quarter million, there are also good boats available for <$50,000.* They are not the same.** I was a recent trawler buyer.* My budget was modest.* Most boats within my budget were Chinese in heritage.* I bought an American made boat.** What I bought is not everyboby's dream boat.* There are two basically two differing styles of trawlers.* The first is the double cabin, it offers an aft master suite with a double bed with access on two sides, most with two heads.** This is very good from a space perspective, but comes at a price, that being the fact that the cockpit or ouside world is hard to get to.* you either have to exit a side door, or climb stairs out of the aft cabin to get outside.* Then the deck is atop the aft cabin which places it above the water by a significant height.* The alternative is the sedan style which allows the salon to be exited on the same level to the cockpit.* This is far more condusive to entertaining, but the price is that the master suite is in the bow area where space is much tighter.

What is ability and stomach to fix things as they go south?* Any boat breaks with some regularity.

Tell us more about what your expectations are,* we can then offer some* ideas and guidance, some valuable, some worthless.* It is up to you to distinguish between them.

Craig

[edbulmer]

I think 50 k would be a good start. I mainly want it to live on 8 months a year on lake Ontario.
I spend the winter down south. Two cabins are a must. Anyone know of one available? No problems with fixing things. I'm a sailor, know the drill. I have diesel experience too.

There is a Korean made Skyline available for 40 k, anyone know anthing about these?


-- Edited by edbulmer on Tuesday 5th of July 2011 03:53:41 PM