My New Tiny Trawler

[Nomad Willy]

78,
Was your whaleboat a 26’ US Navy?
Is that pic of the whaleboat?
We had a porta potty in our Albin.

BYNW you got it as they say.

 

[78puget-trawler]

Yes, the head I put in the Navy WB.

 

[O C Diver]

There is no on-board toilet system that has lower maintenance requirements than a porta-potti.

A 5 gallon bucket, no moving parts to fail.
Have used both; not much difference IMO. Hope to never use either again.

Ted

 

[FF]

"There is no on-board toilet system that has lower maintenance requirements than a porta-potti."

A composting head only needs new peat moss every few weeks which is easier to dispose of than a tank or bag of raw sewage.

 

[Fish53]

"There is no on-board toilet system that has lower maintenance requirements than a porta-potti."

A composting head only needs new peat moss every few weeks which is easier to dispose of than a tank or bag of raw sewage.

I used to use a five gallon bucket with peat moss, make your "deposit" then cover with peat, no smell and just put the lid on to transport and dispose of properly.

 

[Fish53]

A 5 gallon bucket, no moving parts to fail.
Have used both; not much difference IMO. Hope to never use either again.

Ted

I like simple, the less moving parts or chance of failure the better. When I was fishing on smaller boats we always used a bucket, on deck.

 

[ssobol]

"There is no on-board toilet system that has lower maintenance requirements than a porta-potti."

A composting head only needs new peat moss every few weeks which is easier to dispose of than a tank or bag of raw sewage.

Problems occur when a wet deposit mixes with a solid deposit. It requires a certain amount of personal discipline to make a compositing toilet work as designed.

For cruisers that are used to the procedure a composting toilet works ok. If you have guests or a party boat, it probably won't work as expected.

A composting toilet also has to be ventilated properly in order to work as advertised (I've heard that best results occur with a dedicated fan).

 

[Larry M]

Yes that was the original design- a traditional downeaster with an inboard Yanmar 75 hp. For mine, they took that same hull and grafted on an integrated bustle/swim platform/engine mount which keeps the aft cockpit completely clear. David

We were on a friends 21' Pompano today and I mentioned your boat. He agrees that the outboard on the 23 is the way to go. With the Yanmar, 12 knots is tops plus as you mentioned, the raised engine cover is a bit in the way. Still his Pompano is a sweet little boat. Lena was all smiles.

 

[Even Kiehl]

Hi, Just joined the group, posted about a Macgregor 26 X I am about to buy and use only as a powerboat, 35 HP electric tilt and start Honda. Enclosed head with porta potty. My first project will be for sun protection and possible full cockpit enclosure for the San Francisco Bay...with consideration for access, aesthetics and ease of disassembly for trailering. Even considering plywood or foam core instead of canvas, sliding windows etc.
Anyway, I love the title, Tiny Trawlers, any Moderators listening, how about a new Forum category?
Cheers
Stuart

 

[Bacchus]

Anyway, I love the title, Tiny Trawlers, any Moderators listening, how about a new Forum category?
Cheers
Stuart

Stuart...
Actually there is one already
Just scan down in the builders section to trailerable-pocket trawlers.

 

[Even Kiehl]

You are right, that's the one I initially posted to, just like the sound of Tiny Trawlers, gives a patina of slight credibility with the big boys...

Stuart

 

[jeffnick]

For those who enjoy reading about overnighting on small boats - here's one (of many) about 3 of us on a 15' 11" cuddy cabin we called "QT". This episode was about a NYC trip.
NYC - June 1999

 

[Even Kiehl]

Love it! How cool to even make the decision to bring a boat to NYC!
Great story! Used to borrow the 23 St boat basin's harbormaster tug for occasional dates...had a photo studio down the street on First Ave.
Also, love the Land and Sea boat in your photo!
Cheers
Stuart

 

[Vieil-Eau]

Speaking and writing in French?

Hi David, excuse my poor English writing, I'm a French Quebecer who living close to Trois-Rivieres, in Champlain, Quebec, Canada. It's between Montreal and Quebec City. And I'm living close to the St-Lawrence River. So you can understand that I love boats of every size!!!

If you are able to write in French, you can see that I'm not very good in English writing, answer me in private and tell me if I can write to you in French.

I have a tiny trawler like yours. It's a small artisanal one: it's an old safety boat, 1945!!!, who is coming from a big boat, the "Ridelo". That boat finished its days at Marine Industries, Sorel, Quebec, Canada in 1961. My safety boat got 2 points and have 7 ft 2 in in the middle. I have an inside motor, a Volvo Penta AQ130C 1969 who can give me 130hp! Very fast for a small trawler. But on the St-Lawrence River, you meet very big ocean boats, so sometime you have to be get out from the front of them very fast! The first owner buy it from Marine Industries and he transformed it into a trawler.

I really appreciate your post and I'm like you for the unpleasant part for the Sanitation: I have the same porta potti like you...! But except, mine is in a very small place (1 ft X 2 ft) but with a door... By chance! But my wife is like yours: she's refuse to consider the porta potti so she doesn't go with me overnight.

I have full of questions for you and because your name is David J. Marchand, I hope you know and remember French writing. Because I have to find in my small mini-dictionary English-French the good words to tell exactly what I means... But I'm sure that my words and my verb tense are not good enough... Excuse me! And excuse me to all of you who reading my post with my poor English writing... I'm better in reading!!!

Hope to see a couple of you in the next summer. I plan to go to Montreal, next summer, if the temperature, wind and all the other (my wife who will use the porta potti...?! But I'm not very sure of that!!!).

Don't forget that I'm not better in English speaking but I can be understood!

 

[Even Kiehl]

Your English is very good and understandable, nice boat!

 

[NCheaven]

Great choice, salty traditional lines, lots of flexibility in home waters. Been on one, admired quality of construction. Easy to understand your choice. Congratulations!

 

[Boat]

I used to use a five gallon bucket with peat moss, make your "deposit" then cover with peat, no smell and just put the lid on to transport and dispose of properly.

The humanure handbook can make anyone an expert on this process.

The Humanure Handbook - Center of the Humanure Composting Universe

 

[DavidM]

Let me describe an incident that happened today that provides one more benefit to an outboard driving a small trawler:


I was heading home through the Punta Gorda canal system when I suddenly felt a new vibration from the engine. It increased and decreased as I varied the rpms from 1,000 to 2,000. I slowed down and put the engine in reverse and revved it for a few seconds and I still had the vibration.


So I pulled over to one of the many empty docks in PG, stopped the engine and raised the O/B. Sure enough I had a glob of weeds on the prop. I was able to quickly remove the glob, start up and get going. No more vibration. I could have done this trick in open water if necessary but it would have been more bouncy in those conditions.



Oh, and at the beginning of this thread I reported about 4 gph at 15 mph. After running for about 30 hours and three refuelings it is under 3 gph at 15 mph, excluding all slow speed cruising through the canals.


David

 

[ssobol]

... Sure enough I had a glob of weeds on the prop. I was able to quickly remove the glob, start up and get going. No more vibration. I could have done this trick in open water if necessary but it would have been more bouncy in those conditions....

Less likely to pickup weeds in open water.

 

[Even Kiehl]

I always have a mask, snorkel and fins on any boat, consider it a basic safety item.

 

[Fish53]

The humanure handbook can make anyone an expert on this process.

The Humanure Handbook - Center of the Humanure Composting Universe

My wife and I lived up in the hills in an alternative energy house and we had that book and lived with one of those composting systems for eight years, really a wonderful system. Surprisingly after composting a years "deposits" and the attendant hay to cover the pile I ended up with less than two five gallon buckets of compost for an entire year from two people, including TP.

 

[DavidM]

Well I picked up my kayak at WalMart yesterday. It is a somewhat short- 8'-6" square stern fishing kayak. See the pic below. It was surprisingly stable even with my 225# weight which maxes it out. I played around the dock with it for a few minutes and was quick and easy to paddle.

This kayak will replace the 9' roll up dinghy that I tried a few weeks ago and found it just too cumbersome for this small 23' boat. I will use it for fishing and to get to shore when I anchor out. It fits nicely on the port side behind the passenger chair.

I realize that this solution is only suitable for one. A tandem kayak would be several feet longer and wouldn't fit well inside this 23' boat.

 

[DavidM]

I was out overnight a few days ago anchored in Pelican Bay across from Cayo Costa State Park and shot this sunset view. This is one of the prettiest and most secure anchorages in this area (SW Florida).


David

 

[Jeff F]

I was out overnight a few days ago anchored in Pelican Bay across from Cayo Costa State Park and shot this sunset view. This is one of the prettiest and most secure anchorages in this area (SW Florida).
I'm
David

I was there a week or so ago. Nice spot. I'm now the only boat anchored in South Bay on Lake O. Another pretty spot.

Have you gone up the Myakka River? I read in a cruising guide that it was navigable a long way up for shallow draft boats, but I wasn't able to get far.

 

[DavidM]

I was there a week or so ago. Nice spot. I'm now the only boat anchored in South Bay on Lake O. Another pretty spot.

Have you gone up the Myakka River? I read in a cruising guide that it was navigable a long way up for shallow draft boats, but I wasn't able to get far.

I have only been as far as the fresh water canal and lock just before the 776 bridge. The charts do show it is navigable for a ways past the bridge up to Tarpon Point.


David

 

[DavidM]

I just spent two nights at Hontoon State Park in Florida on the St John's river with 22 other tiny trawler enthusiasts- a gathering of mostly C Dory owners who organized this get together through their C Brats forum.

Most of these boats were trailered there from as far away as Alaska. The boats ranged in size from a C Dory Angler 16 (which the owner lived on full time) to a couple of C-Dory Tomcats and a Ranger Tug 23, both of which must have been beasts to tow. My Pompano 23 was right in the middle alongside the ubiquitous C-Dory 22.

I was surprised at how many lived aboard full time and had done extensive cruising like the Loop including Maine and the Canadian maritimes. That kind of cruising takes some serious adjustments given the limited storage, power generation and refrigeration available on those size boats. Several owners had done trips just as daunting but moved the boat by trailer in jumps from place to place.

I had a good time and met lots of capable cruisers who taught me a thing or two about small being beautiful.

David

 

[cardude01]

Living full time on a 16’ boat? These are some hardy people you are hanging out with!

 

[FlyWright]

Living full time on a 16’ boat? These are some hardy people you are hanging out with!

I hope they're short!

 

[markpierce]

I hope they're short!

Regardless, they must be interesting/extraordinary people.

 

[DavidM]

Regardless, they must be interesting/extraordinary people.

Yes he was. He was a real extrovert of a fellow. Handicapped in some way so he got around on a mini Segway electric device, but that never slowed him down a bit.

He had customized his C-Dory 16 extensively with upgraded equipment and stuff.

Quite an extraordinary individual.

David