Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-10-2018, 05:07 PM   #1
Newbie
 
City: New York
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 3
New member - boat suggestions for a current sailor

Hi all,

New member here and first post in this forum. My wife and I are pretty experienced sailors. We've been cruising the Northeast US for a few years on our older 42' sailboat.

I'm interested in potentially purchasing a trawler for cruising... and maybe even selling the sailboat. I don't know. I wanted to see if this forum might be able to point me towards models I should be researching and whether my expectations are realistic.

The following are my reasons for potentially making the switch:

- I want to increase the number of destinations we can get to from our home base in the Northeast in a week or two, so I would like something faster. I don't need to go 20+ knots, but being able to cruise at 8-10kts (our current cruise speed is around 6.5kts) and go 10-15kts when we want would be fantastic.

- Powerboat setups are just easier to live on and more comfortable underway, especially with our two medium-sized dogs.

Other wants:
- I really, really, really don't want to burn a ton of diesel, so the fuel efficiency of the motor setup is of prime concern for me. Long range would also be a big plus. The sailboat burns about 1 gph at cruise. I know that's not possible in a trawler, but that's where I'm coming from.

- I like the idea of two motors for safety, but like the idea of the efficiency of one. I love the Nordhavn dual motor setup, but probably can't afford one of those.

- I want to be able to do 125nm+ overnight ocean passages in the Northeast comfortably and not have to worry about whether the boat can take it. This is something I do on the sailboat and would not want to give that up. Assume reasonable prudence with the weather, of course.

- Let's cap the budget at $200k US.

- I'm not afraid of old boats, but would prefer something from the 1980's or newer.

Any suggestions really appreciated. Thanks so much.
Crosby-dog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 05:21 PM   #2
Enigma
 
RT Firefly's Avatar
 
City: Slicker?
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 16,563
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...1-a-14905.html
__________________
RTF
RT Firefly is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 06:31 PM   #3
Guru
 
Lepke's Avatar
 
City: Between Oregon and Alaska
Vessel Name: Charlie Harper
Vessel Model: Wheeler Shipyard 83'
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 3,023
https://www.boats.com/boats-for-sale...th-desc&page=2
You won't get 1 gph in a trawler. Maybe idling at the dock.
In a big boat with twins I get about 1.2 kmpg @10 knots and about 1.75 kmpg @7 knots in the ocean in average swells.
Lepke is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 06:54 PM   #4
Valued Technical Contributor
 
DavidM's Avatar
 
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,784
I would run the numbers using the following two cases and see if you can live with case 1:


Case 1: Lepke's fuel burn at 10 kts as he indicates above.



Case 2: An efficient full displacement hull trawler like the Krogen 42, that will not go 10 kts. At a moderately high (1.2*sqrt(lwl)) cruising speed of 7.5 kts, the Krogen will burn about 2.5 gph. If not either stick with your sailboat or if you want a trawler look at the Krogen. FWIW there are relatively few full displacement trawlers available, but the Krogen is a great one and is close to your budget.



David
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 07:18 PM   #5
Guru
 
IRENE's Avatar
 
City: Sea of Cortez, Mexico
Vessel Name: Irene
Vessel Model: Nordhavn 40II
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1,235
Welcome aboard!

Take a look at the Mainship 40 from the early to mid 2000s. They are on the market at the top of your price range.

Things I like:

Galley up - enjoy your surroundings
Main interior space flows to aft covered deck
Safe design - stairs/bulwarks
Relatively efficient, can cruise slow with occasional speed when needed
No exterior wood
Available with single or twins
Nice flybridge with optional cooking area
Lower helm with side door for ease of mooring/inclement weather
Guest stateroom for storage or guests
Washer/dryer space if desired
Lazarette space

Good Luck
__________________
Jeff
MV IRENE
IRENE is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 08:06 PM   #6
Guru
 
tiltrider1's Avatar
 
City: Seattle
Vessel Name: AZZURRA
Vessel Model: Ocean Alexander 54
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 4,308
Lepke & djmarchand have given you real world numbers. I would also like to point out, there is a world of difference between 7.5 kts and 10 kts when it comes to time. Time is money or in this case it takes money to save time. It’s a very hard adjustment to go from 6kts per gallon to 2kts per gallon or 1 kts per gallon for a 50’ liveaboard boat traveling at 10kts.
tiltrider1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 08:25 PM   #7
Moderator Emeritus
 
Comodave's Avatar
 
City: Au Gres, MI
Vessel Name: Black Dog
Vessel Model: Formula 41PC
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 21,185
Welcome aboard.
Comodave is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2018, 08:47 PM   #8
Guru
 
dhays's Avatar
 
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
Welcome Crosby.

I went from a Catalina 400 to a North Pacific 43. My Catalina with an Autoprop would cruise about 6.5 knots at 3/4 gph. Less fuel burn if motorsailing.

In making the switch to the NP43 I gained about 1 knot in cruise speed at 2 gph. I’ve never looked back. I love the new boat. We sailed year round, but it is lot nicer in a warm pilot house sipping a hot cup of coffee.

You would not be happy with what I did. You want to be able to cover more ground in less time than your sailboat. To get this, you will need to either go MUCH bigger to get a longer waterline, or you will need to accept the high fuel burn of a planing or SD hull shape to get you into double digit boat speed. In either case, you will have significantly higher fuel costs.

I was really concerned about fuel burn when I started looking. Even though I am still a cheap SOB Sailor at heart, I’ve come to recognize that for my type of use, fuel costs are only a small part of my yearly cost of use. I still am frugal on the throttle, but I don’t worry about it as much as I used to. I’m still not used to going to fuel docks as I typically would only do that once a year in my sailboat.

I’ll stay out of the twins/single debate, but I have a single with thrusters and am very happy.

One issue that does concern me is the long offshore passages. Trips that are not a big deal in your sailboat could be very unhappy experiences in a power boat unless it is designed for it and has stabilization. A sailboat is simply a better platform for dealing with moderate seas. In making the switch to power, you will need to alter your acquired weather sense. When you see a forecast or look out at the water, you will need to recalibrate what your go, no-go decisions. I’ve finally gotten much better at making that transition, but only after making a couple very big errors and once scaring the crap out of my wife while getting ourselves royally beat up. The boat was fine, it just wasn’t any fun.

Anyway, you are looking for efficient, fast, seaworthy, and reasonably priced. I don’t think you can get it all but good luck with the search. When you settle on something, I think you will be very happy.
__________________
Regards,

Dave
SPOT page
dhays is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2018, 09:49 AM   #9
Newbie
 
City: New York
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 3
Thank you guys for the real world numbers. Not surprised that just like in the world of sailboats, everything is a trade off.

Dhays - Thank you. You touch on something that I think is another major draw for me - a longer boating season. While I'm happy being cold and wet as long as I'm on a boat, my wife isn't very keen on it much after the first couple of weeks in October. I think being warm and snug sipping a hot cup of coffee in a pilothouse would get her out on cold fall and maybe even winter cruises.

I've got some things to think about. Thank all you again for the perspective.
Crosby-dog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2018, 10:06 AM   #10
Guru
 
dhays's Avatar
 
City: Gig Harbor
Vessel Name: Kinship
Vessel Model: North Pacific 43
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 9,046
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby-dog View Post
Dhays - Thank you. You touch on something that I think is another major draw for me - a longer boating season. While I'm happy being cold and wet as long as I'm on a boat, my wife isn't very keen on it much after the first couple of weeks in October. I think being warm and snug sipping a hot cup of coffee in a pilothouse would get her out on cold fall and maybe even winter cruises.

It does make a huge difference. We had a number of winter trips where I would be out in the cockpit, huddled up under the dodger in sub-freezing weather with the auto-pilot remote in hand. My wife would be closed up in the cabin below taking a nap. Sure it was warm down there, but it wasn’t exactly quality together time.
__________________
Regards,

Dave
SPOT page
dhays is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2018, 11:52 AM   #11
TF Site Team
 
Shrew's Avatar
 
City: Westerly, RI
Vessel Name: N/A
Vessel Model: 1999 Mainship 350 Trawler
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,160
Thread moved from the "Welcome Mat" to " General Discussion" sub-forums.
Shrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2018, 03:27 PM   #12
Guru
 
AusCan's Avatar
 
City: Adelaide
Vessel Name: Kokanee
Vessel Model: Cuddles 30 Pilot House Motor Sailer
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,218
There are going to be compromises; you just need to decide on which ones.

The boats which get reasonable efficiency and will be safe and comfortable offshore will be full displacement boats. But you have to give up the need for speed.

Perhaps consider a motorsailer. You get the comfort of a trawler with the efficiency and sea keeping ability of a sailboat.
AusCan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2018, 08:56 PM   #13
Newbie
 
City: New York
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 3
Thanks AusCan. A motorsailor is a potential option, or just upgrading an enclosed pilothouse sailboat.

A new question - at what point is a trawler - say a Maineship 40 as was suggested or a Grand Banks 40-ish really no fun on a coastal ocean passage? We're not sailing to Bermuda, we're usually just hugging the coast a few miles out along Long Island or Jersey, but it can get big out there and that's what we do a lot.

The sailboat displaces 23,000 lbs and we are having fun in up to about 6'-7' ocean swell with a decent period of like 8-10 seconds. Tighter and bigger than that we start to wish we stayed in.

I realize this is a subjective question. I'm just looking for thoughts on how restricted would I'd be in doing coastal passages like that in a trawler like the ones suggested.


Thanks again.


Edit: I guess I'm looking for sort of the max "comfortable and safe" marine forecast for a coastal ocean passage on these boats.
Crosby-dog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2018, 09:19 PM   #14
Master and Commander
 
markpierce's Avatar
 
City: Vallejo CA
Vessel Name: Carquinez Coot
Vessel Model: penultimate Seahorse Marine Coot hull #6
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 12,559
One can readily obtain a recreational trawler (by definition) consuming less than two GPH while proceeding at six to eight MPH depending on the hull.
__________________
Kar-KEEN-ez Koot
markpierce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2018, 07:16 PM   #15
Guru
 
Jeff F's Avatar
 
City: Guelph
Vessel Name: Escapade
Vessel Model: 50` US Navy Utility trawler conversion
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 2,432
What about something like this? No affiliation or direct knowledge of this boat, but it's the sort of boat I'd suggest.

https://www.novatrawler.com/35Tnovatrawler.html

What type of sailboat do you have?
Jeff F is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2018, 07:31 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
SeaMoose's Avatar
 
City: Anchor Pointe, Ohio
Vessel Name: Sea Moose
Vessel Model: 1976 34' D/C Taiwanese Trawler
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 360
Welcome Aboard

I went from sail to power several years ago. This quote from a fellow ex Sailor sums it up for me:

“It’s more fun to get there in a sailboat, but once you’re there the trawler is a lot more fun”

Running the same speed as the sailboat in any direction represents an increase in speed. As you speed up, comfort goes down. A few years ago I bought a cheap second “beater boat” with a big gas engine. To my surprise it beats the cr*p out of you at speed...
SeaMoose is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2018, 09:13 PM   #17
Guru
 
oscar's Avatar
 
City: Bethlehem, PA
Vessel Name: Lady Kay V
Vessel Model: 1978 Hatteras 53MY
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,098
Welcome aboard..... similar boat (haha) here.... Last boat was a Catalina 42 which carried me over 7000 miles, 6 of those off shore, half of that solo. Total fuel burn.... 400 gallons.

But we want more space, no more wet and cold, to get there in X hours and not "maybe today" and we don't want to cook in a 30º heeled galley anymore....

I've been studying it for a long time, as I can't quite pull the trigger yet. (Few more in the salt mines, then I can get to my money). I have found similar results to what Dhayes is saying.

You WILL burn a LOT more fuel. If that's an issue, stop now.
You will NOT spend as much time on large(r) water. Calm days, in and out to "steal" a few hundred miles. The ICW is going to be your friend.
There are Long Range Cruisers that WILL do what you want, but that $$ figure you quoted ain't buying them.....

So there's going to be compromise..... Every night after dishes my sweetie and I sit and look at boat porn.... Every day we get a little closer to where we think we want to be.
__________________
https://ladykay.blog/
oscar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2018, 11:36 PM   #18
Guru
 
healhustler's Avatar
 
City: Longboat Key, FL
Vessel Name: Bucky
Vessel Model: Krogen Manatee 36 North Sea
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,196
The criteria sounds almost like the detail that provoked Cardude to custom equip his Island Packett PY Cruiser with a 40 ft. mast for motor sailing. Such a boat offers the economy, seaworthyness, range and protected pilothouse suggested.
Attached Thumbnails
EB9CBD74-5F65-4FBD-9FB1-F430E9D35C86.jpg  
__________________
Larry

"When life gets hard, eat marshmallows”.
healhustler is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2018, 01:53 AM   #19
Guru
 
oscar's Avatar
 
City: Bethlehem, PA
Vessel Name: Lady Kay V
Vessel Model: 1978 Hatteras 53MY
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,098
Quote:
Originally Posted by healhustler View Post
The criteria sounds almost like the detail that provoked Cardude to custom equip his Island Packett PY Cruiser with a 40 ft. mast for motor sailing. Such a boat offers the economy, seaworthyness, range and protected pilothouse suggested.
Hah, the SP Cruiser is not a bad idea....

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/200...uiser-3105416/
__________________
https://ladykay.blog/
oscar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2018, 06:11 AM   #20
Guru
 
O C Diver's Avatar
 
City: Fort Myers, FL... Summers in the Great Lakes
Vessel Name: Slow Hand
Vessel Model: Cherubini Independence 45
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,834
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crosby-dog View Post
Thanks AusCan. A motorsailor is a potential option, or just upgrading an enclosed pilothouse sailboat.

A new question - at what point is a trawler - say a Maineship 40 as was suggested or a Grand Banks 40-ish really no fun on a coastal ocean passage? We're not sailing to Bermuda, we're usually just hugging the coast a few miles out along Long Island or Jersey, but it can get big out there and that's what we do a lot.

The sailboat displaces 23,000 lbs and we are having fun in up to about 6'-7' ocean swell with a decent period of like 8-10 seconds. Tighter and bigger than that we start to wish we stayed in.

I realize this is a subjective question. I'm just looking for thoughts on how restricted would I'd be in doing coastal passages like that in a trawler like the ones suggested.


Thanks again.


Edit: I guess I'm looking for sort of the max "comfortable and safe" marine forecast for a coastal ocean passage on these boats.
Swells yes; waves no.
My 45' trawler can easily do 7'+ seas, but it's no fun. While I haven't timed it, 6' to 7' at 10 seconds plus would probably be fine, not at 7 seconds. If you plan to go out in the rougher stuff, pay special attention to the interior of boats you're looking at. Low center of gravity and things built in will make a big difference.

For another benchmark on fuel economy, I repowered my semi planing hull boat with a 135 HP engine. 95% of the time I cruise 7 knots at 2 GPH. 8 knots consumes 3.7 GPH. The original engine supposedly would yield 14 knots at 21 GPH.

The final consideration on speed: Until you factor in current, 7 knots is just that, all the time and directly into the wind. Depending on your cruising, you may find that a sustained speed (+/- current) may be a significant time reduction compared to what you are use to.

Ted
__________________
Blog: mvslowhand.com
I'm tired of fast moves, I've got a slow groove, on my mind.....
I want to spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.....
"Slow Hand" by The Pointer Sisters
O C Diver is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012