Owned sailboats all my life, now bought a trawler

[Trader34]

I've read thats the typical path to trawler ownership..

In 20 years I have owned 20 sailboats, now at age 50 I find my Marine Trader 34 to be the boat of my dreams, anyone else like me here from the sail set ?

 

[O C Diver]

Congratulations on your latest boat. Lots of people here came down the same water way as you. As one ages, needs and priorities change.

Ted

 

[Peter B]

I've read thats the typical path to trawler ownership..

In 20 years I have owned 20 sailboats, now at age 50 I find my Marine Trader 34 to be the boat of my dreams, anyone else like me here from the sail set ?

Yes. We loved our time with sail boats, but once over 50, and with adult children, one craves a more private and roomier layout, minimal crouching, (the ER is bad enough), and going out and coming back in is so much easier without sails of unfurl, or furl, and travelling on a more even keel is also nice. We do miss the quietness of the sail power though. Then again, at anchor no halyard rattle. A nice shaded cockpit in summer is also to die for. Harder to achieve on a sailboat. I could go on...but I won't...

 

[AusCan]

Welcome Trader,


I can understand the change to a trawler as one matures. Although I'm well over 50, I'm still not fully matured so I keep one foot in each camp with my motorsailer. This way I get equally criticized from both sides.

 

[FF]

Do you fully understand the probable work involved in purchasing an old TT?

Most older sailboats were solid GRP hull and deck and deck house.

Most TT are not.

 

[Moby Nick]

I'm 76 and sailed since age 10. We sold our last sail cruiser, an Edey & Duff Shearwater Yawl-28 in which we cruised all over the USA for 18 years , when buying an old Albin-25. We're big fans of the venerable Albin. with her economical little 36hp Volvo-Penta

 

[chester613]

I had a beautiful 38' CC Irwin, my 3rd sail boat. Now at 60, I really like my little tug. I have a Ranger 27 and we love it. In a few years we will retire and we are looking for a bigger boat to do the loop. (At least the eastern side) I can get a real nice sail boat for the money I am going to spend on a 35 - 40 ft trawler, but I like the move to a trawler. At 3-5 GPH, it's not so bad. I will be diligent about engine maint. I always sterned in with my sail boat and drew a crowd. Now I stern in with a bow thruster & stern thruster and still draw a crowd. I do miss that moment when you pull out of your slip, motor out of the marina, and then set the sails and turn off the engine. I found that to be the best stress reliever for me. But, now I get to where I'm going in 20 minutes!

 

[TDunn]

Welcome to the club although I don't understand why a young guy like you feels old. I went a slightly different route. I bought a trawler and kept the sailboat. Now I can use which ever boat is more appropriate for a given day.

 

[Flotsan]

We made the switch after 30 years on a sailboat but waited until I was 72. Switched to MT 36.

 

[Trader34]

Do you fully understand the probable work involved in purchasing an old TT?

Most older sailboats were solid GRP hull and deck and deck house.

Most TT are not.

I have owned sailboats made from GRP, steel, and even wood.

Owning an wooden hulled boat is one to file under "never again"

Learned a lot about boat repair and carpentry during that time, though..

 

[Trader34]

Welcome to the club although I don't understand why a young guy like you feels old. I went a slightly different route. I bought a trawler and kept the sailboat. Now I can use which ever boat is more appropriate for a given day.

I've reached that sad age when girls in their 20s will no longer date me.

Does that make me officially a dirty old man?

No, but in all seriousness, I always owned and cruised sailboats but I kept having these dreams where I owned a trawler and I really liked it, so I guess for me its follow your dream..

 

[BobH]

We went from sail to power and can't wait to go back. Just can't seem to get the power boat sold. Looking forward to a bareboat charter in the fall just to get some sailing in.


Bob (70+)

 

[Heron]

Sailed all my life on the Chesapeake...
Forced to sell our Bristol 35.5 due to a Corporate move back in 2000. Broke my heart.
Now, Older and with (a little) less energy, our little trawler fits our needs perfectly. That and our new cruising grounds is a little on the thin side, so <3' draft works well for Exploring Eastern NC. It lets us get out there easily. At this stage in life, I'm rather liking the change...but I do get wistful every now and then...

 

[Moby Nick]

I now like easing the Albin -25's throttle forward to 2000 RPM after clearing the harbor as much as I used to enjoy shutting down our 9.9 "Yammerhammer" outboard when under sail.

We tow our Albin with a Dodge powered by a 5.9L Cummins Diesel (met some Motor Cruisers using that same engine) and there may now be a detent worn into the throttle linkage for 62 MPH on a level road. We can really peel off the miles, at that setting, with just a bit of a slowdown for steep hills, and a corresponding faster roll down the other side.

 

[Powerdown]

Hey, same here. After 3 sailboats (last one a pilothouse)over 25 years, moved about 7 years ago to the "dark side" for comfort and shorter travel days. I miss the karma of sailing but will never go back. Plugging along at 8-10 mph now instead of 4-5 mph( most of the time under power).

 

[AKDoug]

I admit to never having owned a sailboat, but I always wanted one when I was "younger". Now I watch all of the sailboats motoring around up here, never see their sails up, and often ask how they got to the anchorage. It's always by "motoring". It seems everyone loves the idea of sailing, but the advantages of motoring, like being protected from the weather and the wind seeming to always blow from the wrong direction to get to their destination dictate motoring.

I seriously considered demasting a Fisher 34 motorsailer to make me a trawler, but I wanted to be able to see out my windows at anchorage rather than to just let light into the cabin. Sailing up here seems to be for people who don't care when they get there, or aren't really going anywhere, just out enjoying the water. You will seriously love your trawler.

 

[Scary]

I switched overtime from racing sail boats for years to a 28' express cruiser followed 47' semi displacement, currently a 48' full displacement LRC. I kept a Hobie 18 untill a couple of years ago to salve those sailing itchs . That Hobie was a hand full for a72 year old. Each boat fits a point in your life. Sometimes we get right. Looking back , I think a 36' trailer boat with two outboards large tankage might be the ultimate adventure boat. Something like a 36' Osprey. I made the change when I realized how much more coastal cruising I could do with power boat. Racing sail boats is great fun but sitting in a wet cockpit motoring slowly and living in a cave is a long way from the comfort of a trawler.

 

[Al W]

Just made the switch last year. Love the trawler but miss the sailing.

 

[Powerdown]

"sail boats is great fun but sitting in a wet cockpit motoring slowly and living in a cave is a long way from the comfort of a trawler." Well Said!

 

[Fotoman]

Same here. Sailed for over 15 years, loved it ans still do when I have the chance to go on a friend's boat or charter one in the Carribean. Bought a Marine Trader 34 just like you when I turned 40 and never regretted it for a minute. Lots of space and comfort.