Ranking these boats

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
D

Ducatihottie

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2020
Messages
316
Location
USA
Many here have probably seen this list.

1. If Taiwanese, what boat do you have?

2. Is it possible to rank your top 10 in order of best built to least best. This knowing there's very little quality control. Maybe a few notes "why" about each in your list? I noticed that the "Ponderosas" have chrome railings and not teak so they'res one difference.

If not, top five?

3. Or are they all the same boats different names.

4. Or maybe you can point me out a book on Amazon that explains each below?

Thanks for playing, (and hopping mine is number one).

TAIWANESE BUILT VESSELS AND OTHERS


Chung Hwa
Chien Hwa
Fu Hwa
Art DeFevers MMC
C&L trawler
Northsea
Puget Trawler
Trawler Southern Cross
La Paz
Marine Trader
Golden Coasts
Tradewinds
Polarus
Hampton (Fu Hwa or Wha)
Present
President
Ponderosa
Senator
Heritage (Chien Hwa)
Escort
C&L
Eurobanker
Royal Star
Krogen Manatee
Chung Haw [Magellan]
 
Last edited:
You are asking the impossible.

Darn near every one of the boats listed share probably 95% commonality of construction methodology and materials, as do almost all boats of the same era.

At around 40 years old pretty much every boat has had similar work needing to be done over its lifetime.
 
You look at the individual boat and it’s condition. That is what matters.
 
DeFever MMC means this could be a dated list - what is currently being built there.
 
Might be helpful to understand that all those different brands were, in many/most instances, built at just a handful of yards, often by the same workers. Different brands were mostly marketing ideas from US-based brokers catering to the trawler market in the 1970's/1980's. Some were more motoryacht style (President and Nova), others more traditional trunk-cabin trawler style (MMC).

They were often built to a price-point and varied widely in quality. As Comodave points out, each boat has to be evaluated on it's current condition. Look for spongy decks and signs of rotted fuel tanks. I personally would parse the list by with/without Teak Decks and go from there as they are the source of endless troubles over the 40+ years they've been installed.

Finally, although not many trawlers anymore, try McKnew's Powerboat Guide for a desk reference guide.

Peter
 
Our Krogen Manatee was built by Chien Wha to Krogens specifications. I think those requirements, in this case by Krogen, makes a big difference in long term value. You see this also in Defever and Monk designed boats to name a few.
Our Manatee is still valued much higher than the new sales price of $87,500. With normal care and maintenance our Manatee is still in very good condition after 33 years of use.
 
As others have said, impossible to answer. But we do understand why you asked.
It is based on preference and how well the boat has been cared for or neglected. We selected our President because it checked most of our boxes. It was 3,000 miles away, but that did not matter and it was an awesome ride home, lol
We traveled and looked at over 25 boats in person before our selection.
 
Not to beat this into the ground, but as Comodave put it most succinctly, look at the individual boat and its condition.

My surveyor and I were once discussing a screaming deal on an older Marine Trader that had caught my eye. When talk turned to its build quality, he said basically the same thing - after a certain point, it matters more how well a boat was cared for than how well it was built.

Consider 1980s-vintage Grand Banks. As newly built yachts at the time, the brand stood for quality - "Dependable Diesel Cruisers." But today you can find plenty of thirty-five year old GBs that are just total project boats, as well as others that are pristine. The difference has nothing to do with how they were built.
 
I spent a lot of time and money restoring a 1980 Taiwanese trawler.

Their manufacturing process was different, hard to imagine. I read new trawler owners posting for where they can purchase a replacement part. There are none because each boat was a one off, repeated over and over. No assembly line. Each window was cut from a sheet of glass when needed, each bolt cut and turned from stock.

The yards shared molds, popped the hull out and sent it to a small group that did basic structure work. I found rough cut teak lumber and no screws, ring nails were used, indicating a need for speed and a lack of power tools/skilled workers. This is where I saw a lack of quality control. Sloppy roving, poor wetting out of mat. This is the bones of the boat and comes to light later.

Example: no fiberglass mat sealed the limber holes allowing water or leaked diesel to infiltrate and rot stringers. The edges of the window holes cut into the cabin were not sealed allowing water to rot the walls. Beautiful windows but no way to replace broken glass. Few thought FRP would last 40 years and they did not build for longevity. (On the other hand will a boat made today be worth saving in 40 years?)

The interior wood work was done back in the yard by good craftsman and has withstood time. Overall the TTS used great materials, but inconsistent quality control.

Like others said it comes down to fixing manufacturing flaws early, and maintaining the boats much more than brand of boat.

The flood of 80’s TT are now turning approaching 40. Soft metal tanks have rusted, walls are rotted, decks are wet. Figure the type of trawler you want then look for a good example, not a good brand. If you do not really like working on projects, avoid a 80’s Trawler.
 
Currently over 30 brands are built in Taiwan. Fleming, Ocean Alexander, Hampton, Hylas and Outer Reef to name but a few. Taiwan builders if well supported by European or North American NAs/advisors/managers are well respected.

As already noted, 30 or 40 year old Taiwanese boats are pretty hard to evaluate by name plate alone.
 
It is impossible.

I think we can recognize the difference between a well built boat and a crappy one. The problem is that one yard might build a good one, particularly with American supervision like Grand Banks did but the next one might be a POS built literally with floor sweepings for core material.

You really don't know which is which until it starts rotting out years later.

David
 
Duca, you must be kidding. An unanswerable question.
 
I have seen the same boat come out of the same yard. One was built under the supervision of Ocean Alexander, the other under the name Vantare. The boats looked the same to the untrained eye. They were not priced the same and the quality of build was not the same. The yard was the same. Does this make the yard a quality boat builder or an inferior boat builder?
 
As noted, any one of those vessels well taken care of could be better than any that aren’t, but there exists some degree of accountability in materials used. Black iron tanks vs. stainless steel? Plywood core vs. end grain balsa or closed cell foam. Double skinned roof vs. single? Stuff like that could make a difference after 30 years, but a good one abused is not necessarily better than a lesser one well cared for. My 2 cents.
 
Looked at a TT that has had a new bottom (glass mat, epoxy barrier, bottom paint), new stringers, new tanks, new decks, etc etc. The bottom is blistered. ??? Even a boat that has new everything is only as good as the work that was done. In this age of boat the TT's all need something, or have already had it done. The question is done right, or a great selling price to pay for done right. Bill

Don't want to thread drift this, but when is it necessary to repair moisture issues? If you are going to keep the boat, who cares if it is water logged as long as there are no safety issues? As long as the tabbing is staying in place and the engines are not coming out of their mounts? You will get killed on a buyers survey if you sell, but you should have purchased at a price that would allow for this. Just something that has crossed my mind.
 
Last edited:
You are breaking my heart! You have not listed "Albin" a great T.T.

Who told you there was no quality control on T.T.s? They are all well built, joinery is fantastic. They are all well thought out.

Marine Trader and President will get a lot of "first" choices but I sure do LOVE everything about my Albin.

You have done some research but it seems you have not absorbed much. No need to search out a single brand, they have a LOT in common, look to maintenance and care.

Watch for fuel tank leaks or rust and check out the windows.

pete
 
.... and how about Jefferson's built by Her Shine Marine Co? I love my 1987 Jefferson 42!
 
Guess I will beat this horse a little more. When I set out to upgrade from my 38ft Carver, I was purposely staying away from all Taiwan Trawlers. All I heard was bad things about them (decks, tanks, bulkheads, quality, etc).



In saying all that, I now have a 1979 49ft RPH Marine Trader. One of the more ubiquitous trawler brands made during that time and not known for their longevity or quality. I decided to buy it within 2 days and did not even get a survey beforehand.



Once I saw what had been done to it and the "restoration" it had had, it was a no-brainer. I went with my gut and one year later still no regrets. (passed the survey later with no issues, but then I knew that before I bought) Everything that could or did go wrong with it had been replaced, not rebuilt. That included all decks, the entire deckhouse superstructure, tanks, fitting, etc.


My point is along the lines of others here. It will come down to the boat itself and what has been done to it. No one on here would ever, in their right mind, buy a MT that has not been touched in 40 years. But as they are so old now, a lot have had extensive work done to them, and could be great values. Ranking them now simply will not work. I have seen some exceptional lower end trawlers that have been re-fitted to match even the best brand sout there now.



The moral here - it all depends on the boat your looking at, not the brand name.
 
Go look at a dozen different makes. Some hold up very well after 30+ years and some don’t. There are variations in quality of the same make in the same year. It’s not just a Taiwan thing, it’s any boat! Btw owners and their contractors do stupid things that destroy their boats many years later. Buyers beware.
 
What a great learning tool this thread was. I think I picked the right one. Only my surveyor and time will tell.

Thanks to all.
 
You are probably only interested in power, not sail but Taiwan also produced a few Garden ketches. Mine is a Formosa 41 Sea Tiger and is about 48 years old. Heavily built FG hull and a displacement of 14 ton. Lots of interior and exterior teak. Not a poor mans boat as the upkeep is time consuming and can be pricey. I'll only give it up if my health fails me.
 
I cant answer your question, but you forgot to include the Transpacific Eagle 32 and 40 to your list. These are two Taiwanese boats from a small yard built of very high quality.
 
My Trawler

I own a PT 35 Sundeck built by Cheerman in 1984 in Taiwan. Built well and has held up well over time though the teak interior and railing is always a project. A bow thruster was added 20 so years ago by the previous owner. I never use the lower helm but it does have a beautiful steering wheel.
 
Why hasnt anyone mentioned a tiger marine trawler, i have a1987 41ft that has 400g fuel, 250 water and 30g sewer running 2-200hp Volvo pentas. The only problem i found so far has nothing to do with the vessel but worth motor parts being obsolete and very hard to find... one worksheet think that since its Volvo but ok......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
President 37 Sundeck Double Cabin
Replies
21
Views
9K
Comodave
Comodave

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom