Trawler vs. other yacht styles

[Moby Nick]

I always correct him with, "my boat predates the term "Trawler" applied to pleasure boats. Call it a Swedish-style Motor Cruiser".

[wwestman]

I was told that if the boat went faster than 8 knots it was not a trawler, it was a motor yacht. But that is just one way to split hairs.

[Bigal6030]

Wow, I have never seen such a responsive boating community. Thanks for all the advice.

[FoxtrotCharlie]

And if you plan to stay in a marina most nights on the Loop, fuel costs will pale in caparison to marina fees

[AusCan]

Bigal - You answered your own question in the thread title.

IMO, a trawler is just a "style" of boat. Its all about fashion. It has nothing to do with seaworthiness, safety, fuel consumption, speed, cost, or anchor type. Trawler style boats can cover the full range of each of these characteristics. But they are are all cool.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by JLD

I've been dreaming about the great loop myself.

The route taken by most folks averages about 6,000 miles. If gas costs $3 a gallon, then:

6,000 miles / 1 mpg = 6,000 gallons x $3 = $18,000
6,000 miles / 2 mpg = 3,000 gallons x $3 = $9,000
6,000 miles / 2.5 mpg = 2,400 gallons x $3 = $7,200

So, at least in my opinion, its not worth the worry about the added cost for fuel. I would run whatever boat that I would want to normally run before/after doing the loop.

Jim

Problem with the numbets...in many places, diesel is also a bit cheaper than gas, so that $3 would have to be adjusted down some more.

[FlyWright]

Originally Posted by Bigal6030

Wow, I have never seen such a responsive boating community. Thanks for all the advice.

Stick around and you'll get used to it, Big Al. I'm from Chi-town, too. Western 'burbs, actually...Westchester/DI side.

Good to have a fellow Chicagoan named Al aboard.

[caltexflanc]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

Stick around and you'll get used to it, Big Al. I'm from Chi-town, too. Western 'burbs, actually...Westchester/DI side.

Good to have a fellow Chicagoan named Al aboard.

We lived out in horse country in Wayne (just east of St. Charles) for 4 years. Took the train from West Chicago (where, also, our son was born) downtown every day. Fond memories with some good boating thrown in to boot.

[BandB]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

Stick around and you'll get used to it, Big Al. I'm from Chi-town, too. Western 'burbs, actually...Westchester/DI side.

Good to have a fellow Chicagoan named Al aboard.

Wifey B: Is it Big Al? Or is it Bi Gal?

Just saying, could be read any way. I would have figured Al would have had a capital A.

[Fletcher500]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

Stick around and you'll get used to it, Big Al. I'm from Chi-town, too. Western 'burbs, actually...Westchester/DI side.

Good to have a fellow Chicagoan named Al aboard.

Are you sure it's not Bisexual Gal? Sorry, couldn't resist.

Agree, this is a good website. Gets a bit heated at times, but that is part of the deal with web forums.

My .02, after having planing boats in the past, we are switching to a TrawleR for many of the reasons already noted. One more, we would roll around like corks in the Pacific, so I am looking forward to a smoother ride.

[Lou_tribal]

Originally Posted by Fletcher500

. Gets a bit heated at times, but that is part of the deal with web forums.

Heated? really? not sure I understand. By the way what is your anchor?

L

[RT Firefly]

[FlyWright]

Here's Big Gay Al from South Park, compliments of remwines and his boyfriend, Steve.

[North Baltic sea]

Originally Posted by JLD

I've been dreaming about the great loop myself.

The route taken by most folks averages about 6,000 miles. If gas costs $3 a gallon, then:

6,000 miles / 1 mpg = 6,000 gallons x $3 = $18,000
6,000 miles / 2 mpg = 3,000 gallons x $3 = $9,000
6,000 miles / 2.5 mpg = 2,400 gallons x $3 = $7,200

So, at least in my opinion, its not worth the worry about the added cost for fuel. I would run whatever boat that I would want to normally run before/after doing the loop.

Jim

Hi Jim,

I understand your thoughts 100% because here diesel costs around $ 6 / gallon. I was lucky when I last searched for a new (mine) boat. The Nordic tug 37 can fold that 6000nm / 1184gallon. This fuel consumption is based on our 2017 cruise bookkeeping of about 1900nm + about 120 genny hours is 5nm/gallona. The calculated average speed of about 6 knots includes harbor maneuvers etc.

NBs

You can read more this link
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s...ave-35532.html

[markpierce]

A recreational trawler is unable to exceed hull speed and consumes less than two gallons an hour, but this site is not exclusive since most here have faster and hungrier cruisers.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by FlyWright

To give a side-by-side comparison, my 34 Californian LRC with twin Perkins 4.236 non-turbo diesels gets 7.5 kts at 3.2 gph (2.3 NM/US Gal). Other boats of the same model with larger engines can perform similarly at 7.5 kts and get closer to 1 NM/US Gal at speeds 15-20 Kts.

A true recreational trawler isn't capable of exceeding hull speed and will consume less than 2 GPH diesel fuel. Mine (14 tons powered with 80 HP) at a knot below hull speed (6.3 knots) consumes about half of your 3.2 GPH.

[FF]

Large areas of the loop are very speed restricted so high, go fast, fuel use is not possible.

Even 60GPH boats are more economical at near idle.

Gasoline boats have few problems being operated hours on end at near idle.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

If you slow to around 7 knots for some legs, your fuel consumption would be reduced to something like maybe 3 GPH, maybe 2.3 NMPG, for those sections. (That's just a guess, but maybe not too far off.)

Originally Posted by diver dave

To reach 2nm/g with carb BBC you will be running one eng and doing around 6kts.

Originally Posted by djmarchand

I think you guys are grossly underestimating the fuel economy of twin 454 gassers going slow pushing a 34' semi-displacement cruiser to 7-8 kts. Gassers unlike diesels get horrible fuel economy (stated as hp per gph of fuel) the slower they run, and big 454s will be even worse.

I'm happy to be corrected.

My guess was just based on our trip from FLL to Annapolis in our previous boat, a gasser about the samel size as OPs and with twin MPI 7.4s. 131 engine hours, about 1471 gals, ~11.2 GPH total... and that was probably running on plane slightly more than half of the time.

Can't remember what we calculated for the distance, something like 1100 NM plus/minus I think. If so, that'd be something like .75 NMPG. I thought the reason we did so (comparatively) well on that trip was because were were puttering along sightseeing much of the time, too.

Didn't realize gassers might not burn significantly less fuel at slow speeds? Although I would expect carbs to be less efficient than injection...

-Chris

[Alabama Boater]

The fuel usage between big block MPI and older carb version is much different. I have had some experience with each. The MPI engines were Magnum 502's and would get about 1.5-1.7 mpg @ 10mph. I had twin carbed 454's - 340 hp. It made no difference what speed I ran ... if slow, hull speed, 1 mpg. Go to cruise at 25 mph and dropped to .9 mpg. This was over a 1100 mile trip down the Ohio and up the Tennessee. Another friend had 38' Carver with carbed 454's and found 1 mpg was his best economy. Big blocks are fuel hungry but can be mitigated with MPI to some degree.

[cardude01]

I would think MPI gasser economy and running "smoothness" near idle would be way better than the carb versions.

But with gassers (and I'm assuming a gas generator), sleeping in hot states on the hook with the AC on would be sketchy, right?