Trawlers that cruise a bit faster...

[huruta]

Hi. We are newbies with no material experience so bear with me. We are in Seattle and have wanted to boat for a long time, but cost and saving for retirement and other travels has always put this on the back burner. We think it's time and are in the very beginning stages of boating (signed up for weekend class with NW Explorations for April, going to the boat show this weekend). Anyway, here's are current thoughts on needs:

- weekend get aways around puget sound, primary use
- longer trips (1-2 weeks), maybe 1-2x times per year
- 2 adults and 2 small/medium dogs
- used to small overnight spaces, have an pop-up truck/camper and prior hx with a 1984 vanagon
- may do some recreational fishing, crabbing/spot prawns pots (experienced doing this on a boat in AK and loved it), but not hard core fishers
- want to be able to get away from the city in a weekend
-smaller (25-34ft)?
-budget <75-200k

We really want enough speed to increase our range for weekend trips. So are there any trawlers that can cruise at 14-16 knots? While we loved our vanagon (a LOT of ongoing fix-it work), we love our lightly used Tacoma camper (lots of ongoing work, but most optional) and would prefer a similar type boat. I think speed might be the rate limiting factor. Ranger Tugs look like they might fit. Other suggestions?

 

[rslifkin]

My boat isn't technically a trawler (most would consider it a motoryacht). And it's faster than most trawlers (cruises at 17 - 18 kts on plane, or can do a trawler-like 6.5 - 7 kts for slow cruise). But it's every bit as spacious and comfy as a similar size trawler and almost as good at going slow.

 

[mvweebles]

Of you're okay with smallish, look at the Rosborough 26. Slick little boat.

Peter

 

[MrJim]

I may be biased, but for your budget, speed, and size requirements, and the fact that you don't mind small spaces, a 30' Mainship Pilot would definitely be worth considering.

We mostly use ours for day trips and occasional weekend trips. We routinely cruise in the 16 knot range, 18-20 knots if we're in a hurry.

 

[ranger58sb]

We really want enough speed to increase our range for weekend trips. So are there any trawlers that can cruise at 14-16 knots? While we loved our vanagon (a LOT of ongoing fix-it work), we love our lightly used Tacoma camper (lots of ongoing work, but most optional) and would prefer a similar type boat. I think speed might be the rate limiting factor. Ranger Tugs look like they might fit. Other suggestions?

You might consider the idea of "trawler is as trawler does."

See my avatar.



-Chris

 

[mvweebles]

I may be biased, but for your budget, speed, and size requirements, and the fact that you don't mind small spaces, a Mainship Pilot would definitely be worth considering.

Good shout out on the MS.

Another interesting boat with decent compromise small layout are the Albin Tournement Express boats. I forget the exact length, but just under 30-feet. The larger one typically came with twin Yanmars.

C-Dory is another flavor. Around 25 footer if I remember.

Rare on West coast are the Atlas lobstef style boats. Made in Florida but nice traditional style. Not screamers. Around 15-kts tops.

To the point of others, there are some nice liveable boats that aren't necessarily trawler styles, but nicer than go-fast boats.

Peter

 

[2savage]

Real "Trawlers" go slow and far. 'Fast' trawlers will be sucking up over ten gallons an hour of diesel. Did you budget for that? I have had a Ranger 29 Tug for a short while and never got used to $50 an hour for fuel. Maybe you need to look a little closer at boats you can trailer. Getting to where you want to be at 55 mph might solve a lot of your needs.

 

[JLD]

When you go to the boat show check out the Ranger Tugs. They are made in your area and have a large following. They are somewhat smaller than a traditional trawler, but some folks really like them. The R23, R25, and R27 are trailerable, with an 8'6" beam. When the R23 first came out there was an sterndrive (inboard/outboard) or outboard option. Older R25/27 will have inboard diesels, newer boats will have Yamaha outboards. The R29 has a 10' beam and will have a diesel. The manufacturer has a sister line of boats, Cutwater, in similar sizes as well.

The Camano 31 Trolls were also made in your area. Most of these boats are 15 - 20 years old, but they have a smart layout and a diesel engine.

Another affordable option are Mainships. These also will have diesel engines.

If you want a fast boat, my choice would be an express cruiser, like a SeaRay Sundancer. These are usually twin gas engines, with a diesel option at 38'+.

Lots and lots of choices!

Jim

 

[Hippocampus]

Maybe above your budget but real pleased with the recently new to us Nordic Tug 42. Will do 17kts with a calm, quiet relaxed ride. Went East Greenwich Conn to Deltaville VA non stop averaging 10.7kts including a brief fuel stop.
Realize semi displacement hulls regardless of what the topsides look like are not very efficient once they go over hull speed and efficiency declines exponentially the faster you go. Doesn’t matter if they look like tugs, trawlers or motor yacht. For two adults and two dogs would give thought to planing options if time is the limiting factor. 2 savage makes an excellent point. Initially counterintuitive but that maybe the less expensive option to get the range you want. Also for weight moved bigger boats are generally more efficient. Agree with Peter (seems a trend) look at the various express cruisers or even something like a Pursuit or Grady White.

 

[huruta]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I look more closely at these options as we learn more. We are on the fence about trailering - it would require a much larger, heavy duty truck ($$$) than our Tacoma and traffic sucks in Seattle - the idea of a nearby marina (okay, the 5 blocks to Shilshole from our house) is very appealing, esp. since we don't have the land or driveway for a trailer or a boat.

The Nordic Tug is a beautiful boat, but probably out of our price range but looks SWEET. For our current use case, the Ranger Tug has a lot of appeal, and can appreciate the gas $$$. Hopefully, we'd find we're happy at slower speeds most of time time. Will definitely check out the Mainship, Albin and C-Dory (Sea Sport too maybe), Camano, Chris Craft and Rosborough suggestions. I'm sure thoughts will change as we learn and gain more experience so not super rushed to jump into anything right now.

 

[O C Diver]

It might be worth looking backwards at this. You might want to establish an annual boat budget and calculating the expenses to see what you can afford to own. If the fuel alone was $400 for the weekend, does that limit your use? If going smaller in the 25 to 30 range, halfs the fuel cost, does that significantly improve usage?

Lot to be said for renting a few times to see how much space you really need.

Ted

 

[rgano]

I may be biased, but for your budget, speed, and size requirements, and the fact that you don't mind small spaces, a 30' Mainship Pilot would definitely be worth considering.

We mostly use ours for day trips and occasional weekend trips. We routinely cruise in the 16 knot range, 18-20 knots if we're in a hurry.

and a Pilot 34 would be just that much more fun.

 

[Comodave]

Maybe the first place to go is to charter a couple of different boats and see what you like. I can tell you what I like but that may not, probably not, be what you want or need. Good luck.

 

[RedRascal]

Speed definitely will allow you to get further on the weekends but you can only go so far if you take off on Friday after work. If you moor at Shilshole I'd say your weekend range could be Port Townsend to Gig Harbor. However it could be a push to get to either of those depending on weather and daylight. To get an idea of travel times and fuel burn you could use navionics chart viewer. Navionics ChartViewer It allows you to configure speed and fuel burn for a boat. I'll suggest a Bayliner 3288 as an option for you guys to look at. They are about a $40-60k boat. The new models can cruise in that 14 knot range. Bayliner 32xx.com

Here are some ball park numbers for running that boat at 14 knots from Shilshole to Gig Harbor. About a 2 hour trip and about 15 gallons of fuel one way so 30 gallons round trip or about $130. Same boat at 6-7 knots going to Blake Island should be about 90 minutes and a little more than 3 gallons one way so 6.5 gallons or $28.

It's usually expensive to go fast and as a very general rule of thumb you can figure a fuel burn around 1-1.5 nautical miles to the gallon in the size boats you are looking at. Diesel at Elliot bay marina is $4.40 a gallon and gas is $4.80. You are either going to spend more $$$ to save time or spend more time to save $$$.

Some people have grand visions of going from Seattle to the San Juan Islands for the weekend but that is pretty much a pipe dream. While it's possible it may not be the most enjoyable weekend.

+1 on chartering

Also I understand Vanagons, we have a 89 Westfalia that we've roamed around in between from Death Valley to Dead Horse, AK.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. h. Welcome aboard. All good advice, thus far. One thing Mr. RR alluded to is weather. I know absolutely nothing of the distances or conditions you might experience in the area you plan to travel in BUT remember, IF you go to some distant location you have to return. IF the weather becomes inclement, you either wait it out or leave the boat and return the following weekend. A schedule is just one of the things that can put you in a severe or fatal situation.


The sea is a cruel and unforgiving mistress.

 

[Portage_Bay]

It needs to be said. Moorage anywhere on the east side of Puget Sound within a reasonable driving distance of Seattle is going to be hard to find. It can take years to get a slip where you want to be. Start your search for moorage now.

 

[TrawlerJoe]

I have a Legacy 34 Flybridge (2004) on the Chesapeake, but I had an express cruiser in Seattle for a few years. From that experience, I can tell you that I personally would insist on an enclosed helm in the Seattle area. A flybridge and a lower helm, to me, is an ideal setup for that weather, especially if you're hoping for 1-2 week outings. I got *so tired* of canvas-up, canvas-down, canvas-up again, sometimes several times per day, as the sun and rain would come and go.

Agree with your desire for a bit more speed. There's so much to explore and so much more of it will be in reach if you can make 14+ instead of 8 knots.

I really would have loved my current boat in that area. I just didn't know it back then!

Oh, and get something with diesel heat (like an Espar)!

 

[slowgoesit]

You need to decide if the "being there", or the "gettin' there" is more important. If going hell bent for leather, disregarding comfort, to be able to enjoy more time once you reach your destination, that calls for one type of boat.
If you are of the opinion that "the fun is in the gettin there, as much as the being there", that calls for a different type of boat. (Our boat falls more in this category)

But it sounds like you are somewhere in the middle . . .

Regarding moorage, you may want to look at getting moorage in Port Orchard, or Bremerton, it's a ferry ride from Seattle. More moorage available, and less expensive than Seattle area . . .but in the mean time, get on wait lists in Seattle area . . . . In two or three years a slip may open up.

 

[FF]

As was noted , in many cases "trawler " defines the deck and pilot house .

You should consider looking at older sport fish boats.

They are fuelish , designed to operate at speed , and actually built for ocean use.
Which can not be said of most stock "trawlers" or motor yachts.

SF Interiors are more spartan and easier to take care of.

A single engine will usually have more space to take care of it.

Since few cruise , you may have to add a good pulpit and capstan , and a few anchors.

 

[rslifkin]

As was noted , in many cases "trawler " defines the deck and pilot house .

You should consider looking at older sport fish boats.

They are fuelish , designed to operate at speed , and actually built for ocean use.
Which can not be said of most stock "trawlers" or motor yachts.

SF Interiors are more spartan and easier to take care of.

A single engine will usually have more space to take care of it.

Since few cruise , you may have to add a good pulpit and capstan , and a few anchors.

Some of the more capable motoryacht types also share a hull with their sport fish cousins. The ones I'd tend to avoid are the motoryachts that are just an express cruiser hull with an extra layer stacked on top. Those often have a poor ride in rough conditions and are generally not great performers in my opinion.

 

[huruta]

@red rascal, thanks! This is create information and VERY helpful. Will check out the Bayliner – seems pretty affordable. That range would be just fine…there’s a lot to explore and mostly, we just want to get out of Seattle; San Juans can be a week trip! I suspect most of the time, we will be happy going slow, but it’d be great to have that extra speed we are looking for when needed. Miss the feel of the vanagon, but love the 4x4 and off-road capability of the Taco. Peace!

@RT Firefly, agree. Doubt we’d go too far on a weekend trip, but the point is well taken.

@Portage_Bay. Yeah, Shilshole is currently listed as a 1-2 year wait…will look further into this.

@TrawlerJoe….yeah, only closed helms will be a requirement, as is heat!

@slowgoesit, I think we’d lean toward getting’ there, but want the ability to get there. Like you say, we are probably in the middle. While Shilshole might be the current goal, agree a broad net will be needed.

@FF, @rslifkin, will look more closely at SF boats…have looked a little, but some I have seen just are heated with the stove and we want “real” heat; I haven’t seen many for sale used (C-dory, Sea Sport), but I may not have been looking in the right place. Will also learn more about hulls.

 

[RonR]

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/1972-uniflite-36-sedan-bridge-8065361/

I would suggest staying on the smaller side at first. If you love it you can move up in size. This is a really clean well maintained boat that a friend is selling. Might be something worth looking at. Also worthwhile to check out what marinas will allow you to keep the boat at the slip it was at when you buy it. Some in Everett do this, not sure about your area. (But it at least gets you a slip until one opens up in your area)
As a slip is harder to find than a nice boat some days. We went with the sport fisher style, plenty of room for a few people, can go fast or slow. Lower rear deck for fishing/crabbing. But as others mentioned fuel burn is a concern. We have more $ than time right now so we want to get to where we are going fast. As time moves on, we will change up to a slow boat as we will have more time than $.

I am also a fan of a lower helm if the upper is not covered/heated. It gets cold and lonely up there when the weather sucks.

Another place to check out a lot of boats at one time is Bannanabeltboats. You can walk through a ton of different styles, get a feel for the size/layout and type of boat that will work for you. As everyone has different ideas of what they need to have vs what they want to have.

 

[bshanafelt]

if not already mentioned, the PNW has logs.

My boat cruises at 7.5 knots - this is comparatively slow.

I still manage to hit logs.

The consequence of a log strike is much more significant if you are going 15-17 knts.

 

[Slowmo]

A few of things to think about given what you're asking.

The vast majority of 'trawlers' are based on planning hulls. Boats like Grand Banks and Ocean Alexander just used smaller engines at the start and were not capable of higher speeds, as time went buy they added the power to get up on plane. Of course they weren't optimized for planning.. The reason I say that is that I'd recommend looking at a variety of boats to see which one suits you, don't hang up on the 'trawler' label. In our case we set out to buy a Grand Banks and ended with a Tollycraft - just fit our needs better. Our boat will do 16kn but we run 8kn @5gph, which seems similar to what I see in other "trawlers" that use hard chine flat run hulls. In fact the only time I do go on a plane is just to run the engines up to speed sometimes.

Think about where you cruise the boat. If you like the San Juan islands then consider keeping the boat further north. Its far faster to drive up I5 90 minutes than to run the boat up Puget Sound and Saratoga Passage. I spent decades with the first and last day being all day to/from the islands. Now I have an hour to cross Rosario and I'm where I want to be. The point being if you want to weekend in the San Juans its much faster to drive up there than run a boat no matter how fast that boat can go. That may impact your speed needs.

You should buy a boat in good condition from a reputable manufacturer. You have a wide price range - so did I. But keep in mind the purchase cost is just the start. Make sure you purchase a boat that's well maintained and get both vessel and mechanical surveys. Also, depending on how 'social' you are some boats have very active owners communities in the PNW including Tollycraft, GB, OA, and Nordic Tug. There's plenty of opinions about boats to go around but I tend to trust what professionals say. All the boats I list above are well thought of brands but different from each other. Tollycraft and older OAs were typically Ed Monk designed boats - a PNW designer.

Finally make sure you know what features you must have and which you'd be flexible on. That includes the basic layout. As you look at boats you may spot something you really like. Example: In our case the direct access from the salon to an aft deck space where you can lounge was a huge plus we hadn't originally been looking for. Mechanicals do matter, some engine brands are more problematic than others. There are a few engines that have bad reputations - I don't want to start an argument here but talk to some experts. Typically you're safe with a well maintained Cat, Deere, Ford Leyman and parts are easily obtained. But ask around. In any case condition and maintenance are the most important, a good engine that's abused is worse than a delicate engine loved.
Good Luck!

 

[LN-RTP]

I got an Albin 28TE, kind of a "pocket trawler", plenty room for 1 couple.
Single inboard diesel from 250 to 370 HP.
I got the 300 HP Yanmar, it will cruise at 17 knots and top out at 20.
We do however cruise at trawler speeds frequently, quiet and more relaxed ride
while sipping fuel.
Inside shower, outside shower, small galley, a big double bed and a small double quarter berth. They all have bow thruster and most have electric windlass.
Good beginner boat as it is easy to operate and very "sea worthy".
Good quality build but they are getting old, a good survey required.
Prices from $50k to $90k.
I do charters with my Albin 28TE:

OdinCharters| WireFrame Home

 

[RCook]

@FF, @rslifkin, will look more closely at SF boats…have looked a little, but some I have seen just are heated with the stove and we want “real” heat; I haven’t seen many for sale used (C-dory, Sea Sport), but I may not have been looking in the right place. Will also learn more about hulls.

With a substantial enough tow vehicle, you could pull a C-Dory 25 or 26, or a Sea Sport 24, 26 or 27. Any of these could work for a couple, and cruise at 15-20 knots or a bit more, depending on engine. Some larger Sea Sports have diesel power. There are a handful of Sea Sports on Yachtworld.

After 7 years with our C-Dory 22, we upgraded to a 26-foot diesel/sterndrive powered Bounty 257, much like a similar-sized Sea Sport. It would cruise at 18 knots and 1.75 nmpg, or at 6-6.5 knots and 4 nmpg. Cruised and fished the Inside Passage with this one for 18 summers and nearly 40,000 nm, with a third crew some of the time.

If you decide not to go with a towable boat, a Camano 31 or Nordic Tug 32 could be a great choice. They would offer much more space, very pleasant and economical cruising at 6-7 knots, or more speed if you're OK with burning a good bit more fuel.

 

[BradBeck]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! I look more closely at these options as we learn more. We are on the fence about trailering - it would require a much larger, heavy duty truck ($$$) than our Tacoma and traffic sucks in Seattle - the idea of a nearby marina (okay, the 5 blocks to Shilshole from our house) is very appealing, esp. since we don't have the land or driveway for a trailer or a boat.

The Nordic Tug is a beautiful boat, but probably out of our price range but looks SWEET. For our current use case, the Ranger Tug has a lot of appeal, and can appreciate the gas $$$. Hopefully, we'd find we're happy at slower speeds most of time time. Will definitely check out the Mainship, Albin and C-Dory (Sea Sport too maybe), Camano, Chris Craft and Rosborough suggestions. I'm sure thoughts will change as we learn and gain more experience so not super rushed to jump into anything right now.

One source who has been sharing their story is Martin with Let’s go channel surfing. He has a great YouTube channel where he shares his thinking and why he chose the Ranger Tug 27 with the outboard. Including his fuel burn analysis.
https://youtube.com/c/Letsgochannelsurfing

 

[huruta]

@Ronr, Friend’s boat looks lovely. We are too uneducated to make the leap – hope something like is as well cared for comes along in the future. I have seen a few listings with an Everett slip and could definitely be a stop-gap measure. Also seen bananabeltboats – maybe should check them out when I take my class with NW Explorations in April.

@bshanafelt, point well taken!

@slowmo, putting tollycraft on my list to learn more about. We plan to retire to Bellingham so I figure once that happens, we’ll do more exploring of the San Juans. We haven’t been out enough to know where we want to go, but there looks like loads nearby. Looking forward to boat show this weekend to see new boats as a starting point (used boats then forthcoming). Will start to write a list of wants and ‘not wants’.

@LN-RTP, pretty boat!

@RCook, yeah, we are considering towing. We don’t have a heavy duty truck so that’s a $$$ factor and that size truck isn’t the easiest to drive around the narrow streets of Ballard. I bet you racked up some amazing memories with that much time cruising and fishing the Inside Passage.

 

[huruta]

One source who has been sharing their story is Martin with Let’s go channel surfing. He has a great YouTube channel where he shares his thinking and why he chose the Ranger Tug 27 with the outboard. Including his fuel burn analysis.
https://youtube.com/c/Letsgochannelsurfing

''

Yeah, I've been watching his videos - super interesting and fun to watch.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Trawlers don’t go 14 - 16 knots. They are too heavy.
But there are quite a few that will and most look like trawlers.

But for you I’d get two boats. A faster big outboard and a good suitable recreational trawler. If you keep your OB small enough and light enough to be trailerable a whole new world of boating will find you.