Are we ready?

[Tacomasailor]

Hello

My wife and I are long time sailors with a fair amount of long distance cruising and live aboard experience. As I sneak thru my seventh decade of life I occasionally think that a nice big trawler would be less work and more comfortable. My wife has been convinced of that idea for years.

We are very interested in a DeFever 61 (80000#, 60’ LWL, 17’ beam) with a pair of Caterpillar 3208 (375 HP) engines.

I have about 15 days and 1000 miles experience operating a 60,000 pound 53’ trawler in the Sea of Cortez. That is our entire power boat experience!

We have over 10,000 miles of ocean sailing experience on boats up to 85' and have spent over 1500 nights at anchor in some pretty remote locations between the north end of Vancouver Island and Zijuatenjeo, Mexico. We have made four trips from Puget Sound to San Diego and two from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta and back. We have also sailed non-stop from Annapolis to Virgin Gorda.

We also spent three summers in the far north part of the Sea of Cortez and once went 42 days without provisioning and 22 days without seeing another boat.

We know cruising but do not know powerboats. We are planning to leave San Diego for a couple years in Mexico (we’ve done it twice before in sailboats) and then a multi-year Central American, Panama, Caribbean, and Florida cruise.

How much power boat cruising do we need to do around San Diego, Catalina, Santa Barbara before we take off on another extended cruise? Or - how close to civilization should we stay while learning about our new trawler? How long does it take to get used to a big, heavy trawler compared to our 40', 24,000 pound sailboat?

 

[jwnall]

Well, I would really, really like to be able to answer each and every question in excruciating detail, but all I can to do is to stand in awe at your experience! But I can at least say welcome aboard, and there are others on here who almost certainly will chime in and give you all sorts of useful advice.

John

 

[ranger58sb]

Ummm... yeah, Cap'n, I think you're well and truly prepped already. Learn the details of your engines (for en route upkeep... and maintenance if necessary), practice some docking (probably easier than you're used to), arrange weather routing, steam away!

-Chris

 

[Steve]

I agree, a couple of shakedown cruises and hit the road (or sea) I envy your experience! Congrats!

 

[Codger2]

How long does it take to get used to a big, heavy trawler compared to our 40', 24,000 pound sailboat?

I watched and participated some when my brother went from 40 feet to 59 feet. The anxiety he expected with the 59 footer (Also a DeFever) never materialized. In many ways, the bigger boat was easier to maneuver and the engine room was a walk in with 3208- 375s.

He spent about two weeks getting familiar with the engines and servicing/changing fan belts, oil and fuel filters, air cleaners, water maker, etc. and shoved off out of San Diego for San Carlos, Mexico.

Years later, after putting over 30,000 miles under his keel (Mexico, Central America and several trips to San Diego and back) he sold the boat to a gentleman from San Francisco and assisted the new owner in taking the boat back to S.F.

He said that running the 59 footer was no more complex than his 40 foot trawler.

 

[Pack Mule]

Hello

My wife and I are long time sailors with a fair amount of long distance cruising and live aboard experience. As I sneak thru my seventh decade of life I occasionally think that a nice big trawler would be less work and more comfortable. My wife has been convinced of that idea for years.

We are very interested in a DeFever 61 (80000#, 60’ LWL, 17’ beam) with a pair of Caterpillar 3208 (375 HP) engines.

I have about 15 days and 1000 miles experience operating a 60,000 pound 53’ trawler in the Sea of Cortez. That is our entire power boat experience!

We have over 10,000 miles of ocean sailing experience on boats up to 85' and have spent over 1500 nights at anchor in some pretty remote locations between the north end of Vancouver Island and Zijuatenjeo, Mexico. We have made four trips from Puget Sound to San Diego and two from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta and back. We have also sailed non-stop from Annapolis to Virgin Gorda.

We also spent three summers in the far north part of the Sea of Cortez and once went 42 days without provisioning and 22 days without seeing another boat.

We know cruising but do not know powerboats. We are planning to leave San Diego for a couple years in Mexico (we’ve done it twice before in sailboats) and then a multi-year Central American, Panama, Caribbean, and Florida cruise.

How much power boat cruising do we need to do around San Diego, Catalina, Santa Barbara before we take off on another extended cruise? Or - how close to civilization should we stay while learning about our new trawler? How long does it take to get used to a big, heavy trawler compared to our 40', 24,000 pound sailboat?

There is a boat in our marina right now from San Diego .It's a 40 foot Bluewater trawler .He brought all the way from San Diego and we are in Tennessee.They have been all the way up to Canada and back down.They are returning in November to continue on to Key West.The name of the trawler is Bodacious. He was a long time sailor as well.

 

[markpierce]

If you know and trust your boat, you are ready to go if you've picked the proper season.

 

[Moonfish]

We sold our 33' 15,000 lb. sailboat, moved aboard our 46' 60,000 lb. trawler, weighed anchor, and lived/worked aboard for almost 5 months in the San Juan Islands before settling down in a slip for the winter. I had similar questions before moving aboard the first powerboat either of us had ever owned, but realized we'd never be more than a few hours away from a marina or town.

It was a very easy transition. Based on your experience and the fact you are even asking these questions, I'd say you are ready to go.

 

[bligh]

Well, I would imagine with your experience, you already know the answers to your questions and are just looking for second opinions. So here is mine.
As someone who has sailed extensively and started running trawlers lately, I can only say that I would not head too far off shore in a trawler, even a 61 footer. I am not saying the boat is not seaworthy, but ocean passages are much more comfortable in a sailboat. Trawlers roll and pitch easier and more often than most sailboats I have been on. If you were to head from, say, Seattle to San Diego, I wouldnt hesitate to take a good sailboat off shore and just make a run for it even if the forecast were 25-35 with 10-15ft seas as long as the weather was clear. . That would be a great run for a sailboat. A trawler on the other hand will be rolling and slamming around the whole way. As seas build, the ride in a trawler gets worse exponentially in my opinion. Most of them dont even have the furniture fastened to the cabin sole. You can imagine what kind of things will go flying around in rough seas (or in seas that you would have once considered 'good sailing conditions')
Maybe as you are 'maturing' you know this and can pick and choose your passages and take them at a more leisurely pace, plan around the weather, and enjoy more stops along your the way.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Scott

 

[markpierce]

Personally, I prefer to be in a 900-plus-foot-long ship when going to sea.

 

[hollywood8118]

Well, I would imagine with your experience, you already know the answers to your questions and are just looking for second opinions. So here is mine.
As someone who has sailed extensively and started running trawlers lately, I can only say that I would not head too far off shore in a trawler, even a 61 footer. I am not saying the boat is not seaworthy, but ocean passages are much more comfortable in a sailboat. Trawlers roll and pitch easier and more often than most sailboats I have been on. If you were to head from, say, Seattle to San Diego, I wouldnt hesitate to take a good sailboat off shore and just make a run for it even if the forecast were 25-35 with 10-15ft seas as long as the weather was clear. . That would be a great run for a sailboat. A trawler on the other hand will be rolling and slamming around the whole way. As seas build, the ride in a trawler gets worse exponentially in my opinion. Most of them dont even have the furniture fastened to the cabin sole. You can imagine what kind of things will go flying around in rough seas (or in seas that you would have once considered 'good sailing conditions')
Maybe as you are 'maturing' you know this and can pick and choose your passages and take them at a more leisurely pace, plan around the weather, and enjoy more stops along your the way.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Scott

Interesting....
As a former cruising sailor with the same type of experience..from my perspective your ready to go. The run south is a great shake down if the boat is ready to go.

My opinion is exactly opposite opposite of Scott's above.. I would rather bang to weather in a trawler than a sail boat.. I have done that enough for a lifetime.
Make a run and spend a week on the hook on Catalina..get to know the boat..fun overnight back to S.D. fix what needs work...load up the spares then head south.
Good luck and post pics
HOLLYWOOD

 

[hollywood8118]

Personally, I prefer to be in a 900-plus-foot-long ship when going to sea.

Mark,
From your pic I see my expectations of cruise ship travel are confirmed...it's so boring you fall asleep at dinner...looks like they had a designer that normally does funeral homes do the decor
Hollywood

 

[bligh]

Mark,
From your pic I see my expectations of cruise ship travel are confirmed...it's so boring you fall asleep at dinner...looks like they had a designer that normally does funeral homes do the decor
Hollywood

That is not aboard the Coot?

 

[bligh]

Interesting....
As a former cruising sailor with the same type of experience..from my perspective your ready to go. The run south is a great shake down if the boat is ready to go.

My opinion is exactly opposite opposite of Scott's above.. I would rather bang to weather in a trawler than a sail boat.. I have done that enough for a lifetime.
Make a run and spend a week on the hook on Catalina..get to know the boat..fun overnight back to S.D. fix what needs work...load up the spares then head south.
Good luck and post pics
HOLLYWOOD

Well, to be fair, running from Seattle to San Diego would most likely be downwind, but you do make a valid point. Beating to windward up the west coast can be grueling. I would not look forward to that kind of passage like I used to.
(And the extra HP in those cats will come in handy then.)

 

[markpierce]

Mark,
From your pic I see my expectations of cruise ship travel are confirmed...it's so boring you fall asleep at dinner...looks like they had a designer that normally does funeral homes do the decor
Hollywood

That's OK. Four/five course meals, clean/dry sheets and pillows, etcetera. The best way to cross an ocean for me. Nevertheless I'll "pitter patter" in the San Francisco estuary on the Coot.

 

[Peter B]

I'm with you Mark. Love large cruise liners as well. But when I'm on one, I just love it all the more knowing I have my own mini one.
Hey, by the way, I haven't seen the Coot out there watching the Cup. If you don't get out there soon, it'll all be over...

 

[FF]

Just GO!

You are ready now.

 

[brian eiland]

Well, I would imagine with your experience, you already know the answers to your questions and are just looking for second opinions. So here is mine.
As someone who has sailed extensively and started running trawlers lately, I can only say that I would not head too far off shore in a trawler, even a 61 footer. I am not saying the boat is not seaworthy, but ocean passages are much more comfortable in a sailboat. Trawlers roll and pitch easier and more often than most sailboats I have been on. If you were to head from, say, Seattle to San Diego, I wouldnt hesitate to take a good sailboat off shore and just make a run for it even if the forecast were 25-35 with 10-15ft seas as long as the weather was clear. . That would be a great run for a sailboat. A trawler on the other hand will be rolling and slamming around the whole way. As seas build, the ride in a trawler gets worse exponentially in my opinion. Most of them dont even have the furniture fastened to the cabin sole. You can imagine what kind of things will go flying around in rough seas (or in seas that you would have once considered 'good sailing conditions')
Maybe as you are 'maturing' you know this and can pick and choose your passages and take them at a more leisurely pace, plan around the weather, and enjoy more stops along your the way.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!
Scott

I think you are correct Scott. There is a comfort in a sailboat's motion and utilmate survivability offshore that I suspect is lacking in many powerboat forms offshore. I very distinctively remember an occasion I had in some conditions in the Gulf Stream in a 58' Chris Craft Roamer long ago that I would not want to repeat.....short steep waves, that were difficult to handle either powering into them or running.

I seem to recall an incident with a multi-million dollar sportfish vessel off Mexico that got lost due to a simple clogged fuel filter in a rough sea.

And to me this is NOT a big sea, but the stabilizers stopped working.

 

[brian eiland]

I'm somewhat surprised that the OP hasn't consider a motorsailer considering his desire to go afar and his considerable background.??

Here's one I'd be interested in if I were still ocean bound....Gardner engine and good price.
Used Arthur Robb for Sale | Yachts For Sale | Yachthub

AusCan brought it up over here
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/im-love-another-woman-11115.html#post171632