Another sailor -> trawler member

MotorOn · 12-31-2018, 03:35 PM

Hi,

I'm Paul. I have been sailing since I was about 6 years old. I've been offshore and inshore from Maine to the Caribbean.

My wife (Christine) and I have cruised our Pearson Ariel (Cachalot), our Valiant 37 (Passe Partout) and our current Nautical 40 (Aurora) since the early eighties.

We went from small sailboat camping, to medium blue water comfortable cruiser, to a beautiful, safe, comfortable, and spacious pilot house ketch.

So, I guess we are ready for a trawler :-) We both are getting to the age where going out on the foredeck in the Gulf Stream is not all that appealing.

So far we have looked at Mainships but they are probably not right for us. I guess we will try to see something like a Monk 36 or maybe GB next.

Look forward to researching here and learning lots!

**Comodave** · 12-31-2018, 03:37 PM

Welcome aboard. There is a lot of good info here.

Rain Dog · 12-31-2018, 03:40 PM

We just went through the exact same process. We came from a Pacific Seacraft 34.

We also initially decided on a Mainship 390, but then chartered one just to be sure. That convinced us it was not the boat for us. In the end of the boats available in our area and in our price range we settled on a GB.

PM me if you would like more details.

GregBrannon · 12-31-2018, 05:50 PM

Welcome and good luck. You have a wealth of experience to share with us!

O C Diver · 12-31-2018, 06:26 PM

Hi Paul,

Welcome to the forum! Best piece of advice I can give you is try (rent) before you buy. It saves that repeated buy and sell process. One of the businesses often mentioned on the forum is

SW FL Yachts

I have no affiliation with them, but have admired their charter fleet.

Ted

Capitaine R · 12-31-2018, 08:07 PM

Welcome Paul, You will find this forum very useful in your search.

Just don't ask about anchors or Radar. LOL

**Peter B** · 12-31-2018, 08:45 PM

As another former sailor, welcome aboard the board. Yes, as one gets a little less spritely and 'bendy', the rigours of sailing begin to tell, and being able to just hop aboard, (after loading essentials - which can add up, so watch it), and turning a key, letting lines go, and motoring out, certainly has its charms. Especially being able to head directly for where you want to go, instead of how the wind direction dictates, or being forced to motor-sail anyway, which I always hated to do.

However, as all us ex-sailors will admit, there will be times that you'll miss that lovely silence, of letting the wind take over, the motor going off, and just being there, at one with the sea. Just not that often is all...

MotorOn · 01-01-2019, 10:32 AM

Thank everyone for all the nice Welcomes.

The SW FL Yachts was a nice reference. We chartered from them in the early Eighties (a Valiant 40) and cruised the West Coast waterways for a week or so escaping the New England winter. Skinny water there!

I have to admit that we are a little ambivalent about selling the Nauticat 40 (google Nauticat 40 Aurora for sale) because 1) we motor a lot to get from A to B, and 2) with sails down, its a nice displacement hull trawler that doesn't roll that much in a seaway. It does draw 6' though and that makes the skinny FL, Bahamas, and ICW waters a constant challenge.

We did the ICW twice in Aurora w/o (knock wood) touching bottom once*. I'm told the ICW is beautiful, but I wouldn't know. My eyes were fixed on the depth sounder and the next mark ;-)

With a motor sailor there's one foot on a trawler and one foot on a sailboat

* did not do GA

geoleo · 01-01-2019, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotorOn

Hi,

I'm Paul. I have been sailing since I was about 6 years old. I've been offshore and inshore from Maine to the Caribbean.

My wife (Christine) and I have cruised our Pearson Ariel (Cachalot), our Valiant 37 (Passe Partout) and our current Nautical 40 (Aurora) since the early eighties.

We went from small sailboat camping, to medium blue water comfortable cruiser, to a beautiful, safe, comfortable, and spacious pilot house ketch.

So, I guess we are ready for a trawler :-) We both are getting to the age where going out on the foredeck in the Gulf Stream is not all that appealing.

So far we have looked at Mainships but they are probably not right for us. I guess we will try to see something like a Monk 36 or maybe GB next.

Look forward to researching here and learning lots!

WELCOME-- I switched and kind of regret it--- now its all about the destination-- before it was all about the trip--- if I had a Motorsailor I would keep it--------just saying

geoleo · 01-01-2019, 10:51 AM

Maintenance is the same.

**Peter B** · 01-01-2019, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotorOn

........I have to admit that we are a little ambivalent about selling the Nauticat 40 (google Nauticat 40 Aurora for sale) because 1) we motor a lot to get from A to B, and 2) with sails down, its a nice displacement hull trawler that doesn't roll that much in a seaway. It does draw 6' though and that makes the skinny FL, Bahamas, and ICW waters a constant challenge.

We did the ICW twice in Aurora w/o (knock wood) touching bottom once*. I'm told the ICW is beautiful, but I wouldn't know. My eyes were fixed on the depth sounder and the next mark ;-) ............With a motor sailor there's one foot on a trawler and one foot on a sailboat

Aye, and there's the rub. The draft, You had me puzzled there for a bit, as I read Nauticat as being a motor-sailing Catamaran, which would, of course, not have a 6 ft draft. That is the problem with anything that is a compromise between differing needs or demands. Never works quite as well as something designed specifically to do the job required.

However, she looks a nice vessel, so if the draft has not proven too limiting, as geoleo said, might be best to just stick with what you know and love, and just avoid places with skinny water - there are plenty of alternatives.

Ftbinc · 01-02-2019, 12:40 AM

Welcome Paul

We are sailors too. But a year ago we took the plunge and purchased a Manatee. Nicely laid out 36 footer...

Good luck on your search!

markpierce · 01-02-2019, 02:15 AM

I'm a former sailor too.

Moving to trawler was the next step up.

DHeckrotte · 01-02-2019, 11:04 AM

Similar trajectory for us, too. But we still have my first love, a mid ‘50’s varnished Mahogany Flying Dutchman that I restored. Hope to sail her, and enjoy our trawler this spring, after my new knees are ready.

Anyway, some basic decisions need to be made. Since livability and destination are more the thing on a power boat, interior and exterior layout is more important than other features. We decided that: walkability, visibility (from within), ventilation, flexibility (of furniture use), and convenience trumped other design features. Thus, while we looked at several of the aft-cabin boats, we searched for and found a ‘galley up’ sedan with a large back porch and flybridge. Very satisfactory for us, but far less commonly available.

AusCan · 01-02-2019, 02:56 PM

It’s tough to find a boat that will do everything.

I began my search looking at various trawlers but ended up with a motorsailer. I’m glad it worked out that way. A boat has to be suitable for the water you want to cruise in. We get a lot of wind and have minimal protected water, so any boat not suited to rough water tends to sit in the marina a lot.

CptnPete · 01-02-2019, 04:51 PM

Sold our Pearson 39 after 25 years of great service to our family. We just weren't using it enough and my single handing was starting to seem stupid. So then i got a sea sprite 28 but found it too small with narrow side decks and small bow so single handing also seemed stupid. Coming in DFL at a club race made that not a keeper. Got into a Morgan 382 for a couple of years which was great and could have been a keeper but my grown family was also growing and the boat got crowded fast. Now we have comfort, incredible room, can handle a crowd, and never have trouble going to weather. Driving in a comfy chair and having a flybridge opens up whole new vistas a sailboat cockpit cannot provide.

Montenido · 01-02-2019, 08:31 PM

Welcome to the dark side! I am also a former sailor, and do miss my sailing. We made the change about 4 years ago to a trawler. Found that we liked all the qualities listed in the previous posts, and moved up to our current boat. We love the view from the flybridge, especially in the Sea of Cortez, where there is always something swimming or jumping nearby. Good luck in your search. You will love the switch.

Cheers, Bill

Gouchergal · 01-11-2019, 03:47 PM

Welcome!
We are also former sailors who made the switch this past year and wish we had done it five years ago!
But why not look at the MS? What about it isn't right for you? We absolutely love ours so we are prejudiced!
Good luck in your search!
Vickie aka Gouchergal