Hello!

[millerbb77]

Hi Everyone:

Looper hopeful here. Currently in my last 5 years in the Navy before retirement, after which my wife and I are planning on buying a trawler to do the Great Loop and then live on for a while before pursuing further employment.

We currently own a 26' sailboat. I grew up around boats and have been sailing all of my life and have worked as an officer on both merchant and Navy ships, but I have very little experience with trawlers and wanted to glean as much info as I can before diving in in a few short years.

Glad to be here, and looking forward to learning a lot!

Ben Miller

[No Mast]

Ben, welcome! I'm rather new to trawlers myself but have found this forum very open and helpful. Have all the confidence your experience will be the same.

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

[FlyWright]

Ben, we were all new to trawlers at one point...some of us more recently than others. My leap was from a 19 ft runabout to a trawler. You've got a huge head start with your 26' sailboat.

Welcome to the world where boats look, perform and function differently from one another!! So many choices and so little time!! Let us know where we can help in the decision making process.

[boatpoker]

Looking at trawlers, a good place to start .... Marine Survey 101

[millerbb77]

Thanks everyone. A little more detail...our budget (projected out 5-6 years, which is our target timeframe for buying) will keep us firmly in the Albin/Marine Trader/CHB market, in order to have enough left to repair/refit and cruise for a year on my retirement income alone. I have read a ton about the issues that are common across these "Taiwan Trawlers," and am fairly confident that I know what to look for as far as problem areas. We both really like the looks of the TTs, so it's a win-win for us.

Another option would be a Mainship 34...we like the "open" floor plan of the salon and the ability to arrange furniture to our liking rather than having it built in. I have found several of these that are around the same price point as the TTs.

I have pretty much decided that single engine is the way to go...while the redundancy of two engines is reassuring, I feel that our cruising grounds will be almost completely within towing coverage, and we will have a dinghy powerful enough to tow the trawler if necessary. I like the efficiency of a single diesel, combined with the halving of the maintenance costs.

Regardless, there will undoubtedly be some repair/refit required on whatever boat we end up with. I have already delved into the specific forums for the boats I mentioned, and am learning even more just by reading. When I come up with specific questions, I will be sure to ask!

Thanks again, this is a great resource!

Ben Miller