New Member Chad

[ChadAdventures]

Hello everyone, my name is Chad, new and learning. Nice to meet everyone

[dimer2]

Welcome to the TF Chad!

[Nomad Willy]

Welcome to TF Chad,
I was in the Navy on North Island quite some time ago. Had a little sailboat in Mission Bay. Rode motorcycle to the desert on the weekends.

[Neil H]

Hello everyone my name is Neil

After knee surgery I am transitioning to power from sail . Im not a go fast guy and enjoy cruising . I live in Vancouver BC and love the San Juans and the gulf islands .

We are looking for a trawler style boat in the 32 - 40 foot range , moorage is not a problem as we have our own dock .

We looked at the Ranger 29 cb what attracted us was the complete package however they seem expensive and look rather rectangular .

aesthetically Im attracted to the traditional Trawler look like the Grand banks , My concern is the age of available vessels and am I purchasing a lot of potential maintenance and expense .

Sail boats are relatively simple , power boats not so much . I joined Trawler Forum to seek purchase advice from experienced Trawler owners . I thoroughly enjoy the resource material I have read so far .

Neil

[dhays]

Welcome Neil,

My wife and I went through the same thing over the past couple years, culminating in our buying a trawler"ish" boat last year. Knees and back were what got me.

I much prefer a traditional style boat as well. However, I am allergic to work, particularly brightwork. Our sailboat is a Catalina 400 with no exterior teak and I love that. I ended up buying a North Pacific 43 with no exterior teak other than the teak ladder treads.

The NP43 was not a boat that appealed to me when I first looked at it. It does not have the more traditional styling that I was drawn to. However, folks here on TF got me thinking more about function that form and eventually we found that the NP43 was the perfect compromise for us.

Initially, coming from a lifetime of sailboat experience, I thought there were some things that I knew I wanted and didn't want. I wanted full walk-around decks and didn't want a flybridge. I ended up buying a boat that has a flybridge and doesn't have full walk-around decks.

My point is to not let your experience with sail hinder your ability to imagine what features and utility you may want in a power boat.

[Neil H]

thank you for your wisdom we are going to visit Trawlerfest in Bremerton in May

Neil

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Neil H

, My concern is the age of available vessels and am I purchasing a lot of potential maintenance and expense .

A lot will be determined based on your budget. In all likelihood, you'll have to compromise between boats and condition and age. You may find yourself not going with your first choice due to age and maintenance needed and finding a newer less expensive brand. A lot of people start out with KK and Nordhavn tastes and end up very happy with Bayliner's and Mainship's.