new member from Quebec city Quebec question..

[cajlc]

I am very happy to be a new member because I am planning to buy a used trawler next year. Have been sailing many years from Quebec to the Bahamas.
I would like to know how a trawler react in a big wave situation as rolling from side to side which is mostly control on a sailboat
Thanks ahead with your comments

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Most trawlers handle differently in wave conditions. But if you change headings a bit you can usually control it. Or get a boat with stabilizers.

 

[DavidM]

Semi displacement hull trawlers do roll more than sailboats; full displacement hull trawlers even more so. Lack of a sail and a deep keel cause this.

There are several solutions:

1. A steadying sail but with typically 1/4 or less of the sail area of a sloop can dampen roll a bit.

2. Towed fish stabilizers can help a lot particularly on long passages where it is worth the time to deploy them. The booms for these need to be well engineered because the loads are very high on the hull.

3. Hydraulic fin stabilizers are the go-to choice. Not cheap but will reduce roll significantly.

4. The gyro stabilizer is a new system. It can be powered by running a generator or for smaller boats a high output DC alternator. Reports say that it works about as well as hydraulic fins and can stabilize a boat at anchor.

As Comodave notes above, unstabilized trawlers often tack downwind to limit rolling in heavy seas.

David