New to trawlers

[gene max]

Hi:
Well, We have been boating for 23 years, Mostly in NJ and NY. WE have traveled on vacation to the Chesapeake a couple times on a 30 foot Cruisers.
We are retired now and want to slow down. Tired of beating ourselves up going fast and need more room when we live on the boat for two - three weeks at a time. We sold our Cruisers and we are now trying to find a trawler around 34 to 38 feet.

Like everyone else, we have all had our problems with boats, engines, maintenance issues etc. I'm really having a hard time finding one. I would like to go diesel, Solid FG hull, Gen and A/C. Something around 100K or lower.

Well that's my introduction, Hope to meet people and read other posts to educate myself in order to purchase my next boat.

[Peter B]

Welcome to TF, and good luck wit your search. You can get more than you bargained for in advice sometimes on here, so wise to think carefully, then ask the right questions, without being too open-ended, if you get my meaning..?

[firehoser75]

Gene,
Welcome to the forum. Good luck on your boat search. Ask for any advice you want here. We are reasonably good at spending other people's money
Just don't ask about anchors......... cause no matter, it will be the wrong kind and too small

[mvweebles]

Welcome Gene. If you're looking for suggestions, you might try winnowing the field a bit more than 34-38 feet and under $100k. When you say "trawler," what do you visualize? Some of the common decision points are single vs twin; walk-around berth vs twin/v-berth; flybridge or not; sedan vs trunk-cabin vs pilothouse; gas vs diesel; speed potential (full displacement vs semi-displacement vs planing); and a few more I can't think of right off the cuff. From there, specific examples will have various equipment - generator, A/C, electronics, etc. Vast majority will have fiberglass hulls, but some have plywood superstructures that can get spongy, especially with teak-decks over them. The TF forum can assist (sometimes too much).

Good luck and thanks for finding TF!

Peter

[gene max]

Got a question about Tugs, When it's 90 to 100 degrees out, what's it like inside the tug on long trips? I would guess you need a Gen and A/C? Also, how about docking, What's it like to dock without a fly bridge?

Thanks, Gene

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Have fun with the search.

[firehoser75]

Hi Gene,
As to your questions about Tugs. I own a Nordic Tug 37 (about 41 feet overall). We do not see 100 degree temperatures here but do see 90, sometimes for several days in a row. We do not have A/C and do fine. Underway, we leave the pilothouse doors open on both sides, and some of the rear windows as well (when needed). It does depend on sea state and wind. For the hot days at anchor, we open up on the Non sun side, and close up, including window shades on the sun side. We also cover the pilothouse forward windows and use the "aluminum foil" looking covers inside the pilothouse forward windows (they don't open). At anchor we also leave the forward cabin hatch open and all forward portholes. This makes for a reasonably "cool" master (forward) cabin.

Docking from the pilothouse is not a problem. We have good friends who have a flybridge on their Kadey Krogen, but never dock from there. They feel (from much experience) that for them it is better to dock from the pilothouse, and they feel they have better visibility from there. On our tug, we don't have a flybridge, and don't want one. We do use "marriage saver" headsets to enable direct communication, and the "deck hand" (in our case, me) communicates distances, and sometimes directions to the pilot (my wife). She can also easily look around out the pilothouse door or the salon/galley windows. Visibility is good from the pilothouse.
I hope that helps answer your questions.