Nimble Vagabond and new to the group

Hi,

We recently sold our Pacific Seacraft sailboat and purchased a Nimble Vagabond pocket trawler. We had spent 6 months on the inland rivers living on our sailboat and loved the time spent on the sailboat but decided a small trawler would fit the bill for future adventure. I grew up on the upper Mississippi River and found it is real hard to get being a river rat out of my system.... so we sold the sailor.

The Vagabond was purchased in Florida and we will be taking the Vagabond to the upper midwest this summer and fitting her out for cruising the rivers and lakes. It appears to be a neat little boat and should be able to skim into those backwaters real nice. She does need some buffing and fitting out but we are excited about the possibilities of our small cruiser. We decided to name our Vagabond "Tadpole".

We are living fulltime in a 5th wheel trailer and have adapted to a fulltime transient life. I am particularly interested in conversing with any other Vagabond owners that may be on the site.

So we have converted to motoring and looking forward to meeting folks on this site and on the water.

Bob and Suz

Welcome aboard. Enjoy the Nimble and the Trawler Forum.

Hi Bob, Do you still have your Vagabond? I am looking at one to buy here in Alabama.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard X2.

Marvinjanson,

Yes we have the Vagabond Trawler. We named it Tadpole and have been doing misc renovations. We plan on taking it down to the Gulf coast this summer.

Ask any questions you may have about the boat. We took it up to Iowa last summer and had a blast using it on the inland lake. We have boated in Alabama too, I see you are from that great state.

Bob

Hi Bob, Thanks for responding. Sounds like you really like your Vagabond. We will look closely at one this weekend and maybe buy it. It is a 93 and one owner used in fresh water and kept in water part of year. Has newer Honda 10hp. I haven't been in it on the water and wonder how much the motor noise is heard in the cabin? What is the capacity? What do you think the value of the Vagabond is? Have you had it out in choppy conditions? Where on the Gulf Coast do you go, we live in Mobile, AL? What modifications are you making? Thanks again for telling me about you Tadpole. This boat is named Manatee.

We purchased our Vagabond with an almost new trailer for $3500. It was a good bargain, but the 30hp Suzuki less than three years old was trashed and would have cost over 2g to rebuild it. So we purchased a 30hp Merc and had it installed. The 10hp will work fine for you in relatively calm waters but if you run against a strong current it may be a slow go. It does not need a lot of power to get the Vagabond up to hull speed but our cruising has encompassed strong currents of over 10 knots and the 30HP will be welcome.

The interior of our Vagabond was pulled out as the previous owner wanted to do a restoration. Last summer I replaced the removed teak paneling with 1/4 inch tongue and groove wainscot and it looks real neat. We also did not replace the head compartment since we needed storage for gear when we go cruising. So we built a cabinet in the place of the head to hold our refrigerator and to provide storage.

Noise level in the cabin and while sitting in the after deck is relatively quiet even though we do not have the engine cover some of these boat are equipped. We plan on building an engine cover next year for the engine and for use as a cockpit table/fishing rod holder etc.

We have had it out in moderate winds and it maneuvers well while underway but maneuvering around docks and at slow speed takes a little getting use to due to the flat bottom. Compared to sailboats we have owned it does not track as well but heading into shoal water it is very refreshing to not be concerned with dragging a keel and grounding.

When we first retired we traveled from Minnesota to Florida in our Pacific Seacraft sailboat. We came down the river system into Mobile Bay before we headed of to Florida. It was a great trip but we wished we had the Vagabond for that trip. I love river and backwater cruising and the Vagabond is ideal for that. Being out in rough conditions is not as fun as it was when I was younger and choosing a decent weather window for large open bodies of water would be wise in the Vagabond.

We feel the Vagabond is a fun cruiser and plan on intracoastal cruising as well as exploring the interior rivers and lakes of the US. A real neat little package.

As for the value, I have seen some on the market for over 18g but depending on condition of the boat you will be inspecting 10-13g would be a good value if the engine is in good order. We only gave 3500 for ours but we would have been happy paying twice that for the package. Our new engine cost 5g and we have less than 10g invested. Our major problem is the chalky gelcoat and I will address that this summer.

These are good solid little boats. They have good bones from which you can make a neat little cruiser.

Bob

Thanks again for the great information. I am encouraged that you feel a 20' Nimble Vagabond can be used for more than a weekend trip. We have a West Wight Potter 19 now and I am wondering if I will miss the ability to sail sometimes. On occasion I have sailed, motored, and paddled to make it back to the dock.

Marvin,

We lived on our Pacific Seacraft 25 for 8 months and it had less cabin space than the Nimble Vagabond 20. I am a big advocate of small boats for travel. I have owned big ones too but small will take you back into waters the big boys can never reach. Of course you give up comforts the larger boats can carry.

Bob

Marvin,

I also wondered if I would miss the sails but I found backwater and river travel as my calling. We motored more with our sailboat n sheltered waters than I would like to admit, for a bunch of reasons, one being no wind when we wanted to go.

about to purchase

Bob Schaut said:

Hi,

We recently sold our Pacific Seacraft sailboat and purchased a Nimble Vagabond pocket trawler. We had spent 6 months on the inland rivers living on our sailboat and loved the time spent on the sailboat but decided a small trawler would fit the bill for future adventure. I grew up on the upper Mississippi River and found it is real hard to get being a river rat out of my system.... so we sold the sailor.

The Vagabond was purchased in Florida and we will be taking the Vagabond to the upper midwest this summer and fitting her out for cruising the rivers and lakes. It appears to be a neat little boat and should be able to skim into those backwaters real nice. She does need some buffing and fitting out but we are excited about the possibilities of our small cruiser. We decided to name our Vagabond "Tadpole".

We are living fulltime in a 5th wheel trailer and have adapted to a fulltime transient life. I am particularly interested in conversing with any other Vagabond owners that may be on the site.

So we have converted to motoring and looking forward to meeting folks on this site and on the water.

Bob and Suz

Click to expand...

Bob,

I am about to purchase a Vagabond...any advice appreciated.

terraplane

They are very well constructed boats. I would look for a possible weak deck in the cockpit, side window operation, and missing parts. Our boat was found to be very heavily built and we love this little cruiser. It can be a little bit difficult to operate when docking due to the flat bottom and minimum keel. Good luck! Any specific questions I would be glad to answer.

Bob

vagabond questions

Bob,

I am off to look at the boat early next week, and take it out.

Is the boat "tender"? Roll a lot? In a 3ft chop how is she?

Do people ever put a drop in air cond. in? I live on the Chesapeake...often days of 95 degree temps.

Is there room for two for sleeping? We are used to crampbed quarters..I'm 5'11, she is 5.8.

Would a trip of a week be reasonable to anticipate?


thanks for the tips about windows, cockpit softness, and "missing parts"...any special parts?''

Finally, where the top structure meets the hull, is the boat sturdy enough to take a bump or two?

No rush ...much appreciated. Loved reading about your adventures.

Tom (terraplane)

Vagabond

Tom,

There can be a little roll when anchored due to the flat bottom. We tend to stay in protected waters but would be ok on flat seas. Underway she can roll with the waves but maintain a comfortable heading. The lack of a deeper keel will keep you busy steering in the wind.

I have seen some with air conditioners up top like on RV campers. There is a hatch overhead in the pilot house where you could fit a small unit. We opt to not have one but if I were to travel an extended way hopping from marina to marina it would be welcome to have some cold air while sleeping.

The vee berth is plenty big for sleeping two. The cushions are a little thin so some extra padding maybe in order but we are ok with the way it was outfitted. I would not hesitate to be out for a week at a time or more. we have spent considerable time out camping on the water and feel the Vagabond is very comfortable. But I do have friends that need much more in accommodations than us for comfort. We added a bimini to the rear deck to keep the sun off.

The reason I mentioned parts missing had to do with our boat having the cabin dismantled and in parts. We had to search for items that were lost.

The bond between top and bottom is quite good on our boat. Broad and well attached. These boats were well manufactured where it counts and they created a great little boat. Ours came with a good trailer too and we have no problem taking her anywhere we can pull it. But like any boat they all have there limitations, we are very comfortable with ours.

One problem I have and have seen on other Nimble boats is the gelcoat chalking. Ours is the green hull and though cosmetic we have yet to concentrate on buffing her out. Our old Pacific Seacraft was much easier to keep shiny.

Always glad to hear when people enjoy our adventures!

Bob

thanks

I will be seeing the boat next Tuesday. Will let you know the reaction.

I believe it also has the green hull...looks in great shape...

Tom

Vagabond

Tom,

Good Luck!!

Bob

Did you ever get to check out the boat??

I did check out the boat

Sorry to be so long getting back.

I went to the Ozarks, to see the boat...owned by a young couple...and it was in pristine shape.
I did not buy.
My reasons: the age of the motor, and no records of maintenance was one factor.
In addition, there were several add ons that I would have to consider...for instance, there is no bow rail, and at my tender age of 78, I need as much support as possible. There is also no ladder for easy getting on board. I know from experience that both of these things will be expensive at my yard.
Oddly, I feel the boat may be better suited for a younger person. My current boat, the Albin mini trawler, will suffice for now.

I did almost buy...but felt that mysterious tug saying no. Who can explain.

Tom

vagabond

Hi bob ,I am thinking you can give me some insight . I am looking to do a lot of inland waterways soon . I have been looking for a Nomad .Ones i have found seem over priced . I have found three Nimble Arctic close to me up in Canada.It would appear that the vagabond is close to a Arctic without the rigging .Have you ever been on a Arctic ,can you say if the layout is the same ?
I had read a great loop forum captain Ken i think .were he recommends getting a shallow draft sail boat and removing the rigging . he claimed this is a very economical way to go a great distance on inland waterways .the boats i have found are still pricey 17,500 to 26,000.and i would need to upgrade the motor to bigger HP. will keep looking for now .Thanks Richard

Nimble Arctic

Hey Richard,

I have seen a couple of Nimble Arctic's and believe they are the 25ft. sail configuration??

My Vagabond is the 20ft hull as can be found on other Nimble boats of similar length whether trawler style or sail version without the pilot house. If I recall correctly only 30 Vagabonds were manufactured and can be a little difficult to find but have seen several for sale over the past year.

The 25ft Arctic of course has larger cabin accommodations but I do not recall how the layout is different. Removing the sail rig would yield a trawler like hull. I too have seen some keel modifications on sailboats minus the rig that have been used as cruising power boats.

The skeg keel on my Vagabond is about 12 inches yielding a draft of around 16 inches at the water line. How you would reduce the draft on the sail versions would be of some concern. Not sure what was used as ballast in these boats and reducing the size may be a headache but am sure possible with some engineering. Maybe you could get by with the keel remaining as it exists??

Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions.

Bob

Thanks Bob . Nordic came in two configurations from what i can tell .one is a deeper keel with 4 inches of lead bolted to the bottom. the other is a drop center board .It has about a 2 foot draft i think .

Is there another boat in the 20 to 25 foot class you would recommend?seems all the work and money involved in a conversion would not be a wise decision .

I have a cat rigged seaward fox 17 now .But too small for the longer trips .

Thanks again Richard

Vagabond

Richard,

Not familiar with any easy conversions of sailboats but have seen some custom pilot houses completed on 25ft hulls with the swing keels due to their relative shallow draft.

Another nice cruising hull boat I had some experience is the Albin 25. A couple of years ago there were several that we were interested in at a reasonable price but the Vagabond was a steal so we purchased it. The Albin is a nice inboard diesel and older so a fixer uppers are available.

Good Luck!

Bob

Bob,
Do you have a good weight on the trailer estimate with engine and furnishings for your Vagabond? I've seen several different figures just for the bare hull. Thanks

Welcome aboard.

swampfox17 said:

Bob,
Do you have a good weight on the trailer estimate with engine and furnishings for your Vagabond? I've seen several different figures just for the bare hull. Thanks

Click to expand...

Swampfox17,

Good to hear from you. I am out on the road traveling this week and do not have access to my paper work so my answer will be a guess. Our boat with a 30hp merc and gear probably tips the scales at around 3200lb. Trailer(Tandem axle aluminum) around 800lb for a tow weight of 4000lb. If I remember, dry and empty, these boats were listed on the spec sheets at around 2850lb. I can check when return to Mississippi next week if you need a more accurate weight. I too have seen several values listed online but have the manufacturer spec sheet at home.

Bob

Thanks. I'm considering downsizing from a small SUV and a 2wd Ram 1500 3.6 V6, which has towed the boat only once on my Vagabond's trip from Middle River, Md. to Mississippi. Yes, I'm the one who picked up that one. The long bed truck did very well down I-95 in the snow; however, I've never pulled it out of the water on a ramp. I'm considering replacing those two vehicles with a 2018 AWD Dodge Durango V-6 (same engine as in my truck). The problem is, without the trailer tow package the legal towing limit is 3500 pounds and 6200 with the tow package. One can add everything needed to better than tow package specs, but you're still not legal--even if the dealer adds it (if it's involved in an accident). My wife won't ride in a truck (LOL), and I don't want anything as big as a Yukon again. I read a copy of some correspondence from Nimble stating the dry weight was 1800 pounds. Guess I will just take it to the scales and confirm the dry weight. It's on an Easy Load tandem trailer with the small 10" wheels and surge brakes on one axle. The boat is kinda stuck temporarily in my storage building while I procrastinate doing some repairs and upgrades. My Nimble is a '92 model.

Swampfox17,
Our Vagabond is a 1992 also. We have owned it since 2013 and needed to complete a number projects to bring her together but have had a lot of fun with it and we have trailed it all over the country. We settled now in Southern Mississippi and plan on selling next year and obtaining a boat for fishing.

I have seen the weight of these boats listed from 1800 to 3000 and a scale would be the best bet for an accurate figure. Our trailer is a tandem axle aluminum I beam which keep the
tow weight high.

Good luck and have fun with it!!

Bob

As long as you are on the subject of buying used boats, we just purchased a 93 Nimble Nomad 25. We can't try it out yet because it's still winter. I'd like to know if they have any quirks, what problems I might encounter. Thanks

Bob,

Tried to PM but am a new member so no PM's for me.

I'm looking at a Vagabond in TX and I'm wondering, since the seller says he went to Mississippi to pick it up if this is your old boat?

New to Vagabond

We just bought a 92 Vagabond. It’sSeems like she’ll a great little pocket cruiser. We’ve lived aboard both sailboats and a Kadey Krogan Manatee. This seems like she will be the perfect size for short cruising. She’s got a 2005 25 hp Honda with roughly 1600 hrs. Previous owner took good care of her from what we can tell. Any advice on upgrades etc. would be greatly appreciated. Would enjoy connecting to other Vagabond and Nomad owners. We are in NE Florida on the ICW.