Suggestions for what to look at?

Hi all! I'm new to this forum and would love some input. Hubby and I are sailors, currently sailing a Catalina 42 MkII three cabin and really loving it. We are getting to the point in life, however, where a trawler is in the future and so we are beginning to do our homework, seeing what we like and don't like. We went to the Newport Boat Show last year and looked at the few trawlers they had there and we really fell in love with the Kadey Krogen 52. It is the first boat that I told my husband I really could live on easily - and I don't say that lightly as I'm a woods/mountain/land creature. LOL This year we went back to the boat show and got on the 58 which was gorgeous but feel that the 52 is similar although slightly smaller and probably more what we'd be going for (although I love the 58 too). We haven't been on the smaller ones but one requirement we have is in addition to the master stateroom, that we have another stateroom with two single beds (we have a daughter who is 11 and a son who is 13 who cruise with us right now) and another area that could be for guests (we have two other daughters who are 22 and 23) and the 44 and 48 don't have that option.

We thought about going to the Baltimore Trawlerfest this past weekend but we looked at the boats that were going to be there and we weren't overly interested in them and I'm not sure if we are just spoiled by the KK52 or if the other boats that would be good for us just weren't there.

So the question is this: What other trawlers would suit our needs? I LOVE the galley set-up in the KK52, the engine access and the cabin lay-out that fits our needs. We figure even if we look at new boats now, by the time we are ready to move on to the trawler, these boats will be a few years old and we can get what we want used for less (although I do understand that the 52s are few and don't turn over quickly). Any suggestions on what else to look at?? Thanks!

You are doing the right thing. Study many boats and decide what features you really want then all the rest become irrelevant for you. Don't limit yourself to a brand. Your goal should be to study enough boats so that you pick the right boat for you. So much so that you never get on a similar class boat and say you wish you had bought that one instead.
Look at all the boats in a show then go see them individually, spend time as if you were doing normal stuff to see what fits. Is the seating comfortable, will the refer door stay closed at sea, can you see over the bow from the steering positions. Is line handling going to be safe?. are there ladders instead of stairs? Can you envision yourselves reading in the cabin comfortably on a cold rainy day? Is the master suite midships or aft to be away from bow noise when anchored?

Thanks Bayview! Yeah, fortunately with having been sailing/cruising for 22 years on two boats (Tartan 33 then the Catalina 42), we already have some ideas of things we like and things we don't like. When we go on a boat, we immediately think of things like you mention. Fortunately, what you said about getting on another boat of the same class and regretting what you purchased, I can safely say that we haven't found another boat in the same size as our Catalina that would have fit our family better and even in boats up to 10 feet bigger, there aren't many that meet our needs as well!! So in looking towards our next boat, we have definite considerations. Before we bought our next boat, we'd have to do at least one good sea trial to see how well WE would be able to handle the boat both under way and at anchor/dock/mooring.

Are there any brands or models that you think we should look at? Any that you think we should avoid? We would most likely think about a later model boat since we tend to keep what we buy (we had the Tartan for 10 years and then the Catalina will be 12 years this next month) and so it would need to last us a good long while.

annsni said:

We haven't been on the smaller ones but one requirement we have is in addition to the master stateroom, that we have another stateroom with two single beds (we have a daughter who is 11 and a son who is 13 who cruise with us right now) and another area that could be for guests (we have two other daughters who are 22 and 23) and the 44 and 48 don't have that option.

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Sorry I can't speak to likely candidates... but FWIW members in our owner's club who have young children of different genders have often said they prefer a stateroom for each... so each can more easily bring friends aboard.

In case you need an excuse to buy a bigger boat...



-Chris

Here are some boats that are more or less competitors to the KK 52:

Nordhavn
Defever
Selene
Flemming
Grand Banks

Some of these are big engine, go fast twins and some are slow displacement boats- Nordhavn, Defever and Selene more like the KK.

David

Diesel Ducks should be added to the list but I don't know if there will be one at the east coast show. There is a 55 foot Diesel Duck, 542 is the model number that has multiple staterooms. You can pretty much configure the staterooms as you see fit. I like a V berth in the bow instead of bunks.



Later,
Dan

Well, falling in love with a KK 52 is an enviable standard to begin with, and Krogen, by the way, will have an Open House around the time of the Annapolis Boat Show and Trawler Fest. Frankly, if I were smitten with the style and live-ability of the KK 52 or 58, there are two other production boats I'd want to look at because of their equal live-ability and grace, but even more because of the different approach to making a luxury cruising yacht. Those would be the 53 Selene and the Fleming 55, both of which could be seen in the Baltimore area when you're at Trawler Fest.

Thanks for the input! We'll definitely look at those boats too.

I owned a Catalina and am familiar wit tartans. Both did what they were intended to do well IMO.
As you search for power boats realize that the same is true, most do what they are intended to do. You will find a lot of brand fanatics especially among the trawler owners even thought they cant define what a trawler actually is.

As with sail boats there is the underwater design to consider and the above water design. A lot of trawler discussions are of the above water looks. It is all marketing to sell some image of long distance cruising. Unless you plane to cross oceans most boats will perform adequately at 6 knots providing similar fuel use regardless of underwater design. Fuel use wont be the big part of your expense anyway.

When graduating from decades of sail I decided that I wanted the option of speed despite my intention to go slowly most of the time. I bought a 44' aft cabin twin diesel boat because it afforded multiple cabins and room for living. We have not regretted the choice and could cruise it indefinitely. At slow speeds economy is similar to most "trawlers".
I am not saying that a "trawler" is wrong for you but that you should separate the marketing hype from reality. Similar weight boats going at the same speed will use similar fuel.
So the question comes down to what looks right to you and what has the features you want regardless of what brand it is or what name the marketers give it. For instance IMO a grand banks is a beautiful boat but the hulls I know about are very similar to my ACMY. What's the difference?? Marketing and uninformed buyers.

Good stuff here:
http://www.trawlerforum.com/forums/s3/boat-search-101-a-14905.html

There is a Krogen rendezvouis in Solomins Isl MD this weekend if you can make it, it is a great get-together. I recently delivered a KK 48 three cabin that, I believe meets your expressed desires to a T but as I understand KK only built 2 and my new owners looked long and hard for theirs. Good luck with the search.

boatdriver47 said:

There is a Krogen rendezvouis in Solomins Isl MD this weekend if you can make it, it is a great get-together. I recently delivered a KK 48 three cabin that, I believe meets your expressed desires to a T but as I understand KK only built 2 and my new owners looked long and hard for theirs. Good luck with the search.

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We really thought about going but we couldn't get off of work and we're not THAT close yet to picking up our new boat. We're just more doing research right now and trying to find what boats to look at.

But I can safely say that Krogens are SOOOO pretty and they caught my eye really fast. I'm afraid I'm kind of spoiled looking at other boats now! LOL

annsni said:

But I can safely say that Krogens are SOOOO pretty and they caught my eye really fast. I'm afraid I'm kind of spoiled looking at other boats now! LOL

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Look at a Flemming. It is the one boat that my wife says unequivocally that if we buy a Flemming, we can sell the house and move aboard permanently.

You know what the problem is with that ;-).

David

If You get the time to look at the Hatteras 58' Long Range Trawler. 90,000 pound vessel with walk around engine space. Lots of interior space. New owners have purchased at lesser price then up graded the interiors to their likings and still have money left. Bigs bucks for any vessel that size. Ask all the questions about the price of the vessel, cost to insure it. Dock space. Maintenance budget. plus fuel burn cost per hour. I just got done working with a buyer who found an OFFSHORE for $ 850,000, but buy the time we added all additional costs plus monies put away for engine upkeep he dropped down to a $ 685,000 OFFSHORE for sale.

Thanks Ron (hey! we're neighbors!) A friend of ours has a Hatteras and it's a very nice boat but I'd definitely want some upgrading if we went that route!

Krogen Rendezvous in Solomons starts not this weekend but Wednesday October 8.

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