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Old 06-24-2017, 09:55 AM   #170
Nomad Willy
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City: Concrete Washington State
Vessel Name: Willy
Vessel Model: Willard Nomad 30'
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 18,743
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry M View Post
We cruised with a guy who bought Bruce Van Sants's Shucker after he removed the stick. The last time we saw him, he was on his way to St Martens to put a mast and rigging back on. He hated the way the boat rolled and went back to vertical stabilizers.
Larry,
It's hard to swap and switch as there are so many not so noticable differences.

When I first thought seriously about trawlers I decided they were such barges I'd be better off converting a sailboat.
Most sailboats are skinny at both ends and fat in the middle. Trawlers are slab sided and fat everywhere. I think a good trawler could be had by being very selective about choosing a sailboat to convert. I noticed that some sailboats have much fuller ends than most. I was looking for a swing keel. Also I planed to gut the thing almost totally and put a NT like house on. And would retain a shortened mainmast and maybe not a marconi sail. A schooner rig would be ideal to start with because the mainmast is further aft but obviously won't be found in a small boat unless it was a Bolger boat. But a sailboat w wide chines and a bit stiff as a sailboat would be a big plus.

Decided it wasn't a good idea. But my knowlege is limited about sailboats. Could be a sailboat out there that would make a trawler. The Albin 27 may be OK but one would need to change the prop aft of the rudder configuration. But a nice hull.

A lot of sailboats go to Alaska every year pretending to be trawlers. There they are sitting in the cockpit in yellow trailing the dink w their sails stowed put puting along.
I remember in the 70's I had a 12 knot OB boat and was heading south from Juneau. The was a 45 or 50' blue sailboat that started and stopped the same place for several days. Was a whole bunch of mostly teenageas. The boat was flush decked. Sounded like it had a 2cyl Volvo. We'd do our usual day. Eat breakfast and perhaps socialize a bit on the docks, perhaps fuel and get underway about 10am. We'd see them on the way to the next harbor about mid day under power. We'd arrive at the next harbor (one of them was Namu) and just about 9pm we'd hear the put put sound, look out and see them comming. Don't remember if they sailed the boat from Australia but they probably did. It said "Royal YC of Sidney" or something like that on the starn.

Boats are much like airplanes. Way different airplanes .. ultralights to big twins and way different boats .. outboards to ship-like trawlers and motoryachts go forth in way different ways. I've done my cruising just about as often in a boat w an outside helm. I've been known to wear a motorcycle helmet in the rain thus wearing the wheelhouse on my head. Of course youth and money had a lot to do w it.
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Eric

North Western Washington State USA
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