Transitioning newbie

chrisv · Sep 7, 2017

So happy to find this forum! My husband and I have been sailing together for 45 years and hope to continue for many more years. Our current sailboat is a Cape Dory 36, built in 1979. We love her dearly, but decided to add a new dimension to our boating experience in our "golden" years. With much excitement, mixed with a bit of anxiety, we are in the process of purchasing an Albin 36' trawler also built in 1979. We would love to hear from other "transitioners" regarding advice, encouragement, and pros and cons of our new adventure! By the way, we live in MI and sail out of Lake MI. Love exploring the Great Lakes!

hfoster · Sep 10, 2017

Chrisv.

Welcome. The both of you will get some pretty good info here. The Great Lakes are fun to explore that is for sure. I also look forward to hearing from the both of you and your input on many things.

Cheers.

H.

chrisv · Sep 10, 2017

Thank you. We can't wait until next spring/summer when we can go get the boat, now in NY, and sail her in the 1,000 Islands before heading back to MI!

Baker · Sep 10, 2017

My biggest advice and listen very carefully....!!!!!!....:

IT IS OKAY TO COMFORTABLE!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY IF EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!! YOU CAN START THE GENERATOR ANY TIME YOU WISH...IT IS OK...I PROMISE. AND IT PROVIDES SOLID 3 PHASE AC POWER AT 400HZ. WITHOUT ANY WHIRLYGIGS SCREAMING IN THE WIND ABOVE YOUR HEAD.

I REPEAT AGAIN: IT IS OK TO BE COMFORTABLE...NO NEED TO FEEL GUILTY!!!

chrisv · Sep 10, 2017

Love it!!! Even got a smile out of my die hard sailor hubby! Thank you! We needed that!!!

Art · Sep 10, 2017

chrisv said:
Love it!!! Even got a smile out of my die hard sailor hubby! Thank you! We needed that!!!

You two are just having too much fun... Continue, Continue... CONTINUE!!!

Salish Nomad · Sep 10, 2017

My wife and I recently transitioned from a Bill Garden motor sailor to a small DeFever trawler. We have cruised extensively since taking possession in April, including two trips to British Columbia, and many shorter San Juan Islands trips. We expect to be able to use the boat throughout the fall, and winter.

hfoster · Sep 10, 2017

Baker said:
My biggest advice and listen very carefully....!!!!!!....:

IT IS OKAY TO COMFORTABLE!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY IF EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!! YOU CAN START THE GENERATOR ANY TIME YOU WISH...IT IS OK...I PROMISE. AND IT PROVIDES SOLID 3 PHASE AC POWER AT 400HZ. WITHOUT ANY WHIRLYGIGS SCREAMING IN THE WIND ABOVE YOUR HEAD.

I REPEAT AGAIN: IT IS OK TO BE COMFORTABLE...NO NEED TO FEEL GUILTY!!!

Baker that always cracks me up Mate. You are funny! :rofl:

Cheers.

H.

Peter B · Sep 10, 2017

Baker said:
My biggest advice and listen very carefully....!!!!!!....:

IT IS OKAY TO COMFORTABLE!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY IF EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!! YOU CAN START THE GENERATOR ANY TIME YOU WISH...IT IS OK...I PROMISE. AND IT PROVIDES SOLID 3 PHASE AC POWER AT 400HZ. WITHOUT ANY WHIRLYGIGS SCREAMING IN THE WIND ABOVE YOUR HEAD.

I REPEAT AGAIN: IT IS OK TO BE COMFORTABLE...NO NEED TO FEEL GUILTY!!!

chrisv said:
Love it!!! Even got a smile out of my die hard sailor hubby! Thank you! We needed that!!!

But wait...there's more. If you love the idea of being just a wee bit green, and you miss the quietness of the sailing days, (I was a Yachtie once also), then as you can see in my avatar pic, (see Airbreeze port stern corner, & imagining also some solar panels up on the aft part of the upper deck), you can even have the best of both worlds in terms of power generation, anyway.

chrisv · Sep 10, 2017

Just took our sailboat, Ariel, out for an evening sail. Loving the joys of sailing, but excited about the new adventures that await us aboard our trawler.

Gordon J · Sep 10, 2017

.????

Baker said:
My biggest advice and listen very carefully....!!!!!!....:

IT IS OKAY TO COMFORTABLE!!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY IF EVERYTHING IS PERFECT!!! YOU CAN START THE GENERATOR ANY TIME YOU WISH...IT IS OK...I PROMISE. AND IT PROVIDES SOLID 3 PHASE AC POWER AT 400HZ. WITHOUT ANY WHIRLYGIGS SCREAMING IN THE WIND ABOVE YOUR HEAD.

I REPEAT AGAIN: IT IS OK TO BE COMFORTABLE...NO NEED TO FEEL GUILTY!!!

400hz?? You must be thinking of aeroplanes.

eyschulman · Sep 10, 2017

Welcome aboard. You will have to get cozy with your new engine. Your joy or discomfort level will fluctuate with the throb of the iron horse Oh and the generator and many other mechanical and electronic systems. In some ways a sailing rig is simple compared to a fully equipped recreational cruising trawler. Another way of looking at it is you will have plenty to do and won't have to worry about boredom. Many skippers here frequently walk around with a stubborn collection of oil and grease under our finger nails.

Art · Sep 10, 2017

chrisv said:
Just took our sailboat, Ariel, out for an evening sail. Loving the joys of sailing, but excited about the new adventures that await us aboard our trawler.

Boating in any form is simply great!

Be careful with your old flame, Ariel. Break all this change to her gently. She does have a soul and she could get uppity... LOL - sort of...

hfoster · Sep 11, 2017

Art said:
Boating in any form is simply great!

Well put me Irish Bro.

Cheers.

H.

Baker · Sep 11, 2017

Gordon J said:
400hz?? You must be thinking of aeroplanes.

Hahaha...dammit....I was. The generators on airplanes crank out 400hz "wild cycle" before being transformed/rectified. I think I might be getting old!!!

chrisv · Sep 12, 2017

eyschulman said:
Welcome aboard. You will have to get cozy with your new engine. Your joy or discomfort level will fluctuate with the throb of the iron horse Oh and the generator and many other mechanical and electronic systems. In some ways a sailing rig is simple compared to a fully equipped recreational cruising trawler. Another way of looking at it is you will have plenty to do and won't have to worry about boredom. Many skippers here frequently walk around with a stubborn collection of oil and grease under our finger nails.

Oh dear, now I'm having 2nd thoughts about our purchase! Our son is our mechanic, but he will not be with us on all our excursions.

chrisv · Sep 12, 2017

Art said:
Boating in any form is simply great!

Be careful with your old flame, Ariel. Break all this change to her gently. She does have a soul and she could get uppity... LOL - sort of...

Yes, Ariel, definitely has a soul! She has taken good care of us for many years and is a classic beauty.

.
We have told her we love her, but it is more difficult to get around onboard as the years take their toll on us. I think she understands. Our son and his young family will give her many more years of sailing joy!

chrisv · Sep 12, 2017

chrisv said:
So happy to find this forum! My husband and I have been sailing together for 45 years and hope to continue for many more years. Our current sailboat is a Cape Dory 36, built in 1979. We love her dearly, but decided to add a new dimension to our boating experience in our "golden" years. With much excitement, mixed with a bit of anxiety, we are in the process of purchasing an Albin 36' trawler also built in 1979. We would love to hear from other "transitioners" regarding advice, encouragement, and pros and cons of our new adventure! By the way, we live in MI and sail out of Lake MI. Love exploring the Great Lakes!

I'm not sure this guy is ready for a trawler. Sailing on his best girl! (Yes, we wives of boat captains know where we stand)

Art · Sep 12, 2017

chrisv said:
Yes, Ariel, definitely has a soul! She has taken good care of us for many years and is a classic beauty. View attachment 68463.

We have told her we love her, but it is more difficult to get around onboard as the years take their toll on us. I think she understands. Our son and his young family will give her many more years of sailing joy!

Oh heck, good job - I didn't realize Ariel was staying in the family!

She'll be a happy floater for years to come!!

Pack Mule · Sep 12, 2017

Welcome to TF . Don't worry you're gonna love the trawler. Now you can sit in a real chair and if you want have a covered slip.

tallswede · Sep 12, 2017

I didn't want a trawler but I ended up getting one anyway. I was helping out a friend and he asked me what I would pay to take it off his hands. I gave him a pretty low number and he accepted! Now what? Lotsa work to get her up and running because maintenance had been deferred. I had been looking at getting a larger sailboat than my little Hunter 23 with an eye to going to the Bahamas and maybe the great loop. My wife was not going to go on our little Hunter. LOL. We have a 36' Prairie that we are now falling in love with but it's definitely different from sailing. More roomy and luxurious for sure but there are drawbacks. Sailboats just ride better in most sea conditions but in calmer waters it's hard to beat a trawler.

Kevin

ranger58sb · Sep 12, 2017

eyschulman said:
You will have to get cozy with your new engine. Your joy or discomfort level will fluctuate with the throb of the iron horse Oh and the generator...

chrisv said:
Oh dear, now I'm having 2nd thoughts about our purchase! Our son is our mechanic, but he will not be with us on all our excursions.

I little familiarity should take the edge off. You've learned about rigging and sail handling; you can easily learn about engines... and you probably have a head start anyway, given having an auxiliary and maybe a genset in your Cape Dory.

FWIW, I found intro diesel courses to be very valuable. Previously, I knew a decent amount about the theory, but wouldn't have recognized a raw water pump if it bit me on the... er... nose. Now I can do most any service required, even though I still pick and choose the tasks I'm willing to do myself... and that choice is often guided by whether I'd need specialized tools for a (hopefully) one-time job, or whether the job would physically hurt me. That actually leaves quite a lot of basic stuff that's generally easy (enough) to do, given decent access.

-Chris

chrisv · Sep 12, 2017

Pack Mule said:
Welcome to TF . Don't worry you're gonna love the trawler. Now you can sit in a real chair and if you want have a covered slip.

Can't wait! Going to go out for Sea trial this weekend. Deposit check has already been sent and cashed. Getting close to have our name on her title!!!

Art · Sep 12, 2017

chrisv said:
Can't wait! Going to go out for Sea trial this weekend. Deposit check has already been sent and cashed. Getting close to have our name on her title!!!

From fun look of your avatar...

Maybe your should name your new pleasure cruiser "Smilen Faces!"

hfoster · Sep 13, 2017

Art said:
From fun look of your avatar...

Maybe your should name your new pleasure cruiser "Smilen Faces!"

Not a bad idea Art, me Irish Bro.

They look like a wonderful happy couple enjoying life together and on the water! :smitten:

Simply great!

Chrisv: Hope all goes well with the sea trial.

Cheers.

H.

chrisv · Sep 13, 2017

hfoster said:
Not a bad idea Art, me Irish Bro.

They look like a wonderful happy couple enjoying life together and on the water! Simply great!

Chrisv: Hope all goes well with the sea trial.

Cheers.

H.

Thanks! Will post results when we it's a final!

Art · Sep 13, 2017

chrisv said:
Thanks! Will post results when we it's a final!

Can't wait!

Ahhhh... TF, one of the simple joys of life when at my desk in early morn!!!

FOG · Sep 13, 2017

Welcome aboard.
We also came from sail boats in Southern California, but decided a trawler would be better for the Great Loop.
So we bought a trawler with a mast and boom. Not sure how useful it is, but I can pull on a line or two and hear the winch go clickity click, then I feel better.

chrisv · Sep 13, 2017

FOG said:
Welcome aboard.

We also came from sail boats in Southern California, but decided a trawler would be better for the Great Loop.

So we bought a trawler with a mast and boom. Not sure how useful it is, but I can pull on a line or two and hear the winch go clickity click, then I feel better.

LOL! The trawler we are buying also has a mast and boom. I found comfort in that too [emoji6] my hubby thinks they are rarely used, but we'll see. Thinking if our engines went out that little sail wouldn't help much [emoji12]. Hubby says it is to help stabilize when boats rolling around too much.

I'm a S. CA girl (born and raised). Hubby and I also lived in S. CA and northern CA for 20 years. A favorite sail was to Catalina Is. in S. Cal and SF Bay and out the gate in N. Cal. My hubby sailed a 32' Westsail from SF to Hawaii and back 30+ years ago. He left on our anniversary and I was 6 months pregnant. As you can imagine, I was not a happy camper. When he arrived I flew over and met him in Hawaii and flew back to SF the day he left to sail back. Good memories!

hfoster · Sep 13, 2017

chrisv said:
Thanks! Will post results when we it's a final!

Be looking forward to hear want the final results are.

Best of luck to the Both of you!

Cheers.

H.

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