New Member.....

Hi everyone... New to the Trawler theme. Boated many years on Lake Michigan and now looking for retirement on a 40'+ Live-A-Board Trawler.

Probably in one or two years. I am in the process of gathering information to make a good decision. I am trying not to make a major mistake with our purchase.

So many options and configurations. We are going to be in the Atlantic coast, Caribbean, Turks, Florida and do the Great Loop too... Not big into the dock side scene, only as needed.

We are making a list of what we believe will be needed for a Live-A-Board. If you have a list or a guide, I would be more than grateful to use it. As for the boat, blue water, we are looking for twins or a single with a wing engine. Fly bridge and has to be able to fish. Not wanting a double cabin. Fell in love with a Nordhavn, but are they expensive~~~!!!

So time for gathering info and reading to make the best decision possible...

Thanks for having me!!!

Randi

Welcome aboard, and good luck with the search

Welcome aboard!!

Some thoughts:

1. You said Caribbean. Well, most "trawlers' can't easily do the Caribbean, not unless you are very careful with weather. Just take a look at any Caribbean anchorage and see how many Grand Banks, much less Mainships you find there.

2. But the vast majority of "trawlers" are ok with the Loop, Bahamas and anywhere up and down the coast.

3. So, you can't afford a Nordhavn (which can do the Caribbean just fine); well not many of us can. So what is your budget?

Older Grand Banks 42s can be had well under $100K, some closer to $50K. Albins too. A newer Mainship 40 can be had for the mid $100s. Also a Hatteras 48 LRC, a real cruising machine is in the same price range. All of these can be had in twin engine versions (none have wing engines) and if that is what you want, then fine. Just don't bet that it will solve all of your reliability concerns (couldn't resist that last dig).

Start by perusing Yachtworld. Then attend a Trawler Fest or a major boat show like the Annapolis one. You can't afford any of the new ones probably but it will give you some ideas.

When you get serious, stay with Yachtworld, but also check Boattrader and Craigslist especially for the lower end boats.

Good luck!

David

Boat configeration.

djmarchand said:

Welcome aboard!!

Some thoughts:

1. You said Caribbean. Well, most "trawlers' can't easily do the Caribbean, not unless you are very careful with weather. Just take a look at any Caribbean anchorage and see how many Grand Banks, much less Mainships you find there.

2. But the vast majority of "trawlers" are ok with the Loop, Bahamas and anywhere up and down the coast.

3. So, you can't afford a Nordhavn (which can do the Caribbean just fine); well not many of us can. So what is your budget?

Older Grand Banks 42s can be had well under $100K, some closer to $50K. Albins too. A newer Mainship 40 can be had for the mid $100s. Also a Hatteras 48 LRC, a real cruising machine is in the same price range. All of these can be had in twin engine versions (none have wing engines) and if that is what you want, then fine. Just don't bet that it will solve all of your reliability concerns (couldn't resist that last dig).

Start by perusing Yachtworld. Then attend a Trawler Fest or a major boat show like the Annapolis one. You can't afford any of the new ones probably but it will give you some ideas.

When you get serious, stay with Yachtworld, but also check Boattrader and Craigslist especially for the lower end boats.

Good luck!

David

Click to expand...

David:

Our budget is no more than $250k. I have been doing my looking on all what you have mentioned. I have been watching for a FD hull in lieu of a SD. Now we are not ruling out anything as of yet, hence we are seeking more input from you all...

We are not looking for a project boat, but a turn the keys and roll out to sea...

Thank you David~~~!!!

Randi

If the Caribbean is really a goal, a sailboat would be a better choice from what all the experts here on TF say. You can buy a nice, turn key sailboat for $250k, but it’s much harder to get a nice turn key, stabilized, Caribbean-ready trawler for $250k IMO.

Bay Pelican, Sealife and Larry M have KK42 trawlers and they have cruised the Caribbean extensively. Hopefully they will chime in.

I have a nice, late model, turn-key, naturally stabilized Island Packet pilothouse “steadysailer” that would work for the Caribbean that I will sell for $250k.

MsRandiCook said:

Hi everyone... New to the Trawler theme. Boated many years on Lake Michigan and now looking for retirement on a 40'+ Live-A-Board Trawler.

Probably in one or two years. I am in the process of gathering information to make a good decision. I am trying not to make a major mistake with our purchase.

So many options and configurations. We are going to be in the Atlantic coast, Caribbean, Turks, Florida and do the Great Loop too... Not big into the dock side scene, only as needed.

We are making a list of what we believe will be needed for a Live-A-Board. If you have a list or a guide, I would be more than grateful to use it. As for the boat, blue water, we are looking for twins or a single with a wing engine. Fly bridge and has to be able to fish. Not wanting a double cabin. Fell in love with a Nordhavn, but are they expensive~~~!!!

So time for gathering info and reading to make the best decision possible...

Thanks for having me!!!

Randi

Click to expand...

Wifey B: Rule #1 pick the right boat for you and your use. See, you've already fallen in love with the wrong boat so you're right in wanting to make a list. Nordhavn isn't a loop boat. Draft of a 40' or 43' is perhaps acceptable at 5'2" and 5'3". However, to fit under the bridges and do the loop, you'd have to cut a lot off the top, spend major money on modifications.

Not telling you what to prefer on these things but some things to consider.

How many people most of the time and how many on occasions. Location and number of staterooms.

Comfort for living aboard. Balanced with boating performance. Things like bed size, shower size and height, head room.

Space and arrangement of engine room.

Galley. Size, location.

Bridge, pluses and minuses, and maximum height must be under 19'1". Draft no more than 5', I'd suggest.

How many heads and location.

Accessibility to you in your current physical condition and future. Ability to handle it.

Importance of fishing as many are not conducive to fishing but there are yachtfisher styles too. Kind of fishing.

You said "blue water." I don't know how to even define that. What waters do you intend to pursue, how rough? You don't mention any normally referred to as requiring blue water. Now, south to the Caribbean perhaps. Are you a fair weather or all weather boater?

Washer/dryer? Generators and space? Oven? Stovetop? Microwave? What kind of cook are you?

Then add all you want. If it's important to you then it's important.

cardude01 said:

If the Caribbean is really a goal, a sailboat would be a better choice from what all the experts here on TF say. You can buy a nice, turn key sailboat for $250k, but it’s much harder to get a nice turn key, stabilized, Caribbean-ready trawler for $250k IMO.

Bay Pelican, Sealife and Larry M have KK42 trawlers and they have cruised the Caribbean extensively. Hopefully they will chime in.

I have a nice, late model, turn-key, naturally stabilized Island Packet pilothouse “steadysailer” that would work for the Caribbean that I will sell for $250k.

Click to expand...

Thank you for the input. A stabilized Trawler is a very nice option for where we are headed. I am not interested in a sail boat. I have looked into Catamarans, but since the hurricane reduced the existing inventory, the pricing has gone up and I am not interested in paying a premium currently. And if we do the loop, we have to de-mast and re-mast down the road and not interested in that...

We are power boaters. If I could find a decent motorsailer, I would consider this a possible alternative.

Love the conversations..............

The Krogen 42 might be a good choice for you. With a few extras I would do the Caribbean in one of those. They are full displacement, very efficient hulls that have decent range for making moderate distance passages.

You can buy a very nice, turnkey one for $250K. But they are single engine and I have never seen one with a get home engine. But hey, all boats are a compromise.

Doing the loop will only require dropping the mast which is pretty light and two people can do it without a crane- KK42 owners chime in here please as I am winging it.

The very best boat that meets all of your criteria is:

Twin engine
Stabilizers
FD hull
Heavily built and ballasted for blue water
Lightweight mast easily dropped for the loop

Somewhere one of these exists, but I doubt that you can buy one for $250K, so you will have to make some compromises.

David

Consider a Defever 44. You should be able to find a nice turnkey boat within your budget.

Welcome! As you can see lots of good advice. Keep us in the loop on your search. Oh a lot of old guys here, so we like pictures....

Drake said:

Consider a Defever 44. You should be able to find a nice turnkey boat within your budget.

Click to expand...

I agree that the Defever would be a good choice. Yachtworld has a couple of them that fit the budget and have stabilizers. They have an SD hull, but with stabilizers that isn't so important.

Check out this Yachtworld listing: 1998 DeFever 44 Passagemaker Power Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

David

BandB said:

Not telling you what to prefer on these things but some things to consider.

How many people most of the time and how many on occasions. Location and number of staterooms.

Comfort for living aboard. Balanced with boating performance. Things like bed size, shower size and height, head room.

Space and arrangement of engine room.

Galley. Size, location.

Bridge, pluses and minuses, and maximum height must be under 19'1". Draft no more than 5', I'd suggest.

How many heads and location.

Accessibility to you in your current physical condition and future. Ability to handle it.

Importance of fishing as many are not conducive to fishing but there are yachtfisher styles too. Kind of fishing.

You said "blue water." I don't know how to even define that. What waters do you intend to pursue, how rough? You don't mention any normally referred to as requiring blue water. Now, south to the Caribbean perhaps. Are you a fair weather or all weather boater?

Washer/dryer? Generators and space? Oven? Stovetop? Microwave? What kind of cook are you?

Then add all you want. If it's important to you then it's important.

Click to expand...

Yep. Itemize mandatory/desired features first... then go find a boat with (most of) those.

-Chris