New to trawlers

Hello everybody,
My name is Vadim. I am on a hunt for my "Red October". This year I am turning big 50 and my wife told me to go ahead and get a toy I always want.
I am a former NAVY guy and this one will be my 4th boat. First 3 was modern cruisers that i really enjoyed, but for one reason or another had to part apart with. Long story short, I am stuck. Next weekend I am going to see a 40' Eagle trawler and 44' Marine Trader both Classics. Both powered by tween Lehman's. Eagle has tween 135's and MT tween 120's. I have to say, I do not know much about both of them and trawlers in general. But I do like how they look's. Both need some work. Eagle is a tri-cabin with under 3000 hours and the MT is two cabin with allot of space, but over 6000 hours on engines. I know dangerously allot about boating, but trawlers IMHO is a totally different kind of boat. I would really appreciate any advise from all you trawler owners. Thank you.

Welcome to the forum! With boats of that age, how they were maintained will be the biggest factor. Engine hours are a consideration, but lack of proper maintenance on an engine with 3,000 hours can be far more detrimental than 6,000 hours on an engine.

Enjoy the hunt!

Ted

Thank you O C Diver
According to the records they are both mechanically well maintained. I know for sure MT need new cutlass bearings and dripless re-packed. (Any idea on cost of such services?) I have not seeing Eagle yet. I am willing to invest, but I am afraid to pop the pandora box open.

Welcome aboard! Love my marine trader but I have a Mercedes engine. Which ever boat speaks to you, is the one you will enjoy working on!

We have twin Lehman SP225’s in our boat. The Lehmans will run almost forever if maintained. I wouldn’t be overly concerned about 6000 hours if you can see maintenance records. Get an engine survey by a knowledgeable Lehman surveyor. Ask if the owner has any oil sampling records. Pull oil sample but a standalone sample isn’t as good as several to get a history. Most older trawlers, and any older boats, will have some leaks. Check decks for wet core. Look at the interior around each window and porthole carefully for evidence of leaking. Check the electrical system. Make sure that you can plug the boat into a dock that has GFI outlets. Marinas are upgrading to the current electrical code and most old boats and even some new boars will have problems trying to connect to a GFI powered dock. We had to replace our AC/DC panel due to this problem. It would have been nice if our surveyor had found the problem before I bought the boat so we could have negotiated the repair cost. Oh, by the way, have fun shopping for your new boat. Good luck.

Vadim said:

Thank you O C Diver
According to the records they are both mechanically well maintained. I know for sure MT need new cutlass bearings and dripless re-packed. (Any idea on cost of such services?) I have not seeing Eagle yet. I am willing to invest, but I am afraid to pop the pandora box open.

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Prices will vary significantly depending on location and cost of yard labor. Boat will need to be hauled and blocked which will be significant. Can't imagine less than $1K could be $2K. If you buy the boat, planning a haul out, maybe bottom paint, zincs, and any other necessary repairs to all be accomplished at the same time, will run the bill up but may be cheaper than doing the bottom stuff separately. While not universal, many yards will give you a package price if you're getting a number of jobs done at the same time.

Ted

Thank you all very much for the warm welcomes and very valuable advises. I am sure this is not my last post with questions. Thank you.

Hi Vadim - Welcome aboard TF!

No suggestions fer ya today... other than... I just say do it [cautiously - of course]!

And, keep us up on your doings - photos are great!!

Happy Boat-Searchen Daze! - Art

After a long and pretty painful search I bought my first trawler. She is 1987 Island Gypsy 36ft. Powered by twin Lehmans Super 225 with only 970 hours. She has Westerbeke 6.0 generator. 3 zone AC. She need a good wash and polish other than that she is great for her age.
I am looking forward for great time with my family. Thank you all for good words and i hope to get acquainted fast with her systems and instrumentation's.

Vadim said:

After a long and pretty painful search I bought my first trawler. She is 1987 Island Gypsy 36ft. Powered by twin Lehmans Super 225 with only 970 hours. She has Westerbeke 6.0 generator. 3 zone AC. She need a good wash and polish other than that she is great for her age.
I am looking forward for great time with my family. Thank you all for good words and i hope to get acquainted fast with her systems and instrumentation's.

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Great! Congrats.

Vadim said:

After a long and pretty painful search I bought my first trawler. She is 1987 Island Gypsy 36ft. Powered by twin Lehmans Super 225 with only 970 hours. She has Westerbeke 6.0 generator. 3 zone AC. She need a good wash and polish other than that she is great for her age.
I am looking forward for great time with my family. Thank you all for good words and i hope to get acquainted fast with her systems and instrumentation's.

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Welcome to the family

Congrats and good luck w the new IG.

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.