Hello

Hello. My name is Ron. I am life long sailor and I am now nearing retirement and I am very interested owning a trawler. I have been gravitating towards the late 70's Marine Trader line for a number of reasons. I have spent my sailing life as a marine mechanic/electrician. I have had the good fortune to have quite a bit of professional training. My concern with the boats I have been reading about is the hull/stringers/frames. What I have been able to glean from all I have read/heard is that the decks and cabins are generally glass over ply in that era, also that the hulls are solid glass with wood core stringers and mahogany frames. can anyone tell me if this sounds correct? any other info is welcome. Thanks for welcoming a newbie!!!

Greetings,
Welcome aboard. As general statements, yes, you are correct but also keep in mind that a vessel described as a Marine Trader may have been made in any number of different yards in Taiwan.

thanks

yes I am getting that from what I have been reading/hearing. it seems that everything about these Taiwan boats is a generalization. any thoughts on non destructive telltales to confirm whether these concepts on construction are accurate for any particular boat? I have come understand that ALL these boats need to be assessed on an individual basis. look forward to the conversations and becoming an owner myself.
Thanks

Greetings,
Mr. r. "...non destructive telltales..." Ask the owner/broker. Personal observation and/or good survey.
May I be so bold as to ask why Marine Trader? The reason I'm asking is there are several "trawler type" vessels that were sold under various "makes" Albin, Chein Wah, Lein Wha etc (apologies for the faulty spelling) that are very similar in layout, amenities and styles.


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


One of the questions covered in the above link is what do you want the boat to do for you? Long cruises? Live aboard? Day trips? Fresh or salt water? Will you be single handling? EVERY vessel is a compromise and you may be happy with something you haven't even considered yet. Bayliner? Californian? Sport fish?

Welcome aboard.

marine trader

I was finding quite a few "Marine Traders" in various sites for sale. I thought perhaps that was representative of the overall population of these boats and that there would therefore be a greater "database" of information from owners. I have since learned of which you mention, that many boats may by of various origin and called "marine trader". learning that the Taiwan boats of same vintage are in fact quite similar to one another, and may have in fact come from the same molds in the same boatyards and simply branded "insert name here". that said it was the price range I was also attracted to. I have 35 years experience as a marine marine/electrician, (mostly sail)so the workings are not of primary concern to me. it is the hulls/stringers/frames that I am leery of due to a basic lack of knowledge in the area, and my perceived impression that this is an area that warrants valid concern. again to all, thanks and any thoughts are welcome. I am approaching retirement and want to purchase and update as needed, a trawler for live aboard in Florida, and cruising in Bahamas. at least that's the general plan. thanks again.
ron

ronobrien said:

also that the hulls are solid glass with wood core stringers and mahogany frames. can anyone tell me if this sounds correct? any other info is welcome. Thanks for welcoming a newbie!!!

Click to expand...

Most Taiwan boats of that era were built with thick solid glass and glassed over wood stringers. Honduras Mahogany was plentiful and inexpensive in those days so was usually used.

Tapping will find rotted wood or delaminated glass. If the owner is agreeable, a few engine bed bolts could be removed and a bent pick inserted and probed for soft wood. Tissue paper can be rolled and inserted into the hole to detect moisture.

A good surveyor who specializes in old Taiwan trawlers would be a bonus.

good advice

thanks for that confirmation and the tips.
ron

surveyor

A follow up. I feel confidant enough in my skills to take a first look on my own and rule out any boat based on my findings. I am trying to educate myself to a point that I could do some preliminary investigation of the areas that I am not familiar with, so that I could make a more educated decision as to when to incur the expense of a surveyor. thanks again for the help.

Welcome aboard! You sound like a perfectly capable and intelligent chap (which has nothing to do with your outstanding last name!). You’ll soon be an expert in all things Marine Trader.

confidence

Thank you for your vote of confidence.