Definition of Trawler please :)

Hello All,
I read some posts here before joining. Seemed like a good match to my ambitions. Curious how you define trawler though ?

Also how do you post a picture?

FYI registering was met with error messages until I entered the name of another user as a reference took almost an hour....

Welcome aboard.

I am sure there is an exact definition somewhere of what a trawler is. Most people here don’t own a real trawler but rather use a pretty loose definition of a trawler. Our boat is a semi displacement sundeck cruiser that we call a trawler. We generally run it at displacement speeds and we really don’t care about weight as we would if we had a planning boat.

To post a photo go below to “additional options”. And click on “manage attachments” then follow the selections as to either us a photo on your computer or take a photo.

Glad to have you on the forum.

Trawler is a very successful marketing name that means whatever the selling company wants it to mean.
It has been applied to round hull boats, semiplaning boats, low powered boats, high powered boats, slow boats, and boats that can go much faster. Contrary to popular opinion it does not necessarily indicate fuel efficiency.

The original idea of a recreational trawler would be either a Willard 30 - 40' or a Kadey Krogen 42'. Basically a displacement hull boat that travels probably below 8 knots and designed for long distance cruising, usually coastal. From there the name has been applied to all sorts of boats, many of which have little in common with the original ones.

Ted

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When non boaters ask me about my boat and I tell them it's a 36 foot "trawler", they generally compute to a fishing or shrimping trawler or some type of commercial, industrial boat. I usually tell them it is "heavy, slow and economical, very roomy" . If they are still interested I tell them single engine, diesel, heavy in the bow, roomy with a flybridge.

Boaters know trawlers. Displacement or Semi D is really immaterial. Non boaters will never really get it. Sometimes, if I don't have a picture handy I'll tell them it is "sort of" a yacht.
I'm sure they get a picture in their mind of a 80 foot 50 mph several million dollar yacht.
I had a friend who was going to Chicago shortly after I bought my Albin down there. She offered to tow it up to Green Bay with her Rav 4 if I had a trailer for it. I get that all the time. Asked if I store it in my garage or if I would ever put it in the lake "down the street, (1,000 acres). I sometimes just tell them it is about the size of a semi trailer. The usual response is "Oh, that's big!"

pete

The big misunderstanding is the thought that a "trawler" is quite seaworthy.

Seldom the case, 1 in 100 , perhaps, as building the scantlings to happily cross oceans is seldom needed and may detract from its use as a pleasure boat.

FF said:

The big misunderstanding is the thought that a "trawler" is quite seaworthy.

Seldom the case, 1 in 100 , perhaps, as building the scantlings to happily cross oceans is seldom needed and may detract from its use as a pleasure boat.

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Well said, Fred. I never quite got the industry’s need to market the name “trawler”, mostly because it sounds slow, but the powerful suggestion about construction & seaworthiness that occurs when you say “trawler” is indeed a great subliminal asset for the marketeers, not to mention the more recently added adjectives like “Fast”. Then, there’s the popular classification “Tug” and all the impressions that conjures up.

Most people that ask what a trawler is want us to enable them to become part of the group that has them. They want to join that group as it is something that is newish and popular.

The label “trawler” has been put on lots of boats that aren’t even 10% trawler. Even boat builders like SeaDory will call their boat a trawler even though they are a light, fast and shallow draft OB boat.

However I’ve seen boats that are less that 20’ that are actually trawlers. The Swedish Albin25 is definitely a trawler but they don’t really look the part.

Heavy cruiser was the original name for trawlers and they were “Monk” type boats (designed by Ed Monk). But not all Monk boats are trawlers.

The essence of a trawler is weight and speed. They are definitely heavy and slow. How heavy and how slow takes you into the fringe zones. A semi-displacement (SD) boat not being much heavier than a planing boat that cruises about 2 knots above hull speed and generally won’t plane unless overpowered and most trawlers are overpowered anyway just to make it confusing. But planing boats are definitely not trawlers.

As to hull shape most trawlers are wide w low deadrise only well fwd w a fairly large keel almost always not (shape wise) part of the hull. It may be that hulls that have a nice more or less sculpted curve of hull at the bottom/keek intersection are considered by at least some to be more trawler-like. It’s probably just a more developed design, harder to build and more expensive. Some excellent SD boats have this design feature but I can’t recall a planing boat with the soft keel design.

Bayview wrote;
“Trawler is a very successful marketing name that means whatever the selling company wants it to mean.
It has been applied to round hull boats, semiplaning boats, low powered boats, high powered boats, slow boats, and boats that can go much faster. Contrary to popular opinion it does not necessarily indicate fuel efficiency.”

A very good comprehensive post. But high powered boats and fast boats are not part of my definition everybody’s definition of trawler is not the same. And 50 or so more posts may come to pass to bear this out. But IMO heavy cruiser is where we came from and that hasn’t essentially changed.

But every new boater would like to have his (or her) boat labeled a trawler because cruiser sounds old fashioned. It isn’t. Even in the 50’s they gave these boats a special name .. Heavy Cruiser.

As said, marketing mumbo jumbo rules. I remain optimistic that Nordhavn will never refer to their vessels as trawlers.

OK...so all over the country there are fake Paddle Wheeler excursion boats.


They sometimes are real paddle wheelers but on many the paddle wheel just turns from moving and the vessel is driven by conventional drivetrain and props.


Looks like a paddle wheeler above the water...and until it gets close...who knows?


So....does the captain call a bridge and say "the paddle wheeler 1/2 mile south requesting an opening" or "the paddle wheeler with propellers 1/2 mile south requesting an opening" ? or does he say "XXXXX" which really doesn't describe the boat even close as well as "paddle wheeler" ?


So does the hull shape or speed or displacement or anything else describe a trawler? or just the run of the mill couple dozen designs (and model variations) over the years that have always been called trawlers keep the name and everyone else settles for motor vessel, motor yacht, etc...etc...?


I have no problems with trawler, my friends have no problem with trawler (unless they are active on TF and have been tainted), bridge tenders usually know or don't care, many former USCG pilots I know had a pretty good handle on it,most new to me friends I make at different marinas seem to have a good handle on it....


So why the hub bub on trawler forum where most have already said any boat is welcome no matter what it is.....???????


Is it really that hard???? If there is a gray area or someone does or doesn't call some boat a trawler does the sun never come up? What? What?

trawler

• n.
  A vessel used for trawling.
• n.
  One who trawls.
• n.
  One who trawls, or fishes with a trawl-line or trawlnet.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=define+trawler&t=ffsb&ia=definition

ben2go said:

trawler

• n.
  A vessel used for trawling.
• n.
  One who trawls.
• n.
  One who trawls, or fishes with a trawl-line or trawlnet.

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=define+trawler&t=ffsb&ia=definition

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That's a lot of people's definition. I asked my wife a few years ago if she would be interested in switching to a trawler (from our sailboat). Her reply, "You want to buy a shrimp boat?"

Does it really matter what is a trawler? If you want to call your boat a trawler, have at it. If you don’t want to call it a trawler, then don’t. We call our boat a trawler, but it isn’t really a trawler. So what???

Ours is most definitely a trawler.
Before 2003 she looked like this.

When I was in Alaska.. sure many thought of commercial Trawlers....but back east...... anyone with a reasonable amount of boating experience knows the difference and what a recreational trawler is..

In my feeble little mind, I would say, a trawler has round bottom, full displacement hull design, slow moving, fuel efficient, single engine, wide beam, able to carry a heavy load gracefully, able to survive heavy weather, a salty looking profile. Some trawlers have a fly bridge, others, pilot house only. Example: Nordhavn or Kadey Krogen

My American Tug, I would classify as a semi-displacement, coastal cruiser, fast-trawler.

A tug is now a tug, not a trawler in any one I knows mind.. .


And the vast majority of trawler yachts or recreational trawlers are hard chined, semi displacement.


GBs, Albins, Marine Traders, which account for huge numbers of recreational trawlers, plus all the other look alikes.


And yes GB may have never called their boats Trawlers, but everyone else has.

Marin...............is that you??

I just call mine a boat. If they want more information, I expand on the description.

Trawler is more a lifestyle or cruising style term now with all the variations in hull form, speed, range, appearance etc.

30 - 40 years ago trawlers like CHB's, Grand Banks, Marine Traders etc defined what a trawler was.

Today with Swifts, Northern Pacific, Ranger, catamarans and other modern looking boats marketed as trawlers and many trawlers that can cruise faster, it's more difficult to distinguish what a trawler is.

I don't consider most of those designs trawlers and neither do most experienced boaters I know...

psneeld said:

I don't consider most of those designs trawlers and neither do most experienced boaters I know...

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I don't consider some of those boats as trawlers either.......... but

The boat manufacturers, Passagemaker Magazine and owners of those boats refer to them as a "Trawler".

In the early 80's, Bayliner marketed the 32, 38 and 45 Explorers as trawlers. Once the price of fuel went down, the engines got bigger and they renamed the 32, 38 and 45 as Motoryachts after redesigning the fly bridge shape.

tinroof said:

Hello All,
I read some posts here before joining. Seemed like a good match to my ambitions. Curious how you define trawler though ?

Also how do you post a picture?

FYI registering was met with error messages until I entered the name of another user as a reference took almost an hour....

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Hi Tinroof. Lots of good advice already. Welcome to TF, and if you haven't already, do try the search function on the top bar of the home screen, as there have been exhaustive posts re the definition of 'trawler' over the years. Same with any common FAQs - always look there.

Same model as a workboat and today as a pleasure boat. I call it a trawler but not really sure.

Recreational trawlers are pleasure boats which resemble fishing trawlers. They can also be called cruising trawlers or trawler yachts. Within the category, however, are many types and styles of vessels.

A fishing trawler for example, always has a displacement hull for load-carrying capacity. Recreational trawlers, on the other hand, are as likely to have a semi-displacement hull. However, with the rising cost of fuel and the lower fuel consumption (though also lower speed) offered by displacement hulls, they are gaining popularity among some buyers. These displacement models typically have a cruising speed of 7–9 knots (13–17 km/h) depending on the boat length. Their maximum speed is often no more than 10–12 knots (19–22 km/h), whereas semi-displacement hulls can attain 14–20 knots (26–37 km/h). Recreational trawlers need only a small engine; 80 hp (60 kW) can be adequate in a 42 ft (13 m) boat, which will use less than 25 hp (19 kW) to cruise.[1]

Recreational trawlers are also subject to fashion. For example, many USA production recreational trawlers have a style which includes features such as a raised pilothouse or offset deckhouse.

A popular feature is a "Portuguese bridge", which consists of a walkway behind the foredeck, in front and to the sides of, the pilothouse windows, separated from the foredeck by a (generally) waist-high bulwark. The purpose of the bridge is to deflect green water from the foredeck up over the superstructure top rather than slamming against the forward windows of the pilothouse. It gives a semi-sheltered area outside the pilothouse while underway. A secondary benefit is that it provides a "safe area" or handhold when it is necessary to be on the foredeck in inclement weather. And lastly, it provides additional storage space for lines, fire extinguisher, spare anchor, drogue, etc., if the builder has provided access doors and lockers on the inside of the bridge.

Trawlers are most often offered in lengths ranging from 35 to 60 feet (11 to 18 m), or more. Most are built for long term cruising of regional and worldwide destinations. Combined with large fuel tanks, they can cruise far before needing to be refuelled. They can be home for between 2 and 8 persons for many days and can be a permanent home.

Usually trawlers have a single engine, though twin-engine installations are also available from some builders. They have a large fuel capacity. Fuel range is normally 1,500–3,000 miles on smaller vessels, even greater for those over 45 ft (14 m) in length. When combined with the slower speeds of a displacement hull, these features give such vessels far greater range and economy than similarly sized planing boats. A large engine room under the main cabin is another feature of true cruising trawlers. Many also include a diesel generator of 5–20 kW to power domestic appliances, bow thrusters, dinghy cranes, and similar equipment.

In the United States recreational trawlers are made by over 70 builders and manufacturers.
I found this on Wikipedia. Thought it is the most accurate description. IMHO.

I like trawler yacht. Somewhat descriptive, and less pretentious than yacht or motor yacht.

Trawler yachts

In Europe a trawler yacht is one where the weather deck has a higher part of the hull extended to form a wall around. Thus a motor yacht which has standard stanchions fitted to the deck, becomes a trawler yacht if you put a solid side to those stanchions thus providing shelter when on walkabout. These yachts are normally dispacement hulls. Look at all the pictures of trawlers on this forum and you will see that they all follow this rule.

ABfish said:

I like trawler yacht. Somewhat descriptive, and less pretentious than yacht or motor yacht.

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When I had my Nordhavn46, I called it my little bitty boat.

Now I have a 34ft American Tug and I still call it my little bitty boat.

The unknowing usually ask me if mine is a shrimp boat. So, my definition of a trawler is that it looks like a shrimp boat.