Trawler VS Express (Space vs Speed)?

I'm sure this has been discussed a million times on here, but lets make it one million and one, to help me solve the pickle I'm in!


Sold my 30 Rampage (a sport-fish). Wife an I were doing more and more cruising and I was doing less and less fishing. So we decided to move into a 40ish cruiser with a bit more comfort and space, and do some long range cruising (2 months to 6 months...). Where? New England area, up Hudson to Canada (1000 islands...), maybe the northern mini-loop, down east coast to Bahama's, maybe BVI's.... Who knows, maybe just stay local around Long Island...


So I've been looking at and searching for a 40' Downeast style boat for many years, 38' and 42' Sabre, 40 and 42' Legacy Yachts, Backcove, GB, East Bay.... these are all twins, 20 to 25 knot cruise boats. But they always seem to be missing something for us. Can't seem to find the perfect layout for us. So I started expanding to other styles, trawlers in particular. I absolutely LOVE the idea of a trawler, relaxed slow navigation, take your time..... but my wife doesn't quite like the idea of taking 9 hours to get to a place that used to take us 2 or 3 hours tops. She is also a Nervous Nelly and likes to have the ability to avoid weather, get to a Dr... in a hurry. But, she is starting to come around when looking at all the space and options available in similar sized 40' trawlers. 2 Staterooms, 2 heads, huge spacious engine rooms, storage space, water makers...


So the question to you guys is, how hard is it to go from 25 knot cruise to a 6 or 8 knot cruise? Did it kill you?? Was it an easy transition? A nightmare? Good and bad?



I know there are some "Fast Trawlers" out there that are kind of in between the 8 and 25 knot range, but most of the trawlers I'm drawn to seem to be the slower ones. Krogen, Nordhavn, Great Harbour...


HELP! I need a boat! First time I'm boatless in 40 years!

How much you care about the speed will really depend on your personality and cruising style.

If you prefer the faster cruising speed, there are plenty of motoryacht types out there that will give 95% of the space and comfort of a trawler, be 90% as good at going slow, 90% as efficient at low speed, but can cruise in the high teens all day if you want to pay the fuel bill. They'll still be slower than a lot of express cruiser types, but many will have hull designs that ride better and are a lot more usable at low speed compared to an express cruiser that's only meant to drop off plane for no wake zones, then right back to light speed.

My own boat cruises quite comfortably in the 6.5 - 7 kt range, or on plane at 16 - 18 kts. Being on plane is nearly 2.5 times the fuel burn per mile compared to going slow. Space wise, I'd say it's got just as much usable space and interior comfort as most similarly sized trawlers.

It's not that hard if you are in the right frame of mind for it.

If you are in a hurry, flying or driving is always an option. If not, relax and enjoy the trip.

rslifkin said:

How much you care about the speed will really depend on your personality and cruising style.

If you prefer the faster cruising speed, there are plenty of motoryacht types out there that will give 95% of the space and comfort of a trawler, be 90% as good at going slow, 90% as efficient at low speed, but can cruise in the high teens all day if you want to pay the fuel bill. They'll still be slower than a lot of express cruiser types, but many will have hull designs that ride better and are a lot more usable at low speed compared to an express cruiser that's only meant to drop off plane for no wake zones, then right back to light speed.

My own boat cruises quite comfortably in the 6.5 - 7 kt range, or on plane at 16 - 18 kts. Being on plane is nearly 2.5 times the fuel burn per mile compared to going slow. Space wise, I'd say it's got just as much usable space and interior comfort as most similarly sized trawlers.

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Thanks! As for the "motor yachts", most of the ones I see have a raised back/aft cabin. That will not work for me. I have to at least have a cockpit at the stern, so it can be fished from time to time, or just lounging in/on....



Anyone have any models of "motor yachts" with a decent sized cockpit on stern, island bed in master, dry head (separate shower), twin diesels, small 2nd stateroom/office desk, can run efficient at 8 knots, or blast 15 or 20 knots... feel free to post em up!! HELP!! NEED BOAT!~!!!

Birdman said:

Anyone have any models of "motor yachts" with a decent sized cockpit on stern, island bed in master, dry head (separate shower), twin diesels, small 2nd stateroom/office desk, can run efficient at 8 knots, or blast 15 or 20 knots... feel free to post em up!! HELP!! NEED BOAT!~!!!

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You'll generally want a CPMY (cockpit motoryacht) type for that requirement. Size of the cockpit varies, but there are plenty of CPMY designs out there.

Speed: depends on what your goals are. If highly destination focused, than 18+ kts is the right answer. My wife and I genuinely enjoy "life at jogging speed." For us, it's a mindset. It's a tortoise vs hare thing I suppose.

You may want to consider Sedan style layouts. They are open to the cockpit and pretty roomy. Downside is the two staterooms are right next to each other.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1982/grand-banks-42-europa-3732688/

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1999/willard-marine-40-3617588/

I too like the Sabre style express cruisers. Makes me want a navy blue blazer and a new set of topsiders.

Peter

mvweebles said:

Speed: depends on what your goals are. If highly destination focused, than 18+ kts is the right answer. My wife and I genuinely enjoy "life at jogging speed." For us, it's a mindset. It's a tortoise vs hare thing I suppose.

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To me, having the choice, it all depends on where we're going. If there's good scenery, calm water, etc. then going slow can be wonderful and relaxing. But running down Lake Ontario a few miles offshore, there's not exactly much interesting scenery. Every once in a while it's nice to go slow, but the rest of the time, it's nice to knock out a run like that quickly and get to somewhere worth slowing down for.

Yea, I know all the arguments for being able to go fast. Nothing says you have to throttle-up. It's just not how we roll. And I really like a modest sized single diesel with some room to work.

Notice there isn't a word about economy or efficiency. I'm not saying it makes no difference, we just like life at jogging speed. It just feels more natural and connected to the environment to us. I can't really explain it well, and no disrespect to those who want to go faster. Jogging speed works for us.

Peter

Personally, I did not miss the 25 to 30 mph speed my Chris Craft was able to obtain. (Older 32 foot Connie with a pair of 327 gassers) My sweet spot was around 20 mph and I generally ran there. Here is what I did not like: A) the gas dock was ALWAYS my first stop when arriving at a new port, B) Although it was conceivable, and generally on my mind, I never ran out of gas. Although I came close a couple times, C) NOISY!!, D) Vibration, E) I was always obsessed with what could go wrong with most of my machinery operating at its peak. Engines, Alternators, fuel pumps, Water pumps, etc, F) The "lookout" for debris, logs, etc. was sometimes a challenge requiring more than one person, G) Auto pilot was not a great idea at higher speeds, H) Walking around, climbing stairs, cooking a meal or even preparing a snack became a big chore and very difficult, I) Tuneups.

The advantages are usually the corollaries to these items but there are more. Like extra room, arriving at a new port relaxed, refreshed, or maybe even freshly up from a nap.

Really the only advantages that come to my mind about higher speed travel is the ability to outrun a storm or bad weather. Generally though, I just don't go out in bad weather. It is true that I have sat for a day, or a couple days in a place I didn't plan on spending a couple days in, but they were ALWAYS good days!

pete

rslifkin said:

To me, having the choice, it all depends on where we're going. If there's good scenery, calm water, etc. then going slow can be wonderful and relaxing. But running down Lake Ontario a few miles offshore, there's not exactly much interesting scenery. Every once in a while it's nice to go slow, but the rest of the time, it's nice to knock out a run like that quickly and get to somewhere worth slowing down for.

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The "choice" definitely entices me!! I just don't see many models with the choice that I like/or that have what I'm looking for. The hope is, to get some more ideas (makes/models) here, as for the most part I only know the "mainstream" makes... To add, I generally LOVE the one of a kind or different type stuff, I'm not a fan of the get what everyone else has... As far as I'm concerned, the Searay principles should be in JAIL!!

mvweebles said:

Yea, I know all the arguments for being able to go fast. Nothing says you have to throttle-up. It's just not how we roll. And I really like a modest sized single diesel with some room to work.

Notice there isn't a word about economy or efficiency. I'm not saying it makes no difference, we just like life at jogging speed. It just feels more natural and connected to the environment to us. I can't really explain it well, and no disrespect to those who want to go faster. Jogging speed works for us.

Peter

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I can totally understand that point of view. There have been many times I wish my old boat went slow! Sometimes running 24 knots can be a bit of a white knuckle situation where I boat. VERY shallow water, tight channels... And when your not in a hurry, enjoying the view/ride can be the best part of a cruise often!

Protected running gear is a very hand feature. We used to cruise the Delta out of San Francisco. We took a side channel of about 12 miles and when it re-entered the river, it was stilted-in a bit. So we're 50 feet from the river and faced with either plowing a trough or retreating 12 miles. It was a rising tide, so we went for it. No way I'd do that without a well protected prop.

Not exactly a normal occurrence but does demonstrate that we draw a little over 4 feet, about the same as a buddy with a power cat. He won't go close to 6 foot water depth. I stop when I touch.

Peter

“but my wife doesn't quite like the idea of taking 9 hours to get to a place that used to take us 2 or 3 hours tops. She is also a Nervous Nelly and likes to have the ability to avoid weather, get to a Dr... in a hurry. “
Listen to yourself! Unless you are retired &/or willing to wait days/weeks for good weather windows, you already know the answer. ?

Hi Bird,

Do you really want to go more than 40-60nm in a typical cruising day? We switched 18 years ago from 16-18 knots during our first 12 years to a much more relaxed 6.5 knots, and now 7-8. Got us where we wanted to go (primarily on the Inside Passsage), and we liked it much better for all the reasons cited by Pete M.

In our Nordic Tug we usually do 30-60nm. We can do 100nm or more in a day if necessary, but rarely wish to. Slower is so much more pleasant. And we have to bother with a fuel dock only after 600-800nm.

I think the 2-6 month cruise doesn't favor speed as much as local cruising. If that's what you're optimizing for I'd suggest that speed shouldn't be a priority.

A lot of urgency disappears on a trip up the Hudson. Or it should anyway. Go slow, fill up your fuel tanks before crossing the Canadian border. Plan on 50 mile days and allow yourself time to stop and explore at whim. There is no requirement and very few advantages for speed.

From a practical point of view, dropping the speed constraint opens up a big group of boats.

I like running long distances. Just appeals to me. Going slow is often the fastest way to reach a destination due to increased range. I have several examples that over the course of 700 nms, doing 8-9 knots nonstop is a helluva lot faster than doing 18 kts and stopping for fuel each day.

Just depends on how you use the boat and your cruising grounds. If you still work and have limited vacation time, a faster boat makes a lot of sense.

A frequent TF contributor recently sold an Ocean Alexander 42 (I think) sedan/convertible. Nice boat and layout. A civilized version of a sport fish.

Here's a sistership.

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1987/ocean-alexander-42-sedan-3749945/

Peter

mvweebles said:

Protected running gear is a very hand feature. We used to cruise the Delta out of San Francisco. We took a side channel of about 12 miles and when it re-entered the river, it was stilted-in a bit. So we're 50 feet from the river and faced with either plowing a trough or retreating 12 miles. It was a rising tide, so we went for it. No way I'd do that without a well protected prop.

Not exactly a normal occurrence but does demonstrate that we draw a little over 4 feet, about the same as a buddy with a power cat. He won't go close to 6 foot water depth. I stop when I touch.

Peter

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Heh. I pumped a lot of mud through the cooling system on my Mainship 34.

The protection doesn't apply only to grounding but also to debris. I've gone through/over a lot of debris on the waterways without issue. In a MY I would have been far more cautious, and probably less fortunate in escaping serious damage.

Lobster pots too, now that I think of it... have we talked you into a single yet?

Birdman said:

Anyone have any models of "motor yachts" with a decent sized cockpit on stern (check), island bed in master (check), dry head (separate shower) (check and check), twin diesels (check -- twin Cummins), small 2nd stateroom/office desk (check), can run efficient at 8 knots (check), or blast 15 or 20 knots (check)... feel free to post em up!! HELP!! NEED BOAT!~!!!

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Birdman, not that you would want our boat (you are likely considering newer and nicer boats than ours), but you just described our boat. It checks every box mentioned in your paragraph above.
My point is not that our boat is for you. In fact it is not even on the market. My point is that what you are looking for is not hard to find. The style you are describing in your criteria (as rslifkin said above) is a "Cockpit Trawler" or "Cockpit Motoryacht". Ours was called a 49' Cockpit Trawler by Albin back in the day. Camargue also made a cockpit style trawler and there are a couple of those owners on here as well. There are several others. The cockpit is the key distinction.

The style is not as common as other trawlers, but it is out there and you can find them.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, I want to get to the destination in a hurry!! ... That's what automobiles and airplanes are for.

That's not my practice when choosing by boat.

You are coming to a trawler forum and asking about speed, the majority answer will be no surprise. Go to a sailing forum and ask about power versus sail, you can guess the answer.

Above some one said that speed is well suited for local waters and I agree with that more because of the cost of fuel. When some one asks me what kind of boat my response is, what kind of cruising are you going to be doing 95 % of the time. Mostly long distances - trawler or sail. More local waters, you just want to be there and have more fun when you get there, then something faster.

Here in Vancouver, and I suspect in Washington coastal waters and other coastal areas, sailboaters have in mind that really big trip with their sailboat. About 95 % of them never make that trip, its almost all local waters, no surprise here really. I was talking to a woman who spent some of her youth on her fathers sailboat. She said his really big trip was from Vancouver to Victoria and back, the one and only big trip. The rest of his cruising was to the Gulf Islands and a few times up to Desolation.

That same trip in a Back Cove or Cutwater from Vancouver to Victoria probably could be done in 5 hours rather than the two days it probably took sailing. I am writing an article for a local mag about express cruisers. I have modified an old saying to this - "if you get on a power boat, you are going somewhere. If you get on a sailboat, you are already there. If you get on an express cruiser, you were there yesterday." So what are your priorities, try to think of what you will be doing the most with the boat you have and is it well suited for that task.

Here is the absolute definitive answer:

Rent a trawler for a week and go cruising. At the end of the week you should have your answer. And yes, there are places that rent trawlers. There's one here in SW FL.

Ted

The basic question has not changed , are you more interested in the voyage or the destination?

My take is, if you are retired, and have plenty of time, then a 6-10 knot speed in pretty much all you need. If you are still working, and need to cram a lot of travel into a small time period (like a weekend) you need speed to do that.

We went from an express cruiser to a trawler. Believe it or not, the express was significantly better in rough weather. We used to go when many boats sit at the dock. Now we are MUCH more cautious. 4 - 6 following seas we wouldn't think twice about. Now 4 foot following seas gives us pause and we find reasons to not go on that day.

My wife didn't think it would be an issue. We even ran at 8 kts in the express a few times to see how we'd like it. She seemed to think it was fine. Fast forward 5 years with an 8 kt trawler and she would readily go back to a planing boat.

I'm sorry, but 'out run weather' and 'get to a medical attention' are not really reasonable justifications. That is like checking the closet for boogey men.

mvweebles said:

Protected running gear is a very hand feature.

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Absolutely!! 5 or so years ago my wife and I on vaca were making a short ocean passage (15 miles) from one island to another. It was an overcast, big rolling swell day, with not much wind. If there was wind, we would have waited a day, but we decided to make the quick run. Well we came up over a big rolling swell at 20 knots and just over the top on the other side of it was a 40' long 2' round floating tree trunk! This was a year after the superstorm "Sandy", it was likely a tree which came down the hudson river and floated out to sea. Anyway, we came down right on top of it and killed the port running gear. I limped to port on 1 and it took 4 weeks to get repaired/replaced... We were really lucky we didn't take on any water. I love protected running gear!

Flatswing said:

“but my wife doesn't quite like the idea of taking 9 hours to get to a place that used to take us 2 or 3 hours tops. She is also a Nervous Nelly and likes to have the ability to avoid weather, get to a Dr... in a hurry. “
Listen to yourself! Unless you are retired &/or willing to wait days/weeks for good weather windows, you already know the answer. ��

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I am semi-retired. My wife has her own biz, but mainly works from home office and only when she wants. She is also looking to wind it down in next few years. Partly why the boat search is on! BUT, she will always be "Nelly"! Nothing I can do about that!

RCook said:

Hi Bird,
Do you really want to go more than 40-60nm in a typical cruising day? We switched 18 years ago from 16-18 knots during our first 12 years to a much more relaxed 6.5 knots, and now 7-8. Got us where we wanted to go (primarily on the Inside Passsage), and we liked it much better for all the reasons cited by Pete M.

In our Nordic Tug we usually do 30-60nm. We can do 100nm or more in a day if necessary, but rarely wish to. Slower is so much more pleasant. And we have to bother with a fuel dock only after 600-800nm.

Click to expand...

Well, for me to go anywhere (other than the local beaches/day trips), from my home port is really 60nm minimum. After that, shorter jaunts can be planned and made, but to get out of the the south shore of LI, it's a good trip in any direction. HOWEVER, we are also contemplating docking the boat elsewhere (east end of LI for example), which would solve some of that issue.

Jeff F said:

I think the 2-6 month cruise doesn't favor speed as much as local cruising. If that's what you're optimizing for I'd suggest that speed shouldn't be a priority.

A lot of urgency disappears on a trip up the Hudson. Or it should anyway. Go slow, fill up your fuel tanks before crossing the Canadian border. Plan on 50 mile days and allow yourself time to stop and explore at whim. There is no requirement and very few advantages for speed.

From a practical point of view, dropping the speed constraint opens up a big group of boats.

Click to expand...

Very true, that last part is what got me here and got me thinking looking for an Express style might be the wrong direction.

Jeff F said:

Lobster pots too, now that I think of it... have we talked you into a single yet?

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A single is NOT going to happen. "Nelly" has the twins safety net locked in! But I also like having the maneuverability of twins. Yea yea yea, I know, "I can dock anywhere with my single...". Sure you can!! Until the wind is blowing, and your trying to back in to a slip on a dock canal that is less wide than the length of your boat and is chock full of over sized Sportfish yachts sticking out the slips.... oh, and the tide is also ripping... I love the engine room space on singles (Backcove's for example), but that's just not in our dna.

rsn48 said:

You are coming to a trawler forum and asking about speed, the majority answer will be no surprise. Go to a sailing forum and ask about power versus sail, you can guess the answer.

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Understood. But the question is more about how was the transition going from speed to a crawl? Was it difficult? Do many people regret it and switch back? OR do most people like it more than anticipated....?

rsn48 said:

Above some one said that speed is well suited for local waters and I agree with that more because of the cost of fuel. When some one asks me what kind of boat my response is, what kind of cruising are you going to be doing 95 % of the time. Mostly long distances - trawler or sail. More local waters, you just want to be there and have more fun when you get there, then something faster.

Here in Vancouver, and I suspect in Washington coastal waters and other coastal areas, sailboaters have in mind that really big trip with their sailboat. About 95 % of them never make that trip, its almost all local waters, no surprise here really. I was talking to a woman who spent some of her youth on her fathers sailboat. She said his really big trip was from Vancouver to Victoria and back, the one and only big trip. The rest of his cruising was to the Gulf Islands and a few times up to Desolation.

That same trip in a Back Cove or Cutwater from Vancouver to Victoria probably could be done in 5 hours rather than the two days it probably took sailing. I am writing an article for a local mag about express cruisers. I have modified an old saying to this - "if you get on a power boat, you are going somewhere. If you get on a sailboat, you are already there. If you get on an express cruiser, you were there yesterday." So what are your priorities, try to think of what you will be doing the most with the boat you have and is it well suited for that task.

Click to expand...

The "95% of the time" question can't be answered for several reasons:
1. You don't know until you know. So until you get the boat, you never know how you will really end up using it. The dream always changes, and the use case (how well the boat works in situations...) always ends up adjusting the dream! However, I am a pretty good/detailed planner thinking ahead and do lots of research and thinking. My last boat ended up used exactly how I envisioned it, and it was perfect for what we did with it. I'm trying to nail this one the same way!

2. Part of my dilemma is I will not do any one thing for anywhere close to "95% of t he time". We will do some long range crusing, we will do lots of 1, 2 and 3 week cruising. We will do lots of local day picnic type trips, and lots of overnight/weekend trips. I'm sure there will be the oddball fishing trip here or there to! You can take the fishing boat away from the fisherman, but you can't take the fisherman out of the man! So my percentages will likely be 30%, 30% and 30%. That's my guess anyway!

Send me your article when done!

O C Diver said:

Here is the absolute definitive answer:

Rent a trawler for a week and go cruising. At the end of the week you should have your answer. And yes, there are places that rent trawlers. There's one here in SW FL.

Ted

Click to expand...

You know, that's a really good suggestion!

Shrew said:

We went from an express cruiser to a trawler. Believe it or not, the express was significantly better in rough weather. We used to go when many boats sit at the dock. Now we are MUCH more cautious. 4 - 6 following seas we wouldn't think twice about. Now 4 foot following seas gives us pause and we find reasons to not go on that day.

My wife didn't think it would be an issue. We even ran at 8 kts in the express a few times to see how we'd like it. She seemed to think it was fine. Fast forward 5 years with an 8 kt trawler and she would readily go back to a planing boat.

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I don't find that hard to believe at all! That is just fact, much to the dismay of probably everyone on this forum I'm guessing. And I don't necessarily mean seaworthiness, more about ride comfort. Going slow and rolling around in bigger seas is definitely an issue most trawler folk don't like talking about. This is a big factor I was looking for a Express in the first place, "Nelly" is susceptible to sea-sickness at times and I worry this will end up bothering her. Much of it with her is mental.

Shrew said:

I'm sorry, but 'out run weather' and 'get to a medical attention' are not really reasonable justifications. That is like checking the closet for boogey men.

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Everyone always mistakenly makes this statement, "you can't outrun weather....". First, most of the time when we say "outrunnig" we are referring to leaving at 7am and getting to destination before noon, when some expected weather is arriving at 5pm or something. So outrunning just means getting out and in before it arrives. Or leaving the day before... Secondly, I can tell you I have outrun storms offshore many times while fishing. 100 miles out tuna fishing, T-storms in the summer pop up 60 miles away heading your way as seen on radar and WX satellite service. These storms are often only 2 to 5 miles wide, moving 20 or 30 mph or so. Heading perpendicular to the direction of the storm one way or the other easily avoids them most of the time. Last summer on one of my buddy's boats, we did that for most of the day as little storms were popping up all over the place. Still caught a few small Bluefin despite having to move all day long.

I'm not saying you should plan on doing this, but it does happen and it can be done.

So I really think I like the idea of a dual purpose boat, 8 knot economical cruise, with a 15-20 knot blast option! Lets hear some suggested makes/models! Twins, diesel, island bed, dry head/separate shower, cockpit space, 2005 and up! Bring em on!

Carver 564 CPMY, maybe. Or their 450, 530/52 and 570/560 Voyagers.

Sea Ray 480, 52, 560, 550/58 Sedan Bridge, maybe...

Tiara 50/53 Flybridge, maybe.

Bayliner 4788/Meridian 490, 5288/540 and 5788/580...

Ocean Alexander 52 Sedan.

Several Hatteras models (although maybe I'm thinking of the much older models).

Ovation 52 and Silverton 34/36C, 38C, 42C, 45C, 48/50C, maybe.

Some Navigator models.

You can order the Powerboat Guide in PDF format and then keyword search...

-Chris

The 2005 and newer part definitely limits choices in my book. There are plenty of Hatteras, Tollycraft and others out there that meet the general criteria, but they're all older.

My take is, if you are retired, and have plenty of time, then a 6-10 knot speed in pretty much all you need. If you are still working, and need to cram a lot of travel into a small time period (like a weekend) you need speed to do that.

I'd almost reverse this comment. I'm 73 and there is a lot I want to do without being away from home for long periods of time. There's this silly thing called death that guys in there 70's begin to contemplate, not much difference between us and some guy sitting in a Texas death row cell except that guy knows the date better than I do.

As I told my refitter when I first brought the boat to his place, time for me is much like dog years, every one of my years is 7 years for younger guys. So I asked him to "briskly" work on the refit as I wanted time to enjoy it. You'll be happy to know it didn't work. I was 70 when I brought him the boat and 72 when I got the boat back. And in that length of time, I lost a very good buddy to pancreatic cancer, a Chicago roommate (university) who had come up once to cruise my waters, hoped to come again, but didn't make it. In our 70's we are living in dog years.

I've had some guys say well when you are doing 22 knots you just aren't enjoying the scenery, too much happening too fast. I say to them, get in your car and drive from Chicago to Seattle at 25 mph and let me know if the scenery past by too fast.

Boating evolves like everything else. The boat show in the 70's was mostly sailboats, the boat show in the 2020's is definitely more power boats. If I had said to a guy 35 years ago what the boating world really needs is a fast trawler, he would have said, say what? If you have deep pockets, maybe that's what you should be looking at - a fast trawler.

Express cruisers aren't considered as cool as other types of boats so you get the Tugs that plane (what?), Trawlers that go fast (what?). To me the Tugs and trawlers that go fast are really express and sedan cruisers in drag.

Even if a hundred guys here say they made the transition to slow with no problems, you could be the hundred and one guy who didn't like it. As others have suggested you might try a charter, go out for a couple of weeks and see if you and your wife like it.

Birdman said:

So I really think I like the idea of a dual purpose boat, 8 knot economical cruise, with a 15-20 knot blast option! Lets hear some suggested makes/models! Twins, diesel, island bed, dry head/separate shower, cockpit space, 2005 and up! Bring em on!

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That's why we went with a power catamaran. Good for all your requests except perhaps island bed is harder except certain models (some Lagoon 43 are sort-of), bigger boats or non-production (like Domino). I have a list of "long range power catamarans" which may be of interest. I have a longer list of power cats but haven't got around to publishing that anywhere yet...

Agree all boats are compromises. We have a 2005 Sea Ray 390 Motor Yacht which works for us and I believe meets many of your criteria. Fishing might be awkward, but cockpit is at stern.

We have also owned a sundeck trawler, custom aluminum full displacement trawler and a power catamaran. Each of these boats had certain advantages and disadvantages, but overall I like current boat the best.

Good luck with your search.

Birdman said:

I'm sure this has been discussed a million times on here, but lets make it one million and one, to help me solve the pickle I'm in!


Sold my 30 Rampage (a sport-fish). Wife an I were doing more and more cruising and I was doing less and less fishing. So we decided to move into a 40ish cruiser with a bit more comfort and space, and do some long range cruising (2 months to 6 months...). Where? New England area, up Hudson to Canada (1000 islands...), maybe the northern mini-loop, down east coast to Bahama's, maybe BVI's.... Who knows, maybe just stay local around Long Island...


So I've been looking at and searching for a 40' Downeast style boat for many years, 38' and 42' Sabre, 40 and 42' Legacy Yachts, Backcove, GB, East Bay.... these are all twins, 20 to 25 knot cruise boats. But they always seem to be missing something for us. Can't seem to find the perfect layout for us. So I started expanding to other styles, trawlers in particular. I absolutely LOVE the idea of a trawler, relaxed slow navigation, take your time..... but my wife doesn't quite like the idea of taking 9 hours to get to a place that used to take us 2 or 3 hours tops. She is also a Nervous Nelly and likes to have the ability to avoid weather, get to a Dr... in a hurry. But, she is starting to come around when looking at all the space and options available in similar sized 40' trawlers. 2 Staterooms, 2 heads, huge spacious engine rooms, storage space, water makers...


So the question to you guys is, how hard is it to go from 25 knot cruise to a 6 or 8 knot cruise? Did it kill you?? Was it an easy transition? A nightmare? Good and bad?



I know there are some "Fast Trawlers" out there that are kind of in between the 8 and 25 knot range, but most of the trawlers I'm drawn to seem to be the slower ones. Krogen, Nordhavn, Great Harbour...


HELP! I need a boat! First time I'm boatless in 40 years!

Click to expand...

"So the question to you guys is, how hard is it to go from 25 knot cruise to a 6 or 8 knot cruise? Did it kill you?? Was it an easy transition? A nightmare? Good and bad?"

We are on Long Island cruising grounds for maybe 25+ years now and have had both 'trawlers' and 'faster' boats over the years.
Yes - it killed us only going 8 knots in nuetral seas but that is just us. We made the transition to boats that could go fast or slow early on and did not go back. When we did LI sound or up the Hudson/Ct river etc in an 8 knot boat we could not always time the tides so that 8 knot boat became a 5-6 knot boat or less at times. If you are going to get a slower boat the best advice I can give you is to also get a copy of the "Eldridge Tide book' so you can time the tides especially around the city and up the Hudson.
Good luck whatever you decide