Looking to move up to a trawler

[MarkBk]

Greetings,
I split my time between Abu Dhabi and the UK. At present my boating is UK/France based and I have an Axopar 37 XC which is a fabulous weekend boat but limiting for anything more than that. I am moving towards retirement in the next 4-5 years and while I have been thinking hard about moving to sail for when I have time on my hands, However I keep getting drawn back to a trawler (or semi displacement to be specific) which would, I believe, be easier to live with. Especially as my wife is not that keen on sail!

My current thinking is a Swift Trawler 47 to use around UK, Northern Europe and Scandinavia in the summer months, it seems that there are plenty of ST owners on here and I am very keen to learn from them. I need a boat that I can work from and would be curious as to how people have found setting up a home office (using Starlink?) on their boats.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Mark

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[DavidM]

Do you really need the size and space of a Swift Trawler 47? Trawlers typically have 50% more space than a sailboat of the same length.

David

 

[MarkBk]

Do you really need the size and space of a Swift Trawler 47? Trawlers typically have 50% more space than a sailboat of the same length.

David

I have 6 children and while most are grown up we still spend a lot of time together as a family. While 47 might feel large some of the time I do believe that the third cabin is pretty much necessary. One of the reasons that I am drawn to trawlers is the additional space vs sail.

 

[Irish Rambler]

I have 6 children and while most are grown up we still spend a lot of time together as a family. While 47 might feel large some of the time I do believe that the third cabin is pretty much necessary. One of the reasons that I am drawn to trawlers is the additional space vs sail.

I would add a note of caution because as you grow older the children will gradually drift away and as age advance you won't be so sprightly for operating a sail boat.
If your wife is not keen on sail (my wife isn't either) then why not choose a boat that's seaworthy but able to travel through the canals of Europe. That way you can all have an easier relaxed cruising style with far more interesting things to visit as you travel.