Questions about range and liveaboard capability of a Swift Trawler 42

[SithLord]

Hi folks,

I'm possibly purchasing a 2008 Swift Trawler 42 but been having second thoughts.

My question is how suitable is one of these for living aboard solo but with guests who come stay for a couple of weeks sometimes. Is it feasible to live on one of these on the hook and just use marinas sometimes? My first concern is space for a much larger house bank and some solar. Other concerns is the small amount of refrigeration, there would have to be room to put a much larger fridge/freezer elsewhere. Or is it possibly just the wrong boat for all this?

Both Volvo D4-300's and genset are low hours. It's very clean and tidy looking vessel.

Final question is about range. The advertised 300NM range doesn't get me excited at all. Especially as based in Australia and vast often rural coastline. Does anyone know the range running at hull speed? i.e. 6-7 knots.

Thanks
Mitch

 

[O C Diver]

Depending on where you do it and local discharge laws, water and waste capacity would be my first limiting factor. Without a watermaker, I found 100 gallons per week to be about a minimum based on doing laundry, daily showering, and not having to constantly scrimp. If you're offshore, holding tank capacity might not be an issue, but inland bays and rivers could certainly different (check local laws).

The other important question is where will you anchor in bad weather. Part of fuel consumption for "on the hook" liveaboards is how often you have to move and how far you have to go. Relative to moving is how far you need to go for filling water tanks and the refrigerator.

Ted

 

[SithLord]

Hi Ted, thanks. I'd need to install a watermaker. I found threads of people who have done that on the ST42. But the costs are adding up for making it liveaboard ready for sure.

 

[mvweebles]

What makes a decent off-grid liveaboard? As Ted points out, tankage helps (not just fuel). I'll add maintainability and stowage capacity - a place to keep all the stuff land-folks keep in a garage or basement including tools and spares. These days, solar/LFP/inverters are almost required. Heck, where to keep bedding/towels for the occassional guest can be a hassle on many boats. Decent place to store/deploy a dinghy.

If you already owned the ST42, you could definitely make it work. But since you don't own it, there are probably better suited boats for off-grid liveaboard.

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

I think you might be better off with a displacement hull and a single engine. As you move to a liveaboard, priorities change. Having more space in the engine room for batteries, watermaker, and storage is more important than a second engine (for speed) and larger fuel tanks.

Ted

 

[SithLord]

The boat I'm looking at has the dinghy issue sorted. It's stored on the flybridge and has the electric winch to bring it onboard. The other issues, agreed not ideal.

 

[tiltrider1]

Every boat is a potential liveaboard boat. The real question is what can you tolerate?

Here in the PNW we easily have 10,000 people living year round on boats tied to docks. We have about 50 who live on the hook year round and that’s counting those living in mooring fields. The success rate of liveaboards is extremely low.

Long term cruising is different. Can’t explain it but the success rate of those attempting long term cruising is much greater than just living aboard. Probably has something to do with the different goals between the two groups.

So are you asking the question as a liveaboard or as a long term cruiser.

I am defining liveaboard as some one who’s intention is to stay local and long term cruiser as some one who’s intention is to keep moving to see new places.

 

[SithLord]

I think you might be better off with a displacement hull and a single engine. As you move to a liveaboard, priorities change. Having more space in the engine room for batteries, watermaker, and storage is more important than a second engine (for speed) and larger fuel tanks.

Ted

A second engine isn't only about speed though. Above everything is redundancy. Even with the insane reliability of a lot of the low HP single engines in trawlers if you're not a diesel mechanic a 2nd engine (or a wing engine) is a must I think. It's very nice knowing you have a second engine, started from a separate battery, fed from a second fuel tank, turning a second prop.

 

[O C Diver]

A second engine isn't only about speed though. Above everything is redundancy. Even with the insane reliability of a lot of the low HP single engines in trawlers if you're not a diesel mechanic a 2nd engine (or a wing engine) is a must I think. It's very nice knowing you have a second engine, started from a separate battery, fed from a second fuel tank, turning a second prop.

Certainly agree for remote cruising or passage making that a second engine is for redundancy. However, considering the boat in your original post, your not going to be wondering far from safe harbor with that size boat. On that size boat, you will likely use speed to avoid taking a beating from the weather.

Ted

 

[SithLord]

Certainly agree for remote cruising or passage making that a second engine is for redundancy. However, considering the boat in your original post, your not going to be wondering far from safe harbor with that size boat. On that size boat, you will likely use speed to avoid taking a beating from the weather.

Ted

But what is your thinking on not wondering to far from safe harbor on that size boat? It's semi displacement, I've learned it has a 1700NM range at 5-6 knots. I mean there's 30ft sailboats in the middle of the Atlantic right now.

 

[mvweebles]

It's semi displacement, I've learned it has a 1700NM range at 5-6 knots. I mean there's 30ft sailboats in the middle of the Atlantic right now.

Huh??? The boat carries 330g diesel and is designed to do 25+ knots. I doubt you could find any owner who's gone more than about 400nm without refueling, and even that would be rare.

The ST42 is a really nice boat. Love some of the design ideas Beneteau tucked into it. But let's be honest with what it is and what it is not.

Peter

 

[SithLord]

Huh??? The boat carries 330g diesel and is designed to do 25+ knots. I doubt you could find any owner who's gone more than about 400nm without refueling, and even that would be rare.

The ST42 is a really nice boat. Love some of the design ideas Beneteau tucked into it. But let's be honest with what it is and what it is not.

Peter

Yeah I'm completely open to information. I hope more people can chime in. I don't own one yet so I'm not defending it. A semi displacement (semi planing hull) doesn't need to be run at full speed. You can run at hull speed efficiently. Usage figures attached from Beneteau. Only the D4-300 engines apply in this case.

 

[mvweebles]

Just because an odometer on a car shows 120mph doesn't mean the car can go that fast or should go that fast.

Here's a 2004 review of the boat when it was first introduced.

Beneteau Swift Trawler 42 review: Cruise control – from the archive

Trawler yachts had invariably been the preserve of small semi-custom yards, until the Beneteau Swift Trawler 42 gatecrashed the scene in 2004

www.mby.com

It would be a great Bahamas boat. Would be a lot of fun to do the ICW and Great Loop. This boat has a practical range of about 350nm. Could it be forced into longer distances? Yes but would take some serious planning and logistics. If I owned one and had a desire to cruise Baja or something where fuel availability is sketchy, I'd make it work. But there comes a point where fuel availability will rule your life. It will happen sooner on this boat than on many others. If range is an important consideration as stated in your posts, it's my opinion that this isn't the best boat to suit your stated desires.

Peter

 

[ranger58sb]

My question is how suitable is one of these for living aboard solo but with guests who come stay for a couple of weeks sometimes. Is it feasible to live on one of these on the hook and just use marinas sometimes? My first concern is space for a much larger house bank and some solar. Other concerns is the small amount of refrigeration, there would have to be room to put a much larger fridge/freezer elsewhere. Or is it possibly just the wrong boat for all this?

Both Volvo D4-300's and genset are low hours. It's very clean and tidy looking vessel.

Final question is about range. The advertised 300NM range doesn't get me excited at all. Especially as based in Australia and vast often rural coastline. Does anyone know the range running at hull speed? i.e. 6-7 knots.

Thanks
Mitch

How many guests versus how many berths... versus how soon does fish smell?

Live at anchor in the same place all the time, with occasional marina visits? Or live at anchor in different places most of the time? How long/far between pump-outs (depending on local regs)?

Without an closed bridge, "upstairs" time might be limited to fair weather. Without a hardtop, adding solar might become more of a challenge.

Yeah I'm completely open to information. I hope more people can chime in. I don't own one yet so I'm not defending it. A semi displacement (semi planing hull) doesn't need to be run at full speed. You can run at hull speed efficiently. Usage figures attached from Beneteau. Only the D4-300 engines apply in this case.

I dunno true waterline length, but based on the ST42 name, I'll guess ~38'? If so, that could mean more efficient fuel usage might be around 7 kts. (Or you could do better math, with actual factoids about that.) Anyway, you could maybe find the Volvo D4 fuel curves to see what RPM that might be; I'd expect higher than 1000 and lower than 1500. Maybe 1100-1150? -Ish? And then do the math about range again...

(I'm not clear whether that chart is for each engine, or both combined...)

What Ted said, about speed versus weather. What kind of range do you need? How far between available fuel? Fuel is seldom the largest expense...

And then coastal long passages might benefit from stabilizers... as might days at anchor in some places...

-Chris

 

[O C Diver]

But what is your thinking on not wondering to far from safe harbor on that size boat? It's semi displacement, I've learned it has a 1700NM range at 5-6 knots. I mean there's 30ft sailboats in the middle of the Atlantic right now.

First, I'm not familiar with Australia as far as the distance between harbors of refuge. What I will tell you is that the Swift Trawler will be unpleasant in 3 to 4' seas at anchor. The boat in my avatar isn't comfortable in 4' seas at anchor. The objective is to anchor in the lee of a land mass for a good night's sleep. So you either get a big boat that can be at anchor in 6' seas or you plan your days based on anchor in protected water (which is what I did).

You need more experience underway. There's a speed below which the boat loses momentum going into or quartering seas. The boat in my avatar will very comfortably cruise at 6 knots, on flat water. It losses momentum and speed going into 3'+ seas. More steering is required as the bow isn't punching through. Increase the speed to 7 knots and it's not a problem. Going into 5' seas requires 7.5 + knots.

Yes, there very well may be 30' sailboats in the middle of the Atlantic. Do you think the deck is level? On most days they're moving from grab handle to grab handle to avoid being thrown into bulkheads and the floor. Everything is secured to keep it from getting broken while the boat is taking a beating. Is this your idea of being a liveaboard? There's also a huge difference between being underway dealing with seas and weather, versus being at anchor.

Ted