The New Family making the plunge!

[Foxfamily]

I would like to introduce my wife (Val) and I (Brian), we are getting ready to make the plunge and buy our first trawler and enjoy out later years together on the water. A little about me, I just recently retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 22 long years, I would have stayed many more, but I sustained an injury fighting the war on terror that has finally got the best of me. I pushed myself another 10 years after the injury just because I really loved serving and I was what I felt good at my job. But life has a wild way of letting you know that you don't always have control even if your heart is as big as any ocean. I could unfortunately no longer pass the required run time no matter how hard I wanted too, I was in a fierce IED that peppered my lower extremities quite severely at the time and I also lost one of my best friends during the event as well, that's in the past though! I am truly blessed to be here today and with my wife and best friend getting ready for the next phase of life.
My wife Val of 24 years is the real winner in the family, she deserves a medal for putting up with all the BS I put that woman through from the nights I might have had one or six too many, or the couple times I stayed too long with the boys BSing or playing golf, and especially for all those countless days and nights she spent while I deployed (3 times) to combat not knowing if I was alive or dead.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone and hopefully even hanging out with you all when we find the vessel that has our name waiting for us, hopefully we can find something soon, but I am sure you all know I will not be in a new Nord haven or anything on a military budget! LOL but I have a little saved ready to go!!!! Looking for a good starter Trawler that I can get to know and probaly say a choice word or two at it while working on her on the loop, so let us know if think you may what were looking for and I will lurk around in the classifieds as well. Ty all and have a Blessed and Wonderful life in the greatest country there will ever be!!! The Fox Family

 

[psneeld]

You are lucky to have a wife that stood by you though all the trials of those that served go through. Not that the military is alone in it's brotherhood and fierce pulls on the heart strings. You are also fortunate that you and your wife both share the same desire for boating/cruising.

There are many aspects of boating that make it hard to decide on as your path forward.

I lived aboard a sailboat, a sportfish and a trawler. Each satisfied my broad interest in things that boating enhances.

On a post military budget...and even though divorce and worse, trawlers are just one way to enjoy the water. Matching your biggest desires associated with boating should help determine what type of boat you may wind up with, especially when budgets start to weigh in more heavily. Trawlers are just a tiny segment of boating and just because they are "salty" looking, they often lead people into picking the wrong boat.

Share your desires in what you think your near term boating goals are and I am sure this crowd will give good advice. We are far from a group of all trawler owners, presently, past or future.

 

[ranger58sb]

Thanks for your service, Brian.

And thanks for your service, Val!

-Chris (Vietnam era USAF)

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[Heap]

I would like to introduce my wife (Val) and I (Brian), we are getting ready to make the plunge and buy our first trawler and enjoy out later years together on the water. A little about me, I just recently retired from the U.S. Martine Corps after 22 long years, I would have stayed many more, but I sustained an injury fighting the war on terror that has finally got the best of me. I pushed myself another 10 years after the injury just because I really loved serving and I was what I felt good at my job. But life has a wild way of letting you know that you don't always have control even if your heart is as big as any ocean. I could unfortunately no longer pass the required run time no matter how hard I wanted too, I was in a fierce IED that peppered my lower extremities quite severely at the time and I also lost one of my best friends during the event as well, that's in the past though! I am truly blessed to be here today and with my wife and best friend getting ready for the next phase of life.
My wife Val of 24 years is the real winner in the family, she deserves a medal for putting up with all the BS I put that woman through from the nights I might have had one or six too many, or the couple times I stayed too long with the boys BSing or playing golf, and especially for all those countless days and nights she spent while I deployed (3 times) to combat not knowing if I was alive or dead.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone and hopefully even hanging out with you all when we find the vessel that has our name waiting for us, hopefully we can find something soon, but I am sure you all know I will not be in a new Nord haven or anything on a military budget! LOL but I have a little saved ready to go!!!! Looking for a good starter Trawler that I can get to know and probaly say a choice word or two at it while working on her on the loop, so let us know if think you may what were looking for and I will lurk around in the classifieds as well. Ty all and have a Blessed and Wonderful life in the greatest country there will ever be!!! The Fox Family

Brian & Val, Welcome aboard and Semper Fi. (I was USMC 2/2 1976-1979 USN 1983-2021) We were sailors for years until arthritis made hauling lines an exercise in pain. We got our first trawler, a Mainship 400 in 2013. Here are some of the things I think we've learned, especially concerning trawlers over the years.

1. I'm really glad I was a sailor first and recommend to anyone who does not have boating experience to learn how to sail first. You can't sail well unless you get an understanding of how wind, current, and tide all work together. You also learn how to handle a boat with relatively little power, and you learn how to enjoy a slow ride. Because you can't get away quickly, you'll learn to understand and appreciate wind and weather, and how to read a chart, particularly with regard to depth and running aground.

2. If you’ve never owned a boat before, you will absolutely love your first boat right up to the very second you don’t anymore. That is because with each boat, we learn more about boats and more about ourselves. We figure out what is important, what is a good feature or a bad, and what we want and don’t want. Think of your first boat as your “training boat,” unless you get incredibly lucky and peg it the first time.

3. Get a boat you can both handle comfortably. Your first boat should scare you at first and give you a healthy respect for how to handle it. Unless you buy more boat than you can handle, or a unique boat that requires special skills for handling or maintenance. We considered buying a bigger boat after our first couple of years, until we met a couple that had, I think a 52-foot boat, that terrified them so much they never took it out. We determined that the boat really did everything we needed it to do and never worried us that it was just “too much boat” for us.

4. Consider sacrificing a little bit of interior space for a walk around deck. When we land at a dock, I’m on the wheel and Linda, my wife, is handling the lines. Because we have a walk around deck with high gunwales and railings, I never worry about her going over the side, or hurting herself trying to get a line to a dock.

5. Learn the rules of the Road. Learn the rules for meeting, crossing, and passing. Make sure you know who has the right of way in any given situation, and know what “right of way” means. Know the difference between a “one whistle” and “two whistle” pass. Make sure you know what your wake does to other boats and objects on shore and take steps to avoid damage to people or objects.

6. Understand how ropes and lines work. Learn the terminology involved in lines and docking; a spring versus a breast, a forward versus aft spring, what “hold”, “check”, and “ease” mean. Buy more and thicker lines than you think you’ll need. Have at least one really long line that you might only use once or twice in a lifetime, but will be really glad when you have it.

7. Get out and look at boats and talk to boaters. Most boat owners will be glad to tell you all about their boats, and given enough time, that will turn into sea stories with valuable lessons for the future.

8. Do not save money on safety equipment. It’s a waste of money until you need it, then it’s invaluable.

9. Learn to navigate. Don’t just rely on electronics, but know what you are looking at. Make an easy run during the day, then do it again at night to understand how amazingly confusing lights at night are.

With that said, welcome to boating. We’ve been from Georgian Bay in Canada to Key West. Headed south again in a couple of weeks. Never came down the Mississippi or completed the Loop. Why be muddy? It’s a fascinating life of adventure.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard.

 

[ranger58sb]

7. Get out and look at boats and talk to boaters. Most boat owners will be glad to tell you all about their boats, and given enough time, that will turn into sea stories with valuable lessons for the future.

For example... sometime... walk the docks at marinas in New Bern, Beaufort/Morehead City, Oriental, and Southport... and make notes about boats that seem to be what might work...

And ask owners about pros/cons when they offer to yak with you about their baby.

-Chris

 

[Foxfamily]

Ty all for the kind words and excellent advice!!

 

[PierreR]

Brian, you sound like you have some disabilities. Not all boats are created equal even in boat type. All boats will exploit your disabilities, some boats much more than others. Disabilities can be real hidden budget busters.
In our case, my wife has orthopedic issues, balance and muscle tone issues requiring her to exercise and move a lot. She cannot handle dinghy transfers so cheap boating is out. For us, its a dock every night.
A dock every night allows us freedom and the ability to live on a smaller boat than what we would need anchoring out. Our boat is big enough to handle her disabilities with modifications yet small enough to find slips and single hand the boat. Dockage is our biggest single boating cost.
Figure out first if your disability will allow you to do the kind of boating you envision before spending a lot of money.
We generally ask for a dock that best accommodates her disabilities. Marinas have been pretty good and helping out. Docking situations for us are sometimes tight with minimal electric available but great access.

 

[Pathfinder]

Brian & Val, Welcome aboard and Semper Fi. (I was USMC 2/2 1976-1979 USN 1983-2021) We were sailors for years until arthritis made hauling lines an exercise in pain. We got our first trawler, a Mainship 400 in 2013. Here are some of the things I think we've learned, especially concerning trawlers over the years.

1. I'm really glad I was a sailor first and recommend to anyone who does not have boating experience to learn how to sail first. You can't sail well unless you get an understanding of how wind, current, and tide all work together. You also learn how to handle a boat with relatively little power, and you learn how to enjoy a slow ride. Because you can't get away quickly, you'll learn to understand and appreciate wind and weather, and how to read a chart, particularly with regard to depth and running aground.

2. If you’ve never owned a boat before, you will absolutely love your first boat right up to the very second you don’t anymore. That is because with each boat, we learn more about boats and more about ourselves. We figure out what is important, what is a good feature or a bad, and what we want and don’t want. Think of your first boat as your “training boat,” unless you get incredibly lucky and peg it the first time.

3. Get a boat you can both handle comfortably. Your first boat should scare you at first and give you a healthy respect for how to handle it. Unless you buy more boat than you can handle, or a unique boat that requires special skills for handling or maintenance. We considered buying a bigger boat after our first couple of years, until we met a couple that had, I think a 52-foot boat, that terrified them so much they never took it out. We determined that the boat really did everything we needed it to do and never worried us that it was just “too much boat” for us.

4. Consider sacrificing a little bit of interior space for a walk around deck. When we land at a dock, I’m on the wheel and Linda, my wife, is handling the lines. Because we have a walk around deck with high gunwales and railings, I never worry about her going over the side, or hurting herself trying to get a line to a dock.

5. Learn the rules of the Road. Learn the rules for meeting, crossing, and passing. Make sure you know who has the right of way in any given situation, and know what “right of way” means. Know the difference between a “one whistle” and “two whistle” pass. Make sure you know what your wake does to other boats and objects on shore and take steps to avoid damage to people or objects.

6. Understand how ropes and lines work. Learn the terminology involved in lines and docking; a spring versus a breast, a forward versus aft spring, what “hold”, “check”, and “ease” mean. Buy more and thicker lines than you think you’ll need. Have at least one really long line that you might only use once or twice in a lifetime, but will be really glad when you have it.

7. Get out and look at boats and talk to boaters. Most boat owners will be glad to tell you all about their boats, and given enough time, that will turn into sea stories with valuable lessons for the future.

8. Do not save money on safety equipment. It’s a waste of money until you need it, then it’s invaluable.

9. Learn to navigate. Don’t just rely on electronics, but know what you are looking at. Make an easy run during the day, then do it again at night to understand how amazingly confusing lights at night are.

With that said, welcome to boating. We’ve been from Georgian Bay in Canada to Key West. Headed south again in a couple of weeks. Never came down the Mississippi or completed the Loop. Why be muddy? It’s a fascinating life of adventure.

Like Heap above we learned to sail first but eventually fell in love with Mainship 400! It is a perfect couples trawler but still easy to singlehand. The two of us have taken Pathfinder from Newport to Florida and the Bahamas. Sadly she's now for sale but check out our Blog and Other Resources at
https://mainship400/pathfinder

 

[dannc]

...
My wife Val of 24 years is the real winner in the family, she deserves a medal for putting up with all the BS I put that woman through from the nights I might have had one or six too many, or the couple times I stayed too long with the boys BSing or playing golf, and especially for all those countless days and nights she spent while I deployed (3 times) to combat not knowing if I was alive or dead.

The families don't get the recognition they have earned for when a family member is in service. There really should be a medal for the family members. Even in peace time the military family makes sacrifices most do not. Families of police officers, fire fighters and paramedics are a close second.

...
Looking forward to getting to know everyone and hopefully even hanging out with you all when we find the vessel that has our name waiting for us, hopefully we can find something soon, but I am sure you all know I will not be in a new Nord haven or anything on a military budget! LOL but I have a little saved ready to go!!!! Looking for a good starter Trawler that I can get to know and probaly say a choice word or two at it while working on her on the loop, so let us know if think you may what were looking for and I will lurk around in the classifieds as well. Ty all and have a Blessed and Wonderful life in the greatest country there will ever be!!! The Fox Family

Welcome aboard.

I would suggest taking sailing classes like ASA to get started. While one might not want to go sailing, learning to operate the boat, docking, knots, rules of the road, etc on a sail boat will help on a trawler. You can also see if you really want to spend time on a boat. Especially the wife.

We took our classes in Little River, NC at ASA Sailing Lessons. Jason, the owner, has a variety of ASA classes and cruises to gain experience. We did some of the stay on the boat classes. Staying in a marina is not like staying out at anchor but it at least shows what it is like to live in a small space with your wife. The classes were fun but it was quite a bit of work. Well worth it though and I wish I knew what I learned in the class when I was first sailing with my dad too many decades ago. There was no ASA back then.

 

[amapola]

Thank you for your service and welcome from southwest Florida!

 

[Helmsman]

Welcome aboard! Thank you for your service and helping to protect us all from harm!

This site has a tremendous amount to offer. I think you will be really happy and will enjoy it. There is a tremendous amount to learn from so many here.

One bit of advice not offered yet would be to join the AGLCA. It is very focused on the great loop, and the type of advice there is more focused on the operation of doing the loop. There is great advice on docking, fuel prices, anchorages, things to see and do, and the cost, which varies based upon how you approach it. There are also sponsors specializing in the loop, financing, insurance, etc. Many, many loopers do the loop on trawlers with Mainships being the most popular choice. They have two rendezvous a year, with loopers opening their boats for tours, many work shops, and a lot of travel advice.

One area that can be dependent on boating experience is insurance. Discuss your purchase with an insurance agent specializing in marine insurance. Plan to spend time on your boat prior to setting off, and get used to using the boat before departure.

Take a boating safety class. They are a great structured way to learn.

Ask questions here, and enjoy the ride!

 

[kthoennes]

Welcome. Ah, that initial boat shopping phase was a fun time. Lots of good advice posted already. We did lots of sailing too, incredibly valuable. Chartered in the San Juans, ASA classes, all very helpful. Our first bigger boat (well, non-trailerable) was an old Carver 3208. Great boat, fond memories, but it was also the perfect teaching boat in so many ways. Now we have this 37, love it. Bigger would be nice, but after ten years we still haven't found a bigger one we'd like better for a realistic price.

Disabilities or not, age or not, I'd second the tips about accessibility or ease of movement. We had a chance to buy our dock neighbor's Bayliner 3988, heavy boat, very nice, diesels, great price offer - but ladder to the helm. Our boat is all stairs, no ladders. Interior levels are one step up or down. Even the helm has an easy pass through to the bow, no using skinny side decks. My wife and I are still fully functional physically (ha!) but even so, if you buy a boat as if you're a 99 year old feeble guy, you'll never regret the comfort and ease and sense of security.

 

[Moonfish]

Welcome aboard, and thank you! Both of you!