My wife and I are in the very early stages of saying, hmm - maybe . . .
A bit of our background and some questions and opinions sought - TIA!
First the background. I've been a boater most of my life. I've owned several small coastal sailboats and helmed and crewed on larger sailboats. In the old days (pre GPS!) I was active in the USPS and taught coastal and celestial navigation courses.
We currently are retired and live full time in a 58 foot narrowboat cruising the canals of England and Wales.
We have both US and Irish passports. The Irish passport allows us to live in England but we also have visa free access to mist if Europe.
We are starting to think about trawlers as the next adventure for us. But, at 67 and 68 while reasonably fit we simply don't have the stamina that we once did.
Can the two of us, with proper instruction, handle a 45-50 foot trawler? Piece of string I know but would be interested in your thoughts and experiences.
Where to cruise. I'm very drawn to a trans Atlantic cruise but would want to get some trawler time under our belts first.
I like the idea of the Great Loop but I wonder if there is maybe a similar European route? I know there are extensive canals and rivers in Europe but I don't know if a trawler is a good fit on them.
As a side not, neither of us are interested in hit or even warm weather - we're not interested in the Carribbean, etc fir that reason.
Lastly, what YouTube channels do you watch that might help us educate ourselves?
Many, many thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.
For interest, our boat moored in Wales after a recent snow.
A bit of our background and some questions and opinions sought - TIA!
First the background. I've been a boater most of my life. I've owned several small coastal sailboats and helmed and crewed on larger sailboats. In the old days (pre GPS!) I was active in the USPS and taught coastal and celestial navigation courses.
We currently are retired and live full time in a 58 foot narrowboat cruising the canals of England and Wales.
We have both US and Irish passports. The Irish passport allows us to live in England but we also have visa free access to mist if Europe.
We are starting to think about trawlers as the next adventure for us. But, at 67 and 68 while reasonably fit we simply don't have the stamina that we once did.
Can the two of us, with proper instruction, handle a 45-50 foot trawler? Piece of string I know but would be interested in your thoughts and experiences.
Where to cruise. I'm very drawn to a trans Atlantic cruise but would want to get some trawler time under our belts first.
I like the idea of the Great Loop but I wonder if there is maybe a similar European route? I know there are extensive canals and rivers in Europe but I don't know if a trawler is a good fit on them.
As a side not, neither of us are interested in hit or even warm weather - we're not interested in the Carribbean, etc fir that reason.
Lastly, what YouTube channels do you watch that might help us educate ourselves?
Many, many thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.
For interest, our boat moored in Wales after a recent snow.