Trawler Rabbit Hole..

[Someday!!]

Hello all Someday!! here

I fell down the trawler rabbit hole about a month ago. Was looking and dreaming about what I would like to do once I retire. I have 20 years to go which goes along with my username.

I have since got my wife looking at boat tours online with me. We are leaning toward a full displacement slow trawler Nordhavn or Nordic tug. Any suggestions of boats that nature would be appreciated. Looking at the Nordhavn 57 to 60' range about 15 to 20 years old to get it in the right price range. Looking for a Master cabin with a guest cabin size boat.

That where one of my questions come in.
How much of the boat maintenance can you do yourself?
I'm a licensed electrician mostly data center critical power distribution, think big backup generators and UPS systems. I'm hoping i can do the majority of it myself but finding a good source of what is actually needed is hard to find. I have also always been a bit of a grease monkey...

Second question is working abroad. Is it posable to say go down the Caribbean for the winter, anchor then barter work out? Do you need to get a work visa? I have always liked working and helping out. Is it even worth the trouble?


Thank you for your responses and i will try to not be too much of a bother with future questions.

 

[Comodave]

Welcome aboard. Until the recent past I did almost all of the maintenance on our boats. Now I do hire some help.

 

[tiltrider1]

Enjoy the dream.

Reality is going to suck. What ever the boat costs you will pay that much again over the next 5 years to keep it going.

Keep reading the forum to learn about all the things you don’t know but will need to know.

I recommend you shop on Yacht world and search this forum for answers. Especially search the word retirement. You probably won’t like what you learn.

 

[Mac2]

Not sure about the comment "reality sucks" but if you mean reality vs dreams are different, then I totally agree. The fact I have a boat is a dream to me. Even if I don't leave the dock, I love living on the water, and having access to the water for all my toys.
Someday!!: Your on the right track by starting to look early. I dreamt for several years and read every magazine out there (passagemaker magazine is my favorite) before buying my first boat-Krogen Manatee. I had zero experience. I am mechanically inclined and have a little electrical experience gained in the military. I am by no means rich, so I do all but the most technical work myself. It took me several years to become proficient with that boat (diesel engine, electrical, varnishing, fiberglassing etc). I had that boat for 15 years and thought it would be an easy transition to my current boat (65 Realship Voyager)-Wrong! I'm on year 6 and finally starting to feel comfortable. My point is that you can do most of the maintenance yourself IF you have the right tools and a passion to fix things. Youtube has also been a huge asset. My advice would be to purchase a boat as soon as you can (which might be smaller then your dream retirement boat), so you can start gaining the necessary knowledge now, rather then when you retire, so you can be ahead of the curve.

 

[fgarriso]

Welcome Aboard !

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

 

[Choices]

I considered doing the same thing, our backgrounds are identical.

I walked into an islands generator room and to my surprise saw a genset synch panel I had sold. Same in Nassau, and Virgin Islands.

You would have plenty of work.

 

[luna]

You can enjoy the dream and experience reality that does not suck, if you are smart.

I've owned my current boat (which was 11 years old when I bought it) for 17 years and in those years I have not put into the boat more than about 30% of the original purchase price. I did not overpay for the boat!
I do all the work (except canvas and bottom work) myself, although I have the luxury of parking the boat in an 85' boathouse which also contains my 800 sq. ft. shop.
The navigation suite onboard is from the early 2000s but for my purposes still works just fine, while the entire electrical system allows me to cook a full breakfast for 6 in the morning without running a genset. I live in the PNW, the boat lives inside, as a result I have no solar. I do need to run one of two gensets to make or heat water and charge the batteries.
In effect if it's run right, its much like your house. Yes, the TV and internet is there as well.

If I was to add into my costs, the cost of my slip (this year $26k) and insurance ($6k) for those 17 years, I'm now at about the same as the purchase price. It will not stop as it's worth every penny.

Seeing that you are a licensed electrician with data center experience, your learning curve will be short and steep. You will learn the boat quickly.
To me Mac2's advice is correct, purchase the boat as soon as you can. You likely won't regret it.

 

[ksanders]

First, it's great to plan early.

Second you should buy a boat and start enjoying the hobby. You do not need to buy the perfect retirement boat, what you need to do is get out on the water.

Start building skills.
Start exploring where and when you can get away from work.

Then...
you will know if the lifestyle is right for you.

Here is an example...
I bought my first real ocean going power boat in 1999, a 28' gas powered cabin cruiser.
Traded boats a few times and bought my retirement boat, a Bayliner 4788 in 2011.
Retired in 2022 from the electrical industry, and am currently exploring the Sea of Cortez, having started in Alaska.
This next spring we start on a multi year exploration of the Pacific coast of America and Canada.
This summer we are fishing, and enjoying the warm sunny weather.
We are in a Dorado tournament next week

Oh, the things I learned along the way!!!

 

[Sharpseadog]

Hello all Someday!! here

I fell down the trawler rabbit hole about a month ago. Was looking and dreaming about what I would like to do once I retire. I have 20 years to go which goes along with my username.

I have since got my wife looking at boat tours online with me. We are leaning toward a full displacement slow trawler Nordhavn or Nordic tug. Any suggestions of boats that nature would be appreciated. Looking at the Nordhavn 57 to 60' range about 15 to 20 years old to get it in the right price range. Looking for a Master cabin with a guest cabin size boat.

That where one of my questions come in.
How much of the boat maintenance can you do yourself?
I'm a licensed electrician mostly data center critical power distribution, think big backup generators and UPS systems. I'm hoping i can do the majority of it myself but finding a good source of what is actually needed is hard to find. I have also always been a bit of a grease monkey...

Second question is working abroad. Is it posable to say go down the Caribbean for the winter, anchor then barter work out? Do you need to get a work visa? I have always liked working and helping out. Is it even worth the trouble?


Thank you for your responses and i will try to not be too much of a bother with future questions.

That's a lot of boat for a couple. IMHO the ideal couple's cruising boat is 38 to 44 ft, unless your planning on full time live aboard. Moorage and maintenance are a lot less and you could afford a much newer boat. Big mistake many people make is buying too big a boat anticipating a lot of guests who often aren't available. We have a Helmsman 38 that we bought from the original owner in 2015. We have friends with the same boat who live in Anacortes WA. They just returned from from a 12 week cruise to AK (their 8th or 10th). This is their 2nd Helmsman 38. ️️🛳

 

[Carl Martin]

Nordic Tugs are not full displacement trawlers and can easily exceed hull speed. That being said the NT 32 is our favorite & a great boat to start with. Get something you can use now to get some experience. Nordhavns are great boats but very expensive & unless you plan on crossing the Atlantic probably overkill for what you need. An older Krogen or Grand Banks in the 36'-42' range would make more sense as a liveaboard.

Another direction you might go is something trailerable. Some popular small cruisers are C-Dorys, Ranger Tugs, the Nordic Tug 26 & the Rosborough 246 by Eastern. Great way to get experience & you can work on it in your driveway.

 

[Captain DJ]

Lots and lots of great advice here on TF for newbies. Sounds like you would be jumping in the deep end of the pool with a Nordhavn that big. Our "dream boat" was a Nordhavn 46 or 47 back in the day.
Had the go fast boats up to 38 ft and then a Grand Banks 42 Classic. Now in a very comfortable 34 ft Cheoy Lee and happily cruising PNW in June-October and back to the beach house in Mexico on the Sea of Cortez for the cooler seasons. Having lived out of the US for 15+ years I would add a caveat about expectations to earn a regular income while cruising abroad. You might earn more than expected with the right skills and gumption, but many countries look out for income earned by foreigners while "visiting". Just pick your customers wisely is all the advice I will offer.

Like others have said, maybe starting sooner with a smaller vessel will help educate and train you. A hidden benefit is getting to know the folks that are already living the dream. You might befriend one and offer help that will return with dividends in the long run.
There are a lot of great folks out there. Enjoy and enjoy every day.

DJ

 

[Frankdog]

Hello all Someday!! here

I fell down the trawler rabbit hole about a month ago. Was looking and dreaming about what I would like to do once I retire. I have 20 years to go which goes along with my username.

I have since got my wife looking at boat tours online with me. We are leaning toward a full displacement slow trawler Nordhavn or Nordic tug. Any suggestions of boats that nature would be appreciated. Looking at the Nordhavn 57 to 60' range about 15 to 20 years old to get it in the right price range. Looking for a Master cabin with a guest cabin size boat.

That where one of my questions come in.
How much of the boat maintenance can you do yourself?
I'm a licensed electrician mostly data center critical power distribution, think big backup generators and UPS systems. I'm hoping i can do the majority of it myself but finding a good source of what is actually needed is hard to find. I have also always been a bit of a grease monkey...

Second question is working abroad. Is it posable to say go down the Caribbean for the winter, anchor then barter work out? Do you need to get a work visa? I have always liked working and helping out. Is it even worth the trouble?


Thank you for your responses and i will try to not be too much of a bother with future questions.

we purchased first boat N40 4 years ago me being ex marine engineer, although this put me in good stead for the systems on the boat electrically and mechanically the learning curve is different compared to ships with full workshops, and other staff, shore support etc you get on commercial.(not to mention its not your money your spending on maintenance).
do you not overthink the purchase, and do not go two big on first boat are very valid points, you learn to live you in your space while on board. there some great Buys to be had but do not be fooled the older the boat the more work. have to agreed to purchase as soon as you can, bring down the avg age in the marinas.

 

[bumpkin]

Welcome. Buy a boat now, not in 20 years, not in 10 years but now. Before I spent anytime on a boat, I like you, wanted a huge boat with every bell and whistle needed to spend open ended time on the high seas, laughing at hurricanes etc.

What I bought, was a 16 year old, well maintained 40 foot sport boat with a semi displacement hull. I was so lucky to not get the boat of my dreams. The boat I purchased provided a much better experience.

Buy a boat asap and get started on building your boating life. In 20 years you will thank your 20 years of experience for a wonderful retirement.

Mike

 

[Rob at LTP]

IMHO, there is a lot of great advice in the responses so far. I'll chip in. As many have said, don't wait 20 years. But keep your retirement dreamboat on hold for now, and get something, anything, ASAP. 20 years ago, I would have been upgrading from a 14ft surfcat, most likely to a trailer sailor. When I retired, I was still thinking that way, but the very act of looking around broadened my outlook, and led me to a 40 odd year old diesel boat with sails that are definitely "auxilliary". [Finn 8, an Australian made version of the Finnish Myrsky-Janne 800.]

Get something you can use now, get to know it by DIY maintenance and repairs. Re-assess when you retire. And enjoy the ride!

 

[Nepidae]

This topic is really too long for most responses.
A licensed home or data center electrician, is not the same as you need for a boat. Something called grounds play a major part of boat electrical needs plus different wire is used. I'd first investigate what is needed to make the transition.
Second, the right price for a Nordhavn will still be high and you didn't say what your price range was, at least in the post i read.
As to you handling other repairs on the boat, maybe. It can be basic but that doesn't mean that you would understand the basic approach.

Bartering your services, well you need to make sure you look at and understand my 1st comment. Wire something wrong on a boat could cause a real issue.
Understand, if you are looking to boat on the cheap, you will be sorry. Boats are boats and the costs can go up very quickly.

Good luck with your search.

 

[dhays]

Understand, if you are looking to boat on the cheap, you will be sorry. Boats are boats and the costs can go up very quickly.

+1

This is likely the most important piece of information.

 

[Rivertrader]

Great advice. Depending on where you are going to keep your boat you may do well to find out what slips are available in your are. In some areas slips are very difficult to find.