Why Move from Sailboat to Trawler?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
We had a Caliber 47 LRC sailboat. We sailed it to the Caribbean and lived on it 6 months of the year for 3 years. It was a big, heavy, ocean going sailboat. Then we brought it home. We did what we had bought it for, then found it to be too heavy and deep drafted for the waters around NC. We sold it 4 years ago and bought a 36' Heritage East trawler. It's much easier on our aging bodies than sailing was. It's shallower draft fits in many more places than our sailboat's did. It goes about the same speed. It's got molded steps for our dog, so it's easy for her and us to get around on the boat. Basically we just outgrew our sailboat. If we still lived on the Chesapeake, as we did when we bought our sailboat, we might still have it, but the trawler is easier for the Intracoastal Waterway in NC where we live now.
 
As many of you know, we sailed around the world on a Swan 57 sloop, Sweetwater. We had owned several sailboats before that and cruised actively in the Northeast. We also chartered in the Caribbean. I raced for 20 years as navigator, tactician, and pit.


After the circumnav, we sold the Swan and moved ashore. We decided that we'd like to live aboard in Boston Harbor. The decision to move to a powerboat was easy.


In boats of a size that two people can safely handle -- 80 feet in a powerboat, somewhat less in a sailboat, there is far more space in a powerboat. Even at 70 feet, sailboats are single decked while almost all powerboats will be double decked and have part or all of a third. Even at 42' -- Morning Light, our current boat -- the wheelhouse is above the cabins below and there is a full engine room (albeit with kneeling headroom) versus a box over the engine and a panel over the generator on the Swan.


Also, crossing the Atlantic on Sweetwater was a slog. Not enough fuel to motor across the southern route in the Azores/Bermuda high (which we did in Fintry). Couldn't go the northern route, with the wind behind us, because of ice. So we went the middle route, 24 days averaging 4.9 knots. Mostly good weather, but there were days when we went from full main to 3 reefs and back again. One of us out in the weather all the time.



Crossing in Fintry we averaged 8 knots, outside when it was nice, inside when it was not.


And, when we anchored in Sweetwater, it took a good half hour to get the sail cover on. In Fintry and Morning Light, there's nothing to do once the anchor is set.


Two of our recent major summer trips have been in the eastern canals -- doing the canals with a mast on deck would not have been good.



And so forth.




Jim


Sweetwater -- Swan 57 sloop on which we circumnavigated 1995-98
Fintry -- x Royal Navy Fleet Tender -- owned 2003-2022, 20,000 miles including trans-Atlantic
[FONT=&quot]Morning Light -- Webbers Cove 42 single screw trawler 2021- ?[/FONT]
 
Last edited:
Our answer to this question

We are 66 and 62 years young. We met racing Hobie 18s, then a Pearson 26, then a Rhodes Swiftsure 33, then a 50' 1941 swordfishing yacht, then a Hunter 30. We debated going the trawler route but decided in nice conditions we would miss too much that magic moment when you shut off the engine and sails take over.
So, being indecisive types, we bought a 46' motorsailer ketch with electric winches, self-tending jib, roller furling in the booms, bow thruster, 100 hp Yanmar, 5kw gen, washer dryer, ice maker in the bar, house type fridge, microwave, 3 AC/heat units, etc. If it is nice to sail we do...if not...it's a trawler.

Before you can say motorsailers are not good at either it works well for us.:dance:
 
Andiamo2018 said:
I. I prefer the quiet and affordability of wind power. .
Click to expand...

Really depends on the boat.

Get a sailing vessel that can actually sail
And offer comparable accommodations, comfort and load carrying ability as a powered vessel
And there is no way you would say it's affordable.

Wind is free, harnessing it costs a fortune.
 
We did our long distance cruising in two pilot house sailboats, which could power a long distance at 6 to 8 knots (700 gallons of fuel and 90 hp diesel engines), and sail at up 200 miles a 24 hour day. Sailing at 8 knots; We even passed some trawlers. Our second long distance cruising boat was a Cal 46 which was modified to have a small inset swim platform and staircase aft, with a roller and winch where a 12 1/2' RIB was stored on the aft deck, and deployed/retrieved even when under way. We also set up an inner forestay, so she became a cutter when under short sail and balanced well. The pilot house gave shelter, but in higher latitudes we had full canvas (with clear acrylic windows) all around the sides and a sturdy dodger over the center cockpit. From the very comfortable dinette and galley in the pilot house, there was 270 degree good visuality. Both boats had eutectic holding plates with the compressor off the main engine, or 110V from the generator and mains power, with well insulated freezers in the 9 to 12 cu foot capacity. 300 gallons of water and a water maker give basically unlimited fresh water. The engine room had over 7 foot head room, with a nice work bench. We considered this as an ideal World cruising Sailboat.

Our first long distance cruising sailboat was not as a fast and light as the Cal 46, being a heavy Garden Designed full keel ketch, with bow sprit and dinghy davits bringing the LOA TO 62'. She had a full king berth aft, with an ensuite head. There was a lower saloon, with coffee table, and settee which would become a double bunk if necessary, forward was a queen bunk cabin and then upper and lower bunks in the forward cabin, with head and separate shower. Sleeping 8 was possible. We averaged 185 mile days purely under sail crossing from the Canaries to Barbados. We sailed from Puerto Rico to Panama, and then powered all of the way from Balboa, Panama to Los Angeles, (over 3200 nautical miles) with one brief stop in Acapulco to top off our fuel tanks. (We probably could have made it with out stopping, but wanted to be safe.)

We did have a transmission failure--which is something which most of us do not consider in the "loss of engine" category. It turned out that there was a broken engine mount, and the alignment would change as we powered. The broken engine mount was caused by snagging a tuna net float in the Straits of Gibraltar (wind 50K against several knot current). Cable from the float, caught the prop and spun the 65,000 lb boat 180* in seconds. The only prop damage was an imprint of the cable on the boss of the 26" prop. On cursory inspections the engine shaft and mounts appeared fine. Even the alignment was true (checked the next morning). The transmission output shaft failed several thousands miles later as were were entering the Rue d'Breast, France.

We went from sail to power after moving to Pensacola, FL. Although mast clearance and draft were issues, the real reason was that we were not as strong and had back issues. The Cal 46 didn't have air conditioning. We never missed air conditioning with good wind scoops, and most of the time a good breeze at night. Not so good air circulation in marinas and anchorages along the Gulf Coast of Florida. Our first "trawler" was a Symbol 41 "Sundeck MY" It had two queens, 45,000 BTU of air conditioning and a crane for our 12' Aluminum dinghy, There certainly was more living area, including the flying bridge (enclosed and air conditioned, and the "sun deck" also enclosed and air conditioned).
 
Duetto said:
we sailed and raced for over 30 years. did 1 trip ct to fl on our sail cat. we sailed 10% of the 1500 miles. when we got to fl we decided we were thru with sailing. our knee jerk reaction was to move to a 40-ish trawler. then we started thinking we're still only going to go about 8-9 knots. someone suggested looking at a 34' pdq. we bought it 18 years ago. have lived on it in bahamas & fl every winter since. 6 fl-ct round trips. cruises @ 14 knots and at that speed we average 2.8 km/gal.

sure there are compromises, so build your spread sheet with rating of what's import. 2 columns one for her and one for you. if you're honest this will get you closer to the right boat.
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience in some respects. Coming from sail you think that if you can do 8 knots in a stright line you are flying. But once on a power boat, that feels slow. I think that's a common misconception. Nothing against those here that love running 7 knots all day, but in a motor boat I would rather be doing 20+. Just my opinion, not a common truth in any respect.
 
I think that is an example of how on any boat a problem can be fixed with the proper application of $$$$$
 
Last edited:
backinblue said:
I had a similar experience in some respects. Coming from sail you think that if you can do 8 knots in a stright line you are flying. But once on a power boat, that feels slow. I think that's a common misconception. Nothing against those here that love running 7 knots all day, but in a motor boat I would rather be doing 20+. Just my opinion, not a common truth in any respect.
Click to expand...

We have many of the fast lane crowd in our area that are mostly new to boating and want to go 20Kn, and too fast in the no wake zones. I prefer boating at 7Kn. Every day on the water is a gift and we are not getting any younger, so what's the rush?
 
I sailed for 50 years. Loved it. Cruised the Keys and the Bahamas numerous times. I went offshore less the last couple years. My wife has not been able to move about on deck while healing any at all. She loves having enclosed helm areas and air conditioning. She wanted to continue to cruise, but now looks forward to our cruises! It's different, but as We are getting in our seventies, we have learned to embrace the change. Occasionally, I look out at a boat under sail and miss it. But it sure feels good to be out of the weather on the upper helm on a rainy day!
 
If you know what you truly want out of cruising, it isnt a hard decision.

The biggest fly in the ointment for me is cats cost too much and motorsailers are in the running but a real gamble is will their compromises satisfy me.
 
Last edited:
New Jersey’s costal green flys

Sailed the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay for years. Annual sails to Martha’s Vineyard and Maine proved to be more motoring than sailing. We both had jobs. This mandated being in “delivery mode” and the wind was not in our favor.

But the major reason was the biting flies along the New Jersey coast. At 6 knots we were forced to put in one of the few treacherous inlets along the way. Upon entering the channel the cockpit filled with green head flies. Their bites added much anguish and pain along the way.

One year after a terrific week in the Vineyard we had a knock down fight. We quickly realized that our sailing days were over. Transition to a trawler was a breeze. We now spend spring in the Bahamas, summer in the Chesapeake, Cape Cod and last year Nova Scotia. We love sailing. We love travel more.
 
We started off living on a Hunter 410 in 2017 after retirement. After taking our boat from Valdez AK to Southeast AK we ended up wintering aboard in Petersburg AK. In the spring of 2018 my wife told me she couldn’t “do this”. I was very surprised because she seemed to be enjoying the lifestyle. I pointed that out and she agreed that the life style was great, but all winter long we spend most of our time at the dock and in the cabin. She is a bit vertically challenged and let me know she can’t see out and feels like she is living in a cave. I agreed that must be pretty miserable and told her that us selling the sailboat and me going back to work so we could buy a boat she could see out of would be a lot cheaper than me buying a taller wife. She just rolled her eyes at me. We’ve been married a bunch of decades and she knows my sense of humor well. After a couple of years we purchased our OA 42. We now live aboard, based in Wrangell AK. The truth of the matter is that we found very little opportunity to actually sail in Southeast AK. It’s either mostly calm or blowing so hard that finding a good place to anchor is the top priority.
 
Sailboats are good for two things. Crossing an ocean and day sailing. Once you get to the cruising area the sails rarely appear. So you really have to decide how you will use the boat.

In the 30 years I have cruised in the PNW and Mexico I note that it is very rare to see a boat with sails up actually going someplace. The sailors there have masted trawlers.

If you want the pleasure of a day sailing you need a smaller, sleeker, lighter sailing vessel. Not a 49ft masted Winnebago. Similarly, if you wish to cross an ocean or sail downwind to Mexico than a cruising sailboat is great. But once ou get to the destination the mast is superfluous.
 
Why move from sailboat to trawler

Don L said:
For those that that have or are on here thinking of going from a sailboat to a trawler/power boat.

What are your reasons and what do you hope/plan/want to gain over living and cruising on a sailboat?

I have a 41' comfortable living on sailboat. What would I gain on a trawler (and I have been shopping)? My wife and I are interested, but she can not really tell me why.

This is an honest question not a flamer question. If you want to just do flamer responses I can not stop you, but I do know what to do for going forward far as your input.
Click to expand...


You didn't say the height of your mast, but I imagine it is between 60 and 65'? For me, the decision became easy after helping a friend move his sailboat north from Florida one Spring. We had intended to sail outside, but the weather just wouldn't cooperate, so we had to do a significant part of the trip in the ICW. Our mast was 62', so we could get under most fixed bridges, but I lost count of how many openings we had to wait for, and how much time we wasted.

Of course, with just a few exceptions we also had to motor in the ICW, so I realized that with such limiting factors, if I am going to motor anyway, I might as well have a "motorboat".

There are many TF'ers who never use the ICW, but for anyone considering it a sailboat will be very limiting.

PNK
 
Good posts derived from experience. I owned a Cal 20 when I was in my mid 20’s that I day sailed and did the beer can races with my roommate who was a serious racer and he taught me a lot. Also trips and some racing on various sailing vessels including some big Maxi’s where I was mostly rail weight. It stopped when our kids were born and I switched to surfing since the time commitment was much less. I like the previous comment about sailboats being masted trawlers. Many won’t admit it, but it’s true for most use cases in the PSW as well. Stink pot/kettle black?

Edit - no engine on that Cal 20 and our slip was on the inside of a small marina. We would get a head of steam up, drop the main at the entrance and then coast in making several 90 degree turns to end up at our slip. Fun, most of the time.
 
Last edited:
I have both, an OA 43 and a 34 C&C. The OA is in the Sea of Cortez and the C&C is in Ketchikan. I spend summer in Alaska, winter in Mexico. The trawler is well equipped with every convenience, solar, freezer, wd, ac. I stay on a mooring ball. Quite comfortable. And cruise to local islands. Guests have their own vberth with separate shower. Quite beautiful. The sailboat has few amenities but is located in a beautiful area. I mostly run the 30 hp diesel on the sailboat at 5 knots. It is similar to car camping with a small rv. The powerboat cruises at 8.2 knots in comfort. The sailboat at 5 knots exposed to the weather but economical. I think I would prefer a small trawler in Alaska but the sailboat was a very reasonable purchase. Recommend you rent, bare boat charter for awhile to get an appreciation of the differences.
 
Easy change to Power Boat

We were in St. Petersburg Fl. Cruising our 42’ Endeavour. Walking the docks I noticed a 40something’ sailboat with no mast or rigging. The couple that owned the boat was aging and removed the rig and added a nice hard enclosure over the cockpit. Looked like an interesting conversion to me.
 
If I were going to own a cruising sailboat:

20220831_190623.jpg

20220831_143009.jpg

Ted
 
PhilPB said:
That looks very similar to a Gulfstar sailboat that the couple who owned it were converting to a trawler 30-ish years ago in Indiantown FL. Friends of mine who lived in Indiantown knew the couple.
Click to expand...

Don't know if this is the same boat. The husband who converted it, did to over something like 15 years. They were cruising the Erie canal when I met them last summer. Don't remember if they did it up north or down south, but it took a long time. Most of it was quite well done, although I would have done something different on the rudder.

Ted
 
As the OP I feel the only thing a motorsailor has going for it is lower fuel use. It really doesn't gain room from a a regular sailboat and in fact for the same size normally loses a lot of space inside from the extra helm, larger engine, and larger fuel tank.

The only reason to have a sailboat to cruise on really is you like to sail. I like to sail and if I got to sail more while cruising in ways that that didn't turn my wife aganist me I would not be asking about trawlers.
 
Don, I think you are on the right track. A motorsailer is a compromise and probably neither a great sailboat nor a great trawler. In regards to fuel use, nearly every powerboat owner on this forum agrees that fuel is not that great of an expense in the overal cost of ownership and use. Yes it will be more than a sailboat, but the difference is still a small % of overall cost.

Not many here agree with me, but if you really love sailing, you will miss that. But a trawler does come with other advantages, probably the main ones being out of the weather and less strenous to operate. As a bonus, also more living space and usually more amenities.

All good discussion. Good luck in your quest.
 
Don L said:
As the OP I feel the only thing a motorsailor has going for it is lower fuel use. It really doesn't gain room from a a regular sailboat and in fact for the same size normally loses a lot of space inside from the extra helm, larger engine, and larger fuel tank.

The only reason to have a sailboat to cruise on really is you like to sail. I like to sail and if I got to sail more while cruising in ways that that didn't turn my wife aganist me I would not be asking about trawlers.
Click to expand...

It might be more helpful to explain what type of cruising you (or your wife) want to do in the future. Many tend to be more ambitious when they're younger and more near coastal or inland (Great Lakes) as they age and seek more creature comforts. If you plan to cruise the Caribbean, maybe a trawler in your price range isn't such a great choice. Whereas the Bahamas, Florida, East coast, and maybe inland may make more sense in a trawler. How long in days or weeks you plan to be from reprovisioning and filling the water tanks is also a significant consideration.

Ted
 
Reason for a trawler? “It was a dark and stormy night…..”
 
I plan to continue to costral cruise the US,Bahamas, Caribbean, and probably sometime Mexico etc.. I see no difference between coastal cruising+ Bahamas and the Caribbean being different really. Not looking to do a single cross Pacific journey in a trawler

I have been full time living and cruising for 6.5 years. I understand the food/water and even the fuel part of doing that. My sailboat holds months of food (can put 2 months of meat in my freezer) and 3 weeks of water (but I have a watermaker). Fuel will be easier to get in a trawler as lots of fuel places I have to pass by because of depth. But I already can go 300+ miles motoring on my main fuel tank not counting any jugs. I have more hours on my 2001 sailboat engine than most 1980s trawlers have.

Not new to cruising, just looking at what is to be gained by switching.
 
Don L said:
As the OP I feel the only thing a motorsailor has going for it is lower fuel use. It really doesn't gain room from a a regular sailboat and in fact for the same size normally loses a lot of space inside from the extra helm, larger engine, and larger fuel tank.

The only reason to have a sailboat to cruise on really is you like to sail. I like to sail and if I got to sail more while cruising in ways that that didn't turn my wife aganist me I would not be asking about trawlers.
Click to expand...

Or the opposite side of that coin (sorta)... given that you like to sail... is that you can sail a motorsailor when you're in the mood... at least occasionally while cruising... and when conditions are right, of course.

Can't really do that with a trawler.

Not advocating one way or the other, though. Just an oblique look at the possibilities.

We actually thought our first bigger boat might be a motorsailor, a NorthEast 37 designed by Mark Ellis. The more we sailed, though... with friends and club mates... the more we learned about not being able to deal with significant heeling, partly due to previous injury that I still have to deal with.

Plan B would have been a cat, but the budget issue raised it's ugly head... and we didn't much care for the ones we could afford.

And then... it's just a lot easier for us to go somewhere if much of the major muscle movement is simply turning a key or two.

More recently, we've seen some cats we like that we actually could (maybe) afford... but in the grand scheme of things, and as we age, I doubt I'd fool with the sails often enough to justify the expense.


Don L said:
I plan to continue to costral cruise the US,Bahamas, Caribbean, and probably sometime Mexico etc.. I see no difference between coastal cruising+ Bahamas and the Caribbean being different really. Not looking to do a single cross Pacific journey in a trawler
Click to expand...


Reading has suggested getting into the Caribbean is a big step over and above Bahamas.

??

I looked at buying a boat that was in Puerto Rico, did some study on what it would take to bring it home on it's own hull. Some significant distances between hops, which would have made fuel an issue for that particular kind of (power)boat.

Anyway, seems to me including Caribbean and Mexico may well influence the actual brand/model of trawler you might want -- if you pursue it further. Given that not all trawlers -- especially here on the forum :) -- are created equal.

-Chris
 
Last edited:
Don L said:
I plan to continue to costral cruise the US,Bahamas, Caribbean, and probably sometime Mexico etc.. I see no difference between coastal cruising+ Bahamas and the Caribbean being different really. Not looking to do a single cross Pacific journey in a trawler

I have been full time living and cruising for 6.5 years. I understand the food/water and even the fuel part of doing that. My sailboat holds months of food (can put 2 months of meat in my freezer) and 3 weeks of water (but I have a watermaker). Fuel will be easier to get in a trawler as lots of fuel places I have to pass by because of depth. But I already can go 300+ miles motoring on my main fuel tank not counting any jugs. I have more hours on my 2001 sailboat engine than most 1980s trawlers have.

Not new to cruising, just looking at what is to be gained by switching.
Click to expand...

One additional thought - folks always talk about cave-like interior of a sailboat, but I think that misses the mark. For warmer climates, I find the layout of a typical monohull a bit disconnected - the saloon is too hot unless there's AC going so you end up in the cockpit all the time. But a catamaran has great flow between interior and exterior lounging spaces. Makes a big difference when the galley is a few steps away from the aft deck dining table.

Sedan and PH powerboats have similar traits to catamarans - they just flow well between the exterior/interior spaces so they get a lot of use, especially compared to standard tri-cabin layouts (including sundeck motoryachts). Folks talk about using the sundeck or flybridge for outside space and there's a lot to be said, but when they're separated from the galley by a flight of stairs (or two), something gets lost in warm weather climates. At least that's my opinion.

Peter
 
ranger58sb said:
- if you pursue it further. Given that not all trawlers -- especially here on the forum :) -- are created equal.

-Chris
Click to expand...

Not only that, but not all Trawlers are even Trawlers, including mine, even though it says it is.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
A trawler for experienced sailing cruisers
Replies
18
Views
2K
Mike Ondra
Mike Ondra
Osprey69
Selling Sailboat Strategy...
Replies
5
Views
685
Altair38
Altair38
M
House electrical
Replies
21
Views
2K
dutch-barge
D
C
Realities of seasonal Seattle - San Diego run
Replies
21
Views
2K
alfamike
alfamike
C
Would You?
Replies
15
Views
2K
Coastie54
C

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom