Why Move from Sailboat to Trawler?

[backinblue]

One additional thought - folks always talk about cave-like interior of a sailboat, but I think that misses the mark.

I know my boat is not the same style as most here, but my interior cabin is very sailboat-like. Call it cave-like or not, it was one of the things that actually appealed to me. Dark cherry wood and not too much light, but decent ventillation, makes it a cozy place to me. The difference is that the only things below are the head and beds. Galley and dining are up top, so that is a nice plus. I think I'd enjoy a flybridge but not the climbing up and down. Instead, if I want to be outside, there is space on the bow and stern to set up chairs or lounge cushions. Works good, at least for now.

 

[SteveK]

Not only that, but not all Trawlers are even Trawlers, including mine, even though it says it is.

Mine thinks it is a motoryacht and I have a picture to prove it, do you?

 

[Don L]

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.

Yeah My sailboat interior is kind of cave like. But that is because I have all the windows covered for heat control. I get pretty good airflow in my saloon went on anchor.

I have been on a couple of catamarans and I don"t really care for the layout. Plus they are out of my price range.

 

[Mako]

But the reverse is also true. On the trawler we look for windless, flat days. On a day with 20 knots with open fetch, I'd much rather stay in harbor.

Good point. Since childhood have always read about avoiding the dreaded Doldrums. About ye ole tyme sailors dying of dehydration.

For a power it those conditions are ideal.

 

[AlanT]

This thread does bring to mind that old saw about the stages of life:

Sailboat......Motorboat......Motorhome.......Rest Home!
~A

 

[Crux]

This thread does bring to mind that old saw about the stages of life:

Sailboat......Motorboat......Motorhome.......Rest Home!
~A

And one more.....Funeral Home...lol!!

 

[Peter B]

And one more.....Funeral Home...lol!!

Yah had to go and spoil it didn'tcha..?

 

[Simi 60]

Fuel will be easier to get in a trawler as lots of fuel places I have to pass by because of depth.

We draw 7.5ft now vs 2ft with boards up on our previous cat

But I already can go 300+ miles motoring on my main fuel tank not counting any jugs. .

3500nm now vs 70 nm on the cat

 

[BruceK]

Here`s an Australian designed and built motor sailer. High end, Buizen previously built the less luxurious Zeston brand. Very highly regarded and priced accordingly.
https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/buizen-48-mk-ii-pilothouse/291330

 

[tiltrider1]

Many years ago I switched from a Hunter 34 to a Uniflite 42(not exactly a trawler). My reasons were very clear.

My wife couldn’t take another winter in a cave.
We were tired of climbing over each other to get into bed.
We were tired of a wet head.
We wanted to operate the boat comfortably out of the weather for a longer cruising season.
We need more space but are budget was still small.
We wanted a more comfortable arrangement for watching TV.

Yes, we missed sailing, but not nearly as much as we enjoyed our new benefits.

Don’t know if any of this applies to the OP.

 

[OldDan1943]

Ah yes, the dreaded ‘cave’. Try 3-4 months on a submarine. Then you will understand ‘cave’

 

[Simi 60]

Here`s an Australian designed and built motor sailer. High end, Buizen previously built the less luxurious Zeston brand. Very highly regarded and priced accordingly.
https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boats-for-sale/used/sailing-boats/buizen-48-mk-ii-pilothouse/291330

A hell of a lot of money for not much imho

I did like the Buizens when they first came out decades ago but they ain't worth that.

For just a little bit more an S&S 97 in Aluminium
I reckon I could knock them down to the Buizens pricing (-;

She is an awesome bit of gear in real life.

https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boat...-boats/sparkman-stephens-97-pilothouse/290036

 

[Don L]

We draw 7.5ft now vs 2ft with boards up on our previous cat


3500nm now vs 70 nm on the cat

you win, thanks

 

[SteveK]

Many years ago I switched from a Hunter 34 to a Uniflite 42(not exactly a trawler). My reasons were very clear.

My wife couldn’t take another winter in a cave.
We were tired of climbing over each other to get into bed.
We were tired of a wet head.
We wanted to operate the boat comfortably out of the weather for a longer cruising season.
We need more space but are budget was still small.
We wanted a more comfortable arrangement for watching TV.

Yes, we missed sailing, but not nearly as much as we enjoyed our new benefits.

Don’t know if any of this applies to the OP.

Perfect. You should copy this and just post it up when this question comes up again. And it will.

 

[O C Diver]

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.

One of the trawlers you were asking about probably wouldn't have been a good fit for the Caribbean. You get a fair amount of stabilization from your boat under sail. That goes away with high profile trawlers without stabilizers. Your wife may find the sailboat ride more comfortable to an unstabilized trawler.

Regarding the upper Bahamas versus the rest of the Caribbean. As you go further south, there are large open areas to cross that make unstabilized boats less desirable.

Ted

 

[Mako]

https://www.boatsonline.com.au/boat...-boats/sparkman-stephens-97-pilothouse/290036

Nice. A bit too big for me to single hand and maintain Could buy this one and start your own reality TV show, your own version of Expedition to the Edge.

 

[Don L]

If a trawler can do do those maybe I should just STOP. What good is a boat that can not do a 150-200 mile open water trip?

 

[rslifkin]

If a trawler can do do those maybe I should just STOP. What good is a boat that can not do a 150-200 mile open water trip?

I'd say a good number of trawlers can do those passages, but it won't necessarily be as comfortable as sailing. The more capable coastal trawlers would do just fine if stabilized though. There are definitely some areas where a cheap sailboat will do fine, but you'd need a more expensive trawler to get an adequate level of capability and ride comfort.

Personally, I'd have no concerns with my boat in the Bahamas. With good weather planning, the further reaches of the Bahamas and out to Turks and Caicos would be ok. I don't think I'd be willing to take this boat much beyond that, however (mostly due to comfort in the typical sea conditions as you get further into the Carribean).

 

[O C Diver]

If a trawler can do do those maybe I should just STOP. What good is a boat that can not do a 150-200 mile open water trip?

I doubt you will do it in your sailboat with 60 knot winds. My point being that every boat has weather limitations, unstabilized trawlers are likely less tolerant than your sailboat. If you're not willing tolerate a lower weather metric, maybe your sailboat is a better choice.

Ted

 

[Don L]

I doubt you will do it in your sailboat with 60 knot winds.

Ted

well that is being silly if you are saying a trawler boat goes out on purpose in that type of weather and sailboat doesn't

 

[Don L]

Personally, I'd have no concerns with my boat in the Bahamas. With good weather planning, the further reaches of the Bahamas and out to Turks and Caicos would be ok. I don't think I'd be willing to take this boat much beyond that, however (mostly due to comfort in the typical sea conditions as you get further into the Carribean).

Really. Why would you feel it OK to get to the T&Cs but not into the Caribbean from there? You already did the longest island hop etc.

I was going to stay from this thread drift, but since I feel the original question is as dead as it is going to be I will.

 

[rslifkin]

Really. Why would you feel it OK to get to the T&Cs but not into the Caribbean from there? You already did the longest island hop etc.

I was going to stay from this thread drift, but since I feel the original question is as dead as it is going to be I will.

It's not so much the distance that's a concern (especially as for anything up to ~150nm I have the option to waste a bunch of fuel and run it at 17 kts to shrink the necessary weather window). It's that my understanding of the weather in the area means the typical sea state is a lot more significant as you get further out into the Carribbean and there's less opportunity to hide from it. So while the boat could likely handle it fine, it wouldn't necessarily be enjoyable.

 

[mvweebles]

If a trawler can do do those maybe I should just STOP. What good is a boat that can not do a 150-200 mile open water trip?

I forget if it's Kasten or Gerr, but one of them has a good white paper on stabilizers in that they do not make the boat safer, just more comfortable. In otherwords, the righting moments (AVS) do not change with stabilization.

AKDoug just posted that he is now in Canadian waters having left La Paz MX many weeks ago, a trek to weather of close to 2500nms that he made in less than a half dozen stops. BTW - this is his return trip: he left SE Alaska last fall in the company of KSanders aboard his Bayliner 4788 (a comfortable Bahamas boat in my opinion). AKDoug's boat is an unstabilized Willard 30, little sister to my {stabilized} Willard 36.

Our intended cruising is open ended but in the same waters. Overall, cruising will be similar to what you (Don, OP) have expressed. I personally would not do the trip in an unstabilized boat. That's a very common refrain from folks who have owned and cruised stabilized boats. Folks who have never owned a stabilized boat are more ambivalent....even if they've been aboard stabilized boats. Cost is a factor, of course.

Don, all I can say is very, very few folks who transition from sail to power return to sail. I know one guy who did - he was a diehard Valiant fan, bought a Nordhavn 57, and decided to return to a Valiant 50.

I don't think there's anything new to add here. Honestly, sounds like you're pretty happy with your current boat so I'm not sure what problem there is that would cause you to go through the expense and effort to swap boats - any boat, not just to power. Sounds like the folks on this thread either were not infaturated with sailing (myself included); or there were some age-related mobility issues with either themself or their partner/spouse. Let's face it, when someone says "I found myself motoring more than I was sailing," they are somewhere down on the 'like' vs 'love' end of the sailing spectrum.

If you really love sailing, you're probably best to just stick with your current boat. If you've grown weary of sailing and the work that goes along with it, then chances are you'll be pretty happy with a trawler/powerboat. Really depends on how satisfied you are with sailing. Sounds like you've put a lot of engine hours on your boat - that alone may be a clue (assuming motoring vs charging batteries).

Peter

 

[O C Diver]

well that is being silly if you are saying a trawler boat goes out on purpose in that type of weather and sailboat doesn't

No. My point was that every boat has weather limitations (including your sailboat). There are conditions you won't go out in in your sailboat. So, if you're not willing to stay put more often with an unstabilized trawler, maybe the sailboat is a better option.

Ted

 

[Fletcher500]

I think you answered your own question.

 

[Don L]

Sounds like you've put a lot of engine hours on your boat - that alone may be a clue (assuming motoring vs charging batteries).

Peter

Maybe it just means I travel more.

 

[OldDan1943]

Engine to charge batteries and heat the water for showers and maybe cooking(?)

 

[Don L]

Engine to charge batteries and heat the water for showers and maybe cooking(?)

Rarely! Boat has solar, a Honda generator, and propane. But this is thread drift.

 

[OldDan1943]

IMO, not really thread drift.
Even on a sail boat you need to charge your batteries and shower, before you enter a port, so they will let you tie up (tease)
I agree with your solar. Easy to charge the batteries to operate the navigation equipment and radios.

 

[psneeld]

OK, back to the original post....

What do you gain or lose from switching boat types?

Enough is said here and anyone with decent experience knows the difference.

The trick is that many of one or the other have drastically different comforts, abilities, costs, etc.... and one just has to evaluate to what your plans are.

To think there is a "generalized answer" shows a big lack of something.