General Question about Trawlers / Cruisers

[drumbeater]

Ok, I'll get it back on track and we'll stop talking about rotting shrimp and holding tanks.

The boat would be used for inland waterway cruising, maybe some close to shore ocean cruising, but I'm not planning on heading to Bermuda.

The only fishing would be on the bottom with a fishfinder rig. I've got a 23' Scout center console to use if I want to go fishing.

Needs to handle 4 people comfortably and then maybe a couple more on an air matress in a pinch.

Fiberglass and diesel, no question. I was filling my CC a few weeks ago at a dock near Hilton Head and gas was the usual $1.50 more than at the land pumps, but diesel was within .20 cents of what I pay on land for my truck.

[Gene :^)]

I suggest you check out Passagemaker.com forum since they are powerboat oriented. They will also want to know what kind of budget you had in mind.

For inland cruising keep in mind the air draft or overall height of the boat as well as the draft or depth of the boat. You want to fit under bridges and over shallow water for gunkholing.

Now you need to think about speed, slow as in displacement boat or fast as in semi-planing. Single screw is usually best for displacement and Twin screw is usually semi-planing. Docking is usually easier with Twin screw. Fuel economy is far superior in a displacement boat. The difference could be 1 to 8 gph vs. 10 to 40 gph. Speed equals fuel burn.

Single screw usually has a protected propeller and rudder. If you go aground you normally don't damage either.

Twin screw usually has the propellers and rudder hanging the lowest so any time you touch bottom you are at extreme risk of bending/damaging either.

There are always exceptions so do your homework.

[defever]

look at a 15-20 yr old defever. they are heavy stable vessels, semi-displacement hulls ( alot less rolly than displacements), built to last and a real value. my 41 ft is 25 yrs old (i've lived aboard 15 yr w/ 40,000 km under the hull and extremely well kept. get a good surveyer on any boat you look at---it'll save you hours of frustration and $$$$$.

[stevensc]

I have to say, I was on Lorenzo's shrimp boat conversion a couple of weeks ago, I didn't notice any lingering shrimp smell this was about noon on a 95 degree day. It looked to me a very roomy and sturdy boat.
Steve
Steve

[Larry Douglas]

I agree fully with the 'need to know the purpose' suggestion. We cruise the Pacific Northwest (U.S. and Canada) with our 1974 40 ft. Tolly, and find it to be large enough to be comfortable and small enough to be affordable and able to fit into the smaller marinas and anchorages. Other folks will have other needs and priorities, such as a 'great fishing machine'. My preferences are for fiberglass, twin diesel, and dual helm stations. Other than that, the appearance and interior layout are important as well. All boats need regular maintenance, and making intelligent and informed decisions (don't replace broken junk with new junk...) goes a long way.

[Blaine]

Hi John,

Here are some thoughts that might help, in no particular order. . .

First, I would stay away from Carver and likewise Meridian (Bayliner's big brother) as both are in Chapter 11.

I own a 42' Grand Banks Motoryacht (an '82) which is a battleship, has three staterooms and enough room for a family of four to live happily ever after.

It seems that every brand and model of boat has it's own particular maintenance issues that are consistent from one boat to the next, so I would focus on finding the boat(s) that interest you (The Powerboat Guide is a great resource), then start learning all you can about those particular boats.

When my search became focused around the GB, I learned about several things to watch out for. First, the fuel tanks were made of black iron and rated for a 25-year lifespan. Rmoving the tanks is a bitch -- they have to be cut up in the bildge and fed out piece by piece. Next, the teak decks are also good for about 25 years, and pulling up a teak deck is no picnic either (ask me how I know that. . .)

I made it a point to attend the local GB rendezvous prior to doing any serious shopping, and the owners I met were very happy to talk with me.

There are also forums for all of the boats you'll be considering which are very informative and helpful. I recommend you check out both the GB and Nordhaven.

Good luck!

[robw_fl]

Just my 2 cents...

Grand Banks are indeed nice boats. They tend to be a little more of a wet ride than some other trawlers when going into any kind of headsea. But well-built, and priced accordingly.

The Taiwan boats - yep, some reasonably affordable ones out there. If you look at those, look to see which YARD they were built in, and research that particular yard. Many of the same models were produced by several different yards, resulting in a variety of build qualities (and lack therof) among the same line of boats. Island Gypsy has a decent line of trawlers that are well built, lower priced that GB and the ones out of the Kong/Halvorsen yard are pretty well put together. I've been running one of those to the Bahamas and back the last few years and it does just fine.

Def. want to watch out for the teak decks and fuel tanks, as mentioned before.

Also any leakage around ports/fittings etc. Some plywood houses don't like that water too much...and some of the taiwan boats really liked their cheap plywood houses.

I owned a Bristol 42 Trawler (yep, the same "Bristol") for a few years and have to say, I was as impressed with the build of that as anything else I've been on...and I've been on quite a few.

And someone mentioned Carver and Meridian etc...def. stay away from those IMO. Especially Meridian...but any of those clorox bottles will rattle your teeth and give you nothing but headaches over the long haul. Not meant to run...just meant to look pretty at the dock - and honestly, I don't think they even pull that off.

Anyway...good luck with your search.

[beau]

Here in Australia a lot of cruisers buy ex prawn trawlers or ex cray fishing boats from tasmania. Both are good sea boats with lots of room.
They usually have to re engine them because the motors in the prawn trawlers are too big.
Personally, I had my power trimaran (with downwind sail) built new out of Aluminium, and fitted it outmyself. It doesn't have to be a 2 year job. I was in the water after 3 months.
That way you can have exactly what you want.

[sqrtof2]

I joined this thread b/c while you were giving advise to drumbeater, I was getting info also. I have checked out Tolly, Nordhavn, Defever, Bristol. I am not sure about them. I want to live and cruise beyond the Ches. Bay. The boats my broker has shown me, according to this forum are not "sea worthy" (see "Need help Picking") I am going to check the reviews.
Thanks everyone!!!!!

[sqrtof2]

In response to your suggestions, I read alot of Pascoe. According to him if I have to ask, I shouldn't be buying. So I read almost everything he wrote about used boats. It was helpful to know what to look for. I looked at several review sites but could not find references to the boats I am looking at. I like the Tolly Sundeck alot. Are they "sea worthy?"
Once again thanks!

[sonny1976]

hi i just signed up as member and am getting ready t buy my frist liveabord sail boat and was loking at a morgen outisland 40' is this a good boat some others hve told me yes but were trying to sale me one at the same time

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by beau

Here in Australia a lot of cruisers buy ex prawn trawlers or ex cray fishing boats from tasmania. Both are good sea boats with lots of room.
They usually have to re engine them because the motors in the prawn trawlers are too big.

Heres a fantastic site that fills me inspiration to push forward with my build
Cruising Under Power Southeast Asia in a Converted Fishing Boat

It has details of conversion from Fishing boat to comfortable liveaboard, REAL fuel usage figures and plenty of additional information.

Unfortunately last night, I found out Phillip, co owner of MV Lifeline, passed away in Kota Kinabalu late last year.
Philip John Goodrick - Help celebrate Philip's life in stories, music and photos

I was quite shocked at the news, I had been following the site for a couple of years and had been eagerly waiting for the next installment from Sue.

A very sharp jolt as to how short life is.

My belated condolences go out to Sue and family.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Heres a fantastic site that fills me inspiration to push forward with my build
Cruising Under Power Southeast Asia in a Converted Fishing Boat

It has details of conversion from Fishing boat to comfortable liveaboard, REAL fuel usage figures and plenty of additional information.

Unfortunately last night, I found out Phillip, co owner of MV Lifeline, passed away in Kota Kinabalu late last year.
Philip John Goodrick - Help celebrate Philip's life in stories, music and photos

I was quite shocked at the news, I had been following the site for a couple of years and had been eagerly waiting for the next installment from Sue.

A very sharp jolt as to how short life is.

My belated condolences go out to Sue and family.

Dang!
I had not been to the site for a while.
Sad to hear.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by sonny1976

hi i just signed up as member and am getting ready t buy my frist liveabord sail boat and was loking at a morgen outisland 40' is this a good boat some others hve told me yes but were trying to sale me one at the same time

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Sonny.

The The Morgan OI 41 can be a good value boat for it’s limited purposes, but I don’t think it could be realistically described as a “great” boat.

Here’s a “diplomatic” review of the Morgan Out Island 41, by Naval Architect Jack Horner.

➥ BoatUS.com: Boat Reviews by Jack Hornor, N.A. - Morgan Out Island 41

[Tom.B]

Don't let anyone scare you away from the CHB (or Taiwanese trawlers of the 80's). If you find one that was well cared for, they can be PERFECT boats for what you have in mind. Ask me how I know... We have the same ideas and goals. They are great starter boats and can really get you used to what trawler ownership is like for not a lot of money when compared to their higher quality (and higher priced) cousins. But there are a few keys. The first I mentioned already. You MUST find one that was well cared for. There can be issues with decks and hulls. And boats that may look the same, but made in different yards, could be VERY different in construction.

Find a surveyor that knows these boats. Not all do.

Since this is your first big boat, I'd say go with single engine and limited electronics. Do start learning how to handle and navigate with crutches like dual engines and 10" chart plotters. One engine will keep your costs WAY down. You'll cruise more and use less fuel. There will be lower winterizing costs, loer oil change costs, lower mechanic hours if you have to hire someone.

As for the nav aids. They might be nice, but learn to do without (or just a simple GPS) all the gizmos first and learn on paper and eyesight. Ask around at your home marina about the local waters. You'll quickly find out that the charts and chart plotters aren't always correct. And you'll make more friends in the process.

I'd stay well under 40' for sure. Don't worry about room for your friends. They'll find a spot to crash and be happy. Worry about getting enough boat for you, but not more than you can handle. There is a steep learning curve in handling these boats (trawlers) over ski boats and center-console fishing craft. Find a local captian to give you lessons. It's like golf. Someone can teach you in a day, but you'll spend a lifetime trying to perfect it. If you get one in good shape, you'll not lose your shirt if you need to upgrade in a year or two.

I just went through this whole process 10 weeks ago (that's when we closed anyway... we shopped for months), so let me know if you have any questions while it's all still fresh in my mind. A lot of the guys on forums have been in boating for years or decades and may have a different angle on being a first time buyer. (no offence y'all) I might have a fresher approach to it since I too am still very new to all of this. My first post here, in fact.