How Safe Are Trawlers in Big Seas ?

[Sabbatical II]

I have only experience in sailboats at sea and none in trawlers. My preference for ocean crossing with a boat in the 40 - 45' range is a very solid sailing mono. However, I do accept that a sailing cat in this size range is also an acceptable vessel with advantages & disadvantages that distinguish it from the mono.

My question is, Can you safely cross oceans in a 40-45' trawler knowing that one day your ultimate storm will come and the trawler, I suspect is will neither float nor right itself if inverted?

Greg

[DeepFrz]

How safe are trawlers in big seas? How high is a mountain, how deep are the seas?

Maybe you want to scrub this thread and ask a specific question about a specific trawler? Did you have one in mind or is this just bait?

[cal40john]

This isn't the company that I remember advertising in the magazines, but there are more than one company that makes self righting ocean crossing motorboats if you don't like the other kind.

ellingmotoryachts.com

[vintageray]

It might be safe if it cut loose the barge full of fuel it would have to tow in order to cross an ocean.

[lorenzo b]

Watch The Perfect Storm. The 100' trawler sank, the little sailboat washed up on the Jersey shore intact.

[motion30]

I have no answer but can say my little 34' trawler can take Much more then I can

[djmarchand]

A real blue water sailboat (one with 130+ deg of stability) set up properly is pretty near unsinkable. Sure it will roll in a Perfect Storm sea, and it will probably lose its rig, but it will right itself. All of this assumes locked hatchboards, etc.

A trawler without internal ballast will not right itself quickly. Some with internal ballast- Nordhavn and Krogen will be much less likely to go over, and when they do they can be righted by the next wave.

But no trawler is going to be as stable and safe as a sailboat with 35% of its weight in its keel.

[lorenzo b]

I would add that cats are the least safe, when they go over, they stay over. Hard to understand why someone would get in a boat that has escape hatches in the lowest part of the boat.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

I would add that cats are the least safe, when they go over, they stay over. Hard to understand why someone would get in a boat that has escape hatches in the lowest part of the boat.

More baiting?

Perhaps you can attempt to explain how a powered cat could capsize?
And then provide examples of one that actually happened?

[lorenzo b]

A wave comes along and flips it over.
Are you saying it can't happen?
Surely cat are less likely the capsize, but when they do they will stay capsized.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

A wave comes along and flips it over.
Are you saying it can't happen?

I'm saying provide some evidence of it actually happening
Made up fantasy does not interest me.

Surely cat are less likely the capsize,

So thats a good thing right?

but when they do they will stay capsized.

But they wont be sunk
Thats also a good thing (sunk is a bad thing)

Once again, please demonstrate how they will capsize, with examples

The first part of this article and study, where people who know what they are talking about did actual tests, may help

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

How safe are trawlers in big seas? How high is a mountain, how deep are the seas?

Maybe you want to scrub this thread and ask a specific question about a specific trawler? Did you have one in mind or is this just bait?

Seems to me to be a reasonable query from a fairly experienced sailor about another type of ocean-going vessel with which he has no experience.

I'm in the same position -- been sailing offshore for all too many years, but have never even gone for a "day-motor" in a trawler. We are beginning to see a few trawler type motor yachts in remote anchorages these days, and I too have wondered about some of them. Some are converted fishing vessels, others are the Nordhaven type. These two genres sure look different to me, and I wonder how their stability curves compare.

I'm not ready to give up sailing yet, but it could happen someday and some data would be useful whilst contemplating the change!

Cheers,

Jim

[gonesail]

the 60' coyote capsized and remained afloat .. didn't much matter cause robert plant did not survive the experience. i might add that light boats are more tender and therefore more violent and dangerous in their handling of big seas.

[sabray]

Mike plant built a custom high tech one off named coyote. The boat was found without it's keel. Mike was lost.the sailing community lost a great person and sailor. How that tragedy has anything to do with trawlers escapes me. I

[lorenzo b]

Read all that fine print you sent us, it's not objective research, it's a sales pitch by someone selling boats.