Which is the best Trawlers - after Grand Bank of course.

[josmason]

We are a cruising couple who have aged out of sailboats and are looking at trawlers. What do the coastal cruisers think are the Best Trawlers between 32 to 36 feet? Please tell me why you like the one or ones you think are the best?

[krafthaus]

FWIW, those Nordhavns look nice.

[boatpoker]

in that size range, 6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other including Grand Banks

[redsky49]

Perhaps a bit quirky, but I have always liked the Willard trawlers, especially the 36 footer designed by Bill Garden about 40 years ago.

[SVTwilight]

Willard or Krogen are the best I have seen along with a few Spencer Lincoln designs on the east coast

[HopCar]

This is the forum where sailors go when they get tired of being wet.
Trawler Forum

[OceanoMare]

There's a selection of designs with some comments in the book Voyaging Under Power. Different editions have a slightly different selection. Haven't got to that part yet, but you may want to borrow that book from somebody if you don't have it already.

[Trekker]

My personal choice would be a Monk 36 with Cummins 210 and bow thruster.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by HopCar

This is the forum where sailors go when they get tired of being wet.
Trawler Forum

I second that!

The Trawler Forum has many nice helpful members, some who are former sailors, some who are also members here in CF.

The "Which Trawler" question gets asked there and you will find many threads discussing the various boats.

When you post there, post the total budget you have, and where you are located, and what kind of cruising goals you have. That helps.

If you have any physical limitations that is helpful to know too. Some trawlers have multiple levels, steep ladders, while others are same level with few steps.

But, make sure you are upfront about your budget. That saves time.

[Dougtiff]

A " DEISEL DUCK " if you can afford it, 37 ft., amazing amount of room and LONG range with a slow turning, long stroke engine, have a friend who owns one, so have had the pleasure of crawling thru the bilges.

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by josmason

We are a cruising couple who have aged out of sailboats and are looking at trawlers. What do the coastal cruisers think are the Best Trawlers between 32 to 36 feet? Please tell me why you like the one or ones you think are the best?

===

There are a lot of different boats in the so called trawler category and choice depends on intended usage and personal priorities. If you want a boat that looks good and attracts a lot of attention, a Grand Banks classic with nicely kept woodwork is hard to beat. Keeping up the wood trim can be tiresome however. We've owned a GB49 for 12 years and it's been a great boat for us.

If you want a boat capable of going offshore for any distance you'll want some sort of stabilization, either passive or active. Another important consideration based on your priorities is twin engine vs single. Twins have greater inherent reliability and are easier to maneuver. Singles are less expensive to maintain and generally use less fuel.

In the 32 to 36 ft size range interior layouts tend to be similar but as you get bigger, galley-up vs galley-down becomes a consideration. Another design consideration is fly bridge vs pilot house.

Since we enjoy cruising in the boondocks where services and supplies are hard to come by, redundancy and range were important. That led to the choice of a twin engine boat with ample fuel and water tankage. If you're primarily interested in short range, inshore cruising however, those considerations become less important.

[reed1v]

We had a GB36 but found it way too noisy. Even with the addition of lots of soundproofing it was loud. Of course we were pampered having mostly been on sailboats. So get use to the loud noise. Think that applies to most trawlers.

Some of the commercial trawlers have their engines away from the pilot house and in bulkhead separated compartments. Way less noise penetration. There are quiet diesels but that is an additional expense. Fords, Cummins, and Cats are big heavy thumpers.

[bsurvey]

Nordhaven if you can afford it or cheoy lee they make an excellent fiberglass trawler with transverse watertight bulkheads

[bsurvey]

vegas are good boats and well built but poorly laid out with a lot of wasted interior space. you cannot get the engine in or out unless you take it apart inside the boat

[rwidman]

The "best" trawler is the one that you like that's in your price range. The age and maintenance figure in here as well. I like my Camano but it's a little smaller than what you specified.

I would suggest finding a broker to help you find your new boat. The seller pays the commission so it's free for you.