Trawler or Sail Boat

[SaltyMonkey]

I'd take a Nordhavn w/ stabilizers anyday over a sailr if I could afford it. Comfort; a real ngin room; snug pilot house. The question is gas.

[Kokanee]

I was tossing up between trawler & sailboat as well. I love the peacefulness of sailing, but wanted to use the boat year round, including our damp drizzly winters, in comfort.
I also needed a boat that could handle moderate swell without rolling like a log in he water.

A motorsailer turned out to be the perfect choice. Maybe not as fast as some under sail alone, but I'm ok with that.
My gaff rig will sail downwind at a good speed; it will claw its way off a lee shore; and it will get me to port if the engine ever dies.

I spend my time divided evenly under sail alone; sail & power; power alone. All up averaging about 6 knots.

It works for me.

[Old Man River]

thank you all for your time and input. after spending a little time in the BVI's it was quite obvious which boat is the most common among cruisers . mono haul sailboat 30-40 feet in length. the angle didn't brother me. it was the relatively small cockpit on the older boats and the fact when you go inside you're down in a hole. not saying it wouldn't work just different. we had the opportunity to go on a 55 ft Nordhavn one hell of a boat but comes with a price tag to match. if i were doing passages that would be the boat i'd want. are there any other trawlers that match them in quality and durability?

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Old Man River

thank you all for your time and input. after spending a little time in the BVI's it was quite obvious which boat is the most common among cruisers . mono haul sailboat 30-40 feet in length. the angle didn't brother me. it was the relatively small cockpit on the older boats and the fact when you go inside you're down in a hole. not saying it wouldn't work just different. we had the opportunity to go on a 55 ft Nordhavn one hell of a boat but comes with a price tag to match. if i were doing passages that would be the boat i'd want. are there any other trawlers that match them in quality and durability?

You get what you pay for. At least you don't get more than what you paid for. I like my Camano but it's a too small for ocean crossings. Nordic Tug seems to make a quality boat.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Old Man River

thank you all for your time and input. after spending a little time in the BVI's it was quite obvious which boat is the most common among cruisers . mono haul sailboat 30-40 feet in length. the angle didn't brother me. it was the relatively small cockpit on the older boats and the fact when you go inside you're down in a hole. not saying it wouldn't work just different. we had the opportunity to go on a 55 ft Nordhavn one hell of a boat but comes with a price tag to match. if i were doing passages that would be the boat i'd want. are there any other trawlers that match them in quality and durability?

Well, you don't have to start at 55'

A 30-40' "trawler" could offer approx. 200% more space than many 30-40' sailboats.

Assuming you're not talking "long passages" -- and with varying degrees of quality -- there are probably 10-15 brands out there: Grand Banks, CHB, Mainship, Selene, Ocean Alexander, Island Gypsy, Sabre, Defever, Monk, Krogen, etc etc etc.

Search yachtworld for single diesel boats in your preferred length range... and that'll give you a bunch of brand names. Then go back and search those kinds of names for twins, if that's your preference.

-Chris

[Eleuthera 2014]

Hi OMR,

We understand you have a relatively small budget....

If you want to travel far and wide, get the tool to do the job.

Proper sailing yacht of Amel name, Oyster, IP, Swan, Najad and their ilk will keep you safe and confortable. Even a trawler at hull speed will cost you far more than an 80 HP engine in a sailboat. a 320 HP single diesel in a trawler will cost 4 X as much as the 80 HP...

GL

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Eleuthera 2014

Hi OMR,

We understand you have a relatively small budget....

If you want to travel far and wide, get the tool to do the job.

Proper sailing yacht of Amel name, Oyster, IP, Swan, Najad and their ilk will keep you safe and confortable. Even a trawler at hull speed will cost you far more than an 80 HP engine in a sailboat. a 320 HP single diesel in a trawler will cost 4 X as much as the 80 HP...

GL

Lots of less expensive sailing yatchs will keeep you safe and comfortable rather than the expensive list you provided.

Also, I believe the subject was sail boat vs trawler not sailboat vs plainging power boat dressed up as a trawler. The only cost issue with a trawler is resisting running at 8-10kts rather than 5-7kts. It doesn't sound like much until you realize it can get you in on a long days run a couple hours sooner.

[captain58sailin]

I was thinking of building a large outrigger for when I settle in Belize. I have sailed on them and they are quite fast. The only modernization would be a small solar panel and sealed battery for a masthead light and reading light at night and a small outboard for when things are against me. Break out the hand lines and go fishing!

[ObsessionSTJ]

Hi there,
I'll do my best to answer your questions. As we are not full time cruisers I can only tell you from my perspective as a sailboat liveaboard and what we've seen in our sails in the Caribbean.

which are more common among cruisers sailboats or trawlers? At least in our part of the Caribbean sailboats. My husband however is a bit fan of trawlers as well and drools over them when he sees them. We currently love our 37C Hunter right now.

average age of each? If you are referring to the cruisers themselves, It seems as though most cruisers are in their mid 50's to 60's. We are in our late 30's.

oaverage length of each? I would say the most common is 36-42' sailboats. And about 40' trawlers the very few we see.

pros and cons of each? A sailboat is a beautiful, peaceful way to get to your destination, but a trawler offers a great amount of room for living. Both require having a good working mechanical mind since repairs are always needed no matter which you acquire. (The beauty of a sailboat is if your engine conks out at least you still have your sails.

safety issues ? Maybe someone else has something to say about this one.

how do people get their prescriptions while cruising?
That one I don't know. Sorry.

last of all is this an active lifestyle or a lot of solitude ? I think it can be whatever you make of it. If you love solitude there are numerous tranquil anchorages to enjoy. In some locales there are lots of great beach bars and happy cruisers to visit with and get to know. That's what's great about boats and cruisers of all sorts.

Happy cruising no matter how you decide to get there!

Camile

I've kept a blog of our journeys over the last year and a half. Here's the link if you want to take a look. www.mountainsandseashore.blogspot.com