Good Trawlers for Around $150k ?

[hclouston]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, and was wondering whether you fine people could answer a question that has been bugging me.

Whenever people talk about good trawlers, they talk about Nordhavn, Selene, Kadey Krogen, etc. These are fantastic boats, but are a little pricey.

My question is, if these are the best you can get. Which manufacturers should I be looking at that are not top of the line, but still have a good reputation for quality?

Is it really worth the extra money to buy a Nordhavn?

Is it possible to buy a decent trawler for around 150k that would be suitable for circumnavigation?

I guess that is a few questions, but hopefully someone can provide answers!

Thanks in advance.

Heath.

[Mike Sibley]

I'm a sailer, but will offer a few impressions.

1. A $150,000 trawler is not going to be as seaworthy or as seakindly as a $150,000 sailboat.
2. circumnavigating in a trawler will cost a gazillian dollars in diesel fuel.
3. trawlers tend to roll a lot in lumpy watter - you may not want to take a $150,000 trawler too far from a safe harbor.
4. most people attempting a circumnavigation will spend more than $150,000 for a properly equipped boat.

I suspect that more than a few people will take exception to one or more of the above.

Mike

[Tom.B]

I take exception with a sailor lurking around a powerboat forum! (not really... )

Back on topic... I would kind of doubt you'd be able to cruise the world and the seven seas with a $150K trawler. ESPECIALLY for a Pacific passage. Now, I'm NO expert, but for giant pulls like that you need a few things. Length for stability in big water, stabilizers for the same obvious reasons, massive fuel capacity, excellent electronics suite, well maintained and reliable power plant... the list goes on. That being said, you MIGHT be able to find a platform in which to start building a long distance boat, but you'll end up adding a ton of money to have it upgraded to the task. (Hatteras LRC or something like that)

Sure, LOTS of smaller boats can and have make it, but usually their circumstances are different. But to make a comfortable crossing for pleasure? I wouldn't do it with anything less than the best boat you can buy for it. Maybe it's just me. Like I said... I am by no means an expert, but when my eyes shone wide when I was buying our first boat, I too dreamed of crossing the world's oceans and lounging on the beaches of Fiji or Greece. However, I quickly learned that perhaps, if we are lucky, we might get to the Bahamas... or do the Great Loop. Dream of a Ferrari... deal with a Chevy. Reality sure sucks sometimes. There's always the chance I'll win the lottery. :-D

[doug86]

look for a used one of these:
Diesel Ducks Home Page

[defever]

forget about a world circumnavigation in a $150k power boat....ain't gonna happen... HOWEVER, if you want to see the world, i'd suggest a $100k boat, cruise around the sw atlantic/carribean, then put it on a dockwise (or similar) boat and ship it to the med. for further experiences. from there you can see alot of the world without huge long passages and not have to worry about problems in mid-ocean....

[boatman61]

Ok... its wind up time again... Boatmans here wiv his "Never say Never" attitude...
Why cant he Circumnavigate in his prospective trawler...
Atlantic Crossing... why not... I've seen Trawlers sitting in Horta after crossing from Bermuda... which is the longest hop for that ocean.... going E or W...
The Pacific... Why not cruise N to Alaska then across the Bering to the Russian Islands and down to Japan.... then its coastal and Island hopping around the Pacific.... The Indian Ocean/Bay of Bengal can be coast hopped and include the Chagos/Maldives.... then comes the only real tricky part.... Iran and the Gulf/Yemen/Red Sea and thats with the Pirates....
Regardless of the paranoia about Iran amongst US citizens I think they'd be fairly open to a vessel transiting their water if people went about it the PROPER WAY... ie; advance notification, visa's and constant communication re progress/position and steered clear of 'sensitive area's' which they would be informed of.... the Somali Pirates would have to be dealt with/got around like everyone else... take a chance and go for it....
So the only real possible blocks are China, Russia... visa's... tho' that should be no real problem with the current political climate...
And Iran.... Visa.... though you should be able to fuel up at the last port in Pakistan which is Gwadar and then go S to clear Iranian waters then turn W for Masquat..
Ok..... who's gonna be the first.....

[lorenzo b]

Trawlers are fishing boats designed to drag nets out in the deep blue sea for weeks at a time, are suitable for open water, have vast fuel and water capacity, and single diesels that will run forever.
Nordhavn etc are pleasure boats that have some of the features of trawlers but still are shiny and clean, have carpets, picture windows, tile bathrooms and all the fancy amenities of a large land trailer.
When it comes to pleasure boats, 50% of the cost gets wasted on brightwork and frills, and 50% spent on a good hull, diesel, and electronics. Their owners are uniformly male, old, well off, retired, and of European heritage, and exactly what you would expect to find at any country club. In my year of cruising the East Coast I met one, read my lips here folks, one African American couple traveling on a boat. A lot of European, but no Asians or Hispanics.
Fishermen, people who go to sea and fish, are the opposite.
If you want a good boat to cross oceans, go talk to the Vietnamese in Louisiana. And you will need a pocket full on money to make it livable, depending on your tastes.

[boatman61]

Or buy a MFV conversion.....

[Tom.B]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

Trawlers are fishing boats designed to drag nets out in the deep blue sea for weeks at a time, are suitable for open water, have vast fuel and water capacity, and single diesels that will run forever.

REAL trawlers can do that (see your avatar), but pleasure boat trawler's design are only INFLUENCED by their namesake cousins. There is NO WAY we could cross any ocean in Skinny Dippin'. Heck, it would be hard for me to want to attempt it in a 40' Krogen. But I am a chicken like that.

[seafish]

I'm following the path of Lorenzo b...ie, converting a shrimper or trawl boat. Buy one right and stick with the basics and $150k is a mid range budget. At 85ft I've got 25,000 gal of fuel and 6,000 gal of water. A friend just bought fuel in Venezuela for 40 cents per gal...roughly 12,000 miles....and it goes to weather.

[rourkeh]

To get quality construction in that price range you will need to buy an older, well maintained boat like this Defever 1978 Defever Twin Engine Stabilized Sedan Trawler- Trades Considered- BRING ALL OFFERS

There are a lot of decent boats like this around it also depends on the size you are looking for. These days you can get a lot ob boat for $150k if you are willing to do some work.

[hclouston]

Thanks for the great replies guys!

I doubt I would do an actual circumnavigation, but I would like to be able to travel long distances.

I live in Australia and would love to be able to travel up to Alaska, or to the Orkney Islands for example.

If I was to move up to the $300k mark, what would the best options be?

I'm still very much in the dreaming / planning stage but would like to be able set a goal amount of money to aim to spend.

[lorenzo b]

If you live in Australia, take a trip to Sulawesi in Indonesia and check out their wooden fishing boats.

[navigator54]

I would second the suggestion to look at the Diesel Ducks especially with $300K to spend.

[David_Old_Jersey]

I'd go for a decommissioned fishing trawler. But beware of anything that has already passed through the hands of a dreamer with more optimism than money. but that same for any boat

Will cost a lot of money to convert her to motor yacht standard of finish and mod cons, but if you are happy with a more workmanlike level of fit out and maybe also even not converting every last inch of her to a yacht - fish hold(s) would make a great workshop / storage rather than a 5th bedroom etc the numbers could start coming towards you..........well, until you hit resale - as will be a bit of a niche market


Might be worth googling on Charter Dive Boats for sale - the sort of business that can attract those with a bit more cash and optimisim than sense.