Which Trawler should I consider ?

[Cheechako]

Nordic Tugs are great. Not cheap for sure. I think they come down to 26 ft. There are other similar styles that would be fine for you. Maybe search "Tug Trawler". Trawler style motorboats are very comfortable and nice to be on. Mainship is another trawler , not a tug, type. But most are pretty old now.
Nordic Tug
Ranger Tug
American Tug
Mainship
Grand Banks

[Symphony]

Mainship Pilots are perfect for the Loop. I have a 2007 34' pilot. 3' draft, 9' air draft. heat, A/C nice galley, great fwd cabin, salon, wheel house, cockpit, swim step. Lots of room for wife and me, and we've had 1 or 2 family members aboard too.

I have single 370hp yanmar with a bow thruster and I can put the boat in any slip. also comes with a twin engine version, but that makes the engine room crowded.

[CaptJPMcGuire]

The one that makes your heart sing and dosent break the bank.
I have a Grand Banks 42 -1977. It was as lovely today as when she was a young girl.
But she's part of the family and like my wife and I she to has a few new pets here and there,

[mako]

Hi Al_B, the Trawlerforum is great and this site is also great especially when discussing equipment and voyaging. Try to clearly define your scope of requirements, list everything possible down including budget (Capex and Opex), then prioritize into your A-B-C grading.

One word of advice, especially to a 70 years old, or a 60 years old, or a 10 year old, make sure you're comfortable moving around the engine room of any boat you choose. Consider how your back and neck will feel when you spend 6 straight hours down there. The engine room becomes your workshop, garage and place to hide from the world .

BTW, am I the only one who has taken his laptop down into the engine room and just hung out with a beer, staring at those beautiful Jimmies???

[JohnnyCay]

A good trawler in excellent condition like a Nordhavn or equivalent will set you back 300 to 400k. I2M an older voter and love sailing but find cruising a trawler much more relaxing and possible to do it my age. Having a look around at the various possibilities and my budget created an interesting set of options. There are older trawlers and older boats that fit that description you just have to look a little harder. Join some of the forums on Facebook and other places and have a look at what other people are running. After you have decided on what you want to do, have a look at those boats yourself. Get to know some of the Marina owners and brokers. You'll be surprised what you might find at your cost point.

[sailor sully]

I’m 76 and have been sailing/motoring the same 33ft Norwegian motor sailor for the last 38 years. For us it has been the best of both worlds, easy to sail yet with a diesel powerful enough to push us through the heavy tidal currents of the San Juan Islands. That being said if/when I can no longer haul a halyard or trim a sail, I will consider a Nordic tug to cruise into the sunset.

[Firehoser75]

One piece of advice I would add, is stay away from screwed down teak decks. If it hasn't leaked yet, it will! Major costs or if you know how to handle this, time will be involved. Also, twin engines usually mean very cramped engine rooms, very difficult to work on at least one of the engines, and of course double the costs.
As far as "good" trawlers, it depends on whether or not you want full displacement or semi-displacement.
I looked for over 1.5 years after selling our sailboat before deciding on a 2002 Nordic Tug 37. I can say that Nordic Tugs are well built, and are relatively economical on fuel (about 2 gallons per hour at 7-8 knots), but are capable of about 15 knots wide open (but you can watch the fuel gauge drop at that speed). This summer I met another NT 37 owner who travels every summer (18 years in a row) from Puget sound (near Seattle) to Alaska and now has over 9000 hours on his Cummins diesel.
If it were me, other boats I would consider are American Tugs, Pacific Trawlers, Helmsman or Mariner Seville, and Grand Banks if you can find one without the afore mentioned teak decks with a single engine.
For full displacement: Kadey Krogan, Willard, and of course Nordhavn.
Most important, find one that has been looked after (loved), and has good maintenance records.
This is just my humble opinion after hours of research, and looking at over 50 boats before finally buying (just ask my broker), but I can tell you that the Nordic Tug 37 is very comfortable for my wife and I, handles the seas well for a semi-displacement coastal cruiser, and is stoutly built.
Good luck with your boat hunting,
Tom Easterbrook

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Mainship Pilots are perfect for the Loop. I have a 2007 34' pilot. 3' draft, 9' air draft. heat, A/C nice galley, great fwd cabin, salon, wheel house, cockpit, swim step. Lots of room for wife and me, and we've had 1 or 2 family members aboard too.

I have single 370hp yanmar with a bow thruster and I can put the boat in any slip. also comes with a twin engine version, but that makes the engine room crowded.

Seems like one hell of a lot of HP for a trawler type that size? How is fuel consumption?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Seems like one hell of a lot of HP for a trawler type that size? How is fuel consumption?

Boy does it! 100 hp would be plenty. 60 hp would be fine.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Boy does it! 100 hp would be plenty. 60 hp would be fine.

I didn't research it. I may have made the assumption it was a trawler type hull.
Even at that I can't see that HP on a boat that size. Maybe a commercial fisherman. Lobster pot fishing comes to mind. As long as they are happy.
I just can think of advocating that for the loop.

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Cadence

Seems like one hell of a lot of HP for a trawler type that size? How is fuel consumption?

Yep.
Our 60 ft and 65 tonne has a 350hp cummins
To do 8 knots we use less than 100hp of it.

Our almost sister ship converted at the same time has a 150hp Gardner

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I didn't research it. I may have made the assumption it was a trawler type hull.
Even at that I can't see that HP on a boat that size. Maybe a commercial fisherman. Lobster pot fishing comes to mind. As long as they are happy.
I just can think of advocating that for the loop.

Just had a look they are not a trawler, definitely on the plane big wash hull shape.

Smaller version shown

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Mainship Pilots are perfect for the Loop. I have a 2007 34' pilot. 3' draft, 9' air draft. heat, A/C nice galley, great fwd cabin, salon, wheel house, cockpit, swim step. Lots of room for wife and me, and we've had 1 or 2 family members aboard too.

I have single 370hp yanmar with a bow thruster and I can put the boat in any slip. also comes with a twin engine version, but that makes the engine room crowded.

Originally Posted by Cadence

Seems like one hell of a lot of HP for a trawler type that size? How is fuel consumption?

It's a semi-displacement hull, intended by design for dual-use, hull speed or planing.

Since "trawler" is mostly only an advertising term these days... it can be anything the designer wants it to be. I think most of the newer "trawlers" available these days are on a semi-displacement hull, and built with more horsepower than it would take to achieve hull speed (with some safety net) to provide planing speeds when desired.

-Chris

[a64pilot]

Speed sells, but then after the purchase many find out what speed costs, then have to deal with the results.
It’s interesting to listen to them, the I crossed Lake Okechobee at 18 kts and the I can get to the Bahamas in four hours, then as you talk to them more you find out that they could, but haven’t, they don’t go anywhere cause they get less than 1 MPG.

[Cadence]

I wonder if the OPer meant trawler or trawler? As Chris pointed out it has become a nebulous term.