Comparing Operating Costs: Sailboat vs Trawler

[anotherT34C]

Sails can be purchased from racers for a fraction of the cost of buying new. Racers ditch sails as soon as they stretch. Cruisers can be more forgiving.

[Ex-Calif]

There are a lot of pluses to the trawler based on the lifestyle you are describing. Sailing a 50 foot boat to some people is a lot of work and you sound like you plan to motor a lot.

Take a look on some of the yacht selling sites for pilothouse yachts or motorsailers. Some of these boats are really nice looking, have the advantage of a salon that is upstairs where you can see the morning as you have your steaming cuppa. Many have the side decks of a trawler and the look and feel that I like in that kind of boat.

Personally for me I dont like the option (in retirement) to simply be downstairs in the hull or sitting in the cockpit - outdoors or under an awning. This kinda rules iout big monos.

You will hear the motorsailers and pilothouses don't sail well or motor well. I say, "so what", they are still kinda cool.

Another option and the one I am leaning towards is a 40 foot cat. The hulls are efficient, they sail well and with salon up you can greet the morning in comfort whether it's sunny or raining. I am sure as I age I will sail less and motor more but thats ok too.

[David M]

Having done enough of both, the costs are roughly about the same when you compare a sailboat to a powerboat of the same displacement. Sailboats have plenty of expensive things that break or need to be replaced that powerboats do not have. You will of course burn a LOT more fuel with a powerboat...easily twenty times the amount or more. I easily burn 500 gallons per month with my job...and this is for a powerboat that is not out cruising day after day.

Sailing is indeed harder than motoring but to me sailing is more fun. Its more of a feeling of accomplishment and more enjoyable getting from one place to another. Its also the greater sense of adventure along the way. The relative quiet of hearing just the wind and the water is also nice.

Its funny when I get back to the dock after having a group of people out on the research boat all day. When I turn the engines off there is a sigh of relief when the noise goes away. I think the sound of an engine creates stress in people...but most people do not notice it. Some do notice the difference when it stops though.

For pleasure, a sailboat.
For work, a powerboat.

[Eleven]

Comparing UK Sailing to Warm Climate sailing the Air-Conditioning is a big factor. Efficient generators seem the norm for the V.I. charter market so you'll be running something most of the time. This can be a quiet independant generator set or part of your main engine(s) sysytems. Perhaps that's the first thing to add to your costings. Also add a 45ft+ Cat as being similar in space and amenities. This will probably be twin engined, A/C'd, good galley and sleeping accomodation suited to moderate passages and comfortable marina / anchor times. It's the third way.

[capcook]

There was one other MAJOR factor in my decision not to pursue Trawlers and that was the fact that with a CAT (or Mono) you have two viable power sources if the motors fail (or the fuel lines get plugged up at just the worst time) you can always host a sail and get home or to a safe port. Same is true if the sail blows out or you get into too much wind, you can motor... With a Trawler, if you get some bad fuel you are dead in the water.

cheers

[Weyalan]

Yopu can buy second-hand sails for a tiny fraction of the cost of new. You can't buy second-hand diesel fuel. That is the difference.

About 2 years ago, I bought a 2nd hand lightweight #1 (kevlar) on eBay for about $75. It is only good up to about 10 knots TWS, but its a really nice sail. 18 months ago I bought a 2nd hand mainsail (Dacron) for $500. It has been on the boat ever since.

[osirissail]

- - On the humorous side: All diesel fuel is secondhand - It is part of the stuff that the dinosaurs pooped. But anyway diesel fuel prices are extremely inflated by both the sellers and the government's taxes. In other countries as you head south the prices drop drastically all the way to fractions of one dollar. Even in the USA if you have "connections" you can buy diesel at half the marina pump price - (first hand knowledge).
- - For comfort and living space only catamarans come close to power yachts. For efficiency (cost per mile) underway on long distance voyages real sailboats have everything else bet by miles. Draw a graph curve between the two and find the spot where you want to be and that is your answer to which type boat is for you.

[zumsel]

I think, I believe, I hope I found her! A beautiful 48' ketch. I have a copy of a recent survey from June 2009 which she passed with flying colours. The owner invested over the two last years heavily only to sell her now and buy a power boat. And the price is well within my budget.

Okay, but here is my question. As I plan to sail mostly up and down the east coast of Canada and the U.S, she has a 6' 6" draft! So I'm afraid most parts of the ICW are a no go area for me.

What do you all think?

[lorenzo b]

You can't sail the ICW, it's a ditch

[zumsel]

Originally Posted by lorenzo b

You can't sail the ICW, it's a ditch

[capcook]

Originally Posted by zumsel

I think, I believe, I hope I found her! A beautiful 48' ketch. I have a copy of a recent survey from June 2009 which she passed with flying colours. The owner invested over the two last years heavily only to sell her now and buy a power boat. And the price is well within my budget.

Okay, but here is my question. As I plan to sail mostly up and down the east coast of Canada and the U.S, she has a 6' 6" draft! So I'm afraid most parts of the ICW are a no go area for me.

What do you all think?

And not just the ICW... you will have a lot of headaches in most of Florida too... That's a lot of water on the Gulf Coast...

cheers

[mesquaukee]

When this recession is over and the economy gets moving again we will have triple digit barrels of oil again. Gas and diesel will double or more in price. A growing economy uses a lot of fuel moving all those goods.
Sails and equipment can be repaired while waiting for a favorable wind. Diesel fuel cannot be repaired.

[S&S]

For when I win the lotto:


Must be nice to be them.

Back to reality, actually going somewhere in a trawler is expensive. But they sure are comfy. I'll make book on that I'll still be on my mono after I reach geezerage.

[Cheechako]

I would be real surprised if the Sailboat used over 1 gal an hour. My 47 ft Passport with a 90 HP Mercedes used less than a gal an hour. (At trawler speeds would the trawler really use so much as you predict?) The best "trawler" you could get would be a sailing catamaran! The advantages of not living in a cave and stability without rolling. However, if you are sailing the areas you note, pointing the big trawler and watching out the window or from the Flybridge will be a much different and pleasant experience than a small sailboat cockpit. At 8-10 knots you should be able to use just one of the trawler engines. Are you sure it will be over 2 gal per hour? A Nordic Tug 42, with 450hP Cummins is rated at less than 3 gal per hour at 9 knots...

[Cheechako]

Krogen 48 trawler , LWL of 45' 5".
Owner’s report of first 5000 miles.
"Fuel consumption proved nominal. We burned 2,300 gallons of diesel fuel in 644 engine hours (about 3.5 gal per hour but includes and 400 12KW genset hours also). This includes a very uneconomical run from West Port Washington to Channel Islands Harbor. We ran the boat at about nine knots or better all the way down trying to beat the weather. We succeeded too, except for some 15 footers at the Oregon California border area. "
Interesting article: Choosing a Passagemaker