Is a Trawler the Boat for You?

In looking for the right powerboat, keep in mind that they may be found in lots of different styles. But for the most part, they are the same, all having staterooms, salons, heads, etc. When picking out one that meets your needs, its essential to know what you plan to do with it. Will your yacht remain primarily at the dock or will you be cruising her? Is a go-fast boat the best for you or do you like to take it slower? Do you like the sound of 6 gallons of fuel per hour or is 40 ok? How about construction? A wooden yacht has her charm but requires more bottom maintenance and insurance may be an issue. All of these must be deliberated.

If a slow pace is your style, a trawler may be the ticket for you. Slowing down and stopping to smell the salt in the air while watching the osprey overhead, ah the life of a trawler. So why pick a trawler? The popular trawler is comfortable, spacious, stable and seaworthy coupled with reliability and economical to operate.

A modern trawler should not be confused with a fishing vessel but the original idea did originate from them. Trawler are basically large cozy yachts, designed to run efficiently at 7-10 knots with large windows for good visibility.  Trawlers have large fuel and water capacities to enable extended cruising and have crew creature comforts that will match any vessel afloat. The primary draw of a trawler is the conventional salty lines that turn heads at every dock.

The advantages of owning a trawler yacht are not so obvious; here are some important features.

·Very inexpensive to operate. A trawler uses only from 2-8 gallons/hr. at cruising speeds of about 9 knots.

·Trawlers have large diesel and water capacities.

·Large onboard storage capacities.

·Large rudders make docking the yacht quite simple.

·Many were adorned with exotic teak, even below decks in engine rooms. Teak is resistant to rot.

·Slow RPM diesel engines produce anywhere from 10-20,000 hours of use before any serious work is needed.

·Very high resale value due to tight market. Unlike motor yachts and express cruisers, the trawler market exceeds the supply.

When choosing a trawler, you must select between a full displacement and semi-displacement hull design.

Displacement hulls are typically found on ocean-going vessels with such names as Nordhavn and Krogen. These hulls can carry more payloads due to their design. These hulls do not plane and all power is intended to push the hull through the water.  The hulls are by and large rounded which produced a soft ride.

Semi-displacement hulls merge round bottoms forward and flat bottoms aft. As it moves the hulls partially raises out of the water. These yacht hulls provide a bit more speed while sacrificing a softer ride.  These hulls are meant for coastal cruising and are not blue water boats.

There are 5 trawler styles. Each style sports unique floor designs and layouts. Trawler styles are as follows.

·Classic or Trunk

·Sundeck

·Sedan

·Pilothouse

·Passagemakers

Trunk styles are considered to be the basic, double cabin trawler. They have wide walk-around decks and access to the salon from both side doors. Gunnels are low making boarding easy. The bridge is usually about three steps up from the cabin.  It has lots of seating room for guests. The Classic has a mast with boom for a steadying sail.. The boom can also be used to launch the tender. The Classic provides an aft stateroom and head. Forward is a large salon for entertaining. Forward of the salon is a galley which may be on either side. A dinette is usually provided close to the galley. Forward of the galley is the guest quarters. I love the look of the trunk but it does not allow a place to be when the weather is bad other than indoors.

The Sundeck style made its debut in the mid 80s. Sundecks are similar to the Classic except the aft cabin has a covered deck above it providing additional living space.  Covered access to the bridge in bad weather is also provided. Sundecks have wide hulls with decks higher than trunk styles. This provides for a full- beam aft cabin. A swim platform is provided which allows access to a dingy while away from the dock. Most Sundeck yachts are provided with wet bars on the aft deck. Bridges are. large that will allow 6 to sit while underway. If you consider yourself to be an outdoor person, this is the model for you!

The Sedan style of yacht is preferred to many because of the fewer stairs to deal with. Everything is on one level with the exception of the bridge, which must be accessed by a ladder. The model has no aft cabin and all of the cabins are somewhat smaller than other models of similar lengths. There is a salon aft, with the galley forward generally with a dinette up. Both staterooms are forward of the galley with a shared bath. The cockpit allows entertaining but only in favorable weather.

Northern boaters often appeal to the Pilothouse styled trawler. The Pilothouse model features a single helm. It affords excellent visibility. A galley, salon and cockpit are found on a single level similar to the Sedan style. The master stateroom with private head is located amidships below the pilothouse. The guest stateroom and head is situated forward with the master stateroom. Decks are covered by a bridge overhang. A large deck continues beyond the fly bridge providing room for dingy storage etc. A distinct advantage of this boat is operating in foul or cold weather. The main disadvantage is having to run the generator to supply air conditioning during hot weather.

Passagemakers are the last type of trawler designed and intended for crossing the oceans.. Passagemakers are typically over 45 feet long.

In the next posting we’ll discuss the different sizes, accommodations and engine selections.