Newcomer

Hi All,

Harry here is San Diego.

I’ve been a sailor all my adult life and have done passages into Mexico and over to Hawaii.
I think I’ll still keep our 38 foot sailboat for local use but want to get a trawler type boat for The Sea of Cortez and west coast of Mexico. Maybe ship it up to British Columbia on Dockwise and do the Inland Passage to Alaska and then maybe truck her east and do The Loop. I’m 71 and in good health but definitely hear the clock ticking a little louder each moment.

I’m considering a Beneteau Swift Trawler 44. I would appreciate any feedback especially from any with first hand experience on the West Coast.

Hope to find a boat but no rush - and be a part of this community. I’ve been reading without joining and love the way you help each other and look out for each other. That’s what being on the sea is all about. Hope to see some of you in a cozy anchorage someday.

Wrong Harbor Harry

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome Aboard. The Beneteau Swift Trawler 44 sounds like the Boat you want to me.

Welcome. I am also in San Diego. The swift trawler is a great boat but I expect shipping cost is pretty high. If you are comfortable on a 38 foot sailboat you might find a 35-40 ft power boat has enough space. I am just transitioning to a smaller boat. Certainly not as spacious but pretty amazing what you can get in a 32-38 foot boat. Slips are also easier to find.

Thanks Ken. Something to think about. I was in Catalina at 4th of July Cove this summer. There was a ST 34 and a ST 44 side by side on moorings. The 34 was bouncing all over while the 44 just peacefully sat there. So weight, comfort and tankage might be concerns.

Harry,
Yes size matters, both good and bad. We were anchored out last night at the Rady Shell for the Beach Boys concert. Lots of traffic generating big rollers mostly prior to the show. The GL33 handled it well for its size since it is a low profile, low CG. But not going to say that a few things got tossed around the cabin. I just got this boat and amazed that no prior owner installed a secure latch on the refrigerator! Just ordered on off Amazon.

Hard to compare objectively but other boats both larger and smaller were similarly impacted. For sure at 33ft it is not going to ride the same as a significantly larger boat and I would suspect the longer LOA and wider beam of the ST44 would be less motion than the ST34. It comes down to evaluating what is most important for your situation. I have owned a range of boats from 14-58 feet and loved and hated aspects of each of them.

Here in San Diego finding 50 foot slips is quite challenging unless you go deep into the South Bay. Sometimes it comes down to what limitations are in place to drive your selection.In my case to get a yacht club slip I had to find a boat under 40 and ideally under 13' beam. The only model I found that really excited me was the GL33. But coming from a Hatteras 48LRC my wife and I certainly traded off on many things. We had a Nordic Tugs 32 so we have been down this road before and knew what to expect. Very early in the experience but it feels a bit larger that the NT32. Similar speed but very different, contemporary look. We will see how we feel a year from now but seems to fit our current stage of life & boating.

FWIW, my dock neighbor switched from sail to power a couple years ago. They bought a recent model Beneteau Swift 44. They really love it. It is a beautiful boat and I admit to a bit of envy. At least until we compare fuel burn rates at our typical cruising speed.

Thanks Ken. Sounds like a great evening on the Bay. I think the Green Lines look fascinating. We do have a new Jeanneau 380 here that is modern and nice. But I don’t want to do a Baja Bash with her. So trawler for use in Mexico and the Pacific NW as a second boat. And something pretty hardy for the trip down to Puerto Vallarta from San Diego. I know what you mean as we went from a Passport470 to a Jeanneau 380. Hope to see you on the bay with Electra, our sailboat is named “Pearl”
Again, appreciate your insights,
Harry

Thanks Dave,
Yes the fuel burn is something I’m going to have to adjust to.
We burn .8 gals for 6 nm in our little sailboat!

Wrong Harbor Harry said:

Thanks Dave,
Yes the fuel burn is something I’m going to have to adjust to.
We burn .8 gals for 6 nm in our little sailboat!

Click to expand...

Yeah, my Catalina 400 burned 3/4 gal/hr at 6 knots. I would top up the 50 gal tank once a year.

My Catalina 36 burned 1/2 g/h at 5 knots.

Now I burn about 2.1-2.2 g/h to make 7knots with my North Pacific 43.