Circumnavigating on a trawler.

[jbinbi]

Came across an old 'Circumnavigator', the Nordhavn magazine from 2010. Thumbing through it, it has a listing of all circumnavigations done by trawlers at the time. 90% were under 50'! I was really surprised to see this, I would have thought you would find many of the 60'+ doing this.

First Nord to do this was in 1990, largest boat listed in the list circa 2010 was a Hatteras 77. I think the total list was under 15 boats.

 

[slowgoesit]

If you haven't already done so, you might want to read the book "Voyaging Under Power" by Robert Beebe. I recommend the first edition, before it was turned into an advertisement for Nordhaven, but even those editions are well worth the read! Can be readily had on Amazon, or other sites on the web for under $10.00.

 

[DDW]

For circumnavigating, a sailboat - almost any sailboat - is a better tool. Tons done in <25', and a significant number in <20'. You can get a circumnavigation capable sailboat for nothing or next to nothing. Will it be as comfortable as a Nordy? No.

 

[psneeld]

Came across an old 'Circumnavigator', the Nordhavn magazine from 2010. Thumbing through it, it has a listing of all circumnavigations done by trawlers at the time. 90% were under 50'! I was really surprised to see this, I would have thought you would find many of the 60'+ doing this.

First Nord to do this was in 1990, largest boat listed in the list circa 2010 was a Hatteras 77. I think the total list was under 15 boats.

Maybe the list of " all circumnavigations done by trawlers at the time" was just a list of reported trips.

Maybe a lot of 60+ footer that circumnavigate don't report because it is not as big of a deal for them to do it....especially when you get up closer to 100 footers.

 

[PM]

Even if I had the tankage I would never consider it in my 36.

pete

 

[Larry M]

When we did our circumnavigation, we didn’t run into one power boat circumnavigating. We ran into power boats that ran from NZ to Tonga, USA to Europe and boats from Australia heading to SE Asia or the Med but not one who was intentionally going around the world.

Crossing the Pacific or Southern Indian Ocean under power, you would have to carry an enormous amount of fuel, fluids and spares plus listening to the drone of engine(s) for 20 plus days at a time?

Dashew’s FPB line helped change long distant traveling under power and but I wouldn’t call them trawlers either nor the larger Nordhavns.

 

[guy with a boat]

Circumnavigations by recreational boat are done over a period of years unless the goal is just to say you did it. I wouldn’t be reporting a completed circumnav to the magazine or anywhere else, so I’m not sure of the source of their stats.

Ocean crossings by recreational powerboat have become pretty common. Power boats aren’t nearly as concerned about wind direction as a sailor, so maybe more likely to go only to their desired parts of the world and return. The traditional sail circumnav follows the winds and seasons around the planet. I would think that is one of many reasons that sailboats way outnumber power boats for the trip around.

 

[kthoennes]

I have read Beebe's book (Voyaging Under Power) and Crossing an Ocean Under Power by Ken Williams. Great reads, but like Pete, even if I had the tankage, I'd never want to do it. As I recall in Ken Williams' book one of the boats in the fleet (the rally, the flotilla, whatever) wanted to go for a swim in the middle of the ocean just for kicks -- I'd be incredibly nervous turning off my engine in the middle of the Atlantic.

We've done the Queen Mary 2 on transatlantics a number of times. One time it was a mill pond, freakishly flat and calm the whole way, and one time it was incredibly rough (2007). That ship is purposely built for that run, a brick -- well, you know -- it's a battle tank for the ocean, and I never get seasick (so far), but nothing will make you feel as small and helpless and at God's and nature's mercy as an angry ocean.

 

[dmbraaten]

I am planning a circumnavigation starting in early 2025 with the idea of taking 2 or 3 voyages a year that are 3 or 4 months long. I am not purposely going across oceans unless I have to. But really trying to stay close to land for 2 reasons. First is just seeing the different geographies along the way and second is for safety - that i can go to shore if needed.

I am starting in Barcelona then between UK and Ireland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, East coast, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal, up West Coast to Alaska and Aleutian Islands. Long voyage to top of Japan, then make my way to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Madagascar, around S. Africa, longest trip to Rio, up east coast of S. America, Caribbean, Bermuda, Azores, Portugal and back to Barcelona.

Thinking 5 - 7 years depending on many factors. Selene 49’ trawler.

Check out www.annasorgaard.com

 

[dmbraaten]

Circumnavigation Map

Here’s the plan

 

[Hippocampus]

People have dreams and then face the realities. On a smaller scale there’s Georgetown or chicken harbor where folks quit trying to go to the windwards /leewards. Or Thailand where folks quit facing the strait and then the Indian Ocean. Still folks do go rtw on both power and sail. They are a very small subset just like most 4by rarely go off road. OCC meetings are small (ocean cruising club). Even among sailors very few get outside helicopter range.
However being in blue water rapidly becomes an addiction. That addiction has little to do with power or sail in my experience. It has much to do with being someplace where land based concerns become secondary and you are truly alone. There’s no light pollution. Nights are magical. There’s total self reliance and truly if you didn’t bring it with you you don’t have it. There’s a different reality where who you are and what you did in the past is totally irrelevant. You’re attuned to your local reality in a way you don’t achieve on land. How is your vessel doing, what’s the seastate now and what will it be in the near future. How are you holding up. Passage creates a relationship between crew that’s very different and in many ways closer than occurs on land (exception maybe combat). There’s a rhythm to working a boat on passage. Your concerns are real physical realities not the artificialities of land (money, obligations, distant future). Am I healthy? Sleeping enough? Am I hydrated and fed enough? Is everything on the boat working and am I fixing it or have established a work around?
Once you’re on a big enough boat (ship) it’s different than a small boat in a big ocean. People who have the resources will eschew the big boat knowing they lose that special experience.
There will be always those ruined for land after spending time at sea. They will row, sail or power on small boats across the ocean. When age forces them out of passage making they will make do but deeply miss it.
Nordhavn are great marketers. But in my time have seen power homemade one offs, small steel such as DDs, converted commercial craft, production Dutch, Dashews and its derivatives. All sorts of power have made remarkable passages by amateurs with no hired hands. In fact seen non Nordhavn more often than Nordhavn. Yes a 40 went RTW. But there’s KK, DD, Northern Marine, Artnautica, Arksen, and so many others doing blue water successfully. Suspect of the segment of blue water boats very few do blue water. Suspect the ratio is the same for Nordhavn as it is for other manufacturers whether sail or power.

 

[Moonfish]

I am planning a circumnavigation starting in early 2025 with the idea of taking 2 or 3 voyages a year that are 3 or 4 months long. I am not purposely going across oceans unless I have to. But really trying to stay close to land for 2 reasons. First is just seeing the different geographies along the way and second is for safety - that i can go to shore if needed.

I am starting in Barcelona then between UK and Ireland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, East coast, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal, up West Coast to Alaska and Aleutian Islands. Long voyage to top of Japan, then make my way to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Madagascar, around S. Africa, longest trip to Rio, up east coast of S. America, Caribbean, Bermuda, Azores, Portugal and back to Barcelona.

Thinking 5 - 7 years depending on many factors. Selene 49’ trawler.

Check out www.annasorgaard.com

That. Sounds. AWESOME!

 

[ksanders]

What a Fantastic plan!!!!!

 

[Capt Ray]

Lots of good comments and replies here. Good read.

The only thing I can add is a discussion about WINDOWS that I learned from a dock mate in Beaufort SC +/- a year ago. He had a very interesting power boat that was obviously built for open water passages and ocean crossings. He referenced (perhaps bragged a bit) that his boat had Class "XYZ?" type windows which are designed to sustain the beating that windshields and windows may be subjected to on ocean crossings. I cannot remember the "XYZ?" term or figure that he used. But it was interesting to know that "Not all boats are made for ocean crossings!" and that tankage is NOT the only factor one needs to consider!

My Admiral and I really enjoy watching Shawn and Elizabeth's Youtube channel MV Freedom ... They do most of their cruising in the Pacific NW aboard their Nordhaven. They aspire to some crossings like to Hawaii someday, but so far they have been coastal cruisers like most of the rest of us.

I find it interesting that they have one main engine and one "wing" engine (slightly off center) with folding prop that is there for backup.

There is a LOT of stuff to learn from watching the YouTube channels of circumnavigators like SV Delos, Sailing Millennial Falcon, SV Basik "Onboard Lifestyle", several others. All "rag hangers" instead of "smokers" interestingly enough!

Shore power hookups is another thing that can vary from country to country.

 

[murofrelwart]

If anyone would like to read an excellent blog of a trawler circumnavigation, including Cape Horn, I suggest "The Voyage of Egret".


It starts in 2006 on a Nordhavn 46. No detail is spared. It's long, but well worth it.


https://archive.nordhavn.com/egret/index.php

 

[sunchaser]

One word of caution on the Selene, be 100% certain of the fuel capacity. Some years ago there was a lawsuit regarding advertised vs actual fuel capacity on some models.

Check out Brian Calvert’s ocean crossings on “Further”, a Selene 47. He’s an amazing guy. Otherwise have at it and congrats on your moxie.

 

[Southern Boater]

If anyone would like to read an excellent blog of a trawler circumnavigation, including Cape Horn, I suggest "The Voyage of Egret".


It starts in 2006 on a Nordhavn 46. No detail is spared. It's long, but well worth it.


https://archive.nordhavn.com/egret/index.php

Scott and Mary Flanders are an amazing couple, proper high latitude boaters, none of this “hugging” the tropical latitudes
I had the pleasure to meet them while they were cruising my home state.

 

[jbinbi]

I am planning a circumnavigation starting in early 2025 with the idea of taking 2 or 3 voyages a year that are 3 or 4 months long. I am not purposely going across oceans unless I have to. But really trying to stay close to land for 2 reasons. First is just seeing the different geographies along the way and second is for safety - that i can go to shore if needed.

I am starting in Barcelona then between UK and Ireland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, East coast, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal, up West Coast to Alaska and Aleutian Islands. Long voyage to top of Japan, then make my way to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Madagascar, around S. Africa, longest trip to Rio, up east coast of S. America, Caribbean, Bermuda, Azores, Portugal and back to Barcelona.

Thinking 5 - 7 years depending on many factors. Selene 49’ trawler.

Check out www.annasorgaard.com

Who cares if you are purposely or not purposely going across the ocean. This sounds like an unbelieveable trip. Hope you do it, and hope you blog it to keep us dreamers keeping the dream!

 

[bpgt3]

I am planning a circumnavigation starting in early 2025 with the idea of taking 2 or 3 voyages a year that are 3 or 4 months long. I am not purposely going across oceans unless I have to. But really trying to stay close to land for 2 reasons. First is just seeing the different geographies along the way and second is for safety - that i can go to shore if needed.

I am starting in Barcelona then between UK and Ireland, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, East coast, Gulf of Mexico, Panama Canal, up West Coast to Alaska and Aleutian Islands. Long voyage to top of Japan, then make my way to Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Madagascar, around S. Africa, longest trip to Rio, up east coast of S. America, Caribbean, Bermuda, Azores, Portugal and back to Barcelona.

Thinking 5 - 7 years depending on many factors. Selene 49’ trawler.



Sorry to bring up and old thread but wondering where you are on this journey? I know you are planning on 2025. What preparations have you done? I'm interested because I have the same plan, just in 2027. Still looking for the right boat.
Good luck with the prep. Keep us posted on everything.