Definition of trawler?

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I joined this forum because it had a GB section when, after buying a GB I was looking for GB like minded folk for info.

This thread got me thinking. back in the early 70's, not sure which year while fishing in my 22 sangster this beautiful cabin cruiser went trawling (pun intended) by. It was then that I knew I would own that boat one day.
OK, it took longer than expected.
It was a Cabin Cruiser, known as a cruiser. While mentioned that another coined the phrase trawler as a model, the word was not used at that time to define a type of boat. I have learned that when the word trawler became a type of boat, the GB became the symbol for that type of boat even if another called one model a trawler. It matters not if GB is the symbol or not of trawler as I was sold on the looks of the Cabin Cruiser going by.
I knew then that is was a wood boat, back when that was a thing.
A boat type that is referred to as a trawler does not normally exceed 9.9 knots, end of story. I have an original Trawler often copied, never duplicated.

I rarely post another’s complete post but this one’s earned it.
Of special interest to me is the notion of “trawler” only being applicable to one model of a boat. Like a GB 36 trawler as being different than a GB 36 sport fisherman or a GB sundeck.

The reason I find this so interesting is that it excludes the hull as part of the design. A very wrong way to approach the matter IMO but it’s very applicable to what we do today.

There are many (sorry to say) boats on this forum that have cruiser hulls like the Camano, Ranger, and many others that are called trawlers because the look like trawlers. It’s like Ford did in the 60’s. They put a low slung body (Mustang) on a Falcon (econo-sedan) and people immediately started calling it a sports car. It wasn’t TBSure but what something looks like carries a lot of water. But any car w Ford Falcon brakes could no honestly be considered a sports car.

So Soo Valley’s post is of great significance IMO. You can’t honestly build a hull and style it and equip it w other boat features like a sport fisherman, trawler, Tug, cruiser or whatever and honestly market it by the same name .. like trawler.
A hull needs to be suitable to the vessel’s mission. In most every way unless missions truly overlapped. For example you could have a “sedan cruiser” and a “sundeck cruiser” and an “express cruiser” all share the same hull. BUT the same hull on a trawler or tug would not fit the same mission criteria. The hull just dosn’t fit the design objectives or performance goals. A trawler has long range goals in mind by the designers. So w/o a FD or SD hull and the efficiency it delivers along w a comfortable motion at sea, A hull that carries lots of weight gracefully and a hull form that is safe on coastal seas w the necessary directional stability expected of such a design can honestly be called a trawler IMO.

So this post by Soo Valley goes a long way to explain the trawler name dilemma. You can call a boat anything you want. But if you’ve mis-named it, it will not disappear if you use the wrong name. But it will be, before and after, forever illegitimate.
 
Who died and left anyone in charge of what "mission" a recreational trawler was supposed to do?
 
If I had my way, we would use the term “trawler” more as a verb than a noun. It would imply a certain set of trade-offs and priorities.

-optimizing for running slow to maximize fuel efficiency
-focusing on things to make the journey more comfortable, more than the destination.
-being available to the environment
-capable of longer journeys, though maybe not quite so long as a passage maker


That sort of thing.

It follows that trawlering would then focus on things like stability, because maybe we can’t run as fast from the weather to avoid it. Stability would make us interested in full displacement hull styles, because they have advantages. Comfort in piloting would be a focus, because we expect to be at the wheel for long periods. Galley’s and cabins are meaningful, because we will not be stopping at towns/restaurants as often in long passages.

The extent that each of these features would uphold that squishy ideal would determine their relevance. I don’t think I would focus terribly much on looks, at least as a determining factor.

But this is my ideal, and the word already exists and comes pre-loaded with multiple meanings. I don’t have much interest in forcing others to see it this way, other than it’s nice to know who will identify with like minded people. Truth is, I’ve been on very few boats of any kind I could not find some kind of interest in. Most are fun in their own right.
 
Very good IMO ghost,
And I would add that anchoring out is not an element of trawlerness. Need not happen at all. But it depends on where you are. In SE Alaska I prefer to be tied to the floats in some town or city. Towns and villages are always kind-of exciting whereas anchorages are more or less “once you’ve seen-um” ....
But here in Wa. I prefer mostly to anchor out.

But most on TF are 180 degrees apart from me in this regard. I can recall many many posts by those here sorta bragging about how often they anchored out. Like they have more hair on their chest. Must center around the need to identify w the concept of independence .. and perhaps the concept of trawlerness.
 
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Very good IMO ghost,
And I would add that anchoring out is not an element of trawlerness. Need not happen at all. But it depends on where you are. In SE Alaska I prefer to be tied to the floats in some town or city. Towns and villages are always kind-of exciting whereas anchorages are more or less “once you’ve seen-um” ....

But most on TF are 180 degrees apart from me in this regard. I can recall many many posts by those here sorta bragging about how often they anchored out. Like they have more hair on their chest. Must center around the need to identify w the concept of independence.


To me the ability to anchor out or be at a dock with no services beyond cleats is part of the distinction between many of the boats on here and, say, an express cruiser.

However, the desire to be anchored vs at a dock all depends on where you are and why you're there. Sometimes anchoring makes sense, other times the price for a dock is right and it's more convenient, or it's 95* and humid and you want power for the A/C, so it just makes more sense to be at a dock.
 
rslifkin,
So many go to Alaska and bend over backwards to anchor out .. as much as possible. I think they are missing the essence of SE Alaska.

Trees and rocks are just trees and rocks. The people are like none you’ve met before. They are worth mingling with or even getting to know. And the towns are more like what you’d expect to see in Norway or Sweden. Some/many are more interested in fish and bears. How do bears and fish rate higher than truly interesting people? HaHa but many Alaskans are also interested in fish and bears.

HaHa but I anchor out almost 50% of the time and call my boat a trawler.
 
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I joined this forum because it had a GB section when, after buying a GB I was looking for GB like minded folk for info.

This thread got me thinking. back in the early 70's, not sure which year while fishing in my 22 sangster this beautiful cabin cruiser went trawling (pun intended) by. It was then that I knew I would own that boat one day.
OK, it took longer than expected.
It was a Cabin Cruiser, known as a cruiser. While mentioned that another coined the phrase trawler as a model, the word was not used at that time to define a type of boat. I have learned that when the word trawler became a type of boat, the GB became the symbol for that type of boat even if another called one model a trawler. It matters not if GB is the symbol or not of trawler as I was sold on the looks of the Cabin Cruiser going by.
I knew then that is was a wood boat, back when that was a thing.
A boat type that is referred to as a trawler does not normally exceed 9.9 knots, end of story. I have an original Trawler often copied, never duplicated.

Just for the record, Grand Banks never referred to their boats as “trawlers”...the public somehow bestowed that upon them. All of GB marketing literature referred to their boats as “Dependable Diesel Cruisers”!!!

As you were....
 
Think the decision to anchor out is to some degree a reflection of whether you are self motivated and contained or other motivated needing social contact
We anchor out whenever it’s possible because.
Don’t like listening to drunks, domestic disputes or lousy loud music.
Do like to fish off the stern.
Do like to watch the fish off the stern. (Frozen green peas seem to get a lot to congregate as does raw chicken)
Do like to swim off the boat. Also like to look at the bottom as often as possible and keep her clean.
Do like to run the watermaker when not underway so I can keep a closer eye on it.
Do like the motion of a boat when sleeping.
Do like to open hatches, get a breeze and turn off the AC.
Enjoy snacks and drinks with selected friends in the cockpit. So want to control invitees.
Hate vendors and dock workers coming up to the cockpit every two minutes trying to sell me something or asking if I need work done.
None of this reflects testosterone storm. Been been quite friendly with pier mates when stuck in a slip for awhile. Wife does enjoy the convenience and socializing. But marinas always have more noise, more polluted water, less wind so hotter and are less tranquil. BTW find watching nature much more entertaining than the drivel that comes out of some people’s mouths.
 
Think the decision to anchor out is to some degree a reflection of whether you are self motivated and contained or other motivated needing social contact
We anchor out whenever it’s possible because.
Don’t like listening to drunks, domestic disputes or lousy loud music.
Do like to fish off the stern.
Do like to watch the fish off the stern. (Frozen green peas seem to get a lot to congregate as does raw chicken)
Do like to swim off the boat. Also like to look at the bottom as often as possible and keep her clean.
Do like to run the watermaker when not underway so I can keep a closer eye on it.
Do like the motion of a boat when sleeping.
Do like to open hatches, get a breeze and turn off the AC.
Enjoy snacks and drinks with selected friends in the cockpit. So want to control invitees.
Hate vendors and dock workers coming up to the cockpit every two minutes trying to sell me something or asking if I need work done.
None of this reflects testosterone storm. Been been quite friendly with pier mates when stuck in a slip for awhile. Wife does enjoy the convenience and socializing. But marinas always have more noise, more polluted water, less wind so hotter and are less tranquil. BTW find watching nature much more entertaining than the drivel that comes out of some people’s mouths.

Do you mind if I plagiarize your post!?!? LOL

Scary how similar we feel, act and react to and in this extent!
 
Trawler

Trawler:
Designed for commercial needs and operations.
Handles weight of freight and/or catch without sacrificing much stability or efficiency.
Fuel efficient.
Sea worthy hull in moderate adverse weather.
Full displacement hull usually with some rocker meets these needs.
Only enough power to overcome moderate wind/sea and maneuver.
Pictures are worth a thousand words. Look at commercial trawlers and Troller boats from more than a century ago.
 
And yet, there are “real trawlers”(shrimp boats) on the gulf coast that have planing hulls and do in fact achieve planing speeds. It’s pretty odd to see a shrimp boat doing 15-20 knots!!!
 
"And yet, there are “real trawlers”(shrimp boats) on the gulf coast that have planing hulls and do in fact achieve planing speeds. It’s pretty odd to see a shrimp boat doing 15-20 knots!!!"

Got a ride on a working lobster boat in Key West area .The boats are very overpowered .

After a missed pickup the owner slammed the engine into reverse and promptly lost the prop.
He called his son on Stock Island for a tow.

The tow was quickly /easily done with both boats up on plane .
'
That's power!
 
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"And yet, there are “real trawlers”(shrimp boats) on the gulf coast that have planing hulls and do in fact achieve planing speeds. It’s pretty odd to see a shrimp boat doing 15-20 knots!!!"

Got a ride on a working lobster boat in Key West area .The boats are very overpowered .

After a missed pickup the owner slammed the engine into reverse and promptly lost the prop.
He called his son on Stock Island for a tow.

The tow was quickly /easily done with both boats up on plane .
'
That's power!

That's also heck of tow line and cleats/chocks.

I worked a bit on lobster boats in Maine's Penobscot Bay; very early 70's. Big bad boat motors back then; by far mostly gassers. From what I hear motor set ups now have increased HP many fold.
 
That's also heck of tow line and cleats/chocks.

I worked a bit on lobster boats in Maine's Penobscot Bay; very early 70's. Big bad boat motors back then; by far mostly gassers. From what I hear motor set ups now have increased HP many fold.

I remember the old days with big block gas engines well but today you're a poor lobsterman if you don't have a 400+ horsepower diesel, many over 1000hp. One friend of mine has a 42 foot boat with 1400hp, and as I said elsewhere just putting winches on deck, gallows aft and hanging a set of trawl doors on a boat doesn't make it a commercial trawler.
 
Ya certainly don't need all that fish gear to be a recreational trawler. :D
 
What commercial purpose does all that HP serve? They don't need to go that far offshore or carry that much weight. From what I have watched the pots are so close together there is no time to get back up to speed. Unlike shrimp the lobster are still alive so no spoiling issues.

Is it just bragging rights? Commercial interests are still very subject to ego.
 
What commercial purpose does all that HP serve? They don't need to go that far offshore or carry that much weight. From what I have watched the pots are so close together there is no time to get back up to speed. Unlike shrimp the lobster are still alive so no spoiling issues.

Is it just bragging rights? Commercial interests are still very subject to ego.

EGO Baby!

My boat's faster than your boat... my boat's faster than yours! My boat's faster cause it has higher HP... my boat's faster than yours!!

Same melody works for classic muscle cars... and, for the new super fast electric cars too.
 
What G-force is created going from 0.0 mph to 100 mph in 4.3 seconds?
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-advice/ford-mustang-0-100kmh-81834

In the interest of accuracy, the article refers to 0-100 Kph or 0-62 Mph (90.9 feet/sec).
Not that big of a deal. At 1 G you are moving 32 fps after 1 sec, 64 fps after 2 sec,
96 fps after 3 sec and 128 fps after 4 sec. So 62 Mph in 4.3 sec is about .66 G.

What about 0-100 Mph in 4.3 sec, you say?
100 Mph = 146.6 fps, or about 1.065 G. over 4.3 sec.
 
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You also don't need the word "trawler" to describe a recreational boat.


You can if you communicate to the vast majority of boaters, brokers, surveyors, bridge tenders, other commercial guys along the US eastern seaboard and want them to more easily pick out your boat if it's one of the more accepted looks.


At least that's my experience and based on internet sales listings...seems to have caught on pretty well over the last 40+ years.
 
You can if you communicate to the vast majority of boaters, brokers, surveyors, bridge tenders, other commercial guys along the US eastern seaboard and want them to more easily pick out your boat if it's one of the more accepted looks.


At least that's my experience and based on internet sales listings...seems to have caught on pretty well over the last 40+ years.

Pleasure boat with or without fly bridge.
 
I believe I stated elsewhere that I don't care if you call your boat a trawler a tractor or Arlene, you have that right, just as I have the right to dislike it regardless of how irrational I appear.
 
I believe I stated elsewhere that I don't care if you call your boat a trawler a tractor or Arlene, you have that right, just as I have the right to dislike it regardless of how irrational I appear.

Irrational??... having Pitcairn Island as a handle! How could you possibly be irrational? :lol:
 
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Well if put Maine on there people will think I'm really irrational?

Heck... you might be my buddy "Trapper" form Northport! Maybe "Crazy K" from Lincolnville, Rockport, Camden... Having spent much time on coast of Penobscot Bay; and, having lobstered with friends [lobstermen]... I do know "Irrational - Maine". What FUN it all was!!! :dance:
 
You also don't need the word "trawler" to describe a recreational boat.

I believe ours has earned the right to be called "EX" or "Converted" trawler because she is.
 

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I believe ours has earned the right to be called "EX" or "Converted" trawler because she is.

Looks to have been one heck of a well planned, through exterior conversion. Love the extra height and flare at the prow

Was it accomplished by previous owner? Bet she has a stout hull!
 
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