Looking for fast trawler recomm: New 2018 Member & intro.

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Hi John,

I just sold my 1990 Sabreline Fast Trawler which I owned for 6 years. We loved that boat - EXCEPT - she had Detroits in her. When they were running they ran great but when we needed parts, we either had to have them re-built, custom made or brought in from China. I would highly recommend this boat if they had Cummins. Currently, I am in the process of buying an Albin 36 Express Trawler. She has single 450 Cummins 6 CTA and cruises at 14 knots. Also has two private cabins with one head. A much simpler boat. Good luck in your search!!

Wow, you had to REBUILD an engine part! How unbelievably awful. Which parts? Which parts were custom made? (Guessing exhaust manifold...available in a couple of weeks. Big deal. China parts....probably a turbocharger....available online the last time I checked, and not expensive in the big scheme of things. The Detroits in our boat have had zero issues. None. Ever. Sounds like you or prior owners ran yours hard and didn't look
after them. Try running the vaunted Lehman at power above that required for hull speed. The Sabre 36 with flybridge has a rep for being top heavy and very sloppy in roll. Not an Albin fan, by the way. Nasty hull build quality.
 
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Hi there,

11. Ability to run at displacement speeds or at 12kts minimum. (I've run 5-6kts sailing and have a lot of places I want to go to.

In the boat-length range you mentioned... "Ability to run at displacement speeds or at 12kts minimum." will be pushing or exceeding the limits of displacement hull speed. After hull speed, before getting on full plane, fuel use per mile increases significantly. Going just a bit under hull speed for any design hull usually gives the best bang for the buck!

I know it was mentioned in previous post... I second the motion for looking into 44' Tollycraft. Them baby's are roomy, fast and well built!

Happy "Power" Boat Search! - Art :speed boat:
 
Fast trawler

Hi there,

I have been on this forum for 2 years. We are looking to switch from sail to power in the near future. Currently, have a 42' blue water cruising sailboat we have owned for many years. I've been lurking about for some time. Lot's of interesting people and reads. We have sailed up and down the CA coast and up into the Sea of Cortez. And back which is of course up hill for those who sail. I suppose the same for a power boat but with more options for hull speed. On Power vs Sail, or what size boat you have.... Were all on water! Hopefully, with the topsides up.

In a power boat were looking for:

1. 36-45' feet. Looking to stay 45' and under.

2. Twins or single with a bow thruster.

3. Capable of going up and down the CA coast, BC Alaska, Gulf Coast and MX. Also to do the Loop.

4. Aft cabin preferred of a 2 cabin boat.

5. Minimal teak exterior. Possibly a cap rail and an eyebrow is ok. (I have lots of teak and am an expert varnisher. Epiphanes is my choice for exterior.

6. Labrador friendly. Hoping to find a vessel which will allow my seaworthy girl to access most of the boat including upper bridge. So steep 6-7' ladders are out. She can climb up and down our 6 steps into and out of the sailboat. However, getting onto the sailboat with a 6' gunwale from the water and transferring her to from is a real challenge. She is 65 lbs.

7. At least one midship sliding door.

8. Upper flybridge and lower bridge.

9. Swim Platform and transom or side access.

10.Prefer dinghy stored on vessel with crane or hoist vs on the stern swim step. Aft davits would be ok.

11. Ability to run at displacement speeds or at 12kts minimum. (I've run 5-6kts sailing and have a lot of places I want to go to.

12. Need an aft cockpit area for my girls and I to hang out. My wife and our Lab.

13. Walk around, SS handrails. A teak cap rail is ok. No exterior teak is even better.

14. Year 1995 or newer. Price hoping to stay under $150K, depending on the boat could go $200K. I'll just put that out there and see what comes back. We could go older, however, we currently have a ship shape sailboat, but I would like less to minimal exterior teak to maintain. 3 coats of Epiphanes every 9 months takes lots of time.


Looking at the following thus far:

1. Albin North Sea Cutter 40 2005-2008 (really liking this one.) Primarily East Coast. Twins, fast trawler. 15-22kts. Prefer 1st Cummins or Cats, 2nd Yanmar or (Volvo's not preferred.)

2. Albin 36.

3. 2000 Mainship 430. Not much aft deck area.

4. 1996 Ed Monk 36. Nice vessel. Quite seaworthy. Single diesel, bow thruster.

5. 2001 Rosborough44.

6. 1992 Sabreline aft cabin fast trawler.

7. 2007 Island Pilot 395. Nice, fits most req. however, I'm not sure on the I/O Volvos dual props. Do you consider this power set up to stand the test of time and ocean use? Certainly the US Coast Guard among many other agencies use them in the SF Bay area. I just know that outdrives get eaten alive in salt water. (eventually.)

Thanks in advance for your ideas.


Stay away from I/Os at all cost. I would stay away from Volvos as well for reasons already mentioned. The layout you are looking for would be a Grand Banks 36 Classic or a Grand Banks 42 Classic. You can find them with the teak decks already removed and the decks glassed. Mine is that way. As far as speed, you may have to compromise some to get everything you are looking or. Most Trawlers in the size and design you are talking about are in the 8-10 kt range. Those that go faster will reach deeply into your pockets for fuel. Range may be an issue as well. I don't know about that, only speculating. If you can live with 8kts then one of the GBs or the Albin will do nicely. If you can deal with a 31 foot boat, the Camano Troll 31 has no teak at all, and will do 17kts when called upon.
 
Fast Trawler

We have a 1994 36’ Sabreline fast trawler powered with twin 300HP CATs. We are the third owner, have had it for 7 years and we really love it. I believe Sabre made fast trawlers up to the end of the 90s or maybe into the early 2000s, including larger models. The boat was built in Maine. It is what some describe as a trunk trawler. It has an aft cabin and head with a shower and a forward V-berth and head. It has good access through a transom door from the swimstep, walk-around decks, wide molded steps to the mid-deck and the flybridge. Engine room access is reasonable. The boat will move at 20kts or a bit more at 2300 rpm depending on the water. That takes a bit more fuel than cruising at 10, but when you want to get there..... Have fun in your search
 
There's one of those Sabreline 36 trunk cabin trawlers sitting a couple slips over from me waiting for winter haul out right now. Looks like a very nice boat and I remember seeing it out of the water last winter and liked the hull design. Pretty much struck me as a trawler built on a nice looking planing hull. So probably not quite as comfy as some of the narrow bowed SD hulls at low speeds, but for an equal amount of power it's also probably a lot better at going fast.

Tankage and such isn't huge on them, as expected, but reasonable for coastal usage and fuel consumption at low speed is probably pretty good, considering they're not overly heavy. And based on Poach's comments on speed, it's a little faster at planing cruise than my slightly larger and slightly heavier not-a-trawler (with a slightly simpler planing hull design than the Sabreline).
 
looking for fast trawler recommendation

We shifted from an IP a little over a year ago to a Shannon Srd 38. Fast trawler. (20+kts) plenty of room, single Yanmar/ bow thruster / teak cap rails a really beautiful boat. A little hard to find since they built 7 or so. One currently for sale by Shannon Yacht. we have traveled the east coast this year and are currently stuck in Hilton Head with the pandemic. Name: Black Beauty
 
We shifted from an IP a little over a year ago to a Shannon Srd 38. Fast trawler. (20+kts) plenty of room, single Yanmar/ bow thruster / teak cap rails a really beautiful boat. A little hard to find since they built 7 or so. One currently for sale by Shannon Yacht. we have traveled the east coast this year and are currently stuck in Hilton Head with the pandemic. Name: Black Beauty

Great looking boat..... one advertised for about $250K

If you live on a boat, you are never stuck. Of course, finding a place to dock.....
If I were traveling AICW, I doubt if anyone will say anything if you need a place to dock over night or 2. IF necessary/required, they might even offer to go shopping for you and deliver to the dock.
 
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