'Trawler' capable of 12-14 knots

[Puffin_NT32]

Nordic Tug 32/34:
- 270 HP Cummins.
- normal cruise at 8 knots.
- cruise all day at 12+ knots (2000-2200 rpm).
- WOT 2600 rpm top end of 18 knots.
- 10 year average of 1.5 GPH.
- 200 gallons fuel, 100 gallons water
- no flybridge, but a chariot bridge option is available.

 

[Donsan]

Shafts that aren't maintained(zincs) become pitted and therefore weaken. A severely pitted shaft can break without hitting anything. When I bought this boat, it came out of the water during survey and the condition of the running gear was so bad that we ended the survey right there and deemed the boat unseaworthy even to ride home on. One of the many issues was pitted shafts. When a catain went to rescue the boat a few days later one of the props broke off while she was maneuvered into the slip. So....it can happen.

The delivery was on he Great Lakes and the buyer was a marina owner and he ended up replacing the shaft himself so I would discount pitting issues but it is possible. There was a delivery involved since the buyer had too much work at his marina during peak boating season.

 

[Blissboat]

Blissboat you beat me to it.


Rafe

Rafe: Glad to know that I'm not the only cat fancier on the TF. There is something salty and purposeful-looking about PDQs. Other power cats have many of the same virtues, but they just don't draw the eye as boats like yours do.

No matter what boat you decide to marry, when you are pulling away in your dinghy, you should be able to glance back over your shoulder with satisfaction, thinking to yourself, "Yep - that's my boat."

 

[ToddS]

If only day trips, why not look at a Sunbridge instead of a command bridge? Bayliner, Sea Ray and others have even produced aft cabin (some say coffin cabin) models.

Why are you steering away from your Albin, Tollycraft, Island Gypsy, or Mainship possibilities?

Hawgwash: Hadn't thought about the sunbridge. In all likelihood, we wouldn't (intentionally) be out in foul/cold weather requiring a helm 'inside'. Any specific examples of a model with a sunbridge? Reading through all the great posts, it makes me re-think my needs based on intended use, and is changing some (wrong) assumptions.



Sorry for the confusion if you thought I was steering away from those models. Those are the ones that seem to be the most likely candidates at this point.

 

[ToddS]

I'm afraid I don't, sorry. Never actually paid any attention to it, just added more when we needed it. Fuel wasn't really one of our higher-cost budget items...

Why would you want to sleep in the saloon instead of a forward berth?


FWIW, a real pull-out sleeper in a saloon eats up beam pretty quickly. Our current beam is something like 2' wider than the Mainship was, and there's only a small bit of room to walk around our sleeper when it's pulled out into bed form. We've allowed guests to use it a couple times, but it's very disruptive... at least for us.

-Chris

I'm assuming (we know what happens later) that a v-berth with an insert would be harder to maneuver in/out of at night for that late night trips to the head and that something in the salon would be easier to walk around. Sounds like that's not the case.

I'd prefer some sort of insert for the vberth just for comfort sake, but I'm basing this off of sleeping in a friends v-berth many years ago.

Maybe any guests should just sleep in the dinghy.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Nordic Tug 32/34:
- 270 HP Cummins.
- normal cruise at 8 knots.
- cruise all day at 12+ knots (2000-2200 rpm).
- WOT 2600 rpm top end of 18 knots.
- 10 year average of 1.5 GPH.
- 200 gallons fuel, 100 gallons water
- no flybridge, but a chariot bridge option is available.

I started to say as much but then remembered the lack of FB and aborted. But the NT32 is probably closer than most or all the others. However doubt your fuel burn of 1.5 gph. Suspect it to be much closer to two. That would be a power loading of 10% (30hp). But I've been wrong w my numbers before.

Efficiency wise the Nordic Tug is a good bet as her beam is not excessive like most all other trawlers and they have some rocker. At least I've noticed it on the 32.

 

[ranger58sb]

I'm assuming (we know what happens later) that a v-berth with an insert would be harder to maneuver in/out of at night for that late night trips to the head and that something in the salon would be easier to walk around. Sounds like that's not the case.

I'd prefer some sort of insert for the vberth just for comfort sake, but I'm basing this off of sleeping in a friends v-berth many years ago.

Maybe any guests should just sleep in the dinghy.

It's a fair assumption. Actually we found it easy to get in and out of the V-berth WITHOUT the insert. More difficult, with the insert mounted. We eventually gravitated toward using the insert... er... sometimes... and then removing it afterwards.

We eschew overnight guests as much as possible, so can't speak too much about that. OTOH, not having berth space gave us a reasonably graceful excuse.

-Chris

 

[Hawgwash]

...a better arrangement would be to sleep in the salon when just us, and use the forward berth only with guests.

I meant to say this before...sleeping in the kitchen will grow old real quick.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Chris wrote;
"It's a fair assumption. Actually we found it easy to get in and out of the V-berth WITHOUT the insert. More difficult, with the insert mounted. We eventually gravitated toward using the insert... er... sometimes... and then removing it afterwards."

Couldn't have said it better and it applies to us as well.

 

[Baker]

And don't automatically assume that just because the master berth is up front that it is a V-berth configuration. There are many sedan cruisers(like MS350/390) that have an island queen up front.

Check out my boat. I will get 2mpg at 8 knots. Or 1mpg or gpm at 17knots. You can find a nice ne for under $100k. It has basically everything you want except the fuel economy....which is a pipedream IMO....unless you get a cat.

 

[porman]

Our Camano averaged 2.5 GPH at 8 knots and a top speed of about 17 knots. That's with the older TAMD Volvo, not the newer common rail engine. It's a lot of boat in only a 28 ft hull.

 

[Codger2]

Efficiency wise the Nordic Tug is a good bet as her beam is not excessive like most all other trawlers and they have some rocker. At least I've noticed it on the 32.

When I bought my boat, this came with it so would this be a fit for the OP?

 

[BruceK]

I'm assuming (we know what happens later) that a v-berth with an insert would be harder to maneuver in/out of at night for that late night trips to the head and that something in the salon would be easier to walk around. Sounds like that's not the case.

I'd prefer some sort of insert for the vberth just for comfort sake, but I'm basing this off of sleeping in a friends v-berth many years....

Baker is right,there are V-berths, and there are forward cabin berths, accessible on 3 sides to a varying degree boat to boat. They can be near to queen size, with no insert required.Even our 1981 boat has side access with a step up either side, admittedly ours is a single sleeping cabin version so the fwd cabin is more generous.

 

[bwalz]

Mainship

Our Mainship 400 checks most of your boxes but no aft cabin. At 7 knots I'm at 1900 RPM's and 6 gph. Yanmar 370 can hit 12-14

 

[Cat Daddy]

Baker, check your pm.

Rafe

 

[Rustybarge]

Our Mainship 400 checks most of your boxes but no aft cabin. At 7 knots I'm at 1900 RPM's and 6 gph. Yanmar 370 can hit 12-14

Is that a single engined boat...?

 

[bwalz]

Mainship 400

Yes. Yammer 370, 1850 hours

 

[Rustybarge]

Yes. Yammer 370, 1850 hours

Thanks, that puts the bigger mainships on the list then.

 

[Nomad Willy]

When I bought my boat, this came with it so would this be a fit for the OP?

Walt,
Re post #42
I suspect this is your own special sense of humor but for those here on TF that aren't familar w the expression .....

A boat's bottom (epically aft) in the horizontal plane is straight as w a planing hull, hooked as in concave or "with rocker". Such a bottom has rocker and is slightly convex. Planing hulls w a small amount of rocker will plane but only at quite low planing speeds generally what one would refer to as semi-displacement speeds. Say 12 to 14 knots for a 36' boat. Such a boat is more efficient at those speeds. Many trawlers lack such a hull shape but the door is open for them to go faster w more power. W considerable rocker a hull, designer, builder do not have that option so straight bottoms w/o rocker are often found on boats that would benifit from the rocker.

One could say that Lynn Seynor didn't give the Nordic Tug that option (has some rocker) and the NT performs better at 10 or 12 knots and I don't think they go much faster. Don't recall any going 20.

Or perhaps Walt you were just josh'in me about my advanced age .. like yours.

 

[Codger2]

Or perhaps Walt you were just josh'in me about my advanced age .. like yours.

 

[ToddS]

Baker is right,there are V-berths, and there are forward cabin berths, accessible on 3 sides to a varying degree boat to boat. They can be near to queen size, with no insert required.Even our 1981 boat has side access with a step up either side, admittedly ours is a single sleeping cabin version so the fwd cabin is more generous.

I wasn't sure that my length restraints would allow for a forward cabin berth. I assumed that it would require quite a beam for that style of berth.

 

[ToddS]

When I bought my boat, this came with it so would this be a fit for the OP?

I'd need one with a seat-belt. My wife thinks I'm off my rocker pretty often.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Our Camano averaged 2.5 GPH at 8 knots and a top speed of about 17 knots. That's with the older TAMD Volvo, not the newer common rail engine. It's a lot of boat in only a 28 ft hull.

porman,
That looks about right.
The Camano's are quite efficient and I don't think they have any rocker. Surprising .. but I think they were probably optimized for about 18 knots. They have a small box keel that provides some support that dosn't terminate in a flat transom. I've read of a 41' Camano that got really good burn rates too. Perhaps they are light. That would do it.

Thanks for the report.

 

[ksanders]

Two boats to seriously consider are the Bayliner 32' models which have everything you asked for and the 34' models which do not have the aft cabin.

I've owned five ocean going Bayliners and would stack them up feature for feature, quality for quality with any of the comparable brands of production boats of the same type, IE carver, mainship, albin, tollycraft, uniflite, etc...

It used to be that Bayliners got a bad rap, but 30 years of history has proven that they have no no issues than any oother boat of a given era, and often less issues because the long production runs gave the manufacturer time to work out any bugs that came up in the field.

 

[porman]

porman,
That looks about right.
The Camano's are quite efficient and I don't think they have any rocker. Surprising .. but I think they were probably optimized for about 18 knots. They have a small box keel that provides some support that dosn't terminate in a flat transom. I've read of a 41' Camano that got really good burn rates too. Perhaps they are light. That would do it.

Thanks for the report.

The 41 Camano is now made by Bracewell Marine Group in Canada. Their specs say it weighs 28,000 lbs. It's a very nice boat. I guess that is light compared to my Mainship at 40,000 lbs.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Portman,
Yes and that lightness will have a profound effect on performance re speed and power needed to drive. A light plywood OB boat like the Bryant 21' OB cruiser of the 50s did fine w planing performance having two 35hp Johnson engines. Those two engines would'nt push a contempoary plastic boat .... too heavy.

Those that require speed should shun trawlers and embrace cruisers.

 

[Undine]

ToddS,
I have a 1980 repowered Mainship 34 Mk 1 for sale in Deltaville VA that meets many of your criteria. You can see it on yachtworld or contact me for info.

 

[Codger2]

I've owned five ocean going Bayliners and would stack them up feature for feature, quality for quality with any of the comparable brands of production boats .........

I agree! I've never owned one but here is something I've learned over the years. Those who bad mouth the Bayliner 4588 & 4788 have never cruised on one! I used to be of that ilk. As I've stated countless times before...You doubters should take a ride on one.....you'll come away a changed person!

 

[Art]

Tollycraft 34' tri cabin meets much of OP's desires.. but not all.

They are twins, not singles, and usually gasoline. 34' Tolly with 350 cid engines can be run on one screw at slow speed for about 3 nmpg, but not 4. The rest of desires seem met. Can also run at 16/17 knot plane at 1 nmpg. WOT = 21/22 knots and much fuel burn.

1970 and 1980 models are affordable, low maintenance, and well built.

 

[dimer2]

I agree! I've never owned one but here is something I've learned over the years. Those who bad mouth the Bayliner 4588 & 4788 have never cruised on one! I used to be of that ilk. As I've stated countless times before...You doubters should take a ride on one.....you'll come away a changed person!

I (obviously) have to give this two thumbs up