what to look for in a trawler?

[Nomad Willy]

Fishook,
Welcome and if you are going to be "reading all comments" you're going to be very busy for a very long time. However I assume you meant the comments being made now. Well you'd be sell'in yourself short as there are years of comments available to you that were made in the past that are in the archives. They are about 8 years old and quite likely hold more information than the "comments" that will follow in the next 8 years. We have discussed "to death" many important topics that most here are reluctant to bring up again. So here on the forum the past may be of more value to you than what comes down the road. And you do'nt have to wait for it to get posted. So for conversational "banter" mostly look fwd and for explanations and general information .. look back.

 

[Fishook]

You are correct, I have been reading alot in the past. Good information. Been looking over the last year and just joined yesterday.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Welcome aboard Mr. Fh! Now would you be wanting galley up or single/twins....hahahahaha.....No response necessary.

 

[CPseudonym]

Welcome Fishhook. Getting off yachtworld and stepping aboard a variety of boats at a local dealer brings things into perspective pretty fast.

Generally the smallest boat that accomplishes your goals is a good benchmark. Once you have a general idea of what your after it'll tighten up your search net quite a bit.

Happy hunting.

 

[Nomad Willy]

B Lurker,
You said something a few posts ago that I would like to amplify.

You talked about lusting after Jaguars and that emotion .. LUSTING is something that should be a part of or a BIG part of our relationship to our boats. I lusted after Willy "big time" when we bought her and a great deal of the lust has gone under the bridge since then but I still love her to some degree. Enough to be serious about her maintenance and of course that's important

And these plastic boats lacking warmth and the best of lines are a bit harder to love or lust over. But re the OP I think we are much better off if we have a good emotional relationship w our boat and when we buy our boat we have a very good chance to insure that that happens.

 

[CPseudonym]

LUSTING is something that should be a part of or a BIG part of our relationship to our boats. I lusted after Willy "big time" when we bought her and a great deal of the lust has gone under the bridge since then but I still love her to some degree. Enough to be serious about her maintenance and of course that's important

And these plastic boats lacking warmth and the best of lines are a bit harder to love or lust over. But re the OP I think we are much better off if we have a good emotional relationship w our boat and when we buy our boat we have a very good chance to insure that that happens.

Amen Eric. I've learned a great deal in a short time. The one emotion that is missing when looking at a particular boat is a desire to own it. My sailboat is fine and doubt a larger one is in my future, lot's of fun overall though. When looking at larger boats something is always missing. The feeling that THIS boat is the right fit for me right now. No sense of urgency hits me except when looking at one particular boat.

30' Monterey trollers are perhaps the worst single choice for any kind of comfort on the water. They're old, small, industrial, cramped cabin, deck space chopped up with fish holds, terrible for holding value, etc... Wood maintenance is going to be a lot of time, work, I.E. money pit. But like a moth to a flame I keep coming back to look at them time after time. So essentially I do lust for one.

Before long I'll do something stupid like get the checkbook out after looking at one. Probably complain bitterly later for buying it but it's perhaps the next step toward our "eventual" floating retirement villa.

 

[Nomad Willy]

CP holy cow ..... no need to throw good judgement out the window to get all warm and fuzzy. But if you can find one w a hull that someone worked over completely ... refastening and all questionable wood replaced .. maaa bie. Sounds more like something to admire rather than purchase. I'm sure that's what kasanders would say. My Willard's looking more practical all the time.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

And these plastic boats lacking warmth and the best of lines are a bit harder to love or lust over. But re the OP I think we are much better off if we have a good emotional relationship w our boat and when we buy our boat we have a very good chance to insure that that happens.

I don't think anyone world lust after the lines of a big butt sun deck model like mine but she's full of warmth on the inside and that big butt gives her a great master stateroom. She's not as pretty as Eric's boat but beauty is only skin deep. . I love my boat.

 

[Marin]

30' Monterey trollers are perhaps the worst single choice for any kind of comfort on the water. They're old, small, industrial, cramped cabin, deck space chopped up with fish holds, terrible for holding value, etc... Wood maintenance is going to be a lot of time, work, I.E. money pit. But like a moth to a flame I keep coming back to look at them time after time. So essentially I do lust for one.

.

Here's a project for you, then. I took this several years ago in Fisherman's Bay on Lopez Island. Don't know if it's still there, or if it is, if it's still on top of the water. While I initially thought it was a Monterey herring boat I subsequently decided it was a Columbia River gillnet boat. Same design either way, however. This is one of my favorite designs, too, dating from my days as a wee lad of 3 or 4 when my mother would take me for walks on the docks of Sausalito harbor where we lived for the first seven years of my life before moving to Hawaii.

There was a whole working fleet of boats there of this design and for whatever reason I focused on one painted green and yellow called the "Lucky Lady." I suspect that is what instilled in me a desire to always be near an ocean.

 

[Peter B]

PS:
I actually like the boat swampu posted pics of. Just to confuse a few people.
It looks like it could be on a CHB 34 hull.

Eric, you are right there. There is a bit of a CHB 34 look about her hull, and even the topsides are not too different from my own sedan version. It's sort of almost as if someone got a basic CHB 34 hull, and built - or maybe rebuilt - the whole superstructure...?

 

[Nomad Willy]

What are we doing here raving about how beautiful old fish boats are and how homely our yachts are. Should be the other way around. Fish boats needn't be any prettier than a wheelbarrow and yachts should be drop dead gorgeous.

 

[Northern Spy]

What are we doing here raving about how beautiful old fish boats are and how homely our yachts are. Should be the other way around. Fish boats needn't be any prettier than a wheelbarrow and yachts should be drop dead gorgeous.

It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function. This is the law.

Louis Sullivan

 

[swampu]

What are we doing here raving about how beautiful old fish boats are and how homely our yachts are. Should be the other way around. Fish boats needn't be any prettier than a wheelbarrow and yachts should be drop dead gorgeous.

I'd put my old shrimp wagon up againts any new yacht.

 

[AusCan]

Can a boat be so ugly it looks good?

John Pugh Vacationer 42: Power Boats | Boats Online for Sale | Steel | Victoria (Vic) - Hastings Vic

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Is that a rhetorical question?

 

[Marin]

RTF--- How'd you manage to get footage of the majority and minority leaders of Congress in the same place at the same time?

 

[Underway]

Great Lakes fish boat conversion

 

[CPseudonym]

Great quote Spy.

Paul I for one agree with ya, that shrimp wagon is a good looking boat. It's going to be an awesome platform for your intended use.

Nice picture Marin but I tend to like the ones with a bit more bow flare. Good looking old girl though.

RTF - You crack a lot of asses up!

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. Marin. Picture was taken at a lobbyist fund raising dinner...

 

[Nomad Willy]

Skid,
There was an article in PMM about a boat that looked just like that.

AusCan,
That's better looking than a lot of Nordhavns.

swampu,
Love your swampwagon. You could probably find a more flattering avitar picture of her ... like the one you just posted for example.

Spy,
Form is to follow function as they say but I've never seen a beautiful lawnmower.

 

[Moonstruck]

If after cleaning up and readying a boat to leave it, if there is no desire to take a look back she is not worth owning.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Since this is admire the commercial boats day/week here's one in Craig Alaska that isn't every piece a beauty but taken as a whole she sure is. Most of the time you dodn't know much about a boat until you see her out of the water and this lady shows her colors in that mode very well.

 

[ksanders]

healhustler,
I think you misunderstood me. I didn't mean that I would seek the most beautiful hull I could find at all. I would seek the best hull I could find and it would be a plus if it was beautiful but primarily it would need to have a hull that would allow it to be very good at being a boat on good days and bad. And if Spy actually buys a boat based on it's sheer line he's think'in w his butt instead of his head. No offense Spy as I'm sure you don't do that. But there are a lot of boat owners here that think like ksanders says he does and would or does buy a boat based only on all the well researched factual information. Computer dating would appeal to such people. As close to the perfect boat as possible would result to be sure but guys we're doing yachts and fun and pride of ownership is high w most of us. One should select a garbage truck that way but selection of a yacht should have some or a great deal of passion and even some art heavily involved in the process and the end result. We can pick out TVs, toilets, wheelbarrows, dish washers ect from consumer reports facts regarding the "best" product but not our pleasure boats or yachts. We're all different though and one man buys a Toyota and another a Jaguar. We've only got one life and mine for one is getting shorter so at this time in my life I think I could do well w the Jaguar ... assuming it was/is as sweet to drive as they are to look at. So perhaps looking at a boat should start by looking at owners (or owner) and objectively evaluate the balance of emotional and artistic needs to the most practical boat that would probably be chosen by a committee of lawyers and city planning people.
That said I'm going to admit I've owned a Jaguar and done computer dating.

PS:
I actually like the boat swampu posted pics of. Just to confuse a few people.
It looks like it could be on a CHB 34 hull.

Wow!

I always liked the raised pilothouse designs, looks wise. In the 45-50' range they seem to come into their own with three distinct levels for comfort. Anything smaller and they feel a bit crowded.

To be honest although my boat is not a passagemaker, I choose the hull form for function, based allot on what I read in "voyaging under power".

After choosing the hull form, then is was engaging the missus on just what brand/model to buy. The bayliner 4788 while very comfortable was not my first choice. The Nordhavn 46 was. She put her foot down, and I named our 4788 Lisas way in honor of her firm grasp on creature comforts.

I have come to really aprechiate the comfort she choose.

But... If I had to choose... The best looking boat, and one of the most functional is the Nordhavn 62

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. ksanders. The one and only Nord' 62 I have been on was designed with an engine room one had to navigate on hands and knees. Is my memory faulty or have they changed the design?

 

[Nomad Willy]

Hey kasanders,
You almost bought my favorite boat. It's too big though. I'd like a boat about exactly 34'. I took 2 foot idus and doubled it haha. Once one picks a hull size is the next most important consideration.

 

[ksanders]

Greetings,
Mr. ksanders. The one and only Nord' 62 I have been on was designed with an engine room one had to navigate on hands and knees. Is my memory faulty or have they changed the design?

I have honestly never been on a 62. My admiration has been from a distance. This does suprise me. My comments about the 62's functionality should have been preferanced as functional appearance.

The 46 has a craw around engine space. Thats pretty typical of a boat of that length. My 47 Bayliner has a crawl around engine room as well. I would have thought the 62 would be deeper in the hull and have a full height engine room.

 

[Insequent]

I was all set to buy a GB 42 until I saw the OA 50 that I decided to buy. Love the lines and layout. I was not expecting to have a fuel tank start leaking quite so soon....

So new tanks, engines had to be removed for that so repower made sense. Replacing anything else looking suspect while access is easy..... All quite expensive, but that's what lust does to you.

PS kink in middle is where 2 separate photos were merged

 

[RickB]

Form is to follow function as they say but I've never seen a beautiful lawnmower.

There is supposed to be one in this picture somewhere:

 

[Tom.B]

There is supposed to be one in this picture somewhere:

 

[Bilgewater]

Best advice I ever received was "Don't buy the biggest boat you can afford, buy the smallest one you can live on". Separate wants from needs, and go from there. It takes real honesty with yourself, but in the end you'll be happy with your choice.