[Yachting newbie]

Hello, fellow forum members. I am new to this forum and hope I will find useful advice here. We are a couple in our mid 50s. We always wanted to be near boats, and motorhomes. As we are approaching retirement within an decade, we are looking for a different lifestyle for retirement, either tour the US by motorhome, or via boating. Now that I found this forum, I like to ask the following questions:

(1) What is the different between a motor yacht and a trawler type yacht.
(2) Which type is more suitabe for cruising and living aboard for 2.
(3) Which type is more sea-worthy?
(4) What is the ideal size? 30's 40' 50' or bigger?
(5) Will a 34' be just as sea worthy as a 49'?

(A) In order to sail a trawler yacht does one have to have lots of boating experience, or can someone take a series of crash courses and be proficient enough to handle the boat alone?

Off hand I have no definite plan as to where the boat will be based if I get one, nor any idea where my sailing ground will be. Along the eastern seaboard anywhere from 1000 islands down to the Carribean, perhaps. Any suggestions based on what I proposed?

[KCook]

Welcome to YF, Yachting newbie

Lots of topics there. As a starter I would suggest picking out the cruising areas of most interest to you. Then trying charters in those waters. Meanwhile, here are more threads on getting into yachting. Which should be food for thought at least -

Hello

Advice Request on New Yacht

seeking an education

Living on a Yacht?

Kelly Cook

Originally Posted by Yachting newbie

We are a couple in our mid 50s. We always wanted to be near boats, and motorhomes. As we are approaching retirement within an decade, we are looking for a different lifestyle for retirement, either tour the US by motorhome, or via boating. Now that I found this forum, I like to ask the following question:
(1) What is the different between a motor yacht and a trawler type yacht. (2) Which type is more suitabe for cruising and living aboard for 2, (3) Which type is more sea-worthy? (4) What is the ideal size? 30's 40' 50' or bigger? (5) Will a 34' be just as sea worthy as a 49'?
(A) In order to sail a trawler yacht do one have to have lots of boating experience, or can someone take a series of crash courses and be proficient enough to handle the boat alone?
Off hand I have no definite plan as to where the boat will be based if I get one, nor any idea where my sailing ground will be. Along the eastern seaboard anywhere from 1000 islands down to the Carribean, perhaps. Any suggestions base on what I proposed?

Hi, & Welcome to YachtForums,

Great questions. You wrote: "Touring the US via motorhome or boating". What do you enjoy doing? What will make you the happyest? My personal preference is boating. A short answer to your question about the difference between a motor yacht and a trawler yacht is that a tawler yacht travels slower. Generally speaking a trawler yacht costs less to operate than a motor yacht (fuel consumption). With experience you could operate a 50' yacht singlehanded. NOT recommended. Any size vessel can be comfortable for two, depends on your desires. I will give your questions some thought and come back and answer all your questions in time. These are my opinions.

My Admiral & I own a smaller boat with a walk around cabin, NO we do NOT live a board full time, however, we are very comfortable traveling and sleeping on board with two medium size mutts. Yes, my Admiral would be more comfortable in a larger vessel. I will be taking two trips to no where by myself, one later this month & one in September. I'm very comfortable. Being a smaller vessel, she is easier on me to keep clean, maintain, & operate. Our boat can go offshore, weather & seas permitting.

In closing, whatever method you choose to travel, there are many people who will assist you, you will NOT be alone, unless you choose to be.

A suggestion would be for the two of you to start taking 'boating' courses together.

Example:

http://nws.cgaux.org/visitors/pe_visitor/index.html

The professionals will be along shortly.

If I may be of service or help while you are in the North East Florida or South East Georgia area, please contact me.

Enjoy your journey,

joe

[ESYD]

Originally Posted by Yachting newbie

(1) What is the different between a motor yacht and a trawler type yacht.
(2) Which type is more suitabe for cruising and living aboard for 2.
(3) Which type is more sea-worthy?
(4) What is the ideal size? 30's 40' 50' or bigger?
(5) Will a 34' be just as sea worthy as a 49'?

(A) In order to sail a trawler yacht does one have to have lots of boating experience, or can someone take a series of crash courses and be proficient enough to handle the boat alone?

Welcome Newbie,

A motoryacht is a generic term that can apply to any size, style, of function of a yacht, from slow speed displacement yachts to high speed planing yachts. A trawler is necessarily a displacement (slow speed) or semi-displacement (medium speed) motoryacht. Design styles vary.

"Displacement" means the boat always travels in hydrodynamic conditions based upon it's full displacement, i.e. it does not rise out of the water as speed increases. As a boat travels faster, provided its hull design is right, it will gradually rise out of the water and be buoyed by the hydrodynamics of is motion, i.e. "planing," like a speedboat. Between these two conditions is the regime of "semi-displacement" or "semi-planing," where the boat is partially buoyed by hydrodynamic forces starting to lift it higher out of the water. In very broad terms, displacement vessels generally travel at speeds less than 10-12 knots, semi-dispacement vessels travel at speeds from 10-12 knots up to about 20 knots, and over 20 knots, boats are planing. Of course, with higher speeds comes higher fuel consumption. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on fuel, stick with the slower speed craft.

Boats as small as 30-35' can accommodate two people nicely. The more room that you need for yourselves and guests, and the more toys or comforts of home that you want, the bigger the boat you will need. Beware of getting a boat too big--it will be too hard for a couple to handle without paid crew on boat. The practical limit is generally about 60-65'. At 70' and above, you should have paid help on board.

Properly built and equipped, any boat should be seaworthy enough, but of course, there are wide variations. The bigger the boat, generally, the safer it will be out in the ocean. If you want to go in the ocean, consider larger boats. If you are going to stay in the rivers, lakes, and estuaries, smaller boats are fine. If buying used, always have a marine surveyor survey the vessel for you, because he or she will identify all the things on the boat that have to be fixed before you buy it. You will also need a survey for insurance purposes.

There are plenty of courses available to train the absolute novice into an experienced boat person. I suggest subscribing to a very good magazine called Passagemaker, out of Annapolis, MD. www.passagemaker.com. This magazine covers all the issues and delights of living aboard a power boat.

You may also want to consider a sailing yacht, particularly if you want to go offshore and visit other countries. You won't spend nearly as much on fuel as you would with a powerboat. There are plenty of sailing schools around the country in which to learn sailing. Three magazines that would be worthwhile to subscribe to would be Blue Water Sailing, Cruising World, and Sail magazine. All three, and the first two particularly, describe the delights of sailing and living aboard.

[Yachting newbie]

If any of you read the latest Passagemaker edition, there is this review on a 34' CHB trawler with a starting price of $190,000 thats what prompted me to look seriously into yacht for retirement. I always thought a good size trawler cost more than that and they do. I actually prefer the Nordhaven 40 or 43 but I knew the price can be prohibitive. (Easily double that of CHB, more like triple.) I do not like the traditional Marine Trader classic looks unless I am forced to settle for a pre-owned one. A Europa such as the CHB is ok, but I love the Nordhavn big ship look. Talk about pre-owned trawlers, is it worth the savings to go for a old, but bigger and cheaper boat than a new,smaller one?
Any viewpoints?

[Ken Bracewell]

Originally Posted by Yachting newbie

If any of you read the latest Passagemaker edition, there is this review on a 34' CHB trawler with a starting price of $190,000 thats what prompted me to look seriously into yacht for retirement. I always thought a good size trawler cost more than that and they do. I actually prefer the Nordhaven 40 or 43 but I knew the price can be prohibitive. (Easily double that of CHB, more like triple.) I do not like the traditional Marine Trader classic looks unless I am forced to settle for a pre-owned one. A Europa such as the CHB is ok, but I love the Nordhavn big ship look. Talk about pre-owned trawlers, is it worth the savings to go for a old, but bigger and cheaper boat than a new,smaller one?
Any viewpoints?

Hello Newbie. While I am not familiar with the particular vessel you are speaking about, I will say that you invariably get what you pay for. This may sound cliche but is true in boats as much as anything else.
OK- that being said, you can sometimes overcome some of the deficiencies of a less expensive boat through good 'ol hard work. Much of the value in a more expensive boat will often be found in ease of maintenance. If you are mechanically inclined and detail oriented, you can purchase an older boat and gradually turn it into a more valuable one. Since you will be retiring, this maintenance may turn into a hobby that will entertain you (or a monkey that you can't get off your back ).
Again, since I am not familiar with the particular type of new vessel for $199,999.99 I can't speak from experience, but I would personally shy away from the "good deal".
Best of luck. Perhaps we'll see you on the waterway.

[Yachting newbie]

I plan on buying a new trawler just to cruise for a few years, can anyone tell me...

My cruising ground is (1) the great lakes, (2) Eastern seaboard, (3) Caribbean, (4) over the canal and up along Mexican Riviera, the California coast, (5) Pacific Northwest. Last stop - Southern tip of Alaska.

Can anyone tell me how long wil it take to do this circuit? I am sure my first year wil be spent at the Great Lakes, breaking into the Atlantic starting the 2nd year. Third year - west of Panama Canal. Will 3 - 4 yrs do it?

Can a 45 foot trawler make her way to Hawaii and back from the west coast?

[sailronin]

A 45 footer sounds OK up until the Hawaii part. Hawaii is a LONG way from the West Coast! (about 2300 miles with no place to rest, taking the return trip north of the Pacific High makes the trip around 3000 nm). Might be able to do the trip in a Nordhaven 46 or custom trawler but it's a LONG way with BIG seas. Fifteen to Eighteen feet is a normal day....Twenty to Thirty feet is a BAD day.
Did a delivery (sailboat) from Hawaii to San Diego many years ago, last five days before California the NOAA wx radio was reporting 28 to 32 foot seas, they looked a lot bigger from our point of view with the breaking tops and all. Would not have wanted to see those in any small (under 180 foot) motor vessel.

Good luck
Dave

[KCook]

I like Dave's post

Another thought. By the time you've run around the Great Lakes and made it all the way down to Miami you may well have different ideas about what is important to you in a trawler. So I'm not sure I would spec my first trawler selection on what is needed for a run all the way around to Alaska. This may end up a 2 trawler odyssey

Kelly Cook

[K1W1]

Hi,

If you are determined to do it on a 45' Trawler I would suggest that you brought a proper one not a yacht.

[KCook]

I will take the bait K1W1

About what is the percentage of "proper" trawlers on the market versus yachts posing as trawlers?

fair weather Kelly

[Loren Schweizer]

I would vote for a DeFever 44. Art is the granddaddy of the trawler biz, the boats are built like brick you-know-whats and with a hull design that goes back over a generation.
A proper trawler that has seen some serious long distance useage.

There are some lookalikes--"poseurs" we'll call them-- which shall go unnamed here.

[MacMcL]

Go slightly larger and get a Cape Horn, a true blue water trawler.

[Yachting newbie]

For living aboard for 2 and leisure cruising on the Great Lakes, down the Eastern Seaboard to the Caribbean, I am weighting the merits of a trawler and a motorsailer, in the 40s' range. While both will cruise in the same speed range, 8 knots or about, wind power looks cheaper . But hows the sea keeping capability? Which will be better?

[KCook]

Sea Keeping is always better for the sailboat. But the sailboat requires more skill, and is more cramped for cabin space. If you have any doubts at all, charter both.

Kelly