I lived on my 32ft. Catalina sailboat for over 10 years. I also crewed for a couple years delivering yachts anywhere in the world. We brought a 52ft. Taiwan built Trawler from Alaska to the Spindrift Marina in California's San Joaquin Delta about forty miles inland from San Fransisco bay, which just happened to be where I lived. The Inland Passage was terrific, but out in open water it got a bit rough. The Trawler sucked in ways too numerous to mention. Found out the hard way the stove wasn't even mounted on gimbled hinges, making it useless out at sea. Pots & pans would fly off the burners even in moderate seas. It was cold sandwiches from BC to Coos Bay where we refueled. Sailed a 48ft. International Offshore Racer, The Pegasus, a Ron Holland design built in Cork Ireland, from Tasmania to the St.Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. It was bare bones interior, but man could she sail. Had an inventory of 54 different sails for any type of weather. For sure & certain she was built to race. I also spent an entire year sailing my Catalina up & down the west coast from Washington to Cabo, then up into the Sea of Cortez putting in at various harbors at both mainland Mexico, and Baja. My only crew member was Captain Morris, a big orange striped cat. Captain Morris never left my side throughout the year long adventure, even when we went ashore. Immediately after pulling into our slip when we finally got back home, I SHIT YOU NOT.... he jumped onto the dock, turned around & hissed at me, then bolted up & over the levee. I never saw him again. Anyway, IMHO.... I'll take a sailboat any day of the week over a Trawler, especially out at sea.
dam awesome story! i would like to get into sailing and i wasnt sure between the two but, now i think i have an idea! ....hey, wouldnt a sail trawler be the best of both?
carl marcelin: Hey Carl, I was talking about a specific trawler that sucked. There are well made Trawlers that handle fine at sea. The mizzen sail on a Trawler is basically for stabilization. It's a very small sail & would barely move a Trawler. The best of BOTH worlds is definitely a MOTOR-SAILOR. Clam Crushers we call em... a bit slow but still sails well & depending on the size of fuel tanks, you can cruise a great distance under power.
I had a 12m / 40feet motor boat for 20 years on the Adriatic Sea / Croatia as a weekender, still I spent up to 3 months a year on it while I was still studying and I traveled the whole Croatian coast >1.000miles multiple times with it. It was a north German built, very good for rough sea with 2x306 HP Volvo diesel engines, going up to 30 knots. I was also travelling with friends on sailboats similarly sized. First my resume: As a weekender or to live on it, having 9-5 jobs, in low wind areas, its a great thing as it has lots of space and takes you out to great spots quickly and if you take 2 more people for the yearly 3 weeks holiday trip you can split the huge gas costs (they are crazy high in Europe). If you have more time on hand and consider ocean travelling (but still have long periods with fixed jobs) I would go for a catamaran sailboat: Minus: The cabins are smaller than a monohull, so go for one with a big closed main cabin on top as a day living area, on rough open sea conditions monhulls are still the best (you will never see a cat for arctic expedition sailing), they are more expensive than monohulls. Plus: They are far quicker at low winds, they are quick and most fuel economic while motoring (important as weekender), they have much less depth than a monohull. => Going for an all-round boat there are always compromises to be made, the equation is IMHO clearly a cat, the biggest obstacle is the price as ocean fit cats are quite a new thing, so its quite impossible to find one on a low budget.
I think you give a fair comparison here. I lived on my Cal 29 sailboat for 8 years. The thing that bothered me most about it was that the cabin sole was curved to fit in the hull for more headroom. Never having a flat floor sucked. Now I have a nice roomy 50 ft trawler. Love it! But now I have to get my sailing fix on other people's boats.
Great video. My husband and I are thinking of selling our home and buying a 44' to 50' trawler in our retirement years (which is 4 years from now) LOL 😜, and living on it permanently in the Tampa bay area. Good luck to you both. You guys make a really beautiful couple. Thanks for the informative video. Love your doggie too! 🐕🐕
One thing you missed on was You can probably take your trawler to more places than you could a sailboat. That sailboat was probably deeper into the water and the trawler could get into shallower waters and under more bridges.
A Trawler has a lot more internal space, but is less seakindly and doesn't have unlimited range. Also while moving on the open ocean, it is making noise. A trawler will be cheaper to purchase than an equivalent sized sailboat or multihull. So, if you want an inexpensive option, and you don't intend on moving around a lot (just some cruising) then a trawler works best. A multihull sailboat (catamaran or trimaran) of reasonable size is very expensive, but solves the open space and at anchor/at sea comfort problem, yet still gives you unlimited range, which is why they are so popular, and so expensive. The assumption about a sailboat being cheaper to operate... it isn't cheaper... the sailing rig itself is expensive to fix and keep updated, and you still have an engine to maintain, though it is smaller. So the difference in cost between a good trawler and a good sailboat of equivalent size will reflect that. I am guessing that you aren't going to spend that extra 20,000 on fuel over the lifetime of your use of the trawler. :-) I think a multihull is the option for you if you want open space, want to cruise long distance (as in, cross oceans) in comfort, and are not going to do a lot of open ocean passages (that is, you can plan your ocean passages for when the weather is good) and don't do them very much. You can't take as much in stores on a multihull.. they are much more sensitive to weight! So that's the trade you make with a multihull.. you can't carry as much weight as either a trawler or monohull sailboat. If you guys want a multihull, I would look at the venerable options like the Gemini 105m (or similar) and stay away from the expensive production boats like Fontaine P, or Leopard. There, you are paying for finish more than the actual boat. Catana is excellent, but very pricey.. but it is thought they are the best seagoing cats out there in production. If I were you guys, I would look at a 34 - 38 foot catamaran laid out how you like it. You will likely be able to afford a smaller one, and the good older ones are usually well built. Gemini 105m and Prout Snowgoose come to mind. I am assuming you are not ready to spend over 200k on a boat? :-) If you want a larger monohull sailboat, and are not intending on doing many ocean passages, then any of the larger Morgans will do, as long as you make them seaworthy, and they are very large on the inside. They are not thought of as "Bluewater" boats, but you could safely cruise them across an ocean if you planned it well, you made sure they were seaworthy, and you sailed them conservatively. I hope this helps!!
I am researching a Power Catamaran -vs- Sail Catamaran they are both crazy expensive but sail boat maintenance vs fuel cost is my biggest consideration. Thanks for all the videos they are the best
I follow your adventures but came across this oldie in my searches (thinking of trading in my trawler for a sail boat!) …. But can we talk about Jetty?! How sweet is she and her little woofs ❤ just a pup here. I always look forward to seeing her in your videos. Have a good one!
Loved the video, and especially the dog too funny, I have a 32' Grand Banks so I would agree with the trawler crowd. You guys seem so happy, glad to see its working out so well. I'm a big guy so the additional space of a trawler is important to me but, either way you go its a win just in lifestyle Cheers
As solar cells and batteries become increasingly efficient it becomes possible to power a yacht by sunshine. There's a Swiss company (Solarwave) now offering such a boat as a catamaran. A catamaran is the perfect design - lots of cabin roof for mounting solar cells. Pricey but I suspect this is the future.
Very good Q&A as we ate seriously in the market and cannot decide.... Myself have settled on a Lagoon 450 My wife however likes a 60 ft trawler we have located.. Yes trawler much less expensive to purchase it is twin engine very nice up to date custom. And as I get older the thought of working a 40-50 foot cat sounds less appealing. Trawler might be right choice, my biggest draw is stability, I want to be upright... Thanks good video hard choices
It depends on what you want to do with your boat. I had a 38-foot trawler and now I have a 32-foot sailboat. I better like sailboats mainly because of the unlimited ability to sail (the distances) & of course the sport in it as well.
Thanks for the vid. I have the exact same trawler (or close). Mine's a '73 CHB 34' with the 120hp Ford Lehman. I'm burning WVO (waste veggie oil) which I get cheap, (and diesel just to start and stop)so my fuel costs are way down- especially if I keep my revs low. Just installed 4 x 100 watt flexible solar panels and extra batteries, so I have lots of juice when the engine isn't running. And, because I live on Vancouver Island, a woodstove was a must, too.Not all rosy though- not a stick of insulation in the whole boat, and tears in the fibreglas and leaking window trim in the upperstructure means lots of rot to fix. Still, moving onto it full-time in mid-July, lock, stock, and cat. Should be interesting...
That is so freaking awesome. I had a wvo kit in my truck and have always wanted to get one in a boat! Do you have any content related to that and your boat? pics or vids? Part of me (a small part) sometimes wishes I lived in a colder climate so I could justify installing a small wood burning stove on my boat...
You do not want to liver in a colder climate trust me when I say this. When I stumbled into watching these sailing videos my heart just longs for that always warm weather.
One's necessarily better than the other. It's about what compromises one is willing to make for a set of qualities that are preferred. Speaking for myself, I'm looking at eventuallly rigging a trawler with a kite sail so that once offshore, my fuel consumption is slashed. Being able to motor into the wind, not having to think about reefing, avoiding dealing with bridge clearances, and having a shallower draft when navigating waters where water depth is uncertain, and having a decent living space are why I'd opt for a trawler. I'd also be making my own fuel to further slash costs.
It doesn't have to be trawlers, all power vessels are better for "living" on board. Foot for foot a sailboat has less room, it has to. The fact that it's powered by the wind demands hull efficiency. A power boat can be shaped like a box and still make time. Look at harbor tugs. Power gets you from point A to B regardless of wind direction. BUT, as far as comfort, Id argue sailing is much better. There's stability in the heal by the weight of the keel. It's the wind maintaining the heal as opposed to the waves rocking you back and forth in a power boat. There's also the FUN factor. Sailing is almost a symphony between wind and wave with your vessel playing in it. There's a rhythm that's harmonious and unlike the abrasive bashing through the waves like a power boat. If the wind cooperates, the "journey" is always better on a sailboat. Another factor is depth. Sail usually draws more water. Your cat suggestion solves one problem but opens up another. The cost of a slip will be substantially more with the beam of a cat. They'll be faster than a trawler and more fun too!
Catamrans ROCK! I've always thought a monohull is like sharing a crowded 2-man pup tent which has been pitched on a hill with a 20% slope. A catamaran, however, is like living in a small floating apartment. You have redundant engines, more room and best of all, you're pretty much always level.
Hi. I don't have a lot of experience on them (yet). I'm a pretty novice sailor, but everyone says they are fantastic for ocean crossing and long sails (apart from monohull lovers of course, but they would say that). They are faster, and you can easily cut a week or two off an Atlantic crossing. They have a different feel when crossing waves. A mono rolls back and forth, whereas a cat floats up and over the wave, twice. So it takes a bit to get used to. But I suspect if you started sailing on cats, you would find mono's weird at first. Everything I've read indicates that cruisers spend anywhere from 80% - 95% of their time at anchor. The do a long sail to somewhere, and then stay there for a few months, then do another sail, with a few sight seeing trips thrown in. So, if I'm going to live at anchor in a marina most of the time, that is where I want my comfort - and that means catamaran (at least to me).
I live on the Intercoastal Waterway and talk with a lot of cruisers. A lot of the honest ones say a very seaworthy houseboat is the best choice, particularly if the vessel is your only home. For every day underway, you spend several at the dock or at anchor. Another good choice is a shallow sailboat with the mast and rigging removed. Fuel economy and stability are good, and in this market, they are almost free if you shop around.
I'm not sure you can use the words seaworthy and houseboat in the same sentence. The extremely low freeboard and square bows have always contained them to protected waterways. Some are better than others but I've never heard of one that's capable of open waters. Also , their lack of a keel and shallow draft makes them difficult to dock with any wind. But foot for foot, no other power boat has the space of a houseboat. From their multiple decks to their square shape, they actually feel like a house.
Nice... thanks for the input! it's an interesting dilemma. I think some day we will probably go the catamaran route when we want to live aboard. Hadn't thought about the amount of swaying a trawler would do in rough weather....
@@Tulasendlesssummer They are called fish, but most newer trawlers have active stabilisers, no ( swaying ) called Rowling.Some have stabilisers on the hook as well.
It would be interesting to hear about what it costs per year in fees, insurance, fuel, maintenance, etc. to live aboard a trawler. And, how did you learn to maintain a boat? More info = better.
Great comparison. Although you didn't mention anything about draft. Doesn't a trawler have a shallower draft and is able to go more places, especially in the Keys and the Bahamas?
Yes, good point. Our trawler draft is only 3'6". A bit less than our old sailboat which was 3'10" but that is shallow for a sailboat (she was built with a full keel and shoal draft for sailing in places like you mentioned.)
Trawler hands down better ventilation and a smaller trawler 40 to 45 equals a 55 to 60 ft sailboat! Now for cost, sail is cheaper but for living on a dock my gb 47 is the best! Going to sell going to live on a barge and tour europe!
Tula's Endless Summer So i noticed you said you feel the rocking of a trawler is much less comfortable than a sailboat. Well that's sure a thing i don't want to disagree. But especially for your kind of trawler i have seen at least 2 guys online that fitted a custom mast on top with a little sail to keep the boat more steady in rocky seas. Might be something you want to fit onto your boat as well? :-)
Yes originally it did come with a mast and stabilizing sail which was removed at some point in her life. I was researching and haven't really come across any one with experience of actually USING their stabilizing sail. Would love to hear some first-hand experience from someone. They also have trawlers with stabilizing "birds" off the sides of the boat which seems like a great idea.
A power boat is easier to live aboard and more comfortable. You can have another engine if you share a geared down outboard with your dinghy, it will move you along but you need a way to mount it. Sailboats journey cheaper but the wind isnt free, maintenance of the rig costs money and you still have an engine many cruisers spend 20% of their journey under power, and you drag with you the weight and compromises like the keel. Really it comes down to what you do, long hauls for travel - get a sailboat. Liveaboard and seasonal journeys or river cruising - your likely better off with a power boat
Yep! Depends on where and what your use is. Making short trips and staying on anchor is a different need than making long multi day trips only stopping in marinas.
Do you miss your trawler now that you have the cat? Or would you just rather have a little bit bigger cat? Or are you just completely satisfied knowing you guys you're just satisfied with whatever you have. It content couple for sure :-)
There are trawlers available with some good roll stabilization, whether it be dynamic stabilization (hydraulic fins), and/ or paravanes, so you don't necessarily have to roll in a trawler
Look into the LM 27 and other motosailers they are pretty much the best of both worlds although very slow when sailing but very comfortable to live on.
If you like living at a dock, pick the trawler. If you like to travel from Maine to Florida and beyond pick the sailboat. 34’ trawler v. 26, sailboat, not a practical comparison, but thanks.
thank you for this video. I am researching different boats and have come to the same conclusion that you have, a Cat has a lot of the benefits of both worlds. Wish I was as adventurous as you guys are when I was your age. Enjoying the channel. Stay safe!
Hello, Love your videos. Can you tell me where you saw the catamarans in the 30K range. I've been looking for one but just online. I'd live to find that forgotten multihull as well. Thanks and keep up the amazing videos!
The issue with picking a sail boat versus a trawler is the size difference. I cannot buy a small sail boat that gives me no room inside and out. The common sail boat I see is very cluttered, offers little storage space and dirty looking. The only type of sail boat that interest me is the catamaran. Catamarans cost the minimum of $200,000 and will cost hundred thousands more to get one in great shape. That type of sailboat offers the space (inside and out) and look I am looking for. What's competing against getting a sailboat is the pilot houseboat. That looks like the perfect boat for someone like me that sees themselves traveling solo sometimes.
Guys, what is the wave size/period limit for your trawler to go outside inland waters? Comfortable vs uncomfortable but still save/manageable vs border dangerous? In your opinion for your old trawler.
are many trawlers twin engine , and if so if one engine broke down could you run on just one engine my big concern would be having a break down and being stranded at sea perhaps even in heavy seas , i thought twin engines might give more peace of mind
Why not a sail assisted trawler ?....been watching all kinds of vids about different boats etc,(thinking about getting one),and a sail assisted trawler seems pretty cool....probably wouldn't sail very fast but would still be moving under wind power
As a nonsailing... person hh, is it possible to travel with a trawler across the world? like what to do with gas and so? calculating the travel from point to point by gas use?
Where do you find a decent priced trawler or sale boat suitable for living for sale? I can’t find anything on craigslist or online, any tips on finding boats?
Have Owned a Mono and Cat Sailboat !!! Cat All the Way !! Trawlers are cool for the River or Live aboard !!! Fuel is the problem $$$ Cat sailboat all the way !!!
Hey Guys I have a question for you. Why did you change from a sailboat to a trawler? Most times its the reverse people go from a cruiser to a sailboat because they can go cheaper by sailing rather then motoring... It would be an interesting video on what the mindset was for the change. Also please include in your vlogs your maintence issues and restorations on the trawler. Just found your videos and have been binge watching over the past few days.
Hey Jeffrey! Thanks for the comment man. In our experience it has actually been the opposite. As couples get older they prefer the convenience and less physical work of a trawler over the freedom and cost effectiveness of a sailboat so most of them have been switching to a trawler. In our case, we were just looking for a bigger boat and that was the deal that came along. We weren't opposed to trying out a trawler. Thanks for the suggestions, we will definitely try and get some of that content out to you!
+Tula's Endless Summer Thanks for the reply Capt Bill, just finished watching all the videos. You, Sierra and Jetty are fun to watch, really enjoyed the Bahamas cruise videos. I'm not a sailor, I have a 1980 30 ' Penn Yan Sport fish. It's gas but at a slow speed like you guys cruise I probably burn around 4 pr 5 gallons an hour, do you know what your fuel burn is? Probably half what I burn.. Are you still using just an iPad as your chartplotter? Do you guys have a depth sounder? Are you guys on patron, would love donate to your continued cruising adventures.
Thanks for the kind words! Our fuel consumption is about 2 gal/hour at 5 knots. Slow and steady and cheap[er]. Yup still using Navionics on an iPad and it worked great all throughout the Bahamas (make sure you download maps beforehand)! We do have a depth sounder and yes we actually just set up a Patreon account. We are still working on a reward system, hopefully some cool merchandise. Thank you so much and please let us know what you would like to see in the future! www.patreon.com/Tulasendlesssummer
If your single handing the boat I doubt your exceeding 50ft.. I've overnighted on trawler passages in the 75-100ft range and they ALL have that constant drone/vibration of the engines no mater if your staying up in the front state rooms or the rear. Personally I'd prefer a Sail Boat because fuel is Optional depending on how much of a hurry you are. But If I won a lotto, and hand millions to burn, why not.
I agree a sailboat is definitely the best way to go environmentally and financially based on my experience and imo. At the moment air and wind is free so you don't have to pay an outrageous price to explore and if you really want to watch you're budget get an outboard motor unless you are very knowledgeable of marine motor repair because its much cheaper to take the motor to a repair shop vs having a mechanic come to your boat.
Hmmm. Depends on the trawler. My dad had a 40ft trawler with a 40 horse diesel penta and it wasn’t loud. It hummed for sure but I would have never called it loud. The biggest issue with the sound was that it hummed you to sleep. And it didn’t use that much fuel. But I do agree a trawler is hands down better than a sailboat, which most people we passed that were in a sailboat rarely were under sail anyway. But I will say hearing only the ocean and the wind is an awesome feeling. Not gonna lie.
I have always wondered why no one hasn’t made a cruiser that had a hull similar to a sailboat. Long and skinny with a deep and heavy keel. It would be a much more comfortable ride and more fuel efficient. Maybe with the gyroscopic stabilizers now, that just isn’t a concern.
I always loved multihulls. But they have always been out of my budget. I prefer at trimaran to a catamaran. But either would do. Trawlers are nicer for liveaboards, but they are always high priced. Plus if you want to travel for a long distance, say cross an ocean, then you want a sailboat. However, if you want to make a deadline, as they pointed out, then the trawler is better.
Why is the only similarity in these comparisons the length of the boat? People say trawlers have a lot more space, well that's because a new trawler compared to a new sailboat of similar length generally costs way more.
We are actually back and up North on Long Island, but dry-docked the boat in Florida :-/ just for a couple months. We will continue to release the videos from our trip though. A catamaran may be a strong option AFTER our next big adventure.
Recently came across you guys love the videos you post. I'm researching buying a boat about same as y'alls with that being said would you be able to tell me estimated cost to live like y'all do on a monthly basis. Just to have an idea a rough budget plan to figure in with my planning. thank you
Thank you very much! Watched the video and it was great lots of my questions got answered thank you again. Keep the videos coming i enjoy watching your adventures.
Depends where in the Bahamas you go, we went all the way down to Staniel Cay in the Exumas and back. Used probably somewhere between 200-300 gallons of fuel total.
Thanks for the video I am in the same situation, I think if you were in the same size sailboat as the trawler I think you may had a few more in favor of the sailboat! not really a fare comparison I don't think. I also like the idea of a Cat until I started pricing them they are so expensive :( I am now looking at a 38 ft Center Console sailboat I love the aft cabin space in them and a lot of them have a shallow draft as well
An absolute ridiculous comparison. Living aboard of course trawler who would question. Possible travel nearly for free on a sailboat or a 9 dollars an hour for fuel depending on speed. Question is what is important to you.
I've been asking the exact same question. It has actually held up me buying a yacht :( . What MY did you guys use? Most of the new yachts are quiet (Nordhavn www.nordhavn.com/ /Bering www.beringyachts.com/ / FP (www.setsail.com/fpb-97-a-wicked-intro/) I've also looked at draft, FPB is best, Speed, FPB is best, range, FPB is best, heavy weather safety, i.e. Capsize self righting, FPB is best....BUT, FPB IS BY FAR THE MOST EXPENSIVE. So does one look long term saving and spend an extra $2 million on the FPB (with far less space or luxury that say a Nordhavn or Bering) or just go for the space, lesser range, luxury, slower less economical alternatives???????????? dilemma!
@@alexp8924 yep, and now he gets to pull his hair out about the maintenance costs associated with a large inboard engine and genset, and who knows what'll happen the first time he sees the gas bill.
I've lived on a 41' Rhodes for the last 10 yrs. She's rock steady under sail, and in a blow. Very easy motion on anchor too. Watching your one video on anchor and a few i under way your boat is too lively for my taste. A lot of room, to me, wouldn't be a good trade for comfort. Each to thier own though.
i think the maintenance cost, noise and lack of redundancy (sorry but your little tender wont last long hauling the trawler) factors alone rule trawler out all together.
Hi guys I really like what you do with your free time, I which I can do it too. my ? are you guys a couple or just traveling friends with a cute doggie, no even a kiss or a hug from any of you come on you are like Cristobal colon when he discovered the Americans show us some love .thanks
Schooners are a wonderful size sailboats, but usually sell very expensive in America for a good one. Plus, the boats don't look good compared to their cheaper and better foreign counterparts in parts of Asia and Europe. Trawlers sold in America look a lot better and you don't need to pay that much money for a spacious boat. Sure the gas my be expensive and you are screwed if anything happens to the engine, but it's more easy to find a affordable, spacious trawler you like than a sailboat here.
After you cost out the replacement of a set or two of sails, the equation in favour of a sailboat is not as strong. Also, with a fixed keel, a sailboat of the size that is live-aboard-able has a substantial draft, and does put some limits the places you can safely navigate to. Cats solve this to some extent, but the price point to get into a decent one is pretty steep, versus a monohull or a trawler.
I`m guessing you `follow`Gone with the Wynns and their switch from a motorhome to a Leopard 42 cat. If I remember correctly, they searched and searched, and ended up at a price point of about $300K, on a cat that still needed a chunk of work done to be their full time home. With more of a `fixer-upper` you will be spending too much time fixing, and not enough time enjoying.
If it starts to blow I would rather be in a sailboat than a trawler. If things get hairy I can run before the wind and save myself. If that engine breaks I'm sunk eventually.
