Pocket Cruiser?

[tuffr2]

I am trying to figure out the best type of boat for east coast of Florida, ICW, Florida Keys, Bahamas.

I have looked at CC fishing boats but they lack any over night accomadations.

But what do you guys think of using a pocket cruiser to enjoy the water's in and around the Florida east coast. These boats are trailerable, have over night accomadations and A/C.

Beside being gas hogs what are any other downsides?



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[tuffr2]

One thing that I do not like about the pocket cruisers are I prefer outboard power. The twin engine set up on the fishing CC boats is difficult to beat.

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[Sailmonkey]

What are you calling a pocket cruiser?


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[tuffr2]

A boat that comes with a trailer and can be towed with any special highway permits. Typically 26' to maybe 29'. They will have a cabin that you can probably stay on for maybe a week.

Something like this:



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[HopCar]

You might want to ask that question over on the Trawler Forum. There are a number of trailerable trawlers available with living quarters like you'll need for extended coastal cruising.

[tuffr2]

Ok...where in the heck is the 'Trawler Forum' ? is it part of CF? If so I can not find it as they have Mono, Multi hull and Power as their categories.

There are a lot of boats in this area. 70% CC, 15% runabout/deck boat, 15% bass, pontoon and misc.



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[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Ok...where in the heck is the 'Trawler Forum' ? is it part of CF? If so I can not find it as they have Mono, Multi hull and Power as their categories.

There are a lot of boats in this area. 70% CC, 15% runabout/deck boat, 15% bass, pontoon and misc.



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Trawler Forum

Nice group of boaters, with many members who also participate in the Cruisers Forum power forum too.

[tuffr2]

Thanks...I just downloaded the app. One boat that I made an offer on but was rejected was a go fast boat Baja 38 Special with the best accomadations of any go fast boat. Had A/C and gen set plus I could stand in the cabin.

A trawler might be a better for for what I want. Get this. I woukd also like to explore the huge inland lakes like Lake Cumberland Kentucky and Table Rock Arkansas.

Again -thanks

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[bearkeley]

We are selling our 24ft Albemarle CC and just bought our first pocket trawler...27ft Albin FC. It's the perfect cruiser for inland waters.....trawler hull, not too much bigger than our cc but a ton of living space and VERY fuel efficient....but, it cruises at 6 knots. VERY different lifestyle than our cc but you really can't go much faster on the ICW if you really want to appreciate it as a cruiser, so we bought it!

The trawler forum has a lot of articles about trawlers and other powerboat cruisers including some with outboards. Good luck with the search!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by bearkeley

We are selling our 24ft Albemarle CC and just bought our first pocket trawler...27ft Albin FC. It's the perfect cruiser for inland waters.....trawler hull, not too much bigger than our cc but a ton of living space and VERY fuel efficient....but, it cruises at 6 knots. VERY different lifestyle than our cc but you really can't go much faster on the ICW if you really want to appreciate it as a cruiser, so we bought it!

The trawler forum has a lot of articles about trawlers and other powerboat cruisers including some with outboards. Good luck with the search!

Here is a very nice video series (more than one video) on YouTube that is a blog of Smacksman, who purchased an Albin 27 FC and took it from Charleston to New Orleans in 2015 via the ICW.

https://youtu.be/GthaDtl7eMc

A few years earlier he purchased a Bristol 30 sloop in Connecticut and cruised it down the ICW to Miami. He bought that boat for just $4k. He has another series showing that cruise. Just search YouTube for Smacksman.

[tkeithlu]

Take a look at the Ranger Tug R-25 and R-27. They impress me as about the most seaworthy tiny cruiser, and they've got remarkable interiors. They're still in the range of your not having to buy an F-350 dually to trailer.

[tuffr2]

I saw a small Ranger Tug on a trailer at a Wal-Mart while along the coast in Virginia. Interesting looking coastal cruiser.

I will look at the largest (small) trawler that will still fit on a trailer.

I currently have a dually truck but prefer to be able to tow with a SRW (single rear wheel) truck if possible. Even if it has to be a F-350 SRW truck.

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[tuffr2]

I watched some of those You-Tube videos before. Agree those are some great accomplihments and great videos. He actually got his wife on the boat for an hour or two...poor sailor has to sail by himself.

Thanks for the idea of a 'Pocket Trawler'.

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[a64pilot]

Just curious, as a fellow Dually owner myself, why would you prefer a single rear wheel for towing?

The difference in fuel consumption of a trawler type of boat with a small Diesel and twin outboards is astonishing, truly astonishing, a twin outboard boat as a gross average will burn 25+ gallons an hour, running about 20+ kts or so, a trawler may burn 1 gallon an hour at 6 or 7 kts, 1/3 the speed, but 1/25th the fuel, and Diesel is often much less expensive.

Not comparable boats at all, but I met up recently with a couple on a BIG sport fisherman, easily twice the size of my boat, their average cruise speed was 28 kts, but they burned 120 gallons an hour doing it, I burn one gallon an hour but only at 1/4 their speed, to cover the same distance takes me four times as long, but I burn 120 times less fuel

[tuffr2]

A dually truck has it's purposes. I currently use it to tow my little runabout boat, a 25' camping trailer and a 37' 5th wheel. I want to sell my 37' 5th wheel and my little runabout boat and buy a much bigger boat. I am thinking a 1 ton, SRW diesel truck would be enough truck.

I do not take my dually truck thru the drive thru's...lol.

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