Trawler VS Catamaran

[readytotravel]

Good Morning. As seen in my previous threads I am narrowing down via advice and comments from everyone. First of all thank you all from the bottom off my heart who have taken true time to discuss all options. Now I am TORN between 2 styles So yes I guess I am far from over. My friend that is going with me is an expert sailer with 1000's of miles on a sailboat. Me I am the power boat side..Ok budget 150,000 to 200.000 to buy Really want to stay at 150,000 cause of upgrades or stuff that has to been done to a particular boat. I am looking for lots of room with decks flybridge and great fuel economy I have found 4 trawlers that meet my criteria fuel economy and fuel tanks n ability to have more fuel tanks added.... I was told that under anchor trawlers tend to role and are not very smooth???? also say a boat weights 50,000 dry about how much wieght can you add to the boat as a general rule? Now on to a catamaran yes I know there is dramatically lease Area to live in I have found lots on multiple sites that have 3 queens and ample space plus no real spending of fuel cause of solar n small gen. I have been told they under anchor and really comfortable. I need help with thoughts on positive and negative comparisions Thank you so much for all your help Stay safe and thank you

[Dulcesuenos]

Are you talking sail cats or power Cats? What's your intended use? Cats get better fuel economy by double or more. Cats are More comfortable offshore than most trawlers. A 40' cat has way more space than a 40 trawler. You can sail ! More privacy on a cat. I'm not knocking trawlers but can't really think of any area they are better except maybe the great loop ?

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[readytotravel]

a Sailing cat

[Cheechako]

Negating how you intend to use it. I would take a cat. Fast and economical fuel usage. Stable, no rolling. A lot of space in a cat. Big open stateroom too like a trawler.


They can carry alt of weight too. Nothing wrong with a trawler though. Some roll a bit, some have flat aft sections which help to minimize rolling.

[Cotemar]

readytotravel,

Take a look at the FP Mahe 36 catamaran. You can find them in the $150,000 usd price range.
36 x 20 feet is a lot of boat in 2 or 3 staterooms.
They are very fast sailing or motoring.
They have plenty of room for solar.
They fit in most travel lifts.
FP made about 180 of them.

Here is a link to 3 pages of every bit of info and pictures you can imagine.

Fountaine Pajot - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Cotemar

[a64pilot]

Cats and Trawlers are as alike as an SUV and a Station Wagon, there are pretty significant differences that will be highlighted by intended use.
Caribbean cruising from one island to the other I'd say a Cat has a Trawler beat, but if I wanted to do the Great Loop, I'd go with a Trawler. Going to almost always be in a Marina? Trawler, almost always at anchor, Cat etc.

Oh and Trawler hulls original design was I believe to carry lots of Cargo, while a Cat is hampered more by weight

[valhalla360]

Unless you plan to haul bulk cargo, you will never use the trawlers cargo capacity.

A cat is great for the great loop by the way. If you don't want to mess with the mast, you can always take it down and store it for the great loop trip and then put it back on when you are done. With twin engines, it's far more maneuverable and with 3' draft, the cat can sneak into areas a 5' trawler won't be able to get into.

Anchor or marina, the cat is the more comfortable living platform.

Do be careful with the power cats. If they brag about high speeds, you will have to have strong willpower not to use that speed as it will kill the fuel efficiency (sail cats typically are powered for trawler speeds takin away that incentive)

[Lepke]

In calm or moderate seas you get a much better ride than a single hull. In heavy seas they flip over. I live on the Pacific. In the days before Epirbs, every year or so a freighter would come across one upside down, usually w/o crew. Now the Coast Guard finds them quicker. Get an epirb and flotation suits.

[Dulcesuenos]

[QUOTE=Lepke;2188262]In calm or moderate seas you get a much better ride than a single hull. In heavy seas they flip over. I live on the Pacific. In the days before Epirbs, every year or so a freighter would come across one upside down, usually w/o crew. Now the Coast Guard finds them quicker. Get an epirb and flotation suits.[/QUOTE

Ready and go!

How many sunk monohulls do they come across? Oh wait nm.....

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[docsails]

I have a 2002 Sea Sport Pacific 3200, a 32' catamaran with Cummins 5.9 diesel engines. This boat is smaller than the one you are seeking, but, I can give you an overview of what a power catamaran is like. I first started boating with a 43' Ron Holland cutter rigged sloop, later a Bayliner 4087 (interestingly, with the same engines as my Sea Sport).

Due to some service related injuries, I had to sell the Bayliner, which had a higher freeboard, causing difficulty climbing off onto the dock. I am somewhat gimpy, having had a hip replacement and other work on my lower extremities. The catamaran is a great boat for me; she has a lower freeboard making climbing on/off easier and can take her to our local islands (Santa Cruz, Catalina, etc.) by myself to stay at anchor for a week or so. Have had the boat out in some pretty nasty weather and she handled it well. Another bonus: there are handhelds everywhere on the interior and exterior.

The downsize: I wish I had another 5' length to help carry my priceless junk. Also, maintenance is somewhat tough to do-shoehorning those large engines into the narrow hulls makes it hard to reach filters, etc. And, if hit directly on the beam by a swell, she has a "snap roll" (no nice rounded bilges and/or deep keel) which is a bit disconcerting but safe.

[gosstyla]

Take a look at FP Maryland 37 - a power cat originally marketed as a "trawler".

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Are you talking sail cats or power Cats? What's your intended use? Cats get better fuel economy by double or more. Cats are More comfortable offshore than most trawlers. A 40' cat has way more space than a 40 trawler. You can sail ! More privacy on a cat. I'm not knocking trawlers but can't really think of any area they are better except maybe the great loop ?

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You've gotten good advice.

A trawler will carry a bigger load and has a better helm position for bad weather or close inshore work. Canals, locks, etc. -- which is why different people have said this would be good for the Great Loop.

But for everything else, a sailing cat! It's a more efficient motorboat than a trawler, and plus you have sails if you ever feel like using them! Much more comfortable and stable at anchor or offshore.

Pretty much a no-brainer, IMHO, but PROVIDED you are able to keep the weight down, which is the Achilles's Heel of cats.

[Sea Life]

I vote trawler, but I am probably biased! Seriously though, depends on intended use. Offshore in heavy weather, the trawler will be more forgiving(if its full displacement). All depends on your experience.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

A 40' cat has way more space than a 40 trawler.

Sorta kinda maybe. Might depend on where one likes one's "more space" to be. On most cats, I think the berths in the hull are mostly wall-to-wall (bulkhead-to-bulkhead) with no room to walk or stand on both sides of the mattress. Contrast with walk-around berths and even full-beam staterooms in some of the trawlers.

Just a neutral observation, not a for-or-against.

-Chris

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Sea Life

I vote trawler, but I am probably biased! Seriously though, depends on intended use. Offshore in heavy weather, the trawler will be more forgiving(if its full displacement). All depends on your experience.

More forgiving than a sailing cat?

I am speaking from my armchair here, as I have little heavy weather experience in cats and zero in trawlers, but I would have thought that the cat, with sailing ability, greater beam, lower center of gravity, and far lesser windage, would be far better offshore in heavy weather.

I don't think it can be overstated, how useful sails are in heavy weather. They give you huge power if you need it, and stabilize the vessel. And they can't be disabled by muck in the fuel tanks, stirred up by rough weather.

Windage is another really big factor. A tall vessel with a lot of windage is a real handful in heavy weather.


I'm not disrespecting trawlers, which I love. But I don't think offshore in heavy weather is their highest and best use. A heavy full displacement trawler will of course be much better in such conditions, than other types of power boats. But will still be far worse than almost any kind of sailing vessel, even a smaller sailing vessel.