I'm lookin at this trawler and I'm wondering if anybody knows anything about her. How old she is etc. Looks like the owner took great care of her and did major upgrades. Let me know what you think. I appreciate any help. Trawler For Sale
Very unusual and well thought out looking boat. The documentation I believe indicates she was built in 1975 by Westwind marine. DK anything about that company, but back in '75 they were still overbuilding Fiberglass hulls. Quite frankly I was surprised and impressed to see what's below the waterline. That has got to be the roomiest 38 footer I've ever seen. Not much deck space for sunning, but she's a northern boat. The woodwork looks gorgeous. She is a bit slow by today's standards, but if I were in the market for such a boat I'd sure be going to look at her. Wish I could tell you about her, but her documentation only shows one prior owner (another corp.). Keep us informed if you go to see her. I'd be interested to hear more about her.
I think she's a well built, sturdy boat for the puny amount I know. She was one of 3 or 4 built by an outfit near me in Lodi, Ca. I will post any additional info as I get it. Thanks for your input Capt.
Maverick EASY MALDWIN ! Thats a twin screw pitbull ! Built like a rock wiith everything I'd need in a boat. Like the Capt. said its a little short on deck/cockpit area but its got a ton of room inside. The guy that built it did an awesome job. The ONLY thing I might consider would be re-power with bigger engines and it appears access for R/R would be pretty easy in comparison to most boats. What you do you think Capt. or anybody else ?
Weto, Your quotes above are somewhat contradictory. I question if you are a potential buyer for this boat, or a seller trying generate interest on YachtForums. Your defensive response to Maldwin would indicate the latter. No doubt beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I'm with Maldwin on this one.
You'll have to excuse me sir as I am very new to all of this. When I posted early this morning I had not read through the tons of info the seller had on their web page. I was only trying to find out if anybody knew Mfg. name or maybe previous history on this boat. No I am not the owner nor do I know the owner but I would like to be the owner someday. And yes it isnt pretty but it looks very uuh, lets call it robust.
You know, that was my first impression also, but as they say 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. In commercial boats form follows function. This is a boat meant for staying inside and cruising in cold areas. They certainly maximized the interior space. From the pics I saw she is really well suited for the task, and the workmanship throughout looks really well done. There's beauty in that.
I would agree Capt. What are your thoughts on the type of stabilizer they installed on this boat? Also the fuel scrubber? It says "algea" in the name. I thought scrubbers were to clean anything from the fuel. If I bought this boat I would use it mainly in the Sacramento Delta and in San Francisco Bay and maybe down the coast to Ft.Bragg and to Half Moon Bay. Adequate and safe for this?
I would be concerned about how the keel was attached after it was built. I thought it said 6 or 7 foot draft with a 40' water line length in the article. It was originally built as a round bottom with no keel. As far as the algae in the diesel I'm not sure if that's what it is but, it makes a black slime in the filters and fuel system that's difficult to remove. I thought it was mainly a concern at higher temps. such as above ground fuel storage and tanks in the engine room. The asking price seems high for a one off with those engines. Also could be difficult to finance and insure. Banks want comps. to reach a value. No comment about the appearance. My dad told me long ago "you can tell a man his wife is ugly but, don't say shi#%@ about his boat."
I'm not the best one to ask about types of stabilizers or fuel scrubbers, but they have them and that's good. It doesn't look like they cheaped out on anything. Whether it's the right boat for your area is another matter. Although I'm an east coaster I know that you have pretty good weather Spring to Fall. That means time spent on deck. You'll also be cruising some distance even on day trips. 5 kts. is slow. For those reasons I think I'd be inclined to pass. To me this looks like a great boat for cruising the inside passage toward Alaska or living on board in Oregon.
Here is an off topic question from a green horn, Capt. (or anybody else) What in the H**L is a pantographic gate ?
Pantographic doors open parallel to the surface they cover. They are a hybrid; one part sliding door and one part hinged door. They are a necessity when narrow side decks won't allow a typical 'hinged' door to swing completely open. I've attached the pantographic lazzarette door on Ellix Too as an example...
Ok, that makes sense. Are there any pictures of the actual mechanism on YF ? Complicated hinge assem from the looks of it.
If you go back and search the Passagemaker Magazines you'll find an article on this and several other boats that were project boats for some individuals. This boat was built for a fisherman and from the article it looked entirely different from what it is now. The boat built as new had some sevear stability issues. Seems it went bell up the first time out and the original builder gave up on it. The next owner spent a ton of money on it including a new keel with ballast to fix it. They rebuilt the topsides to what it is now, no telling how much money they put into it and from the looks they did a really nice job. All you have to do is search the passagemaker magazines and you'll have most of the info you need. Cheers Larryw