Looking at Traders: mad, or what?

[MapisM]

I do not get your 18m size limit...

Fair point J, and I fully agree that maneuvering alone isn't a good reason to restrict the size (well, within reason of course - let's say that up to 24m or so I wouldn't be too worried).
But it's the whole boat maintenance that grows proportionally with size/volume: not only the amount of external surfaces, rails etc. as you said, but also interiors to clean, bigger engines and gensets to feed, mooring/lifting/service costs... The full monty.

In fact, we don't feel too restricted by our current 53 footer also for living aboard, and we are considering a change mostly to get rid of wood-specific maintenance.
Otoh, while we are at that, of course we could use a bit more space (I bet you also would, as any other boater, no matter how large the current boat is... ), but only as long as the size increase is marginal, to avoid jumping from the frying pan into the fire in terms of maintenance, so to speak.

 

[MapisM]

What about a Leapard sport 20-24 M ish open - plenty of space and if knackered engines, perhaps re-engine @ D speed ?

Yeah, and why not add a substantial keel to her hull, for increased stability...?
Or alternatively... ermm... maybe a Trader?

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

What about a Leapard sport 20-24 M ish open - plenty of space and if knackered engines ,perhaps re-engine @ D speed ?
€€€ need to man maths add up
Should stab up -ok ?

Will never work after market. I buy a Leopard or similar cause I like to arrive in a given time at a place.
Yes it is okay to drive the 10 nm trip at 9 knots to save $$$$ every now and then but after that it is a waste of money or resources.

Displacement or SD people look at Grand Banks or one of the Dutch builders if they want used in the 50 to 70 feet range not a Leopard.
Yes even if you buy a Leopard and put Seagull engine and gives you a record per nautical mile.

And just to put a car analogy which you Brits like, it is sort of buying a Ferrari and trying to use it as a Fiat Panda or a Toyota Viz. Mathematics not making sense.

 

[Portofino]

Will never work after market. I buy a Leopard or similar cause I like to arrive in a given time at a place.
Yes it is okay to drive the 10 nm trip at 9 knots to save $$$$ every now and then but after that it is a waste of money or resources.
Displacement or SD people look at Grand Banks or one of the Dutch builders if they want used in the 50 to 70 feet range not a Leopard.
Yes even if you buy a Leopard and put Seagull engine and gives you a record per nautical mile.

And just to put a car analogy which you Brits like, it is sort of buying a Ferrari and trying to use it as a Fiat Panda or a Toyota Viz. Mathematics not making sense.

thinking and perhaps dangerously exptrapolating of a guy who speced a S/skr Pred 95 with John deere,s for a a year off to cruise the Med- then sell ( it took 3 y to sell as most Pred 95 potential owners where' after "normal " double or tripple Arnesons .
Thing is a old Leopard has has a lot of volume and D speed will be around 12-14 knots B4 the hump ---or L/hr lower @ say 9

Ps -- there's a lot of Ferraris in London Not a prob doing "d speed" -trusts me I know

 

[Portofino]

Floating appartment
http://www.theyachtmarket.com/boats...il&utm_term=0_ccf99f6caf-bc42587baf-192652737

 

[Hardmy]

Truly huge inside, but handling a boat without side passage (how do you call it in ENG?) must be a nightmare. And DD engines... I'd prefer CATs personally.

BTW - my Kha Shing was also built in 1990!

 

[MapisM]

I've seen boats with no walkarounds often called "wide body", or "asymmetric wide body" if the walkaround is only on one side.
But I can't swear it's the kosher definition - if there is one, to start with.

Portofino, may I ask what search keys do you use to find this sort of stuff...?
...though that's actually a suggestion which makes more sense than the seagull engined Leopard, in some ways! :encouragement:

 

[Portofino]

They are from a news letter sent from
1- "Yacht Market .com "
Or 2- Mondial Broker "
Kinda get junked 2-3 /week ---- all sorts of stuff , TBH quite interesting reading
Not sure how I ended up on the recipient list .

 

[MapisM]

Fancy a trip back to the future?

I just realised that this thread exceeded 4.5k views by now.
Obviously Trader boats have their appeal north of the Channel, one way or another - in sharp contrast to the perception down here, I must say: with each and every IT boating mate to which I mentioned Trader, I got a "Tra-what?" in reply.... :ambivalence:

Anyway, I thought to post the following link to an old Gludy thread, before he eventually signed the dotted line for a brand new 575, with a result that is now history.
I found it while googling around for debates on these boats, and while this particular thread added very close to nothing to my boating knowledge, it was indeed good for a laugh or three.
BTW, I completely missed the thread back then, which made it even more funny to read now, along the lines of "how we were a dozen of years ago", so to speak...
...with a final o/t on OB rating, which I found particularly entertaining.

Enjoy the reading! :encouragement: