Outboard Powered Trawlers/w.Pics

[rustybarge]

Hi All,

Are we missing out here in Europe on OB powered trawlers that would cost less than half as much as a GRP diesel inboard version; modern leanburn OB's seem to be nearly as economical as diesels.


Same weight as a Antares 8.80 at about 3 tons: alloy 32' with twin 150hp or single 300hp

http://www.specmar.com/aluminum-boat-plans/special-purpose-boats/32-ft-commercial-crab-boat-1442

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Something a bit smaller:
http://www.specmar.com/aluminum-boat-plans/monohull-boats/31-ft-rough-water-orca-907

 

[Firefly625]

might be fishing boats... they ain't trawlers.

 

[rustybarge]

might be fishing boats... they ain't trawlers.

what sort of anchor do you have..............?.

reversed leaning windows:check
Flybridge coaming: check
radar mast:check
wheelhouse with small door: check (no patio doors)

......and if it looks like.................

 

[rustybarge]

Some more American beauties, although it is set up for outdrive/250hp diesel it could easily be converted to an outboard.

Obviously not suitable for OB's: but pretty!

 

[rustybarge]

It's a great summer we're having isn't it!
Just doing some armchair musing.......

This trawler cost $1.4m to build in plywood/ epoxy, you just have to love the yanks.

 

[rustybarge]

Nice little trawler yacht.

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[rustybarge]

A modern take on the traditional Down East lobster trawler hull form.


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with and without fly bridge.

 

[rustybarge]

American boats are to Classic British cars as Yank cars are to British Classic boats...... (did I get that the right way around?)
Hope you enjoyed a very brief introduction.
All in my opinion of course!

 

[Hugin]

A modern take on the traditional Down East lobster trawler hull form

Forgive me my ignorance, but what's modern about it?

 

[rustybarge]

The lobster boats in the photo above have hard chine planing hull in contrast to the traditional round bilge keel hull form which had a massive Skeg that limited the top speed to the low teens, and they they have also altered the spoon shaped stem which is a trade mark of down east lobster boats.

 

[MapisM]

reversed leaning windows:check
Flybridge coaming: check
radar mast:check
wheelhouse with small door: check (no patio doors)

......and if it looks like.................

Mmmm.... At risk of appearing pedantic, I'm afraid none of these items qualify a trawler.
Though some have been en vogue lately, particularly the last regarding the look - see Beneteau STs, which only share a bit of look with real trawlers.

Otoh, it's actually much simpler to identify a trawler.
To quote someone who knows a thing or three about trawlers, commercial trawlers “trawl” – i.e. drag nets to catch fish.
And as the same guy further explained:
They go to sea for days and weeks, sometimes months at a time, with no turning back for gales.
They need torque to drag those nets and a boat capable of handling torque.
Then they have to carry the fish home, which represents a lot of weight, so they need serious cargo capability and stability under load.

Can't see any trawler among the (albeit interesting) boats you posted.

 

[rustybarge]

Mmmm.... At risk of appearing pedantic, I'm afraid none of these items qualify a trawler.
Though some have been en vogue lately, particularly the last regarding the look - see Beneteau STs, which only share a bit of look with real trawlers.

Otoh, it's actually much simpler to identify a trawler.
To quote someone who knows a thing or three about trawlers, commercial trawlers “trawl” – i.e. drag nets to catch fish.
And as the same guy further explained:
They go to sea for days and weeks, sometimes months at a time, with no turning back for gales.
They need torque to drag those nets and a boat capable of handling torque.
Then they have to carry the fish home, which represents a lot of weight, so they need serious cargo capability and stability under load.

Can't see any trawler among the (albeit interesting) boats you posted.

....it would be quite difficult to haul nets along the seabed bottom with outboards, but maybe a couple of those monster 557 v8 550hp outboards would do it; but only just.

Of course I should have written trawler 'style' boats.

 

[Hugin]

The lobster boats in the photo above have hard chine planing hull in contrast to the traditional round bilge keel hull form which had a massive Skeg that limited the top speed to the low teens

I think there exist DownEast styled boats with hard chines and modest keels, capable of 30knots, certainly into the high-20s..... but if there is no keel/skeg at all then they cease to be DownEast style, don't they? Then they are just planing boats of no particular style, IMHO

 

[rustybarge]

I think there exist DownEast styled boats with hard chines and modest keels, capable of 30knots, certainly into the high-20s..... but if there is no keel/skeg at all then they cease to be DownEast style, don't they? Then they are just planing boats of no particular style, IMHO

The really modern modern leisure boats seem to have altered the hull form, while work boats seem to still have the semi displacement hulls.....

. Modern Downeast boats are typically designed with hulls that are semi-displacement, or "semi-planing." This hull type is capable of developing a moderate amount of hydrodynamic lift due to it's underwater shape, however, most of the boat's weight is still supported through buoyancy with typical power applications. Downeast type hulls make use of this planing or semi-planing effect with the shape of their hulls where a flatter section with low dead rise is incorporated in the after section of the hull providing a means to transition from displacement speed to semi-displacement or semi-planing speeds. Speed is now a function of power to weight ratios. Shape of hull, lifting rails, angle of drive train force, and trim tabs will determine vessel longitudinal angle to the water and its ability to lift and increase speed.

Slightly overdone, bigger is better gone wrong:

bigger and definitely better:

 

[Spi D]

Outboards seem to be on the way back. Fuel/price etc. apparently helps them.

If trawlers are defined by the fishing vessel definition, not many exist in leisure boating. As mentioned elsewhere, Defever is a designer to look for

Merry Fisher 8.55 on outboards

Not so trawler(ish) but at least 'peche promenade'

Antares 8.80

 

[rustybarge]

Outboards seem to be on the way back. Fuel/price etc. apparently helps them.

If trawlers are defined by the fishing vessel definition, not many exist in leisure boating. As mentioned elsewhere, Defever is a designer to look for

Merry Fisher 8.55 on outboards

Not so trawler(ish) but at least 'peche promenade'

Antares 8.80

I always wonder what what happens with your expensive diesel inboards if they blow up; re powering an older boat will cost several times it's resale value, and fitting the latest model engines will mean re-routing all the services to the engine because they have changed the layout, which probably means multiplying the cost of the actual engines by double.

...if you buy an OB boat the engines are only half the cost, and fitting is dead easy only taking a few hours to rig up.

i think this is what stops people buying boats with 10 year old diesel inboards, the 'what if' scenario, and when you consider that everywhere in Europe except the UK you have to use taxed fuel, OB's start to make good financial sense.

 

[rustybarge]

Even Nigel Irens the famous multihull designer is copying the lobster boat shape and hull. (PS: don't tell his clients)
Apparently it's super economical at 10 kts.

 

[Spi D]

As outboards get cleaner and leaner, their ability to perform as a sterndrive with the ease (in maintenance) of shafts really makes an alternative.
Insurance wise they still cost more as you get insured in group with speedboats and as enigens are easy replace, they are easy to steal as well.

I truely loved my o/b. And equally so with my shafts, ruliing sterndrives out by my book.

 

[rustybarge]

As outboards get cleaner and leaner, their ability to perform as a sterndrive with the ease (in maintenance) of shafts really makes an alternative.
Insurance wise they still cost more as you get insured in group with speedboats and as enigens are easy replace, they are easy to steal as well.

I truely loved my o/b. And equally so with my shafts, ruliing sterndrives out by my book.

The the only commercial boat I've ever heard of that has stern drives is the Botnia Targa patrol boats, buy funnily enough most seem to be used by police on fresh water rivers like the Thames; everyone else either use water jets ( very very expensive) shafts or outboards.

surely some should be able to design a reliable outdrive in this day and age?

 

[Spi D]

Possibly, but not likely any of the current manufacturers. They do not like idea of quitting their own pension plan

The challenge is to connect a stationary engine to a turn/trim/tilt drive. If anybody ever invent a solutin it will have to beat the shafts - not likely in money and simplicity terms.

Eh- oh, yes - the outboards does it already..