What is it with Trader Boats

[Robg71]

There is something that really appeals about there style. Certainly not speed.
Does any one have any experience with them.
Aquastars i find have a similar appeal, but not as much, any opinions on those too

 

[carlton]

Ask maybh...

http://www.ybw.com/forums/member.php?22503-maybh1

- she has a 44.

 

[Firefly625]

My opinion of Trader yachts blighted by the company, so never appealed . Aquastars however I do like… tough boats made to power through the weather rather than run for cover. Although just a few rumours of build quality issues got me looking closely at them at sibs last year and I did see some poor finish in places... Still would love one though.

 

[Robg71]

I like aquastars rep for bad weather. A lot of pilot boats i have seen in bad weather are aquastars..
Plus faster than traders, but that wouldnt be difficult I dont think.
Whilst i have been using mine right up to december, i dont think it was sunseekers ideal when they pencilled it.

But, i still love it and cant wait to get back.
The more i use it, the more i get an idea of what i want, and dont want.....

 

[Robg71]

My opinion of Trader yachts blighted by the company, so never appealed . Aquastars however I do like… tough boats made to power through the weather rather than run for cover. Although just a few rumours of build quality issues got me looking closely at them at sibs last year and I did see some poor finish in places... Still would love one though.

What was wrong with the company.....

There is a boat of similar style to traders 4 down from me in the marina, be buggered if i can remember what it is..... Its stunning though.....

 

[sailorman]

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?299745-Broker-s-Client-Accounts&highlight=tarquin+boats

There is something that really appeals about there style. Certainly not speed.
Does any one have any experience with them.
Aquastars i find have a similar appeal, but not as much, any opinions on those too

 

[David2452]

Do you mean Traders per se or Trawler Yachts of other marques too?

There is something that really appeals about there style. Certainly not speed.
Does any one have any experience with them.
Aquastars i find have a similar appeal, but not as much, any opinions on those too

 

[Robg71]

Ok, lets open it up to other marque.
Any plus points or minus....

 

[Whopper]

I have always liked Traders. I still do even though I'am well aware about the documented issues! The 475 on James Dickens looks quite attractive at the minute! I have a feeling though that the appeal is probably similar to the appeal some people have for Hummers! They might just look more rugged than they are capable of. Still though nice boats.

 

[Robg71]

I have always liked Traders. I still do even though I'am well aware about the documented issues! The 475 on James Dickens looks quite attractive at the minute! I have a feeling though that the appeal is probably similar to the appeal some people have for Hummers! They might just look more rugged than they are capable of. Still though nice boats.

I agree there, where as I know the aquastar has a good hull, as I have seen them in bad weather, albeit pilot boat form.
Any other manufactures out there.... Be buggered if i can remeber the name of the one four boats down.... It really is stunning....

 

[Whopper]

Trawler style but not aft cabin trawlers, Flemmings are very nice looking machines. Capable to the best of my knowledge! I'd say twin engine semi-d trawlers are heavy on fuel (but stand to be corrected) and as a result I would probably go for a full displacement hull if I were after a trawler style boat.

 

[burgundyben]

No doubt Fleming is where its at, but not a fair comparison, completely different price points.

 

[BartW]

Rob, Traders have a bad reputation here on this forum, because:
1) one famous forum member called Gludy has had major problems with his trader some years ago, pre 2007, but he has had problems with all his boats iirc !!!
I don’t know if these problems were just one of's or more general for the brand.
2) one of the previous owners of the Traders company was a imposer, and was condemned for fraude, I don't know more details, but this has been all over in the magazines a few years ago.
I have no personal experience with traders, so can't give any objective advice,

But
it appears that you have a soft spot for "trawlers" like me and some others on here.
Apart from Trader there are some other, and nicer boats on the market
I think I can say that Fleming is the ultimate in this class, similar like Outer Reef and perhaps Selene
there are others almost in that league, like Grand Banks and Hatteras,
and from the last two you can find older, or smaller (more affordable) models.
Also Aquastar belongs somewhere in this list
(apologies if my qualification on the brands is not correct, I realize this might not be accurate nor objective )

When I started my search for a big boat 5 years ago, (for dive cruises in the med)
I have been looking at many of these beauty’s,
But under pressure from the family I had to look for a more stylish boat,
first found Princesses Fairlines and Ferretti’s,
but then I discovered a completely new league to me, what I call flybridge boats with character, some of them still have a tiny wink to trawlers,

such as :
Cantiery di Pisa, San Lorenzo, Baglietto, Old Itama’s, Versilcraft, Falcon Yachts, Guy Couch, ….

And last but not least Canados,
And That was the beginning of a new period of my live.

 

[henryf]

I have always liked Traders. I still do even though I'am well aware about the documented issues! The 475 on James Dickens looks quite attractive at the minute! I have a feeling though that the appeal is probably similar to the appeal some people have for Hummers! They might just look more rugged than they are capable of. Still though nice boats.

What a horrible advert on their website. Spelling mistakes, narrow angle photos which had me struggling to piece the thing together and as for the video - I gave up through motion sickness.

At some points we were microscopically analysing teak, other times looking at water droplets, occasionally nearly looking at what was being discussed but mostly just being waved aimlessly about.

Wow.

Good luck to master Dickens' in his attempt to go into space. I found that link a long time before I did the boats for sale.

Henry.

 

[Bajansailor]

Rob, as Bart has mentioned above, our friend Gludy has 'been there, done that and got the Trader Tee shirt'....... it has got to be one of the finest soap operas ever written, you simply could not make it up!

Here is how it all began, with Gludy asking innocently what Traders are like, 8 years ago : http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?48556

If you tap "Gludy Trader Tarquin" into Google you will find lots more good bedtime reading.

Before writing them off absolutely though, take note that Gludy then subsequently had terrible experiences with the next two highly customised boats that he ordered.
As one Forum member famously commented on one thread (I think it was one started by Gludy on Scuttlebutt about his St Francis sailing cat) - "If I was running a boatyard and I saw Gludy approaching with his cheque book, I would hastily lock the doors and emigrate to Patagonia" (or words to that effect).

 

[Robg71]

Your right Bart, some stunning boats there. The majority are well out of my price range, but beautiful nontheless.
The canados is stunning, actually, along with alot of the older boats, princess and fairline included. Me beeing the tight yorkshireman, would sooner buy last years (decades) model i can afford, than break the bank on this years.

Iam just looking ahead at the moment.

I shall read with interest what has to be said reference the traders, but i have no definites, just a style i like. And for a boat for me to use year round, an open top sunseeker is not it. Fun though it definitly is
If i look at semi displacement hulls, is itpossible forthem to cruise around 16 knots, or are they then using more fuel than the QE2, in comparrison to a full planing hull.

 

[maybh1]

There is something that really appeals about there style. Certainly not speed.
Does any one have any experience with them.
Aquastars i find have a similar appeal, but not as much, any opinions on those too

Hi Rob

I have a Trader 44 which we purchased in 1999 from new

She is a unique boat and was pretty heavily customised by Trader for us. Unlike Gludy, our buying experience was good and the fact that we have kept the boat for nigh on 14 years speaks for itself

We wanted a boat with internal volume and certainly got one. We often joke that the interior is more spacious than most people's two bedroom flats. The guys at Trader nicknamed her "The Tardis" when she was being commissioned

She will do 17 knots when required but we usually potter along at 8 knots. We have Floscans fitted so my husband can keep an eye on fuel consumption and we are usually happy with useage up to 10 knots

The choice of Trader was totally driven by my husband - I would have probably gone for something a bit more "glitzy". In fact the other two boats initially in the frame at the time were a Sunseeker and an Azimut. They all came in at the same ballpark price but I have to say, hand on heart, that the Trader wiped the floor with them for our needs

She has weathered the years quite well and we are just about to spend a bit of money on her to bring her up to scratch again. She will have her gel coat dinks sorted, her decks cleaned a good polish and her hull Copperbottomed and she should be good to go for another few years

I don't do technical but if you have any questions please drop me a PM and I am sure my husband will be happy to answer them

Kind Regards

May
Xx

 

[Robg71]

Thanks May, thats great.
I have lots of ideas going through my head. I am really just thinking out load.
I know that i will be looking for a more roomy boat in the future, and looking at options. There are plenty of them about, and just as one forumite has had issues, doesnt make them all bad...
I love the look of them. A bit rugged, so to speak.... Wether i buy one or not is another subject.
I am writing down notes on how/why/where/thoughts when i use my boat. I have had her for seven months, and lived onboard for a week or two at a time, for about three months. But you dont know what you would change untill you look and study it.
Best regards
Rob

 

[Spi D]

When opening the thread to more makes one think about Arthur DeFever who came up with(invented) the now common style of trawler types.

Inspired many builders and designed some. Made under various names all over the world (also China/Taiwan etc.), apparently from 36'.

Build quality probably varies between builders but the lines are beautiful.

If you Goggle 'defever' for images you'll see many, eg. the 45'

 

[Robg71]

Very nice,
I am amazed how many more boat manufacturers and builders there are.
Typically blinkered brit i suppose.....
Next tIme Im in the Merwede shipyard in rotterdam I could ask them to knock me something up over lunch