Outdoors

Trawlers hauling in more sailors

For older salts who get winded, these luxury cruisers open up far-ranging frontiers.

By TERRY TOMALIN
Published October 27, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - After nearly 30 years in the sailboat business, Ed Massey noticed a disturbing trend.

"We kept seeing loyal customers, people who had numerous different models from us over the years, selling their sailboats," said Massey, who owns Massey Yacht Sales in St. Petersburg. "They were getting older and wanted to keep boating, but they didn't want to have to work so hard at."

After much thought, Massey steered a few of his customers toward trawlers. The large, lumbering craft are short on speed but long on comfort.

"It is the natural progression for the ex-sailor," Massey said. "They can cruise at 11 to 14 knots, which is about twice the speed of a sailboat. So it is not a big jump for most people."

Massey, founder of Strictly Sail St. Petersburg, pressed his colleagues to allow the popular diesel-powered motor yachts in the show, which had previously catered to wind-driven watercraft.

"I knew we would be bending the rules," Massey said. "But we had to be realistic and respond to market demand."

Next week, when dozens of tall-mast boats anchor off Spa Beach near The Pier, you also will see a handful of the trawlers pulled up along the temporary docks.

"They are getting more and more popular," said Bo Brown of Yacht Sales Florida, a local company that also sells trawlers. "I think one reason is the fuel economy."

Trawlers mimic the design of the classic, deep-ocean, commercial fishing boats. Slow and strong, the vessels were designed to drag heavy nets, or trawls, through the water and carry a full load of fish back to port.

"They have great range," Brown said. "They are also very dry and very stable, which makes them appealing to the long-range cruiser."

Many trawler enthusiasts buy their boats to complete "The Great Circle." The route begins in the Gulf of Mexico, then runs up Southeastern rivers, across the Great Lakes and down the East Coast.

"These boats are very seaworthy," said Massey, who sells both Nordic Tug and Albin models. "The old-style commercial trawlers had displacement hulls, but today's recreational boats make use of modern materials and production techniques. Most trawlers have semi-displacement hulls that allow them to move much faster than the old fishing boats."

Massey said getting trawlers into the Strictly Sail show was a battle worth fighting.

"Statistically, most trawler owners come from the world of sailing," he said. "There will be people at the show looking for that next boat, and a trawler just might be it."

Brown, who sells the Ocean Alexander line of trawlers, agreed.

"Cruising is huge," he said. "You can take a 48-foot boat like this one and travel around the whole Caribbean. There are no real limits."

But trawlers aren't cheap. The Ocean Alexander 48 costs $749,000. Take a look inside and you will see why. The aft cabin is filled with teak cabinets and granite countertops. The master stateroom has a queen-sized berth, an in-suite head and flat-screen television.

"They spared no expense," Brown said. "This trawler was designed for the person looking for a finer cruising experience."

Massey's Nordic Tug is a premium trawler comparable in quality to a Catalina or Hunter in the sailboat market. The Albin, a New England-style cruiser, is known as a good value, quality boat.

"You can find a trawler in the 30- to 32-foot range starting at $300,000 and going up to $1.4-million," Massey said. "The bigger trawlers, 50 to 70 feet, can cost as much as $5-million."

Massey said sailboat enthusiasts need not fear their show being overrun by powerboat types.

"We are very sensitive that this show is Strictly Sail," he said. "We are starting off small this year with 10 or so trawlers. Next year, as interest grows, we will cap it at 20."

[Last modified October 26, 2006, 23:30:44]