Best Inside Passage Trawler??

Whatever turns you on

Seeing as I'm so much younger than all you old farts I do agree in taking it easy but I'm a little tired of the same places and want to get further-easier.

And yes, we'll see what DanRay says if he replies...I just like to offer up alternatives.


For my 52' Sea Ray,I know for a fact that I get about the same mpg at 13 knots as a Nordhavn 50 does at 10.5,and quite a bit better than the 55s.

Also,@ 28 mph cruise I get about half the mpg as the Nord does at 10...so ~3 times as fast for 1/2 the mpg.
So that means over a distance at those speeds I'll burn about 1.6 times as much fuel...but worth it,to me.
And I still have the to option to out run and out mileage the Nordhavn if I choose @ 1100 rpm.

But at what price to actually use a $350-400k boat as opposed to having a similar yeared Nordhavn that's a Million$ sitting there because half your holiday (weekend or otherwise) is spent in transit?
I know people in this situation.

However if you want to cruise the world, go to and from Alaska 3 times a year,go for it

Or take the difference in price,buy a nice condo,rent it out and have all your fuel costs paid for-plus most of your expenses,

 

Hey rocket guy,
Just think ....if you had a boat that could cruise at 200mph you could go to Alaska in 4 hours! What a wonderful trip that would be.

Easy Rider

 

ya something tells me given the amount of stuff you need to look out for in Alaskan waters that 10 knots is just fine
hit a log at 30 and your in big trouble
fast

I'd rather take in the sights any day
that and if your girl has the prerequisite rack on her flying along at warp speed is just plane old uncomfortable for her. My experience has been that if you take care of the girl, the girl will take care of you.

my two cents

B

 

Speed is the option,not the necessity.

I'd say 90% of my time is at 13 to 14...it may surprise you but I am bright enough not to crank it up in rough seas,and know when and where to to open it up.

I've bent one blade on one prop on one rock in 16 years of heavy cruising time with my own boats,which includes sneaking into shallow inlets..

 

I'm not getting after you West I'm just sayin that 10 knots is fine, The boat I just got is actually capable of ~20 if it had its original size engine but I'm happy with the greater economy and the slower speed.

yup
the day might come when I wished I could go faster but all in all those days are going to be so few and far between that there's just no point
at least for me that is

cheers to all
and see you on the passage this coming summer

B

 

Boston,
Gawd I wish I could go 10 knots ..girl or no girl
Actually I'd like to go 12 or 14 knots but there's very few boats that can do that well.

Easy

 

I'll likely be going slower

its not the destination
its the journey

 

Hi to all and thanks for the assistance and ideas,I've been on the road for business.

My eyes have been opened to new possibilities,and it does seem that it's unlikely I'll be doing any bad weather "outside" or far north Alaska cruising.I've also been looking at fuel burns and speeds and all that.
Easy, I am wondering why you call Westy "Rocket boy" and say speed is not necessary but then you wish you could go 10 or 14 knots?

To answer,I'd want to spend up to $400k on a boat I can actually get use of and I'm really doubting my ideas of trawlers,as looking around I see very few of them.

West if you don't mind,what is your boat and what would you recommend for layout and brands models.You seem to have done the most cruising in this area and I'd like your view.Some day I'll buy you dinner. BTW I sent you a pm,to revive this old thread.

Thanks again to you all for the ideas.

 

That far north, the cruising season is the summer. The days are VERY long, so you can cover a lot of miles at 8 knots in a day. And the beauty of the place is so breathtaking that you really don't want to go fast. And then there are the bergie bits and other flotsam.

8 knots is a great speed for up there. I started out running 14, but soon ended up at 8.

And when the seas came up, 8 knots was good, real good.

 

Here are some good ones. All, of course, arrived on their own bottoms.

 

Some more examples

 

And some more

 

One does see many outboard powered aluminum boats with pilot houses and diesel furnaces... the working people up there earn a lot of money, fuel is cheap, distances far, and they choose their routes by the weather.

 

As always, one should charter before buying. The only bareboat charter in Alaska I know is the Nordic Tug outfit out of Juneau. Many of the Nordic Tug models they charter can be had within your price range. And there is a lot of competition in that marketplace.

Personally, I'd look for something like a Kadey Krogen: single diesel, displacement.

 

Man that's funny....all I hear is people telling me ( 25 years plus on the coast with semi- d boats) you supposedly need full displacement to do Alaska and the IP,yet you show Nordic tugs and a company rents out Nordic Tugs in Alaska...and they are all semi displacement capable of 16-18 knots.

Easy says that speed is not necessary (good point Dan) and calls me "rocket guy" yet he yearns for 14 knots.

Proves my point,thanks!!!


Read my other posts- I,and very very few people,go out in conditions where the capabilities of a full displacement vessel are used.
I frequently cruise at 8-12 knots at better economy than any trawler,but if I need speed it's there.

Boston,yes the trip is the point,but if you've been to the nearby places all your life,they get a bit dull.
Never having been there, I'd cruise at 4 knots on the ICW while the snow birds and locals who've done the trip 50 times would fly past me.

Dan I'm busy will fill you in on boats later tonight.
If you want to see a video boat test of my boat let me know