As an old former sailor, I’m curious on how the boat was named “Bumfuzzel? Things like- walk around big beds, no bow beds for the master, enough room for our family to jump in and out, and we have 4 kids, one with a husband. Tags:Catamaran, comparison, Sailboat, stabilizers, Trawler. give me a trawler everytime!

Sailing is a sport, driving a boat is not.

It is also a big pain in the but with areas populated by crab traps.

And the wind is often blowing too little or too much – that sweet spot in the groove is highly elusive and inconsistent. This has opened my eyes. You have 360 degree views from the main salon for those that don't want to be out in the cockpit, good sailing qualities, economical motoring at only a slightly slower speed than a trawler and the ability to sail when you want to. We recently made a hard bimini for shade but we still get pelted by rain drops when we find ourselves in a storm. there’s always a Holiday Inn!!! But wait, I hear the sailors saying, “We sailboat cruisers don’t care about how fast we can go, or what our motoring speed is, we just capture the wind and go where it takes us.” To which my only reply is, “You must be new here.”.

During this time I also put a router round on all of the hard edges of the lumber supporting the walk around and added AB epoxy on the inside angles to make it way easier to clean.

One year will be more, one year will be less, but that doesn’t mean these costs don’t exist for sailors.

In a mono versus cat debate it would take an incredible imagination to argue in favor of the monohull. We’re only 7 months into cruising and teaching ourselves to sail and I can already see why we meet so many old salty sailors turning toward the power boats. Trawler vs. Catamaran? for me the “process” is as enjoyable as the “cruising”. Let’s do some back of the napkin math and assume a sailboat motored half the time (that’s being extremely generous to sailboat cruisers in the islands, for whom the average is likely closer to 90%). I’m jealous. Bridges. Also my sailing experience is limited to very small day sailers. It’s like riding a magic carpet. I work on power boats and relax on sailboats.... Any questions?? The Grand Banks is 4′ 2”, and can get just about anywhere a similar sized catamaran can. Granted, it sipped diesel, but I would have traded fuel economy for power a hundred times, at least, during our time on that boat. Anybody ever thought about touring the islands using a ground effect seaplane? You - and your mate - have to really WANT to sail to justify getting a sailboat. People have done the same trip you have in their gemini ( not saying everyone should), but this would be in the 80-200 k range for a smaller catamaran. I dreamed, sure enough, but never had the time or even the support (first wife hated sailing). Out on deck, the flybridge is a massive space with unobstructed views, seating for a dozen, and floor space for an extra long Matchbox racetrack.

Best to check out a couple of both and then you’ll be able to figure out what you like. Technically, a sailboat wins here, but realistically, for almost every boat owner, cruising range is a tie.

I remarried late, to a go-fast powerboat girl (38 Scarab, 48′ custom) who also had no time for cruising or “just messing about in boats”, but who really loved the water, as did her kids. We couldn’t even make up our minds about what the next boat would be. Or standing rigging to keep that 50′ mast from tumbling down in the first big blow? However I have reservations about somethings that I would appreciate hearing from the forum about. My list of ‘needs’ changes as I learn more. I thought I was pretty clear that this article is regarding boats in a certain price range. My wife has never come out and said it but the truth is she might prefer a trawler type power boat, but I plan to sail as long as I find it rewarding and she'll indulge me. Great article. At the age of 28, we were confused on what to do with our life.

Outside space. And there is the power cat that goes 20 knots.

Good luck! Thanks, have loved following you since the very beginning. I steered a straight line, not even turning to point into the waves, and the experience was transcendant—a trawler that handles waves like a catamaran. Both the indoor and outdoor space win hands down over a monohull. Congrat’s. I was just on a Nordhavn 62(?) If you’ve got a few hundred grand burning a hole in your pocket and want to have the opportunity for passages of more than a couple of days, grab yourself a catamaran, and if you just really want to get out on the water, but the pocketbook isn’t as thick as you’d like, get a monohull and go enjoy life at sea. Trawler versus sail—a comparison that is often dismissed as an old-person versus young-person, apples-to-oranges argument. If you just want to see the course get a golf cart.

Thanks for taking the time to post this. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. But I appreciate your skepticism. There are a lot of things that I like about sailboats. Not many sailboats can say that. I doubt anyone shopping the Nordhavn market are reading an article debating trawler vs sail. Oh, and I have already bought your travel book so when we finally get time aboard in about three weeks I’ll have something to read . There was a helm station both inside and out on Neverland. The kind of boat was important. Too bad that happens so infrequently. Keep it up. Oyster lugger looking lil thing! . This was fantastic — thanks. But you run a 42 ft yacht on $10/ day fuel? – the amount of deck/outdoor space (mostly because we never seem to go ashore or leave the boat)

Sounds gorgeous! Speed. Our 43′ monohull was a step up from our catamaran in the living space department. For a thirty-three year old boat, it looks fabulous.

How far? Docking. My current internal debate is between single and multi engine. For us, it seems there are only two major winning points to the (sailing) catamaran over the trawler or power cat: Unless you are circumnavigating, there are very few places that you can’t reach in a trawler. I don’t have the patience to sail at 5knts. In each of those instances, the catamaran likely wouldn’t have been bothered much. Try an old 34′ mainship for that and go to the Bahamas in the same boat. Such an incredibly close second-place finish. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In my research that is about what I have learned. Trawler versus sail—a comparison that is often dismissed as an old-person versus young-person, apples-to-oranges argument. In choppy beam seas the trawler will be MUCH more uncomfortable. But everything involved with engineering a way of capturing that free resource – mast or masts, sails, line and all the associated ways of handling it, maintenance, etc.

The similar size 43 Nordhavn lowest used boat for sale is $499k, a 40′ $359k. The fuel is a small part of overall cost of operation.

As for a catamaran at a reasonable price, forget it. Draft. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, we’re still amazed that a previous owner installed the Naiad stabilizer system on this boat and then did virtually zero miles and sold the boat two years later, basically eating the entire cost of the upgrade in the process. Everything has a trade off, right? Big brings her more comfort. I’ve windsurfed, sailed beach cats, and sailed a 32 ft Hunter around the Bahamas for a couple weeks. The wind fills the sails and we are on our way. Did the single / multi engine engine part play a part in your deciding on your boat? Ship your boat from Florida to Europe for an entirely different adventure including the Med and all the canals traversing the continent…. I am a Walter Mitty kinda guy. This means we have to be extremely careful in shallow water, if we lose a rudder we lose our ability to steer. I would love a trawler, but unless it could at least cross the Atlantic, then for me it’s out of the question. Great read. Dirk, Navigating in the shallows seems stressful. I have them on my Krogen and bought it specifically for this (and other) features. Your experience-based review of the pros and cons adds to my confidence that we made the right decision for our lifestyle. A trawler will never incur any of these substantial costs. And even the stability (admittedly due to the stabilizers) is incredible. I definitely wont be sailing in a gale. Thanks for the detailed comparison. And those stabilizers are not cheap to keep. Health and happiness to all. There are even a few Grand Banks for sale over there right now. Does not need to be fancy. Well, anywhere in the Great Loop North America, down through the Caribbean island chain, around the entirety of the Caribbean Sea, through the Panama Canal, and right on up Central America, Mexico, and the west coast of the U.S. and Canada to Alaska.