trawler vs cruiser

[reefrunner7]

looking for info buying 33' to 36' boat, anybody know the difference in fuel trawler at 10knts vs cruiser at 20knts, I have no interest in speed but would like any input from you guys that have some of the bigger boats

 

[rwidman]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

looking for info buying 33' to 36' boat, anybody know the difference in fuel trawler at 10knts vs cruiser at 20knts, I have no interest in speed but would like any input from you guys that have some of the bigger boats

I burn less than 2 GPH at 2000 RPM which averages about 7 knots, depending on the current. My boat is a trawler with about a 28' waterline length.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

I have twin gas with a planing hull and I burn 4-6 GPH at 8 kts.

To show the comparison to the trawler mentioned in the other response, if I ran 2000 RPM, I would burn approximately 12-14 GPH, but would be running 14 or so kts. Basically, that's twice the speed at 6x the fuel burn.

I have found myself cruising at right around 10 MPH for the last few trips and I think I'm past the "go-faster" stage. But, on the other hand, sometimes you just have to be somewhere by a certain day/time and it's nice to be able to have that option.

It's all personal preference. Look at various options on each type of boat and see what fits your wants/needs best.

 

[rwidman]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

I should have mentioned that my boat is a single screw diesel.

Fuel economy is one thing, but you have to like the style snd layout of the boat.

 

[erie_guy]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

Reefrunner,

My experience is with a 32' Chris Craft (12,000 lbs) with twin VP stern drives. (see my avitar) On a recent trip from Western Lake Erie to the Eastern end of Ontario (810 miles round trip in three weeks) we averaged 1.33 MPG. On the great lakes we always waited for flat water and ran 30 to 35 MPH. Return trip on the NY canals we did a little better at 6 to 7 mph and a fuel use of ~ 2 MPG. Trawler speed on the canals was a pain, but that was the speed limit and we did not push it, just enjoyed the scenery.

I think we could have done a bit better (perhaps 3 MPG) by shutting one of the engines down and tilting the unused drive out of the water - but we did not try it and just ran at idle speed with both engines.

We could not have completed the trip in the time we allocated if we were restricted in speed to 10 knots - so for us an express cruiser with efficient stern drives is our boat of choice.

My friends 34' Silverton (16,000 #) w/twin 454s cruises at 20 MPH and uses fuel at 0.7 miles per gallon. These two boats have big differences in fuel use and cruising speeds. One has stern drives and the other has V-drives, which coupled with the larger beam and weight, causes these differences.

erie_guy
Port Clinton, OH

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: trawler vs cruiser

A friend had a 46' Krogan, and it was slow. comfortable and (he said) obscenely efficient.
But it did not have the option of higher speed when needed or desired (like the day we just moseyed along, watching a waterspout out on the bay nearby....). So if I were in the market, I think I'd like to have the option.

 

[sasto]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

I've never owned a trawler and maybe never will...but...If your not in a hurry, desire comfort, enjoy your space, spend alot of time cruising, a trawler would be my choice. Like the other guys said..great savings in fuel and typically lower maintenance costs. Good luck on your choice.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

We have owned several Cruisers and one Trawler, a 34ft Mainship with a Turbocharged Perkins Diesel engine. I hated the Trawler, it was a safe boat but to slow for me.

When I cruised with friends we had to run it faster and it ate more fuel than my twin screw boats, a lot of Marinas didn't service Diesel engines and they stink.

I sold it after one year and never looked back. I would strongly suggest if possible rent one for a day and try it out to make sure this is what you want.

Compare the difference in Gas prices to Diesel fuel in your equations when figuring out costs. If your in an area where storms come up fast think about that also.

Good luck, Ken

 

[sasto]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

.
a lot of Marinas didn't service Diesel engines and they stink.

Good luck, Ken

Diesel fumes are a cologne around here...

 

[arks]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

A friend had a 46' Krogan, and it was slow. comfortable and (he said) obscenely efficient.
But it did not have the option of higher speed when needed or desired (like the day we just moseyed along, watching a waterspout out on the bay nearby....). So if I were in the market, I think I'd like to have the option.

That was pretty much my reasoning when we were boat shopping a few years ago. I ended up with a boat that can run on plane when needed, but is reasonably comfortable and efficient at trawler speed.

In other words, a planing boat can be run at trawler speed but a trawler can't be used at planing speed.
Well. except for some of those new 'performance trawlers' on the market......

 

[Fireman431]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

I think we could have done a bit better (perhaps 3 MPG) by shutting one of the engines down and tilting the unused drive out of the water - but we did not try it and just ran at idle speed with both engines.

You probably whould not have gained a thing and may have even done worse on fuel. The boat is designed to run with 2 engines and by shutting one down, you're forcing the other to push twice the tonnage. Aside from that, it isn't mounted on the centerline of the vessel and pushing forward from off-center is very inefficient.

Twin engines running in tandem, synced to one another, is the most efficient way to push your boat.

Just food for thought. Nice boat, though.

 

[rwidman]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

We have owned several Cruisers and one Trawler, a 34ft Mainship with a Turbocharged Perkins Diesel engine. I hated the Trawler, it was a safe boat but to slow for me.

When I cruised with friends we had to run it faster and it ate more fuel than my twin screw boats, a lot of Marinas didn't service Diesel engines and they stink.

I sold it after one year and never looked back. I would strongly suggest if possible rent one for a day and try it out to make sure this is what you want.

A happy trawler owner is a person who has outgrown the "need for speed". If I want to get somewhere fast, I drive my car or take an airplane. If your idea of boating is going out for one day, a trawler is probably not the boat for you.

On the other hand, if you plan on staying on the boat overnight, especially for a couple nights or more, a trawler will have better accomodations for a given size than a cruiser.

The original question was about fuel economy. Regardless of the boat type, fuel economy goes down exponentially as speed increases.

 

[Wingnutt]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

It boils down to your "need for speed" and level of comfort that you want. A neighbor down the street has a nice 31' St Tropaz (SP?) cruiser and got a screaming deal on an older 44' Mainship trawler this spring.

The cruiser has a twin 350/B2 set up and cruises at around 28 mph with a top end around 35mph and burns about 22 gph at cruise. The Trawler has a pair of 130 hp Lehmans with velvet drive trannys. It burns about 4gph at an 8kt cruise and maxes out at 14kts.

There's no compairson in comfort between the two. The trawler has a HUGE beautiful teak interior with a reverse cycle HVAC system that can be ran at anytime, not to mention a full sized stove, refigreator, sink along with a queen sized island bed in the master stateroom which runs the full 14' beam and a master head with shower in the master stateroom. Shoot, it even has a cieling fan in the saloon. The cruiser, well it has the typical cruiser layout...efficient but not very roomy.

Earlier this summer he was selling the cruiser to pay for the trawler, however the last time I talked to him, he was thinking about selling the trawler because of it's much slower speed. Everybody that knows him told him that he would be dissapointed with the trawler because of it speed, but I guess he had to find out for himself. He has asked me if I would be interested in the trawler and I am except that I will have to sell my cruiser, THEN convince the Admiral that we will need a mid sized CC for running around in.

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

Wingnut, of course the Trawler is nicer than the Cruiser, it's 13ft longer. If you compare an aft cabin cruiser to a Trawler of the same length you will probably go with the cruiser.

 

[rwidman]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

I just got back from a cruise from my marina to Savannah, GA and back, a distance of about 220 NM. I burned approximately 60 gallons of diesel at an average cost of $3.00 per gallon. That's about $180 in fuel cost.

My friends and slip neighbors with their gasoline powered cruisers couldn't get halfway there on $180, much less there and back.

As for room and comfort, by design, the trawler has more room than a cruiser for a given size. It's just how they are designed.

Here are some photos:

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/19068769

 

[reefrunner7]

Re: trawler vs cruiser

thanks so much you guys are great!! I'm in the northern chesapeake and the need for speed I can get from my CC so I think I'm going to look for a trawler pref with a diesel if its single screw I'll have a bow thruster installed (I worry about docking with single) 2gph sounds real good to me especially if you're taking vacation for a couple of weeks and hitting different locations