The idea of taking off on a great adventure to explore distant shores aboard your own yacht has inspired many people to consider owning their own recreational power boats. The safety, efficiency, and usability of “trawlers” offer boat owners the adventure of a lifetime.
The old days of only being able to travel on a sailboat for far away adventures are over. Over the past three decades, the popularity of trawlers as an alternative to sailboats has grown. The launch of PassageMaker magazine in 1997 truly broke the market open by providing broad exposure to the boating world, all through the trawler perspective.
As you continue to learn more about how to transition from reading about trawlers online to navigating pristine waters in the pilothouse of your own trawler, you will discover that there are hundreds of choices, opinions, and decisions to process. To satisfy your cruising goals, you must first embrace this as an important education in the pursuit of your lifelong reward. Finding the time to get out on the water and cruise in your own trawler, whether it is during a long weekend or during your retirement years, can be one of the most fulfilling things you will ever pursue.
If you want to embrace the trawler lifestyle, you will be faced with a multitude of decisions to make, all of which involve a considerable amount of money and effort. The time is right when you can align your life with the key driving fundamentals – finding the right balance of time, health, and money.
All buyers, including first-time or multi-boat owners, enter into the trawler marketplace with a multitude of choices and a wide array of directions to go – literally and figuratively.
Making time in your life to go cruising is easy for some and difficult for others. Plan your life to find an optimum window in time where you can cut loose and enjoy the trawler lifestyle, even if it is only on long weekends. Money is generally the easiest factor to solve, as you will need to set up a budget and work towards attaining the necessary amount to cover expenses. Health is always the biggest unknown, since no one knows what will happen tomorrow. Embracing the trawler lifestyle can be an excellent way to live for today and enjoy boating adventures while you can.
When considering what type of trawler is right for you, keep these things in mind:
- How much time per year will you spend on board?
- How many people will be on board your trawler the majority of the time?
- Where do you want your trawler’s home base to be and where do you want to travel?
- What types and which brands of trawlers are best suited for your type of cruising?
- How much can you afford to buy your trawler AND properly maintain it?
Information is available through magazines, boat shows, and internet research. These resources will allow you to learn quite a bit on your own. Interpreting and processing all of the available data may seem a bit daunting, but don’t let it overwhelm you. Potential trawler buyers who convert to trawler owners are unanimous in their acclaim that it is absolutely worth the effort and one of the best things they have ever done.
If your goal is to embrace and enjoy the trawler lifestyle, it is strongly recommended that you team up with a professional yacht broker who understands the market, no matter which type or size of trawler you ultimately buy. A yacht broker will serve as an experienced advisor to coach and guide you along the way, looking out for your personal interests.
Lastly, an important consideration for every trawler owner is having an exit strategy. Trawler ownership is generally a money losing exercise, so it is in good practice to keep your trawler well-maintained. When the day comes and your trawler adventure comes to an end, the trawler can be sold to the next owner searching for adventure.