I'd like to second Patrick's suggestion. If you are buying a used boat, which I would recommend, you will do a lot of looking. Nearly three years ago, my wife and I flew from San Francisco to Houston then Miami to look at several boats I had researched on the Internet. We looked at a Willard 40 Motorsailor and decided it wasn't for us. Then, off to Miami and thence to Marathon to look at Veronica, a Willard 40 Pilothouse. Veronica stopped us dead in our tracks. When your wife says "if we don't buy this boat, we'll be kicking ourselves the rest of our lives", you know you've found a keeper. I guess what I am saying is like what mothers tell their teen aged daughters about finding husbands: You'll know when you meet him. But to lay a foundation, you can't beat Beebe's *Passagemaking Under Power. *After reading it, I knew I wanted a full displacement trawler, since coming over to the dark side from sailing, 6 knots seems an OK cruising speed. By all means, your personal requirements, tastes and budget will be a factor. You may decide on a semi-displacement hull. With more power, they will go faster. Whether or not a marginal sacrifice in seaworthiness is worth the speed is a factor only you can decide. All in all, you are off on a great adventure. One word or advice: I think I speak for some or many of us on the list when I say: If you have the money for a trawler, you probably earned that money by working successfully. In that working environment, you had schedules, to do lists, and employees to manage. My advice to you is this: lose the schedule and lose the attitude of being a boss. The sea is no respecter of schedules or bosses. Secondly, do not, ever, ever treat boatyard employees as if you were their boss, even though you pay the bills. Boatyard employees may seem ignorant and seem to go about things in the least efficient ways, but most of them have forgotten more about boats than you will ever know. Treat them with respect and learn everything you can from them. Be willing to pay to have the job done right. Many times you may think you are being screwed. So what. It's the price of admission. Enjoy the ride. Best of luck to you. I am sure some will take exception to my remarks. Maybe I will learn something from them. Bob Salmons Veronica Willard 40 RPH

Thanks Bob. I appreciate each and everyone's information. We are going to Trawler Fest in Florida in Feb. We are hoping to narrow our search for the right size and configuration. We know we want a trawler. I have been around boating all of my. I know this is going to be an adventure and that is what we are looking forward to. With the guidance of those that have gone before us and with my knowledge of boating we should be able to make a decision that will be the right one. Thanks, Robert Miller > From: Bob Salmons <bobandmilly@gmail.com> > Reply-To: Passagemaking Under Power List > <passagemaking-under-power@lists.samurai.com> > Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:40:10 -0700 > To: <passagemaking-under-power@lists.samurai.com> > Subject: [PUP] Top Five Passagemakers > > I'd like to second Patrick's suggestion. If you are buying a used boat, > which I would recommend, you will do a lot of looking. Nearly three years > ago, my wife and I flew from San Francisco to Houston then Miami to look at > several boats I had researched on the Internet. We looked at a Willard 40 > Motorsailor and decided it wasn't for us. Then, off to Miami and thence to > Marathon to look at Veronica, a Willard 40 Pilothouse. Veronica stopped us > dead in our tracks. When your wife says "if we don't buy this boat, we'll > be kicking ourselves the rest of our lives", you know you've found a > keeper. > > I guess what I am saying is like what mothers tell their teen aged daughters > about finding husbands: You'll know when you meet him. > > But to lay a foundation, you can't beat Beebe's *Passagemaking Under Power. > *After reading it, I knew I wanted a full displacement trawler, since coming > over to the dark side from sailing, 6 knots seems an OK cruising speed. By > all means, your personal requirements, tastes and budget will be a factor. > You may decide on a semi-displacement hull. With more power, they will go > faster. Whether or not a marginal sacrifice in seaworthiness is worth the > speed is a factor only you can decide. > > All in all, you are off on a great adventure. One word or advice: I think > I speak for some or many of us on the list when I say: If you have the > money for a trawler, you probably earned that money by working > successfully. In that working environment, you had schedules, to do lists, > and employees to manage. My advice to you is this: lose the schedule and > lose the attitude of being a boss. The sea is no respecter of schedules or > bosses. Secondly, do not, ever, ever treat boatyard employees as if you > were their boss, even though you pay the bills. Boatyard employees may seem > ignorant and seem to go about things in the least efficient ways, but most > of them have forgotten more about boats than you will ever know. Treat them > with respect and learn everything you can from them. Be willing to pay to > have the job done right. Many times you may think you are being screwed. > So what. It's the price of admission. Enjoy the ride. > > Best of luck to you. I am sure some will take exception to my remarks. > Maybe I will learn something from them. > > Bob Salmons > Veronica > Willard 40 RPH > _______________________________________________ > http://lists.samurai.com/mailman/listinfo/passagemaking-under-power > > To unsubscribe send email to > passagemaking-under-power-request@lists.samurai.com with the word > UNSUBSCRIBE and nothing else in the subject or body of the message. > > Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World Productions, > formerly known as Trawler World Productions.