Planning the Great Loop in a Trawler: Dimensions, Route Timing, and Daily Routine
North Pacific 49 Pilothouse underway on open water. Great Loop planning begins with the waterways you want to include and the boat you will actually use. Bridge clearances, water depth, locks, operating seasons and resupply arrangements can influence the choices long before you select overnight stops. Build the plan around measured dimensions, current waterway information […]
Seawater Strainers and Raw-Water Flow: Preventing Overheating on Cruising Yachts
A seawater strainer intercepts debris in part of a cooling-water circuit. A clear basket is useful to observe, but it does not prove that the intake, hoses, pump, heat-transfer components, and discharge path are all working correctly. Owners benefit from understanding that wider relationship and recognizing changes from normal. Strainer care should follow the installed […]
Windshield Clarity: Evaluating Wipers, Washers, and Demisters
Large windows and a comfortable helm do not settle every visibility question. Rain and spray affect the outside glass, residue can remain after the water dries, and condensation can form inside. These are different problems to identify before judging the equipment meant to address them. The useful inspection starts with the view the operator needs […]
Wing Stations, Aft Controls, and Docking Visibility on Pilothouse Yachts
An alternate control station changes where the operator can stand. It may improve a particular view while changing access to other references. Before selecting hardware, identify the visibility question, examine the actual position, and understand how that installation takes and retains command. Compare the view from each position A wing or side station places controls […]
Night Running From a Pilothouse: Managing Glare, Reflections, and Electronics
A nighttime helm needs readable information and a usable outside view. Screens, cabin spill, small indicators, and reflected light can compete with that view. Managing the visual environment means checking the actual boat and operator position, then establishing a routine the crew can maintain. Find light sources from the helm At a permitted stationary dusk […]
Sizing a Trawler Generator: Balancing Air Conditioning, Charging, and Life Aboard
Breaker ratings identify circuit limits, rather than the actual running and starting demand of the connected equipment. Use nameplate data, manufacturer starting requirements and representative measurements when sizing a generator. Sizing an auxiliary power package requires analyzing how loads actually overlap in real operating environments. A generator must supply both the sustained thermal demand of […]
Tender and Davit Planning: Matching Weight, Reach, and Crew
A tender should expand your cruising range, not complicate your time at anchor. Too often, owners buy a tender based strictly on how many people it seats, only to find it overloads their crane or monopolizes usable deck space. Others choose a featherweight package that fits the boat deck easily but leaves the crew soaked […]
Selecting Ground Tackle for a Long-Range Trawler: Anchor, Rode, and Windlass Compatibility
Ground tackle selection begins with your vessel’s fully loaded displacement and superstructure windage, not bare factory weights or generic length-based formulas. A semi-displacement trawler carries high forward freeboard, pilothouse volume, and extended bridges that act as a sail in heavy gusts. Sizing an anchor simply by “one pound per foot of boat” ignores the massive […]