Trawler Talk

Jennifer Johnson and Elliot Schoenfeld returned to the States after their around-the-world trip was cut short by Covid. But they wanted to keep moving. The couple—both 30 and with virtually no boating experience—tell us how they fell in love with life on the water while abroad, finding the right boat that would also be their home and how they decided to take on the Great Loop on a budget and while...

Addressing a maintenance checklist during the heart of the boating season will help to ensure trouble-free cruising. It’s a good time to get everything up to snuff, and to ensure a better end to the boating season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, boating newbies Kate and Tim Carney knew it was time to buy their first vessel and take on the 6,000-mile Great Loop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slipped on the deck and hit your head? Cut your hand on something in the engine room? Have a chronic heart or body condition? Whether you are coastal cruising‚ or headed well offshore, telemedicine is a must-have. While some injuries don’t seem serious, they can become dire when they are assessed incorrectly. Our guest, Mike Dunleavy, discusses how DigiGone’s portable medical kits can be used via...

For many of us, our boats are a floating home for large portions of the year, to be shared with family—and that includes dogs. For the uninitiated, there are more than a few things you’ll need to know before inviting the pooch onboard, from bathroom breaks and doggie life vests to getting the dog comfortable being on a rocking boat and into the dinghy. Our guest, Betsie Tegtmeyer, who is principal...

Jim Leishman first built sailboats before launching Nordhavn and shifting to long-range, full-displacement trawlers. Over the last three-plus decades, Nordhavn has designed and built a line of robust vessels from 35 to 120 feet, earning accolades as one of the most esteemed brands in the recreational trawler market. Leishman talks about the success of the new N41, what’s next from its Turkish yard...

How does one become a professional delivery captain? Passagemaker editor-in-chief Jeff Moser is joined by Power & Motoryacht honcho Dan Harding and Pim Van Hemmen, executive editor of Soundings to chat with Capt. Jim Marshall of Reliable Yacht Deliveries, who shares his decades of experience in the marine industry and valuable insight on what it takes to be successful at what many would consider a...

Want to take a Zoom meeting from the flybridge? Have a need to stream the NFL while on the hook? There are a few ways to gain access to the internet while onboard your boat and away from your home port. Our guest, Paul Comyns of Intellian, discusses both land-and satellite-based systems to provide different levels of connectivity, the hardware needed to get connected and what you’d expect to pay b...

Seventeen years ago, our guest Pat Schulte, and his wife, sold the farm to circumnavigate the globe—an unlikely chapter in their lives, considering Pat and his wife both grew up as landlocked Midwesterners, without a single boater in either family. They’ve been liveaboards ever since. In this episode, Pat shares his amazing story of jumping from landlubber to liveaboard, offering sage advice to an...

In this episode, veteran cruiser Chris Caswell identifies the essential components you should be considering when shopping for the "perfect" Great Loop boat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Contrary to common belief, the degree of difficulty in docking does not necessarily increase with the size of the boat. In reality, handling a larger boat in close quarters is no more difficult than handling a smaller one. It's all about strategy and overcoming two particular challenges. In this episode, boat-handling expert Bob Arrington reveals his keys to stress-free docking, regardless of the...

Welcome to the YouTube Liveaboard Revolution, where tech-savvy cruisers are using social media to reach hundreds of thousands of followers, foregoing their own privacy to educate and inspire the next generation of trawler nuts. Join us behind the scenes of these trawler YouTubers, as we explore why they do it, how they do it, and what’s in it for them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap...

Over the last decade, we’ve been witness to a variable brokerage market fluctuating between buyers and sellers. Today, many brokerage experts see the market for trawlers and long-range cruising boats shifting once again. So how can you as a buyer or seller gain an advantage? In this episode, industry experts Jeff Merrill (JMYS) and Kevin Althoff (Burr Yacht Sales) reveal how you can become more "s...

What is it like to spend extended time aboard a trawler? What do you eat, where do you go, how are the decisions made? Who maintains the boat? Who navigates? And what are some of the responsibilities, jobs and tasks associated with living aboard and cruising? In this episode, we unpack it all from the cozy confines of the American Tug 395 trawler "Esmeralde," where Bruce and Dorsey Beard have been...

The trawler. It’s more than a boat. It’s a lifestyle adopted by the adventurous-at-heart who enjoy long-term cruising. From Great Loopers and coastal cruisers to bonafide ocean crossers, the trawler is the vehicle that binds us, where the galley is of equal importance to the engine room, and horsepower is as essential to us as the salty air we breathe. In this episode, recorded on location at Traw...

Meet Brooke and Braden Palmer, who, along with their daughter Rooney (7), son Penn (5), and the two family dogs, have been living aboard their Nordhavn 55 Mermaid Monster for a couple of years now. Like many liveaboards, they bought the boat, liquidated most of their land-based life, and then embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. Join us as we dive into the triumphs and challenges of living abo...

Fascinated with the Great Loop and wondering how you can make it happen? AGLCA Executive Director Kim Russo joins us to help answer some questions about the Great Loop for those who might be considering the journey—plus tips and local knowledge to prepare you for the great American waterway adventure and inspire you to get out there and make the dream a reality. Sponsored by Ranger Tugs  (Music: h...

Weather expert Chris Parker touches on some key facts about marine weather you should know but probably don’t, the best weather apps and how to use them, and man’s entanglement with hurricanes at sea. Sponsored by Outer Reef Yachts. (Music: https://www.purple-planet.com) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tech corner of the yachting industry has taken substantial leaps forward of late. Keeping up with it all, much less trying to understand it, can be a full-time job. That’s why we love Ben Stein of Panbo.com, who breaks down the most exciting new products hitting the market and reveals the perfect electronics package for long-range cruising. Sponsored by Outer Reef Yachts. (Music: https://www.p...

Welcome to Trawler Talk! So what exactly is a trawler anyway? And what happened to the traditional trawler? Modern iterations of long-range cruisers and fast trawlers seem a far cry from their “troller” heritage, so what's the appeal to the trawler guy? It's complicated. Let's talk about it. (Music: https://www.purple-planet.com) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices