Trawler Talk: Recent Episodes
Passagemaker Magazine
As the signature podcast of Passagemaker Magazine, Trawler Talk aims to engage, educate and inspire as we dive into the long-range cruising lifestyle. From the origins of trawler design and exciting nautical endeavors to safety, seamanship, DIY tips from the pros and far-out destinations, join us in the trawler zone and learn more about the great life afloat.
Cruising at displacement speeds? Why not troll for fish as well! Our guest, Anglers Journal editor-in-chief Charlie Levine, fills us in on the gear and techniques you need to supplement your sundries with fresh fish.
After extensive cruises on U.S. waterways, Robert and Graciela Gannon shipped their Ranger Tugs R-31 to Holland for a multi-year journey throughout Europe.
This episode is sponsored by Imtra: https://www.imtra.com/products/anchoring
These Loop veterans cruised north on their powercat to explore Canada’s lakes and historic canals.
Calling himself a designing boatbuilder, Sam Devlin has run Devlin Designing Boat Builders since 1978. An active proponent of wood/epoxy boats throughout his career, Sam is the author of the 1997 best seller Devlin’s Boat Building on the stitch-and-glue method.
Tony Fleming got into boatbuilding by chance and spent a quarter-century with American Marine, which would become Grand Banks Yachts. At age 50, Fleming founded his eponymously named yacht company, which would go on to be among the most successful lines of passagemaking yachts ever built. Fleming reflects on his early days, extensive cruising in his retirement and more.
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 managing professional careers.
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.
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.
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 satellite or Wi-Fi to virtually connect cruisers, in real time, to onshore physicians.
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 of Krogen Express, has been cruising with dogs for over a quarter-century and shares what she’s learned along the way.
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, building fast trawlers while still staying firmly in its full displacement lane, and introducing new technology to venerable builder’s model line.
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 dream occupation.
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 based on your needs.
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 anyone considering following in his footsteps.
In this episode, veteran cruiser Chris Caswell identifies the essential components you should be considering when shopping for the "perfect" Great Loop boat.
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 size of your boat.
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.
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 "sales" savvy and set yourself up for success when it comes to any trawler transaction.
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 entertaining and inspiring trawler enthusiasts worldwide through their popular Facebook group "Trawler Life."
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 TrawlerFest, we sit down with long-time cruisers Rudy and Jill Sechez, and Capts. Chris and Alyse Caldwell, for a deep dive into what the trawler life is all about. (Music: https://www.purple-planet.com)
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 aboard and long-range cruising with kids. (Music: https://www.purple-planet.com)
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: https://www.purple-planet.com)
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)
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.purple-planet.com)
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)