Most Popular Trawlers and LRCs - 12/21/20
BoatTEST Newsletter December 21, 2020
Trawlers and Long-Range Cruisers
As 2020 thankfully draws to a close, we’re going to take a last look at the most popular boat models of the year by category as chosen by you, the BoatTEST.com subscribers. They are not ranked by number of views, but rather in alphabetical order.
Our first category is one that many boaters dream about for their retirement and sailing around the world or to distant exotic spots for exploration — trawlers and long-range cruisers.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a healthy New Year from the BoatTEST team.
Test Video
Fleming Yachts 65:
Efficient, Quiet and Comfortable
Fleming Yachts’ 65 is remarkably popular with boaters because she’s a trawler/long-range cruiser that not only looks the part but is the gold standard in this segment of the industry. With twin MAN I6 800 inboards, she has considerable range at displacement speeds. She’s also quiet. At full throttle, we recorded 68.2 decibels at the lower helm and at idle, the number dropped to 58.9 dbA because of her advanced construction systems. Virtually everything on the boat is first rate both in terms of quality of material or equipment and in installation execution. The proof of her inherent desirability is the fact that these boats are sold out for 18 months or more. More...
Operational Features Video
Grand Banks 60:
The Strength of Experience
Grand Banks aficionados have waited a long time for this venerable brand to finally launch its new 60 flying bridge yacht, but she is now here. The GB 60 does not disappoint because — like the many Grand Banks models that generations of boaters have experienced — she is made for comfortable cruising and living aboard for prolonged stretches by an owner/operator. She has kept the graceful shippy lines of her predecessors, but they have been softened and modernized, striking a pleasing balance between GB’s traditional look and today’s aesthetic expectations. Because she has a planing hull, she can be used for dayboat entertaining and local cruising in style. More...
Features Video
Krogen Express 52':
Trawler for a Cruising Couple
After owning a Kadey-Krogen 42 in the late 1990s, John and Betsie Tegtmeyer enjoyed cruising in the boat so much, they wanted to share adventures with like-minded people. They also developed their own ideas on what an ideal cruising boat should be, so when they discovered that Krogen Express (no relation to Kadey-Krogen) was for sale, they bought it. They wanted a boat that could muster semi-planing or planing speeds, was a little larger and incorporated some of their ideas. For nearly the last 20 years they have been refining their 52’ (15.84 m) dream boat, selling a few boats annually, customizing as they go along to fit each owner’s desire for personalization. By building in the Far East, keeping advertising and overhead to a minimum and each wearing several hats, they were able to put more money spent into each boat delivered. By being personally involved with each owner and his/her dreams and communicating that to the builder, the Tegtmeyers can deliver a product that is a quality cruising boat, superior to the down-market brands, but still good value for money spent. More...
Test Video
Nordhavn N60:
Carrying On the Legacy
The N55 was one of Nordhavn’s most popular models, so when the manufacturer came out with the N60, it was no surprise that she became one the of the most viewed trawlers on our site. She’s designed, built and equipped to be at sea for weeks at a time and has multiple redundant systems. The Portugese bridge’s wing controls improve the operator’s view when docking and there’s a captain’s cabin abaft the main helm. Two staterooms and a well-appointed galley and salon should make her comfortable for two couples to enjoy an extended cruise. She’s intended for go-anywhere cruising, including around Cape Horn, a fact that has made Nordhavn and iconic brand. More...
Features Video
Swift Trawler 47:
Day Cruiser Can Sleep 8
The Swift Trawler 47 is an economical cruiser with more of a focus on day cruising and coastal cruising than traditional trawlers that are historically ruggedly constructed with robust gear, state-of-the art equipment, many amenities, thoughtful ergonomic designs and often redundant systems. But all of that costs money and that is what sets apart the Swift Trawler 47 from the others — she is more affordable. She is made by BENETEAU, which is a master of efficient, low-cost boat building. More...
Boating News of the Week: Episode #34
We wind up this year’s Weekly BoatTEST Reports videos with an interview with Brunswick’s CEO predicting the next couple of years of boating activity. Then, we'll take a look at the affordable Alumacraft Competitor FSX 185, see the first video of Cruisers Yachts’ 42 GLS Crossover, check out Chaparral’s 23 Surf in action, and get a look at Everglades’s only dual console – the 340DC – and Absolute’s new 50 Fly. As always, there is boating news and a quiz for serious captains. More...
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