In the truest sense a trawler is a fishing vessel, very stout and heavy with high deck railings capable of heading out into the ocean to catch vast holds of fish and return to port safely. The “trawler market” for production built recreational power boat models was not launched until the 1960's by Grand Banks Yachts.
Grand Banks Yachts built a series of “trawler style” power boats that opened up an attractive cruising options. Its greatest appeal was to sailors who were “aging-up” and wanted to still spend time on the water without the hassle of sails and lines. Other companies, many of whom started out creating sailboats, followed suit. By the 1990's a wide variety of builders like Kadey-Krogen, Nordhavn, Sabre, Fleming and dozens of others spawned a huge boom in trawler options with designs ranging from coastal cruisers to ocean crossing passage makers. Now, there are fast planing trawlers skimming over the surface of the water at speeds over twenty knots and full displacement hulls plowing the seas 24/7 for weeks at a time. As more and more buyers caught the bug, the transition from strictly monohulls to the inclusion of trawler catamarans evolved. This was all popularized in the boating publications, with special credit given to PassageMaker magazine for opening the door and broadcasting the parade. Initially, PassageMaker was focused on full displacement long range trawlers, but also called to attention the growing demand for “trawlers” to include tugs, multi-hulls. This growing demand brought about a new trawler definition, “Any power boat that is comfortable to cruise on for the amount of time her owners desire to be out boating”. Sure, there is a “trawler look”, even a “tug look”, but if it isn't a sport fishing boat (although even some of those are “trawlers”) then the very broad term TRAWLER will apply.
“Any power boat that is comfortable to cruise on for the amount of time her owners desire to be out boating.”
