FAST LANE
In the 1990s picking a passagemaking vessel was a relatively easy undertaking. Buyers had the same two choices they have today: sail or power. But if you wanted a powerboat—and blowing the entire cruising kitty on fuel in the first 500 nautical miles was a concern—you’d quickly find yourself looking for a trawler. With their fuel-sipping engines, these boats developed a loyal following among serious cruisers. There was a compromise, though: Most trawlers couldn’t top 10 knots, and the majority were happiest running in the 6- to 8-knot range. At least you didn’t have to raise sails.
Today, those in search of a powerboat for long-distance cruising have more choices than ever. Full-displacement trawlers are still a smart choice for many, but a new breed of trawler yachts—so-called “fast” trawlers—offers an alternative to putting along at 7 knots. The majority of these nimble craft have the salty looks and accommodations trawler fans demand, but they gallop in the 13- to 20-knot range, often with reasonable fuel efficiency. The question for buyers then becomes, ‘Should we go fast or slow?’ To find the answer, we talked with builders and owners of these passagemaking dreamboats.
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Larry Polster knows a thing or two about trawlers, having left his consulting job of 17 years in 2002 to work for trawler builder Kadey-Krogen. Today he is a partner in the company and serves as vice president.
The company turned a new page recently by launching a new brand, Summit Motoryachts, and splashing Hull No. 1 of
