Trawler Talk

After selling his tech startup, engineer James Waters and his wife nearly purchased a 63-foot trawler. But the jump was too big for insurers, so the Waters' pivoted. They bought a smaller vessel and cruised far and wide, learned its many systems and earned sea time with the goal of a life as liveaboards on a proper trawler.

Longtime liveaboard Stephenie Hollyman's life sounds like a fable. The seasoned captain and author was hooked early to the aquatic life, with stops as a New York Harbor tugboat cook, a Fulbright scholar and a lower Manhattan resident that shared a loft with a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Soundings Deputy Editor Pim Van Hemmen joined boatbuilder Sam Devlin on a summer cruise in Alaska aboard Puffin, Devlin's 1966 wooden trawler.

Jeff Druek's professional life started in the commercial fishing industry which morphed into a successful career in custom homebuilding. When it came time to reward himself with a yacht, he became frustrated with the lack of customization available, so he built his own. Thus, Outer Reef Yachts was born.

Every September, the Côte d'Azur welcomes boatbuilders from around the world for the Cannes Yachting Festival. Trawler Talk host Jeff Moser is joined by Power & Motoryacht senior editor Chris Dixon to talk about the new boats, the trends, the sea trials and more that took place on the French Riviera.

Former naval officer Joe Lovejoy fell in love with the sea while stationed in coastal Japan. After completing his service, he figured that life as a liveaboard would suit his tastes and found his new home, a 1982 Ed Monk 36, near San Diego. Lovejoy details his search, the work he's done to her, the people that have helped him along the way and what's next for him.

This couple, their two kids and two cats spent 15 months traveling the Great Loop, documenting it all on their YouTube channel. We speak with the intrepid boaters for the inside scoop on their adventure.

Joe Tokarz has been restoring old boats as a way to unwind from his career as a federal agent. When he retired in 2022, he founded MotorCity Boat Werks, a YouTube channel that covers the how-tos in amateur boat restoration. Currently, he's working on a major refit of an Albin 27 pocket trawler. Last year, Joe and his wife spent 2 weeks on a chartered steel trawler "chasing windmills" in the Dutch province of Friesland.

Fort Lauderdale's first-class marinas, service yards, dining and nightlife—and its ideal location along the ICW and as a gateway to the Bahamas—makes it such an inviting destination for cruisers.

We meet with Selene Yachts founder and CEO Howard Chen as the company celebrates its 25-year anniversary building long-range, full-displacement trawlers. Chen is joined by Selene Americas President Wayne Goldman to discuss the company's expansion plans, new models and more. We also chat with technical Director Dylan Hildebrand about outfitting the new 60 Ocean Explorer.