Trader 41 Air Draft

[hughgilhespie]

Hi, This is our first post so apologies in advance for all the mistakes we make. We are thinking about buying a used Trader 41 or 41+2 to use as a semi-live aboard. We want to get to the Med via the French canals and we are a bit worried about the air draft of the Trader 41's. We have been told that it is just possible with the radar arch lowered and the windscreen removed to sneak under the magic figure of 3.5 meters but we would love to have some confirmation - or otherwise - from people with more experience than we have. Ahem - people with more experience includes almost everyone else in the world!!

Thanks in advance.

Janet and Hugh

 

[mainshiptom]

In my experince there is nothing better then measuring the boat you are buying with everything lowered and then looking through the chartes.

Also look at time it takes to lower stuff and where it sits ie could you travel for a long prioed while its down?

I used to have a mainship 40 which was 5 meter high, No problem in holland or Belgium but a big no no in France.

Tom

 

[tonybob]

I had 41+2 which I bought for the very same purpose. It had a removable crane/hoist which allowed the radar arch to be lowered easily. We could mount the crane and lower the arch in under 2 minutes. We bought the boat on the Thames where we kept it for six months, we could not get any further up the river than Windsor. I know of 3 owners who had taken their 41+2's down to the Med via the French canals, all made it but with some problems. PM me fore the details. The 41+2 is a very spacious boat for it's length, however we changed ours for a 44 as the extra 3 feet or so gave an incredible increase in internal space, making it a very comfortable live aboard.

Tony

 

[hughgilhespie]

[ QUOTE ]
I had 41+2 which I bought for the very same purpose. It had a removable crane/hoist which allowed the radar arch to be lowered easily. We could mount the crane and lower the arch in under 2 minutes. We bought the boat on the Thames where we kept it for six months, we could not get any further up the river than Windsor. I know of 3 owners who had taken their 41+2's down to the Med via the French canals, all made it but with some problems. PM me fore the details. The 41+2 is a very spacious boat for it's length, however we changed ours for a 44 as the extra 3 feet or so gave an incredible increase in internal space, making it a very comfortable live aboard.

Hi Tony

Thanks for your mail. I would certainly like to know more about the problems with a Trader 41 or 41+2 on the French canals.

As a bit of background, we are looking to buy a 15 - 20 year old boat - all our budget will stretch to - so unfortunately a larger boat isn't an option. We have looked at various types and makes of boats and the Traders seem to press most of the right buttons. Above all, we want a 'proper' sea going boat as the French canals to the Med are just Year One! After that we would love to cruise around the west coast of Ireland and maybe the Adriatic as well. So, the 'river' boats, including most of the Dutch steel cruisers don't really make it. We are also keen on twin engines and aft-cabin designs.

We do realise that we will be restricted to only a few of the canal routes to the Med but that's not really an issue. as long as we can actually get there it doesn't matter how.

Our live aboard will be for about 8 months a year so we will actually spend the winter months back in dear old Blighty.

Other info that would be helpful is any one you know of and could recommend for a survey and some idea of the fuel consumption at displacement speeds. The boat we are currently looking at has the 306 HP Volvo TAMD61's but we are not averse to buying a boat with smaller engines. I have been tod that turbo units are not too happy with prolonged use at displacement speeds so naturally aspirated engines may suit us better.

As I said in my post, we are complete newcomers to all of this so all information, however basic you think it is, would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Hugh


Tony

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[Gludy]

Who are you buying the boat from?

 

[tonybob]

I was just about to ask the same question Paul.
Tony

 

[blampied]

Hi Janet and Hugh
Your post could just as easily have been written by me, In fact when my wife spotted it she thought it must have been me using an alias. We are currently thinking about Trader 41s for all the same reasons, and budget restrictions.

A used boat test in the June 2006 edition of Motor Boats monthly states that many owners have of Trader 41s have successfully negotiated the French canals to the Med but give no details on air draft. We are also looking for conformation on what is involved in getting it that low.

Regards
Paul & Jane (Jersey)

 

[Johnsie]

[ QUOTE ]
I had 41+2 which I bought for the very same purpose. It had a removable crane/hoist which allowed the radar arch to be lowered easily. We could mount the crane and lower the arch in under 2 minutes. We bought the boat on the Thames where we kept it for six months, we could not get any further up the river than Windsor. I know of 3 owners who had taken their 41+2's down to the Med via the French canals, all made it but with some problems. PM me fore the details. The 41+2 is a very spacious boat for it's length, however we changed ours for a 44 as the extra 3 feet or so gave an incredible increase in internal space, making it a very comfortable live aboard.

Hi Tony

Thanks for your mail. I would certainly like to know more about the problems with a Trader 41 or 41+2 on the French canals.

As a bit of background, we are looking to buy a 15 - 20 year old boat - all our budget will stretch to - so unfortunately a larger boat isn't an option. We have looked at various types and makes of boats and the Traders seem to press most of the right buttons. Above all, we want a 'proper' sea going boat as the French canals to the Med are just Year One! After that we would love to cruise around the west coast of Ireland and maybe the Adriatic as well. So, the 'river' boats, including most of the Dutch steel cruisers don't really make it. We are also keen on twin engines and aft-cabin designs.

We do realise that we will be restricted to only a few of the canal routes to the Med but that's not really an issue. as long as we can actually get there it doesn't matter how.

Our live aboard will be for about 8 months a year so we will actually spend the winter months back in dear old Blighty.

Other info that would be helpful is any one you know of and could recommend for a survey and some idea of the fuel consumption at displacement speeds. The boat we are currently looking at has the 306 HP Volvo TAMD61's but we are not averse to buying a boat with smaller engines. I have been tod that turbo units are not too happy with prolonged use at displacement speeds so naturally aspirated engines may suit us better.

As I said in my post, we are complete newcomers to all of this so all information, however basic you think it is, would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Hugh


Tony

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi, may i ask was it the draft or air draft at eton was the issue at Windsor?

 

[Greg2]

Hi, may i ask was it the draft or air draft at eton was the issue at Windsor?

Not sure if you noticed that this post dates back to 2007 and tonybob, who mentions Windsor, hasn’t been seen on here since June 2018.

Might be worth posting questions of this subject in the Thames Forum

 

[Newbroom]

When i was delivering Traders I used to go round the outside . If my memory serves me right the Du Mid was a no no but with suitable ballast and things like the screen removed. no crane on the roof you could make the other popular routes.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Maybe look at boats already in France ... or Holland?

 

[Bilgediver]

deleted.... Very old thread.