Trawler Lifestyle | PassageMaker Magazine & Events

"This is home now." That was several thousand miles ago, but my husband's words and that first day aboard Heron, our 1981 Grand Banks Classic 42-foot trawler, are still fresh in my mind. Our journey had begun long before that day-with a plan. In some ways, it felt like we had been planning for this day all our lives.

Planning was something we had done in our professional lives, so it came naturally when we set out to become trawler owners. Ray had been in manufacturing-a production manager-and I had been a high school teacher and a scheduler in a dental office.

With boating involvement stretching back to the early 1950s, I've reached a point when I often ponder how much longer I'll be able to enjoy this wonderful activity. At an age where purchasing green bananas represents a long-term plan, I also wonder how much more of our resources should be put into a boat. As a part-time professional skipper and trainer, I know lots of other boaters around my age of 69 who wonder the same thing.

I also recognize the reality that every boat is a compromise. Trade-offs between speed and economy; between hull design, interior space and a "good ride" in heavy seas; and between creature comforts and available capital always are being made by anyone selecting or keeping a boat.