Trawler owners are a different breed. They know boats—that is, they really know boats. By and large, the trawler owner—oftentimes ex-sailors or longtime serial boaters—eschews the frail daintiness of the crystal Champagne-flute luxury lifestyle in favor of liveaboard comfort, with its solid, fist-to-table ruggedness, one-with-the-sea efficiencies, and devotion to the pure deliciousness of life’s simple pleasures.
It’s been 20 years since French mega-brand Beneteau introduced the first Swift Trawler, but in those two decades this series has dominated the 35- to 50-foot trawler market segment worldwide. So, when the company unveiled its next-generation trawler evolution in the form of the voluminous Grand Trawler 62 perched atop a full-displacement hull, the proverbial record scratched and all eyes took notice.
Economical speeds, space and comfort are mainstays of a trawler design, and the Grand Trawler 62 takes these features to the next level. While the nontrawler prospect might be enticed by the 62-footer’s robust and contemporary profile, spacious interior accommodations and plentiful alfresco deck areas, even the trawler purist can appreciate the ample 17-foot beam, wide symmetrical side decks, unbridled use of glass in the superstructure, and full-displacement hull form.
Full-Displacement Superpower
Aside from the 14-foot leap in LOA, the Grand Trawler 62’s full-displacement hull is the most significant deviation from its semi-displacement, semi-planing-hulled sisters. And yes, while a full-displacement hull does yield a more voluminous interior within which to nestle an enviable three- or four-stateroom layout, the raison d’être behind this design departure was more carefully calculated.
“We analyzed all of the engine-hours data provided by the engine manufacturers and followed this up with a survey of our Swift Trawler owners to gather feedback on their average cruising speeds,” says Beneteau product manager Robert Chaffer. “With the exception of one client who regularly exceeded 20 knots, we found that the majority of our customers stick to speeds between 8 and 12 knots, but they like the security of having the reserve power to go up to 20 knots when necessary. So, we thought, why not design a hull that sees optimum efficiency in the 8- to 12-knot speed range?”
Designed by Beneteau naval architecture partner MICAD, the new hull allows for long-range, low-speed comfort and seaworthiness coupled with optimal fuel efficiency. Onboard comfort is enhanced by the displacement hull form and the directional stability-keeping skeg keel. While they provide the reserve power to achieve a 20-plus-knot speed, the Grand Trawler 62’s twin MAN i6 730 hp diesels operate at a 35 percent power deficit at 9 knots, sipping 30 percent less fuel than with an equivalent planing hull.
Interior Wow and Flow
Of course, interior volume is the secondary byproduct of the full-displacement hull form, and the Grand Trawler 62 takes full advantage of this space with an inviting three- or four-stateroom layout, which is enhanced further by plentiful natural light through the generous windows.
Italian firm Nauta Design crafted the Grand Trawler 62’s interior configuration, which balances large social spaces with comfortable private areas. Nauta Design carefully selected a range of materials and textures to enhance the feeling of elegance, while waxed oak and walnut woods allow for easy maintenance.
Forward of the U-shaped salon, the galley can be fully enclosed with a sliding door and an inboard glass sliding hatch. A space-saving convertible dining table for eight slides outboard to reveal a handrail when not in use, and dedicated storage is set up for the folding dining chairs. Nauta’s chief designer Massimo Gino has flawlessly executed an interior that is fresh, clean and usable, where owners have the option to weave in their identity through color and soft goods.
Show Me the Practicality!
Now, the trawler traditionalist will say all of this design is lovely, but is it practical? Not to worry, the Grand Trawler 62 cleverly incorporates every practicality expected of a trawler and then some.
As with all trawler builds, interior-exterior circulation is a critical factor, and the Grand Trawler 62 features carefully designed and logically situated storage throughout. Every area has been considered, whether it is dedicated dishware, glassware and cutlery storage adjacent to the dining table, dedicated storage for the aft cockpit covers in the overhead deck head, plentiful overhead and bulkhead grab rails, port and starboard transom and bulwark gates, all-starboard service ports, and even a portside galley door that accesses the galley’s trash bin from the exterior.
“Our boats have been designed with the help of the owners, many of whom are very experienced sailors with extensive career engineering backgrounds,” Chaffer says. “We’ve paid attention to how they use their boats and implemented features to facilitate this use into the next-generation designs.”
The transom area of the Grand Trawler 62 is another departure from the flagship’s older sisters and just another example of the intuitive boating ideology incorporated into the design. While most boats feature cockpit seating that faces the salon doors, the layout here is orientated to enjoy water views. A transparent coaming and sliding port, and starboard transom gates allow for an uninterrupted connection with the water, just three steps down on the transverse swim platform. A dual-use day head with a separate shower is accessed through a gull-wing hatch on the port side.
The lazarette area offers convenient access to the engine room and can be arranged for storage or as a separate space for crew. The forward guest-cabin arrangement sees either a full-beam master amidships with a twin to port and a VIP in the bow, or two convertible twin cabins amidships in place of the master to comprise four staterooms. Thoughtful storage and use details appear at every turn, and the option for the Luxe Package steps up the interior design another notch with louvered woodworking throughout.
“It’s not about the glamorous looks,” Chaffer says of the Grand Trawler 62’s stylish design, “but we do like a clean boat, where the chairs, the fenders, the Bimini has its own space. Everything in the trawler is simple and has a home.”
Focused on the Future
The Swift Trawler line’s success draws from a collective history of boatbuilding that extends well before 2003, beyond the decade of Beneteau fishing boats and even further back—to the story of Benjamin Beneteau’s engine-powered fishing-boat design of the early 1900s. The Grand Trawler 62 builds upon this heritage and the accumulated knowledge of the Swift Trawler series while implementing forward-leaning applications, like the six solar panels affixed to its hardtop. In fact, Groupe Beneteau has begun implementing renewable woods in lieu of teak and has taken other steps toward sustainability in its builds, such as recyclable resin and upholstery materials.
“We monitor the life span of our products and look to constantly evolve the range,” Chaffer says. “Customers change over time.”
While you might not catch one on the Great Loop this summer, if the fundamental focus of the trawler owner is one of pure, intuitive boating bliss, then the Grand Trawler 62 provides flawless passage-making in an atmosphere of refined simplicity.
For more information about the Grand Trawler 62, visit beneteau.com
