2001 Camano 31 Trawler Boat in Saint Petersburg, FL 33706 US

The Boat

A little character, a lot of capability

The Camano 31 is one of the most loved pocket trawlers ever built - a stout, West Coast workboat-style cruiser designed in British Columbia to carry a couple comfortably and efficiently almost anywhere. Her trawler profile, trolley-style wraparound front windows and big salon glass give a light, open feel and excellent visibility from the lower helm.

Below, the layout is honest and well thought out: a private forward berth, a convertible settee for guests, a single head with a water-saving VacuFlush system, and a galley-down arrangement that keeps the salon surprisingly roomy for the size. Up top, the flybridge is the best seat in the house and the place most owners run from.

The real story is what she does on the water. Built on a hand-laid hull with a wide, prop-protecting keel that carries the engine low for stability, the Camano cruises efficiently around 12 knots with a usable turn of speed beyond that when you want it. Camano owners are known for taking these boats places far larger yachts never go the Great Loop, the Gulf, the Bahamas and the Inside Passage to Alaska.

This particular 2001 is set up to enjoy now: new air conditioning, a new refrigerator, recent mechanical service and a fresh professional detail. It is a rare chance to step into a well-sorted example of a boat that holds its value and its following.

At a glance

• Single-diesel simplicity with a fully protected prop and rudder
• Keelform hull stable, fuel-sipping, and surprisingly seaworthy
• 360° visibility from the lower helm and flybridge
• Easy to dock and single-hand for a couple
• Strong, devoted owner community and resale demand
• Loop, Gulf and Bahamas-capable in the right hands

Why It Runs The Way It Does

The keelform hull

The Camano's signature is a hull form developed with the University of British Columbia - a blend of displacement and planing shapes with a large displacement keel and a wide waterline beam.

Efficient at every speed

There's almost no power "hump" between displacement and planing speeds. She runs comfortably from trawler pace up through the teens without straining - and sips fuel doing it.

Stable and protected

The deep keel keeps weight low for stability and shrouds the prop, shaft and rudder behind a reinforced skeg - reassuring in thin water and around the dock.

Built strong

A 100% hand-laid hull with a heavy inner liner and bulkheads glassed from both sides. Systems are famously easy to reach for service - a boatbuilder's boat.

From The Dock & The Forums

What owners and reviewers say

Drawn from independent reviews and owner communities paraphrased, with sources listed at the bottom of the page.

On the build. A retired professional boatbuilder told Waterline Boats he chose a Camano specifically because its lay-up exceeds what many 40-foot production boats offer, with cabinets and panels that pull away for easy access to systems.

On the cruising. Owners regularly report being amazed at how little fuel she burns over a week of island-hopping, and Great Loop veterans praise her as priced-right and perfectly suited to long, efficient cruising for one or two aboard.

Honest trade-offs. The forums are candid, too: this is a compact single-head boat with modest tankage and a small holding tank, so plan to provision and pump out every few days. Buyers cross-shopping bigger flybridge cruisers should weigh the Camano's efficiency and seaworthiness against their appetite for space.

Buyer's checklist

• Confirm engine hours and recent service records
• Survey the single Volvo diesel
• Check flybridge sole drains run clear
• Verify electronics generation and any refit history
• Note generator is inop/
• Bow thruster works great
• Independent survey & sea trial always recommended