The Stealth Trawler

1987 Ocean Yachts 48 Super Sport - $129,000

The Great Loop is traditionally a slow-motion affair. It is dominated by “tubs”—heavy, displacement-hull trawlers that churn the water at 8 knots and look like floating cottages. But for the “Smart Money” cruiser who values versatility, there is a hidden path.

Enter the Ocean Yachts 48 Super Sport. Usually, this is a boat you buy to chase marlin in the canyons. It is a high-speed tournament fisher designed to outrun storms. But this specific hull—currently resting in the fresh waters of Lake St. Clair, Michigan—has been secretly converted into the ultimate off-grid looper. While the traditionalists are tied to the dock because they can’t run their air conditioning without a noisy generator, this “Stealth Trawler” sits in total silence.

Equipped with a massive 780W solar array and a 10-battery house bank installed in 2022, this is a sportfish with the soul of a sustainable homestead. Because it’s a sportfish, it also solves the “Chicago Gap” problem: with a bridge clearance of just 13’ 3”, you don’t have to fold a single antenna to clear the lowest bridges on the Loop. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing—capable of 27 knots when you’re outrunning a front, but rigged to sip sunlight and peace at anchor.