Wanted: Looking for 49' DeFever RPH

[Mickey Belden]

Still looking for a 1990 ( CTF Yard ) or newer 49' DeFever RPH. I'm located in Florida and would like to find one on the east coast. I'm ready to buy when I find the right one.

 

[Baker]

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...rency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=77126&url=

I would at least keep an eye on this transaction to see if it goes through....

 

[Mickey Belden]

Looking

Baker, Thanks for the help. I drove to KY and looked at this boat. I moved too slow and someone else is buying her now. Let me know if you see anything else in the pipe line.

 

[gwkiwi]

Interesting reading above .... I am the buyer on this DF49 the process has been slow because the PO had made a mistake in the titling process and during due dilligence my title people had to have the manufacture document and have the USCG confirm some changes to match hull # and official #, that process is now complete and took 6 weeks longer than first thought.

This Defever needs some minor work on the inside and I have some pretty good plans drawn up to make her sparkle. She actually looks much better in person than in the photos which is unusual.

My good friend just finished up redoing his Hatteras 48LRC by stripping the interior and did an amazing job on the rebuild, the people who see his boat now are amazed with his abilities and I look forward to having him help me.

So I am looking forward to flying out Sunday night and having her moved south.

Wish me luck...

 

[Tidahapah]

GWkiwi,
Mate that looks like a very good buy.
Must admit they are one of my all time favourite boats and not enough of them down our way.
Looks like you can have a bit of free rein in doing the interior.
Have fun.
Cheers
Benn

 

[Mickey Belden]

Congratulations. " Sea Quester " seems to be a very nice boat. I've been following your efforts to purchase her hoping that you might have changed your mind. Where do you plan on taking her to? Keep me in mind if anything should change in your plans and you want to sell her, I would be interested. I live in Stuart, Florida and if you should ever get down this way I would enjoy seeing what you get done to her. Feel free to contact me directly at (mickey@ityachts.com) Good Luck

 

[gwkiwi]

Our plan is to keep her in the river system for the summer, get the improvements done we want and then move her down to FL for the winter after hurricane season passes.

We really like cruising the gulf side of FL and my wife loves Sanibel Is. and I am always partial to some time in the Keys, although Stuart is a very nice area as well. After that depending on some unknowns we would like to work our way around the rest of the Great Loop and really look forward to transiting the canals and spending a summer in the Great Lakes.

Unfortunately or fortunately we still need to work so will be back and forward between AZ and the boat for awhile.

I will certainly let you know if things change as one is never sure what implications this crazy, politically charged environment will have in store for us from one day to the next.

Hence the saying "dont wait for tomorrow as tomorrow may never come !!"

 

[mahal]

Congratulations! What a deal on a very good looking vessel. On that note, what ever happened to Arctic Traveler, our resident Alaska and Defever RPH 49 expert? I miss reading his posts.

 

[roguewave]

Still looking for a 1990 ( CTF Yard ) or newer 49' DeFever RPH. I'm located in Florida and would like to find one on the east coast. I'm ready to buy when I find the right one.

This looks nice...

0 0' DeFever for sale in San Diego, California USA

 

[Mickey Belden]

This looks nice...

0 0' DeFever for sale in San Diego, California USA

Thanks for the heads up. I would have no problem with this 49' DF. I spoke to the listing broker and he had nothing but good things to say about her. Unfortunately she is too far away. I might have to change my criteria if I can't come up with something soon. I appreciate the help, keep looking.

 

[JohnInBKK]

GwKiwi,
Firstly, congratulations on what appears to be an amazing deal.
I will be looking to purchase within about a year, so I did not put in an offer for Sea Quester. I have read a lot about construction and the plethora of potential issues with fiberglass and sandwich construction, so I would be interested to know how intensively you surveyed the boat. Did you perform a thorough sounding from below the (teak) decks (i.e. remove head-linings etc)? Were the engine room bulkheads examined? Fuel tanks? (Check out the latest Magazine on Defevercruisers site) Has a mechanic performed a compression test on the engines?
Tar Baby was on the market for a couple of years, then dropped to $55,000. Yes, 55 thousand $US - in spite of the work listed in this post:

1980 - 49' Defever Pilothouse Trawler - TAR BABY

I am asking all this, as I personally would like to get a reality check on what it will cost to acquire a sound DF49!
With the exception of the occasional posts - e.g. a boatbuilder who has worked on Defevers and writes "I would never want to own one", I read only praise for these boats.
I would really welcome some candid information on the real state of these beautifully designed 20 to 30 year old vessels!
John

 

[Tugboat F]

I also placed an offer on the Grand Rivers boat but was unable to counter offer. Congrats on a nice boat.
I looked at tar baby at Christmas 2011 but it was truly a project boat with rotten stringers in the engine room and bonding strips corroded away. You could tell that there had been many leaks over the years and the interior paneling would have to be replaced. At the recent price reduction this may have been a decent price if you have the time to do the work.


Tugboat Frank

 

[IslandEagle]

With the exception of the occasional posts - e.g. a boatbuilder who has worked on Defevers and writes "I would never want to own one", I read only praise for these boats.
I would really welcome some candid information on the real state of these beautifully designed 20 to 30 year old vessels!

One thing that is important to note is that Art Defever is a naval architect, not a boatbuilder. He designed the boats, but they were then manufactured under license by a dozens of different companies. He started with American Marine in Hong Kong and Oriental Boatbuilding in Japan in the mid1960s, then moved to Taiwan in the mid-1970s. He also had some built in the US and in Mexico.

Often, even boats from the same company will have substantial variations in both design and quality, and of course there was even greater variance between the different builders. As well, there was a fair bit if underhanded dealing going on back then, with some companies selling boats as "Defevers" when they were no such thing, and also other companies selling boats they had popped out of Defever molds under other names to avoid paying the license royalty to Art.

All of this is to say that it's hard to make blanket statements about "Defevers". It's better to concentrate on who the builder was.

One side note... In the case of the larger boats, Art often supervised of the first one personally and then kept that as his personal boat for a few years.

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

 

[Sceptic]

One thing that is important to note is that Art Defever is a naval architect, not a boatbuilder. He designed the boats, but they were then manufactured under license by a dozens of different companies. He started with American Marine in Hong Kong and Oriental Boatbuilding in Japan in the mid1960s, then moved to Taiwan in the mid-1970s. He also had some built in the US and in Mexico.

Scott Welch
Island Eagle

This is an excellent summation of the problems dealing with DeFevers built in the late 70s’ and and the 1980s’.

I have spoken at length with Mr. DeFever about it. When he and Jensen/Passagemaker agreed to market and produce his first production GRP boat the plan was to have the boats built in Taiwan. Jensen Marine would import them into the US and sell them through their dealers.

The warranty costs that Jensen had to pay out on the first 2 boats exceeded their selling price, so Mr DeFever and Jensen decided to have Jensen build new tooling for the 34, 40, and 48, and build the boats in Costa Mesa Ca.- coincidentally on the same street and same block as Willard, Westsail, and several others.

Mr DeFever sued in the Taiwan courts to have the hull molds destroyed (there were no deck molds - the Taiwan boats decks and house were all plywood), but the court ruled in favor of the Taiwan builder. They splashed dozens of illegal copies under different names.

I once saw a post on a internet boating forum (not TF) where the poster admitted that their boat was not a DeFever built under Mr. DeFevers watchful eye, but they we’re going to claim it was because “everyone else does.” I have seen more than a few non DeFevers listed as such by yacht brokers on Yachtworld. The problem is you can’t tell who the original liar is - the seller or the broker.

Due diligence is required. Insist on a Master Carpenters certificate. Of course the old caveat applies - after this much time has passed it’s more important how it was maintained.

Mike
DeFever 40

 

[gwkiwi]

I am sitting at SFO awaiting a red eye flight out to pick up our Defever and I am excited at the opportunity to be on the water in an area I have not yet explored but have read and studied about a lot

Everyone approaches buying or selling of boats with different levels of due diligence and experience and although I am no self claimed expert I do have 40 years of boating under my belt owning many different sail and power boats from NZ to the Caribbean and both US coasts.

Even as a certified Captain and broker we can still make mistakes but for people to get on this forum and rag on one builder over another does not do justice for TF and to me it really to shows ignorance

A DF49 RPH is a good boat and when stabilized handles rough water to a higher level than most operators want to be in at a much more reasonable cost than some other LRC,s of the same size.

If anyone wants to sit down and have a cold beer at this years fall meeting of the AGLA or at the next Defever Rendezvous in 2014 I will be happy to buy you a cold one and promise to keep my Kiwi manners in place while pros and cons are discussed in a non public setting

Thanks

 

[Baker]

Did I miss something? I don't think anyone was ragging on anything. I thought it was a very informative and rational discussion???

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Ragging? I must have missed it as well,

 

[FF]

Would the 44 do?

There is a very well kept one a block away.

 

[Mickey Belden]

44" Instead

Guru,

Thanks for keeping me in mind. The 44' DF would be an excellent choice but I had a 49' RPH in mind. I prefer the the pilot house design and the extra space that a 49' provides. Where is this 44' located in case thing change?

 

[FF]

Where is this 44' located in case thing change?

Ortona Florida 33471 zip.

 

[Moonstruck]

Guru,

Thanks for keeping me in mind. The 44' DF would be an excellent choice but I had a 49' RPH in mind. I prefer the the pilot house design and the extra space that a 49' provides. Where is this 44' located in case thing change?

To me the 44 seams more roomy inside than the 49. What it lacks is the walk out cockpit and Pilot house. The fly bridge is great. It has a lot of steps, and is not as easily boarded. However, it is a very livable design.

Either are great cruising boats.

 

[Codger2]

What it lacks is the walk out cockpit.......

A walk out cockpit is the closest thing to a "patio" on a boat. A must have, IMO.

 

[nwboater]

Speaking of "DeFevers"...How familiar are you folks with the layout of the POCTA built DF45 Pilothouse? These newer boats are a perfect blend of the 44' Offshore and the 49' pilothouse trawlers. Recently, we came close to buying one (but ran into nasty tax issues related to our former charter vessel). For us, the best feature was the versatile guest quarters/den. With the MSR forward, the guest quarters is located mid-ship across from the single spacious head. With the upper bunk lowered, it turns into a cozy sofa for hangin' out. The engine room door is here and opens to a huge ER (though NOTHING compares to the near stand-up space found in the 44 Offshore!). The pilothouse was clean and uncluttered with interior stairs to the boat deck. But my wife's favorite space was the roomy galley with home size counters and a double bowl ss sink that made it ideal for "home style" cooking and easy cleaning up (my job!). With all these pluses, the saloon was actually underwhelming? All and all, for us the 45 pilothouse is the "Perfect" boat. (Did I mention the twin JD4045s!) Now we have to convince Uncle Sam to let us sell our boat without having to repay those tax breaks he gave us over the years!

 

[Arctic Traveller]

On that note, what ever happened to Arctic Traveler, our resident Alaska and Defever RPH 49 expert? I miss reading his posts.

Thanks for the kind words. We have been really busy, working in Mexico spending a lot of time at sea and delivering boats. Mostly though there has just been a real lack of internet availability in the places we have been. As for the 49, I agree there are good ones and not so good ones. We were very fortunate to find one that was very well equipped and properly maintained. I keep up on regular maintenance, and have almost no issues. My newest purchase is a full boat cover. I can't wait to get it fitted and see how it works. It was pretty darn expensive, but it should retard the aging process. .........Arctic Traveller