1983 DEFEVER 41 TRAWLER-- Opinions?

ty.gregory · Feb 4, 2014

Looking at a 1983 DeFever Trawler and hoping for some feedback as to problems /strengths with this particular model. It will be a live-aboard
and will be cruised in the Caribbean as well as ICW.

Perkins
Year Built: 1983
Engine Model: 6.3544M
Engine Hours: 3500ish
Engine Power: 135

Any comments most appreciated! I don't know what yard it was built in, nor whether the yard was a good or bad one. Hope someone here does...

Thanks and Cheers,
Ty

RT Firefly · Feb 4, 2014

Greetings,
Welcome aboard.

ty.gregory · Feb 4, 2014

Thank you. Good to be here! :dance:

Ben · Feb 4, 2014

ty.gregory said:
Looking at a 1983 DeFever Trawler and hoping for some feedback as to problems /strengths with this particular model. It will be a live-aboard
and will be cruised in the Caribbean as well as ICW.

Perkins
Year Built: 1983
Engine Model: 6.3544M
Engine Hours: 3500ish
Engine Power: 135

Any comments most appreciated! I don't know what yard it was built in, nor whether the yard was a good or bad one. Hope someone here does...

Thanks and Cheers,
Ty

Seek out Tom.B on here. He has that Perkins engine I believe and can tell you alot about it's tendencies. DeFever is a solid-as-a-rock boat. Now that I've had my trawler for a while, a DeFever is high on the list for the next boat.

Daddyo · Feb 4, 2014

Great boats but I'm a little biased. Usual things to check ie: tanks, decks, water leaks. She is as good as they get for the genre.

psneeld · Feb 4, 2014

And thus the rub with DeFever's...without knowing the yard, boat history and current state of repair...hard for anyone to give an accurate answer other than "good designer"...

ty.gregory · Feb 4, 2014

Okay, well thanks all for your answers so far. Psneeld, hmmmm, I see your point. I'll try to get that info.

Ty

ty.gregory · Feb 4, 2014

"I know for sure that CTF did build a lot of Defevers and that they built the boats in the mid 1980s." Quote from my buyer's broker, whom I trust. Best I can do as of now.

Ty

Dickhein · Feb 7, 2014

We had a single screw 1982 DF 41 which we cruised from San Francisco to New York, did the Loop and then went as far east as Tortola. Very good cruising boat. I hope you don't have twins. It really is better with some stabilization. We installed flopped stoppers on her and they made a big difference, especially in the Caribbean.

On the 3000+ hours we put on her! we burned 2.2 GPH including genset time. I would also recommend you use a Baja filter or similar to forestall any problems on the sea.

ty.gregory · Feb 7, 2014

Great info! Thank you.

Sceptic · Feb 7, 2014

Builders of the DeFever 38,40, and 41

Visit the DeFever forum here at Trawlerforum and read this thread - Art DeFever has passed

Lots of good info about who built the 38, 40,and 41.

Note that A. DeFever considered them the same boat.

Also note that there were a lot of illegal splashed copies built. Insist on seeing the original Masters Carpenters Certificate. If it’s documented by the USCG it has a MCC no matter where it was built.

Mike

1983 DEFEVER 41 TRAWLER-- Opinions?

ty.gregory

Member

RT Firefly

Enigma

ty.gregory

Member

Ben

Guru

Daddyo

Guru

psneeld

Guru

ty.gregory

Member

ty.gregory

Member

Dickhein

Member

ty.gregory

Member

Sceptic

Senior Member

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