Grand Alaskan 53
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Soulshine
Veteran Member
My wife and I were lucky enough to get invited on to Bright Star in Anacortes and OMG!! If you are an "old salt" or just wish you were...you ABSOLUTELY can't help but fall in love with one of these woodies. IMO. She seems hell for stout. The wood hull makes her heavy and ride really nice and quiet. She's warm and with wood everywhere, she just feels like a boat should feel. To stand at the helm in the pilothouse is truly something to behold. Your imagination kicks into overdrive and you just kind of drift off into your own world. My wife felt this as well and fell in love with the boat.
Being a woody, almost impossible to get financing, we couldn't get serious about one we found in California a year or so ago. The GA53 totally sold me on Arthur Defever's designs and we began looking at the 49RPH. A very similar vessel to the 53 but available in fiberglass hull. Both seem harder to come by.
Being a woody, almost impossible to get financing, we couldn't get serious about one we found in California a year or so ago. The GA53 totally sold me on Arthur Defever's designs and we began looking at the 49RPH. A very similar vessel to the 53 but available in fiberglass hull. Both seem harder to come by.
Seems that way. They are two completely different kinds of vessels built by totally different manufacturers. First photo is a Grand Alaskan. Second photo is an American Marine Alaskan. American Marine also created the Grand Banks line of boats. All AM Alaskans are wood and date from the 1960s and early 1970s.
OP
OP
menzies
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Correct. The Grand Alaskan 53 was designed by Art DeFever and built by Oviatt Marine.
Grand Alaskan 53
Grand Banks, for whom Art also designed, sued Oviatt for the "Grand" name. Oviatt didn't have the funds for a protracted legal battle so agree to give up the name so long as existing boats could retain it.
Alaskan still build the Alaskans along the lines of the DeFever designs.
Home: Alaskan Yachts
Grand Alaskan 53
Grand Banks, for whom Art also designed, sued Oviatt for the "Grand" name. Oviatt didn't have the funds for a protracted legal battle so agree to give up the name so long as existing boats could retain it.
Alaskan still build the Alaskans along the lines of the DeFever designs.
Home: Alaskan Yachts
O C Diver
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Was on a Grand Alaskan 53 a couple of years ago for a walk around. Couple next to me were watching it for their friends. Impressive boat. Guess I was expecting more rooms for the size. The rooms are very spacious. Guess it's a preference thing. I rather have less boat (lower price and operating cost) for the same number of rooms. The two couples were talking about a trip to the Bahamas. This GA has a 1,200 GPD water maker. So the other couple with their Monk, were joking about water replenishment from the mother ship while in the Bahamas. The outside spaces for entertaining and storage of dingy and other water sports toys were impressive as I recall.
edit: It's been 2 years, the boat I was on may have been the 60' model.
Ted
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