For Sale: Defever 48 For Sale

We are listing our 1988 CTF built Defever 48. This is a 3 cabin boat with a full queen bed in a large aft stateroom and 2 'over and under bed' staterooms forward, two heads with walk-in showers, and galley up. The boat is diesel powered by 2 Caterpillar 3208's, 375hp each. There are 2 generators (12kw Westerbeke and 5.5kw Maspower) and three 12,000 BTU air conditioners.

We have cruised this boat on the upper Gulf Coast and the Bahamas. It offers significant range when running at trawler speed or will get up and go if you need to make port in a hurry.

I don't have a complete gear list as we have just listed the boat for sale, but can answer and question by PM. The boat is in excellent condition and is ready to cruise. Asking $190,000.

Good luck with the sale. If the rest of the photos look as good, you should sell quickly.

What to do with the rear deck?

My wife and I looked at a couple of 48's when we were boat shopping. I always scratched my head at the purpose of the 4 foot high deck on the rear of the boat. What is its purpose and what do you do with it? Just to be clear I'm talking about the deck that has about 4 foot of headroom clearance.

Gordon

Well Gordon you didn't get it months ago and you don't get it now. Best to keep scratching - and it is a classified section so question away on a new thread.

sunchaser said:

Well Gordon you didn't get it months ago and you don't get it now. Best to keep scratching - and it is a classified section so question away on a new thread.

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: thumb:: thumb:

Sun chaser,

I think you took my question as a criticism, when it was truly a real question that I suspect has a real answer. Those who have these boats have figured out a best use for the space. The builder probably had a reason for designing it. What would you tell a potential buyer? I doubt it would be some snarky answer.

Craig, And as I look back at the classified threads I find they often devolve into long chains of questions, comments, observations and general discussions. Take a look at those classified threads with extensive comments.

Gordon

Gordon

The distance between the top of the trunk cabin and the boat deck is about 4 ft. It may look like wasted space; I guess that's why Hatteras and others fill it up with a big boxy cabin. Defever left it open to give the boat a lower profile traditional look.

We use it in a variety of ways: 1) as a lounge deck with some outdoor beanbag chairs 2) storage for kayaks and paddle boards 3) on Bahama trips I put a small chest freezer there 4) it's a good place for wet dive gear 5) it functions as an aft deck table.

Neworleansrich,

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. The boat definitely looks sleek and I now appreciate why it was built with a mini deck.

Gordon

It's not a mini deck. It's a covered aft cabin and a boat storage area on the extended flybridge. The "mini deck" is a huge additional benefit over traditional trunk cabin trawlers. She is a combination trunk cabin trawler and Europe style covered side deck, low center of gravity bluewater boat. The deck offers excellent covered seating, lounging, hammock and/or storage space. The aft cabin ports and galley window can remain open in many/most wet weather conditions because of the overhang. With the dingy down the flybridge extension acts as a huge deck area.

Gordon J said:

Sun chaser,I think you took my question as a criticism,

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Actually I did not take it as criticism. Too many nice boats out there to get one's knickers is a twist over designer nits and nats. Figuring out where to place ballast can be a challenge for some. Others remove weight.

On a more serious note, Art D struggled with how to design an aft cabin vessel for the hot SoCal weather, wet tropics (where many DF 48s were sold) and rain soaked PNW. He felt that the GBs and Monk designs led to leaky decks and windows and excessive interior heat. His later designs provided a high degree of protection from the elements in comparison to the competition of the time.

For those of us familiar with boating in FL, SoCal, Mexico or the tropics sun cover is nice to have. Not to mention the wet PNW. KKs and Nordhavns are excellent stay dry and shady trawlers - another reason they are at the top of the newer build favorites lists.

if possible ,can someone post a picture of what you are talking about,so the rest of us that haven't had the privilege of being on this model boat,can understand the discussion. thanks

Good idea tinped,
When I saw this deck/roof space on Tom's boat I asked the same question and I'm sure he's getting tired of addressing it.

But I'm glad it was answered as I found it interesting myself even having no need to know. A good alternative would be to have a raised roof .. possibly an arch shape. Many would consider that an unnessary increase in windage. But if it was'nt such a wonderful boat Tom would'nt have had it all these years. He's done some look'in but here he is still w the same boat.

I always thought that looked like a great place to lounge around

you can go on yachtworld and look at any 48 to see the lower roof on the back deck.

Gordon

Gee Daddyo, what a neat thing to have - a covered back cockpit, covered walkways, out of the element place to put life rafts, freezers, boxes for ropes and fenders and stuff as it is hauled on and off the boat! Add to it a low CG spot on the boat deck for a dinghy. Not to mention a solid and sea kindly hull underneath with an ER that is man sized to boot.

I'm impressed with this vessel designed by one of the world's leading naval architects. May he RIP.

What's [/I]not[/I] to like about the 48? (Except--for us--maybe the bunks in some models.) Still, what an amazing design. The one we were on had paravanes, the sole had been lowered in the ER to provide even more headroom and the custom work in the salon/galley was to die for.

Daddyo said:

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That looks like the 2002 for sale in FL? Seems like a clean boat.

Is the engine room in the 48' not full stand up like in other Defever models?

cardude01 said:

That looks like the 2002 for sale in FL? Seems like a clean boat.

Is the engine room in the 48' not full stand up like in other Defever models?

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Not all Defever ERs are full standup for taller people. The 44 is 5'9" or so at it's highest point, which is a bit low for me, but so much better than being on my knees or totally doubled up. I think the 48 is a little taller, but the owner of the 48 I was on was tall and had the skills to make it roomier by lowering the floor grating a couple of inches.

Hello, I discovered this boat a couple months ago. Unfortunately, we heard she is no longer for sale. We have been looking for a Defever 48 for some time! Any chance she will be available again?