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08-08-2022, 03:52 PM
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#1
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Newbie
City: Nicholasville
Join Date: Aug 2022
Posts: 2
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Stabilizers: A Must for Passage-Making?
Hello, we're new to the group, sorry for a greenhorn question.
We are considering purchase of a 1985 DeFever 44 Offshore, but is has no stabilizers. It's our first large (to us) boat. We will be living aboard full-time, cruising open ocean a lot of the time, and several people have shared they would NEVER buy an ocean-going boat without stabilizers. While this boat can withstand WAY worse weather than we can, we (and especially the Admiral) don't want an overly roly-poly ride in even mild weather. We've heard from other DeFever owners that without stabilizers this boat will roll 40+ degrees in 5-8ft seas, still perfectly safe but no one will be keeping their lunch down. Adding stabilizers would be roughly $70K extra cost.
Are we just putting too much emphasis on the rough ride, or do others feel it's important to have stabilizers?
Thanks in advance for sharing!
Kevin & Kellie
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08-08-2022, 04:12 PM
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#2
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Veteran Member
City: Isla Mujeres
Vessel Name: ITZAE
Vessel Model: 53 Selene
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 44
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I am on my second boat with stabilizers. No way would I ever own another boat without them. They are amazing especially when crossing. I have crossed from Florida to Isla Mujeres several times In some pretty bad seas. I never secure anything everything is where it was when we get there. Your not all beat up when you get there.
I remember the old days without them the whole boat would be trashed inside.
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08-08-2022, 04:24 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
City: Valley Cottage NY
Vessel Name: Savage
Vessel Model: Seaton 50 expedition trawler
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 278
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$70k? I added a passive paravane system for about $5k. Works well and reduces roll to about 10 degrees in beam seas.
Granted I designed and installed the system myself, which must have saved mucho dineros but it can be done by anyone.
__________________
I spent most of my money on boats, booze and women. The rest I just wasted.
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08-08-2022, 05:39 PM
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#4
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Guru
City: Seattle
Vessel Name: AZZURRA
Vessel Model: Ocean Alexander 54
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 4,281
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Bad seas are nothing new to me. I can handle it when few others can. However, there is a world of difference between a stabilized boat and one that is not. No stabilizers is just hard uncomfortable work. A stabilized boat is much more enjoyable and much less exhausting.
I wouldn’t buy an ocean going yacht without stabilizers. In fact, Even in our protected PNW, I cruise with the stabilizers on. With stabilizers I can leave a can of coke sitting on the dinette table, with out stabilizers that can will be tossed to the floor by the first large boat that passes me.
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08-08-2022, 06:08 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
City: Henderson, NV
Vessel Name: HI-HO
Vessel Model: Diesel Duck 462 (my fantasy)
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 134
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I'm a fan of bilge keels, and suggest you look into installing them. They may not reduce roll as effectively as stabilizers, but their cost is minimal and I think would be very effective.
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08-08-2022, 06:59 PM
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#6
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2savage
$70k? I added a passive paravane system for about $5k. Works well and reduces roll to about 10 degrees in beam seas.
Granted I designed and installed the system myself, which must have saved mucho dineros but it can be done by anyone.
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Details and pictures please
__________________
Everything on a boat is broken, you just don't know it yet
Full time cruising is repairing boats in exotic locations
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08-08-2022, 07:04 PM
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#7
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lkevinadkins
. We will be living aboard full-time, cruising open ocean a lot of the time, and several people have shared they would NEVER buy an ocean-going boat without stabilizers.
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We live aboard full time and when doing real miles it's offshore.
We have no stabilisers
Would I like stabilisers? Yes
Do I need them? No
If you are retired and living aboard you have time to pick suitable passage windows
__________________
Everything on a boat is broken, you just don't know it yet
Full time cruising is repairing boats in exotic locations
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08-08-2022, 07:05 PM
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#8
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Guru
City: Saint Petersburg
Vessel Name: Weebles
Vessel Model: 1970 Willard 36 Trawler
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7,166
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lkevinadkins
Hello, we're new to the group, sorry for a greenhorn question.
We are considering purchase of a 1985 DeFever 44 Offshore, but is has no stabilizers. It's our first large (to us) boat. We will be living aboard full-time, cruising open ocean a lot of the time, and several people have shared they would NEVER buy an ocean-going boat without stabilizers. While this boat can withstand WAY worse weather than we can, we (and especially the Admiral) don't want an overly roly-poly ride in even mild weather. We've heard from other DeFever owners that without stabilizers this boat will roll 40+ degrees in 5-8ft seas, still perfectly safe but no one will be keeping their lunch down. Adding stabilizers would be roughly $70K extra cost.
Are we just putting too much emphasis on the rough ride, or do others feel it's important to have stabilizers?
Thanks in advance for sharing!
Kevin & Kellie
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All passagemaking boats benefit from stabilizers. In my opinion, the Defever 44 needs them more than most. I would not cruise this boat without stabilizers. Not even the Loop. $70k sounds about right. Make sure you go up a size - the DF44 is really a large 44 footer.
Other than that, I really, really like the DF44.
Peter
PS - according to David Kasten, stabilizers for not make a vessel more seaworthy, just more comfortable.
__________________
_______________________________________
Cruising our 1970 Willard 36 trawler from California to Florida
Join our Instagram page @MVWeebles to follow along
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08-08-2022, 07:26 PM
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#9
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Guru
City: Newport, R.I.
Vessel Name: Hippocampus
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 3,871
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Or if one is to believe the Canadian government fish make it more dangerous. Think list is fins, gyros, Magnus or sails and a bulb fin keel or more than one hull.
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08-08-2022, 07:29 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Homer, Ak
Vessel Name: Unicorn
Vessel Model: 1970 50' DEFEVER OFFSHORE CRUISER Timber
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 523
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Simi 60
We live aboard full time and when doing real miles it's offshore.
We have no stabilisers
Would I like stabilisers? Yes
Do I need them? No
If you are retired and living aboard you have time to pick suitable passage windows
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did you ever consider bilge keels or rolling chocks on your timber vessel?
did you see any passive type stabilizers on a timber vessel.
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08-08-2022, 07:52 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Victoria TX
Vessel Name: Bijou
Vessel Model: 2008 Island Packet PY/SP
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 5,290
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If they could be installed on this boat I’d rather have paravanes than active fins. Simple and much cheaper. But harder to deploy obviously.
If cruising lots of open ocean I’d definitely stabilize the boat. My boat is semi-stabilized with the sail plan and it makes a huge difference in comfort.
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08-08-2022, 08:00 PM
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#12
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Guru
City: Queensland
Vessel Model: Milkraft 60 converted timber prawn trawler
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 5,482
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ofer
did you ever consider bilge keels or rolling chocks on your timber vessel?
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At $30,000 plus, no
Plus continual drag - extra fuel burn even when not needed. No
Quote:
did you see any passive type stabilizers on a timber vessel
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Sure, but all cost $30k upwards to do right if paying for somone to do it
Finding someone to do it is a whole other drama.
Instead we burn extra fuel when and if needed.
Increasing speed helps
Changing course helps
$30,000 buys a lot of extra miles and or RPM.
__________________
Everything on a boat is broken, you just don't know it yet
Full time cruising is repairing boats in exotic locations
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08-08-2022, 09:09 PM
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#13
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Member
City: Bethel Island
Vessel Name: Ballena Blanca
Vessel Model: DeFever 44 OC
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 8
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I have a DeFever 44 that I bought a year and a half ago, I added stabilizers from Gyro Gale last spring and that ran around 50k.
Sent from my SM-T860 using Trawler Forum mobile app
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08-08-2022, 09:42 PM
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#14
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Guru
City: West coast
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,137
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mvweebles
All passagemaking boats benefit from stabilizers. In my opinion, the Defever 44 needs them more than most. I would not cruise this boat without stabilizers. Not even the Loop. $70k sounds about right. Make sure you go up a size - the DF44 is really a large 44 footer.
Other than that, I really, really like the DF44.
Peter
PS - according to David Kasten, stabilizers for not make a vessel more seaworthy, just more comfortable.
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Stabilizers have improved over time too. Now of course zero speed. But before that 2 axis to 3 axis etc.
At what age stabilizers would it make a difference to upgrade too?
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08-08-2022, 10:20 PM
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#15
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Guru
City: Saint Petersburg
Vessel Name: Weebles
Vessel Model: 1970 Willard 36 Trawler
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 7,166
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bowball
At what age stabilizers would it make a difference to upgrade too?
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I dont think the lines cross in order to make sense to buy a non-stabilized boat and have new installed. But I'm about to speak out of both sides of my mouth
First, I just replaced the stabilizers on my 1970 Willard 36. No way I'll get much return on the $35k-ish it cost, but I wouldn't have a boat that wasn't stabilized, even though the W36 has decent form stability due to very low center of gravity.
Now the double speak: if I were looking at a used boat, I would not even consider one that wasn't stabilized. I just cannot imagine the effort and expense would pencil out. The DF44 is probably a decent example. Many (most?) are stabilized. I doubt there's more than $20k-$25k difference in pricing between similar used stabilized vs non-stabilized. Some boats including the KK42 have such a predominance of stabilized examples that you can be picky and just rule-out any that aren't stabilized, which is what I'd do.
Apologies un advance to any DF44 owners who's boat is not stabilized. The OP asked an opinion. I've run a couple DF44s and love them, but only if they are stabilized. Great liveaboards. But they do roll.
Peter
__________________
_______________________________________
Cruising our 1970 Willard 36 trawler from California to Florida
Join our Instagram page @MVWeebles to follow along
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08-08-2022, 10:56 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
City: Bellingham
Vessel Name: Knot Hours
Vessel Model: Hatteras 58 LRC
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 289
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Weve had 4 boats, crossed an ocean once, this is our first with stabilizers, we will never own a round hull trawler without them. They are sweet. ..
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08-08-2022, 11:58 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: West coast
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,137
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My question is different. For an older boat that has two axis stabilizers does it make sense to upgrade to three axis or zero speed. Are the improvements that good?
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08-09-2022, 12:22 AM
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#18
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Guru
City: Burien
Vessel Name: Intrepid
Vessel Model: North Pacific/ NP-45 Hull 10
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 682
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We went across the strait of georia with 25 knots and 3ft water. Boat we were following was taking water over the flybridge forcing them inside. the boat stayed nice and steady and ran even smoother once we got into beam seas. I ask my wife if i could take a stabilizer on and off video and she shot me down saying she didnt want to have to pick everything up on the boat. Not saying we wouldn't have made it or had to turn around without the stabs and the boat traveling with us made it just fine they just didn't enjoy the three hour trip in the heavy water.
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08-09-2022, 06:39 AM
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#19
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TF Site Team
City: Jacksonville
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 11,670
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Juliet 15
…this is our first with stabilizers, we will never own a round hull trawler without them. They are sweet. ..
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Our Krogen was full displacement (round hull). We never would have done the trip from Alaska to Florida without stabilizers. Going south we had beam seas all the way to Panama and again from Trinidad to Florida. Without them, we would have turned around.
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08-09-2022, 06:51 AM
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#20
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Guru
City: Edgewater, MD
Vessel Name: Catalina Jack
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,585
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2savage
$70k? I added a passive paravane system for about $5k. Works well and reduces roll to about 10 degrees in beam seas.
Granted I designed and installed the system myself, which must have saved mucho dineros but it can be done by anyone.
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Passive stabilizers are for very few and are practical in only open ocean cruising.
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