New member Anacortes

We recently relocated from Seattle to Anacortes (Skyline). After buying a house we decided might as well buy a boat. After several potential deals went south, our neighbor took pity on us and offered his DF 34. We are quite pleased with our small DeFever, and look forward to cruising North this spring.

Welcome to the neighborhood! What is her name?

Helen Marie, is the boat name. De Fever passage maker 34' built by Jensen in Costa Mesa CA 1976.
Powered by a Perkins 135hp diesel.
I would be interested in contacting and other DF 34 owners in the Puget Sound area.

When not in Alaska, were just over the hill from you in Skyline. We have a Defever, but it's a 49RPH. Great engine by the way, we have two. I actually have three, bought one for parts but never needed even one single thing off it.

We are not a De Fever but are fairly local (Bellingham) and cruise year round. I will pm you our contact info.

Bob

My wife and I are from Southeast, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau. We intend to take a long cruise north next year. We want to make sure that everything is under control with our new purchase before we go, so this year will be short trips to Canada.

Helen Marie said:

...We want to make sure that everything is under control with our new purchase before we go, so this year will be short trips to Canada.

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I have similar plans. Watch for PM.

AlaskaProf

Welcome,
"Short trips to Canada"
Sounds great.
We're in LaConner .. B-8
Live in Concrete.
We'll do short trips to Canada too but first we're going to the south sound.

Welcome to the forum! Congratulations on the new boat.

Ted

Nice looking Rawson. I used to attend trade shows with Ron Rawson many years ago.

Helen Marie said:

Nice looking Rawson. I used to attend trade shows with Ron Rawson many years ago.

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Thanx. Acquired last May, got about three weeks of underway time, but planning three months this year. Will be staying aboard this week for boat show. Boat is very well equipped, but that won't prevent me from throwing more money at it.

'Prof

Congrats on your new house and boat acquisition! I have delivered several 41,44 and 52 Defevers (years ago) and never knew there was a 34' model. Looks nice, how about more pictures.

Helen Marie said:

My wife and I are from Southeast, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau. We intend to take a long cruise north next year. We want to make sure that everything is under control with our new purchase before we go, so this year will be short trips to Canada.

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As Eric has already mentioned, don't forget to go South as well. Lots of nice cruising to the South and a good place to break you and your boat in. Having said that, Annacortes is a very nice hop from the San Juans and Canadian Gulf Islands. Nice spot to keep a boat.

Helen Marie said:

My wife and I are from Southeast, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau. We intend to take a long cruise north next year. We want to make sure that everything is under control with our new purchase before we go, so this year will be short trips to Canada.

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Just remember, never is "everything under control", lol! control the things you can and adapt to the things you can't!

Sailor of Fortune said:

never knew there was a 34' model. Looks nice, how about more pictures.

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Me neither! Let's see some more shots of her. Don't be bashful.

Thanks to all of you.
I'm still trying to figure out how to use all the features in this forum, including photos
. That said, there are a number of professional photos by the previous owner. They are on the DeFever Cruisers web page, including a great interview with the Lehmann s, P.O. we feel honored that they chose us to pass on their boat to us. We bought their brothers house, and they happened to be the next door neighbor s. They are taking care of House, and boat while we vacation in So Cal.

Welcome! I have a DF46 and was going to suggest you join the DF Cruisers forum, but I see you already have.

Welcome aboard

Welcome aboard. I thought I recognized the name. . We know the Helen Marie when Jack S. and then Lee & Rosie owned her. You've found yourself a great boat!

Thanks, as I may have mentioned we bought Lee's brothers house, which makes Lee, and Rosie our next door neighbors. The timing just happened to be right for us to buy Helen Marie. Good luck beats good planning, in this case.

Hellen Marie,
I had a friend in SE Alaska that had a DF34. I like DeFevers but like small boats. In time maybe I can have a look at yours.
Getting back to working on my boat and looking fwd to the warm (relatively) weather. And spring is comming. The real spring not the calender version.

Yes we should get together, I would like to see yours as well. Our DeFever was in Juneau, two owners previous.

It was in Juneau eh?
May be the friends old boat.
Get together is good.
You guys do Starbucks? The Starbucks in Anacortes has a painting on the wall w a Willard 36 in it. Classy.

Helen Marie said:

My wife and I are from Southeast, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau. We intend to take a long cruise north next year. We want to make sure that everything is under control with our new purchase before we go, so this year will be short trips to Canada.

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Half the people on this forum are either in Alaska, or on their way "someday", including me.

I've actually done it a couple times; from Seward to Juneau, a two-week delivery from Seattle to Ketchikan, once on an 800' TOTE ro-ro, and I have flown extensively in "Southeast", but never made the trip at the leisurely pace it deserves.

So my plan is three months this year in BC, to include the West of Vancouver Island and possibly Haida Gwaii. And then in 2018, 5 months in Southeast, Prince William Sound, and Kenai Fjords.

Here's Tenacity, which I delivered to the Ketchikan YC in 2009:

Wow, sounds like a near duplicate of our plan for both this year and next year.
I ran fish boats, crew boats, and tugs, early in my career, but never had time for cruising/sightseeing.
We have some very specific areas to revisit in and around Prince of Wales Island, and my wife insist on a stop in Juneau, and Sitka where we still have family.
This will be 2018.

Nomad Willy said:

It was in Juneau eh?
May be the friends old boat.
Get together is good.
You guys do Starbucks? The Starbucks in Anacortes has a painting on the wall w a Willard 36 in it. Classy.

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cant remember the owners name, but he lived on Fritz Cove Road. The boat may have been kept in Auke Bay or Tee Harbor. The name at that time was Wanderer IV or so we were told. This was 25 years ago.

Helen Marie said:

Wow, sounds like a near duplicate of our plan for both this year and next year.

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Almost forgot: once Seattle - Haines on the Columbia.

Helen Marie said:

... some very specific areas to revisit in and around Prince of Wales Island,

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Yeah, every time I flew by Meyer's Chuck, I'd say, "someday..."

Lots of love for a NA 354 Perkins. Welcome>

AlaskaProf said:

Yeah, every time I flew by Meyer's Chuck, I'd say, "someday..."

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Loved Meyers Chuck. Trolled and sold there several times (with my father) in the mid fifties.