Abandoning the West Coast... New boat.. other Coast

[hollywood8118]

We have been planning for years to get a boat on the opposite side of the country and explore the East coast, that time has finally come. Our last couple boats were a planned as temporary placeholder boats, never thought we would have the Ocean Alexander for twelve years. The Admiral has had the great loop in her sights as the way to get back aboard and get used to the nomadic lifestyle we enjoyed prior to kids. We were fortunate to raise a couple of fantastic girls in a marine environment and pass on our love of boats to them in the process.
We are planning to live bi-coastal for the next couple years as its an easy 5 ish hour non stop flight between Seattle and Washington DC where we will base from. We have found a great marina just off the lower Chesapeake what offers great storm protection where we will base the next couple years.
As most here know I have always loved Nordhavn's but they are not great boats for the loop.. too deep and too tall. We both really love the KK42 for everything but the engine room and the flybridge. The O.A. crawl around engine "space" was actually better than a KK42 but I had on my list a stand headroom ER as a must, non negotiable.. nuff said. I kept returning to the DeFever 49 CPMY as a great option that can do near coastal bluewater and just make the loop.
We looked for some time and finally found a DeFever that the owners had thought about moving up to a 3 cabin boat some time in the future, it was not on the market. One afternoon aboard in early May was all it took to move our plans into gear, we and the at some point to be sellers were at first thinking spring of 26.. then we all started pushing the date up as we planned.. and they started looking for their new boat. Basically we all went into overdrive to make it happen sooner.
Anyway.. a long winded story later .. we closed today on a mostly smooth transaction. Survey had a few bumps to get over, found a marina, got insurance. We will fly out to splash her again next week and move her to the new home in Deltavllle Virginia.
As a side note many of the wonderful folks we have met through the couldn't believe we live 1/2 mile from the water in Washington state and we bought a boat and plan to do the East coast.. I guess it is a little crazy .. but what the heck, life is short.. go boating.
A few statistics
2000 Defever 49CPMY
Twin M135 Perkins
Stabilized, water
maker 3 zone AC,new inflatable and 25hp motor, new canvas, great electronics, loads of new/updated systems. Washer dryer, 1100 g. diesel
Had a great previous owner that loved her

Hollywood

 

[boomerang]

Congratulations! That is a beautiful boat and a nice engine room for sure. Being in Deltaville , you're only a short drive from Trans Atlantic Diesel, the Perkins mecca! Hopefully, we'll bump into you guys. We're just up the Bay a few miles and often take the boat to Broad Creek/Deltaville.

 

[rslifkin]

That looks like a great pick and short of a small handful of places where it might be too tall or too deep that should be a plenty capable boat to get you anywhere on the east coast, great lakes, or the loop.

 

[Comodave]

Congrats on your new boat. Looks very nice.

 

[proudsailor]

Head on over to DeFever Cruiser Forum for some decent DeFever info if you haven't already. We're in a 2001 DF 44 OC (yours minus the 5ft added on aft deck) w/ the same engines. Leaving Baltimore this week for points south, weather permitting. These are spacious & very livable boats. But can be pigs in the wind w/ so much freeboard. Enjoy and see you on the water....

 

[Blissboat]

Looks beautiful, Hollywood - congrats, and that's one way to avoid shipping a boat across or around the continent. Look forward to seeing you on east coast waters.

 

[hollywood8118]

Thanks for all the kind words, Were aboard for a couple weeks, moved Passages to her new home on Friday, then settled in to ride out our first Nor-Easter. As with all boats the learning curve is vertical.. she has a bunch of systems I'm used to .. but laid out differently for sure. Loving the standing(ish) headroom in the ER. Currently changing out most of the overhead lighting ( lighting is a major part of my real job and sort of a sickness of mine). The boat is a handling dream, between the oversized thruster and the twins and the deep keel and low windage. Managed a perfect docking in 18kts of crosswind backing into a narrow fairway on my first at the dock experience, the Admiral was very happy. Planning a few day cruise this week and working on tidying up the ER. Need to get off the dock so I don't melt my credit card. Really liking the area around Deltaville.
Hollywood

 

[ranger58sb]

Thanks for all the kind words, Were aboard for a couple weeks, moved Passages to her new home on Friday, then settled in to ride out our first Nor-Easter.
Need to get off the dock so I don't melt my credit card. Really liking the area around Deltaville.

When you get a round to it, Urbanna is nice for a visit, as is Tides Inn (maybe at least once)... and Onancock on the other side of the Bay is very nice. Crisfield worth a look, although the town itself is struggling. Smith's Island worth a look (or sometimes easier to just take the tour boat), and I imagine Tangier similar (though we haven't been there).

Where will your new "home" over here be?

-Chris

 

[Shrew]

They mounted a bench vise on the cover of the sea chest??? WTF??!!

 

[KnotYet]

They mounted a bench vise on the cover of the sea chest??? WTF??!!

That looks like a very small vice, maybe a 2" wide jaw?
I would find it handy for small jobs that needed a steady 'third' hand.

 

[lwarden]

Boat looks awesome, great choice. The Defever 44/49 was top of our list before we decided to ship our current boat over next year to do the loop.
More pics please!

 

[FWT]

Congratulations and welcome to the Chesapeake

 

[GMS]

Great looking boat!
(if that sea chest is anything like ours (and it looks identical), it will make for a very sturdy vise mount ;-) )

Enjoy the East Coast, and when you are done over there - that boat could easily make the trip thru the canal and back up to the PNW.

 

[hollywood8118]

When you get a round to it, Urbanna is nice for a visit, as is Tides Inn (maybe at least once)... and Onancock on the other side of the Bay is very nice. Crisfield worth a look, although the town itself is struggling. Smith's Island worth a look (or sometimes easier to just take the tour boat), and I imagine Tangier similar (though we haven't been there).

Where will your new "home" over here be?

-Chris

We actually spent a rainy day driving around yesterday and Urbanna was one of our stops, cute little spot .I imagine in peak season with Bethpage just down the street its probably a happening spot.. the bay was " sporty" with a Nor-Easter blowing. We will be calling Deltaville home for some time.
Hollywood

 

[ranger58sb]

Hah! By coincidence, a Defever 49 has appeared recently in our boatyard... in a slip just vacated by a transient KK 53! And surprise, the lift wells were being dredged today too.

It was "boisterous" when we were in Urbanna last year, too. We'd spent a pleasant several days in Onancock, and then a couple decent days in Urbanna, but come time to leave... I don't think so, Tim. Turned out we were able to move down to Deltaville for a couple days to stage for return north when the weather finally settled down...

-Chris

 

[Rigamarole]

Hah! By coincidence, a Defever 49 has appeared recently in our boatyard... in a slip just vacated by a transient KK 53! And surprise, the lift wells were being dredged today too.

It was "boisterous" when we were in Urbanna last year, too. We'd spent a pleasant several days in Onancock, and then a couple decent days in Urbanna, but come time to leave... I don't think so, Tim. Turned out we were able to move down to Deltaville for a couple days to stage for return north when the weather finally settled down...

-Chris

Hey Chris. What marina are you in? Were at PAM.

 

[ranger58sb]

PAM's nice; we stopped there for a weekend in early August.

We're at Hartge's, in Galesville. Always something to watch, since the boatyard has three active lifts and the wells are just aft of our slip.

-Chris

 

[La Sirena]

When we were looking for a boat on the West Coast, our (smart) broker suggested we widen our scope to the East Coast. We ended up buying our Selene in Urbanna VA where the sales tax is capped at $2000 (big bonus!). We've spent 4.5 years on the boat cruising from Maine to the Bahamas. The Chesapeake can be stifling hot in the summer. I hope you get a chance to see both Maine and the Bahamas. Our favorites. Too bad they're so far apart!

BTW, Urbanna is a beautiful little town, a protected harbor, and Joyce at the town marina is the best. I fondly remember spending nights on their deck BSing the night away and singing along.

 

[Captain DJ]

The Defever 44+5 is one of my favorite Defever Models. The 49 Raised Pilothouse is why they don't call this a 49, it is a 44+5.

 

[Dahmnit]

We have been planning for years to get a boat on the opposite side of the country and explore the East coast, that time has finally come. Our last couple boats were a planned as temporary placeholder boats, never thought we would have the Ocean Alexander for twelve years. The Admiral has had the great loop in her sights as the way to get back aboard and get used to the nomadic lifestyle we enjoyed prior to kids. We were fortunate to raise a couple of fantastic girls in a marine environment and pass on our love of boats to them in the process.
We are planning to live bi-coastal for the next couple years as its an easy 5 ish hour non stop flight between Seattle and Washington DC where we will base from. We have found a great marina just off the lower Chesapeake what offers great storm protection where we will base the next couple years.
As most here know I have always loved Nordhavn's but they are not great boats for the loop.. too deep and too tall. We both really love the KK42 for everything but the engine room and the flybridge. The O.A. crawl around engine "space" was actually better than a KK42 but I had on my list a stand headroom ER as a must, non negotiable.. nuff said. I kept returning to the DeFever 49 CPMY as a great option that can do near coastal bluewater and just make the loop.
We looked for some time and finally found a DeFever that the owners had thought about moving up to a 3 cabin boat some time in the future, it was not on the market. One afternoon aboard in early May was all it took to move our plans into gear, we and the at some point to be sellers were at first thinking spring of 26.. then we all started pushing the date up as we planned.. and they started looking for their new boat. Basically we all went into overdrive to make it happen sooner.
Anyway.. a long winded story later .. we closed today on a mostly smooth transaction. Survey had a few bumps to get over, found a marina, got insurance. We will fly out to splash her again next week and move her to the new home in Deltavllle Virginia.
As a side note many of the wonderful folks we have met through the couldn't believe we live 1/2 mile from the water in Washington state and we bought a boat and plan to do the East coast.. I guess it is a little crazy .. but what the heck, life is short.. go boating.
A few statistics
2000 Defever 49CPMY
Twin M135 Perkins
Stabilized, water
maker 3 zone AC,new inflatable and 25hp motor, new canvas, great electronics, loads of new/updated systems. Washer dryer, 1100 g. diesel
Had a great previous owner that loved her

Hollywood
View attachment 168387View attachment 168386

Beautiful boat. Congratulations

 

[twistedtree]