Next Boat Recommendations

[sparky66]

Looking for what might possibly be our next boat. Currently have a Uniflite 42DC. This is what we like about it:
-Large, covered, aft deck. We use this a lot.
-Aft cabin. Good use of space, creates privacy from guests, and helps form the aft deck.
-Forward guest stateroom with separate bunks and head.
-Flybridge. Have never used the lower helm in 6 years.
-Place for dinghy on top of aft deck roof.
-Reliable Detroit Diesel 6-71's.

This is what we don't especially like about it:
-Tight engine room. Would prefer something with a true engine room.
-Not a great ride in rough seas unless throttled up. We normally cruise at 9-10 knots, but need to get up above 13 knots to get a better ride when Lake Erie gets rough.
-Could use a bit more room, especially in the galley.
-Our Uniflite is a blister era boat, so cosmetically it is lacking.

I thought the 45 Defever with stabilzers would be the perfect replacement, but it appears the forward stateroom just has a big opening to the bed and no door, so not really its own room. The larger Defevers, like the 53POC, don't have a large aft deck. Going slow is fine, we don't need a fast cruise speed. Had a hard enough time finding dockage for our current boat(48' OAL), so the limit would be not much over 50'. Budget would be somewhere around $200k.

Any recommendations, especially from owners of boats that fit our needs?

 

[RickyD]

Californian 48 with your choice of forward bunks or “queen”. More like a full. It has its own head and shower. Aft stateroom is very large with head and shower. Good sized engine room and fly bridge. I can stand up in my engine room. Some have down helm. Galley is well sized with a full fridge and freezer. Also a dinette. For me a fishing cockpit is a must. I have the larger 55 which has a third state room amid ships with its head and shower. It also has a larger sun deck. I love it. Cat 3208TAs are standard. 375 hp in the 48 and sometimes in the 55. I have the 425 hp units in my 55.

 

[ACT09]

I think Swift Trawler 41 can be a candidate.

 

[Mako]

Kha Shing 49

 

[Snapdragon III]

If you like everything else about the Defever, I would think about what it would take to put in a nice privacy curtain, or have a door built.

 

[ABfish]

I've only been on a Defever 49 CPMY, but it had a door and folding overhead cover to segregate the forward stateroom.

I love the Defever 49. The negatives for me are slow cruising speed and lots of steps to navigate while moving around the boat.

 

[mmullins]

I love this game! If it weren't for the slip restrictions my vote would be for a stabilized Hatteras 53' Classic (not the extended deck because there's not a significant aft deck space). I would think a true engine room would be difficult to find under 50'. I settled for less than my dream boat simply because of slip restrictions though. We have zero big slip (50+) availability in our area.

 

[ABfish]

The Defevers have remarkable engine rooms for boats under 50 ft. It's one of their selling points.

 

[DW1979OA]

Check out Ocean Alexander Mk 1. They are 50 ft unless extended. Dock level entrance. Raised pilot house. Can fit your budget. I’ve had mine since 2011 and enjoyed it immensely. I happen to enjoy maintaining bright work. Plenty of rails to maintain unless you paint them out.
Good luck in your quest
jp

 

[sparky66]

Thanks for the latest suggestions. Wife and I looked at a stabilized Hatteras 43MY over the weekend. It was very nice, but not as roomy as we are hoping for. We didn't scratch it off our list. Never been in salt water and it shows. We will keep looking over the winter.

 

[ranger58sb]

Looking for what might possibly be our next boat. Currently have a Uniflite 42DC. This is what we like about it:
-Large, covered, aft deck. We use this a lot.
-Aft cabin. Good use of space, creates privacy from guests, and helps form the aft deck.
-Forward guest stateroom with separate bunks and head.
-Flybridge. Have never used the lower helm in 6 years.
-Place for dinghy on top of aft deck roof.
-Reliable Detroit Diesel 6-71's.

This is what we don't especially like about it:
-Tight engine room. Would prefer something with a true engine room.
-Not a great ride in rough seas unless throttled up. We normally cruise at 9-10 knots, but need to get up above 13 knots to get a better ride when Lake Erie gets rough.
-Could use a bit more room, especially in the galley.
-Our Uniflite is a blister era boat, so cosmetically it is lacking.

You might look at the '85-'89 Chris Craft 480 Catalina. (Called the 480 Corinthian in '85-'86.) Essentially the same boat as yours, but with a cockpit added. Maybe inside updates improved space, maybe galley? Optional 375 cats maybe slightly more speed?

Dunno Cat sizes relative to your DDs, though... but the Cats might have been 3208s, so maybe width would be something to look at/think about.

Another option might be a Silverton 46 ACMY, '90-'97. Solid glass hull. PBG says the engine room is "very spacious". You'd need a Plan B for dinghy storage, but those exist.

-Chris