1986 Defever 53

Great Northern is a 1986 DeFever 53 POC (Performance Offshore Cruiser) that was purchased by her current owner in California and has spent the majority of her last eleven years in the Pacific Northwest, with a history that includes long-range trips south to Ensenada, Mexico and north to British Columbia, Canada. After ten years of wonderful cruising and dedicated restoration, she has been put on the market so that her sellers can attend to other interests. This is a space-efficient three-stateroom layout, and she is a very well equipped boat set up to cruise off the grid and capable of long-distance coastal passages. Nearly every system has been upgraded, and she is in remarkable condition for her age. Great Northern represents an excellent opportunity to buy a spacious DeFever that is extremely well outfitted for an impressively low price.

Flybridge, flush deck, three-stateroom layout, with wide walking side decks port and starboard and a raised aft deck above the master stateroom. The spacious saloon has large windows outboard, featuring an L-shaped settee aft to port with folding dining table, a commercial-sized Dickinson diesel heater/oven, and recliner chairs forward. To starboard the saloon includes an entry locker and counter, stairs to the master, a desk with chair forward, a drinks refrigerator and a trash compactor. The saloon transitions into the galley to port with custom refrigeration, propane stove and oven, double sinks and abundant lockers and drawers. Forward of the galley, on the same level, is the pilothouse with excellent forward visibility, a moveable helm chair and a settee aft with table. From the pilothouse you can go outside through sliding doors port and starboard, or up a flight of stairs to the flybridge. Forward of the pilothouse are two guest cabins, each with ensuite head and shower. The aft starboard section of the saloon features a curved stairway to a landing from which you go forward into the engine room or aft to the full-beam master stateroom (also with ensuite head and shower).

Great Northern is a marvelous example of a well-thought-out DeFever 53, outfitted with an impressive assortment of gear and equipment. She was a break-out design by Arthur DeFever, very popular for running in displacement mode with the ability to pick up speed for a quick return to port. Her current owners have lavished incredible care in renovating Great Northern by renewing the interior, rebuilding the engines and adding new systems and electronics; the galley was gutted and rebuilt to create a much newer configuration. It has been 30 years since original commissioning, but she shows like a boat barely ten years old. In the last 11 years of ownership, just about everything has been upgraded, repaired or replaced.

You board Great Northern from either the port or starboard side Marquipt ladders, or from the teak transom swim platform if arriving by tender. The DeFever 53 design features a single-level upper deck with the saloon, galley and pilothouse flowing on one floor; the lower level features the staterooms and engine room. The side decks are up high off the water and covered overhead, making her a very dry boat underway. Two large hinged opening doors provide entry into the saloon, which merges with the galley into a relaxing and functional area. Immediately to port is an L-shaped settee with drawer storage beneath, reupholstered in marine vinyl, and a teak table with fold-down leaves. The Dickinson Atlantic diesel furnace doubles as an auxiliary oven with a stainless exhaust pipe up to the boat deck. Forward to port are two lounge chairs facing aft. Aft to starboard is a large double-door entry locker, and the spiral staircase just forward of it leads down to the master stateroom. Forward of the stairwell is a working desk with chair, a stainless-faced U-Line beverage center, a Kenmore Elite trash compactor and the Splendide clothes washer. All the way forward are two reclining lounge chairs with ottomans. The saloon has 6'4" headroom with overhead teak handrails and teak and spruce soles covered with area carpeting.

The galley is forward to port with lots of storage space in lockers and drawers; the whole area was remodeled in 2010 and 2011. The remodeled granite countertops provide an expansive surface for meal preparation, and there is a double-basin formed composite granite sink outboard to port with a large fixed window. The forward area features a Kenmore Pro 4-burner propane stove with convection oven and a custom-built Seafreeze refrigerator and freezer; the Kenmore Elite convection microwave has stainless steel facing and serves as a range hood for the stove top below. There are plenty of overhead and under-counter lockers and drawers. Across from the galley on the starboard side is a flight of nine steps leading up to the flybridge.

The operations center of the DeFever 53 is the forward wheelhouse, a pilothouse-forward design with a spectacular view. The windows are all commercial strength and quality with beautiful teak frames; the forward dash cabinetry is teak with charcoal-colored laminate instrument panels, and the overhead and dash consoles contain an impressive collection of instruments. Two sliding doors (port and starboard) lead outside to the covered side decks. There is room for the Garelick helm chair, and behind the helm is a comfortable settee bench fronted by a fixed table with stowage underneath. You take command with the impressive stainless-steel-circumference, teak-spoked destroyer wheel; the twin main engine dual lever controls and the bow thruster joystick are easy to reach on the flat horizontal dash. The electrical panel is inside a locker with clearly labeled breakers and easy-to-read analog displays.

Great Northern is configured with two guest staterooms forward, reached by a smoothly curved forward-descending varnished teak staircase from the wheelhouse. The forward stateroom in the bow has a wide V-berth with a 100% latex foam mattress, lots of lockers and drawers, opening portlights and an overhead hatch, with chain locker access forward and an ensuite head with toilet, sink and shower with teak grate to port. The VIP stateroom is just aft and to port, one step down, with an athwartships island berth with a custom queen-sized 100% latex foam mattress, two portlights above the head of the bed, a separate make-up vanity with chair, and an inboard separate head and shower with teak grate. The port stabilizer is serviced under the shower seat. Both forward cabins have hanging lockers and drawers.

The master stateroom is aft, below the saloon and cockpit, and features a large queen-sized island berth running fore and aft for maximum comfort while underway. You enter from the saloon descending the curved stairway. The stateroom was finished with white wall coverings to complement the teak and spruce floors and teak cabinetry, with two opening hatches mounted vertically on the aft bulkhead for light and ventilation. Outboard to port are two banks of bureau drawers with opening portlights above; to starboard are large opening lockers with opening portlights above. The master berth has a custom queen-sized 100% latex foam mattress, and the steering system is easily accessed for service beneath the bed. The master connects to a large head and shower forward to port with a Vacuflush electric fresh water toilet, blue tile surround, granite counter with flush sink, and a separate shower stall with door. The forward passage to starboard leads to the engine room. The master stateroom is air-conditioned and also enjoys warmth from the diesel heater.

The engine room is located below the main saloon and accessed through the door in the forward end of the master stateroom — it is extremely well laid out and easy to move around in. The twin Caterpillars have been painted white for a more "marine" look, and the generators are outboard. All of the systems are logically installed and easily accessible.

The DeFever 53 is very protected when moving about on deck. The foredeck and boat deck feature appropriately sized railings with a beautifully varnished teak cap, and the 53 POC profile is by design very high off the water, keeping sea water and waves mostly off the deck. The upper aft deck/cockpit is well above the waterline and covered overhead by the large extended boat deck. The side decks surrounding the saloon and wheelhouse are covered overhead from the cockpit up to the pilothouse and are wide with good-height railing. The flybridge is very large with a molded fiberglass arch and canvas-covered top; the dinghy and outboard are mounted on the boat deck on the same level as the flybridge.

Behind the cockpit is a teak swim platform with a swim ladder and a boarding ladder that connects to the raised aft deck/cockpit area. There are side deck boarding doors to port and starboard with folding steps for dock-to-deck access. The cockpit is a great place to barbeque or relax at anchor; the boat deck above covers the entire area for shade and rain protection, and there is a canvas and clear plastic enclosure that snaps in to protect this area. The cockpit is carpeted and has a boarding door aft as well as hawse holes and cleats for mooring. A ladder leads to the boat deck/flybridge from the cockpit.

You can get to the foredeck by going forward along either side deck. Forward of the pilothouse is a built-in seating area with storage underneath. The windlass and anchor rollers are forward — the Maxwell Nilsson V3000 12V electric windlass can be operated by deck foot buttons. The anchor is a 60-pound custom-made Davis Marine CQR (Lloyds approved) attached to 300' of 3/8" BBB chain. There are three wash down spigots forward for fresh and sea water, and shore power connections forward to port include a 30-amp house and 30-amp air conditioning connection.

The boat deck is above the saloon and can be accessed by the aft deck ladder or by climbing a set of stairs from the pilothouse. The tender is a 2013 Achilles 3.5 DLX 11'6" RIB with a 9.9 HP outboard, with current State of Oregon registration. To launch the tender there is a rotating crane that uses electric boom winches.

This is a large full-beam flybridge with all necessary controls and impressive visibility. The flybridge has a stainless-steel Bimini frame with a blue canvas cover.

• (2) Caterpillar 3208 TI 375 HP main engines with Twin Disc transmissions, both rebuilt after 6,000 hours per manufacturer's recommendation, painted white
• New exhaust blankets on both mains
• PSS dripless shaft seals
• Dual Racor 1000 MA filters for mains
• Fuel manifold with Algae-X
• (2) Onan generators, 9 kW and 17 kW
• Four mild steel fuel tanks with sight tubes (optional forward fuel tank taken out of service but remains in place)
• Fuel transfer pump with Racor 1000 MA filter
• Naiad #252 active fin stabilizers with reservoir and controls
• Wesmar V2-12E electric bow thruster, 12 HP dual 12" propellers, with controls in pilothouse and flybridge
• Air conditioning minimized — only the master stateroom has air conditioning now
• Dickinson Atlantic diesel heating system in the saloon with stainless steel chimney to the boat deck
• Fireboy fire suppression system for engine room
• Spurs line cutter on main engine propeller shafts
• Oil changing pump for mains and generators
• Torrid 30-gallon hot water heater
• Sealand Vacuflush pumps; Sealand Sanigard charcoal vent filter; Tank Watch 4 monitor for holding tank
• 3M Marine fresh water purifying system; Jabsco Par Max Ultra fresh water pressure pump
• East Penn Intimidator AGM batteries; Protech 4 battery regulator; battery select switch control panel on aft bulkhead
• Engine room intercom handset
• Note: forward fuel tank under guest cabin sole has been decommissioned; steering gear located underneath master stateroom berth

• Magnum Magnasine MS2812 3000-watt inverter with battery charger
• Marinco TV/Phone inlet
• Onan 17 kW generator; Onan 9 kW generator
• East Penn Intimidator AGM batteries, all replaced in 2014
• (1) 50' 50-amp shore power cord; (2) 50' 30-amp shore power cords; (1) 30-amp/50-amp splitter

• Kenmore four-burner propane stove with convection oven and stainless back guard
• Xintex propane fume detector; Trident LPG gas control
• Kenmore Elite microwave oven with stainless steel facing
• Seafreeze stand-up refrigerator with freezer upper section
• U-Line beverage refrigerator and icemaker
• Splendide 7100XC combo clothes washer and dryer
• Teak and spruce sole
• Large opening window outboard above sink
• Dual basin composite sink with new faucet
• Overhead lockers and under-counter drawers
• Kenmore Elite trash compactor
• Granite counters in heads and galley
• Fresh water deck wash down at bow, stern and engine room; cockpit and foredeck sea water wash down; shore water connection on foredeck
• 30-gallon Torrid hot water heater
• 3M fresh water purifier with filters
• Plumbed for watermaker (original removed and not replaced)
• (3) Vacuflush electric fresh water toilets, one for each stateroom; Sealand electric holding tank pump

The following electronics suite was installed in 2011: Toshiba laptop with Rose Point software and AIS input; Furuno NavTEX NX 300; (4) Furuno RD 30s (weather, GPS, depth, heading, speed) with one on the flybridge; Twinscope; Simrad AP28 autopilot; Simrad WR 20 Bluetooth remote; Icom MA 500TR AIS Class B transponder; Icom M504 VHF; Uniden 625C VHF in pilothouse and a second on the flybridge; intercom handset; Jensen WAM MP3 CD/FM/AM sound system wired to main deck and bridge. Installed in 2015: Simrad NSS EVO2/16 AIS; Simrad NSS EVO2/12 AIS; Simrad 6 kW 64-mile HD open array radar.

• Garelick moveable high-chair helm seat; settee bench with table
• Clock and barometer; teak overhead handrails
• Sliding doors port and starboard
• Large built-in chart drawers forward to port on metal glides
• Bilge pump lights and breakers; (3) Water Witch bilge counters
• Teak destroyer wheel with stainless circumference
• Naiad active fins roll stabilizer control panel
• Jastram jog lever autopilot steering control; Ritchie compass
• (2) Onan generator remote control panels
• Electrical breaker panel behind locker door; dual trumpet horn

• Achilles 3.5 DLX 11'6" rigid inflatable with cover; stainless steel dinghy chocks
• 9.9 HP Mercury four-stroke outboard
• Custom rotating 120VAC dinghy crane with electric winches, 500 lb. lift capacity
• Fiberglass deck boxes
• Lifesling; Zodiac life raft in cradle
• Dickinson stainless steel propane barbeque mounted on port boat deck railing; propane enclosure with two canisters
• Stainless frame Bimini top with blue canvas cover; fiberglass arch; hinged radar bracket; multiple nav/com antennas
• Interior access from pilothouse with teak steps; high chair for helm operations; built-in seating with canvas covers
• Extra handrails at dash; stereo speakers; covered Danforth Constellation compass
• Bow thruster control; jog lever for autopilot; clear cover over central nav/com; Uniden VHF radio; Auto Nav rudder angle indicator
• Glendinning engine shift and throttle controls; Furuno RD30; 12V outlet; intercom phone set; flag halyards

• Maxwell Nilsson 3500 reversing windlass with foredeck foot buttons; twin anchor rollers; burgee socket on bow roller
• 60-pound custom-made Davis Marine CQR-type anchor with swivel; 300' of 3/8" BBB chain; stainless steel bow anchor breast plate
• Teak swim platform with dinghy tie cleats and swim grab rails; stainless steel swim ladder with teak steps; built-in footsteps on side of hull
• Visors on master stateroom portlights
• Clamp-on rod holders on boat deck vertical supports
• Aft deck carpet covering; stainless compression post for dinghy crane
• Coat hanger hooks; boat hooks; ship's bell; binocular rack on saloon bulkhead
• Stainless ladder with varnished teak steps for boat deck access; opening hatch from aft deck to boat deck with varnished teak trim
• Stainless steel rope spool for stern anchoring; varnished teak caprail
• Hinged boarding gates port and starboard; Marquipt aluminum six-step boarding ladder
• Two fiberglass dock boxes on foredeck; stainless steel fender racks on foredeck; built-in seating on foredeck with cushions and cover
• Shore power connections forward; dockside water inlet forward
• Molded nonskid (painted over); covered side decks from cockpit to just aft of pilothouse
• Newmar hailer speaker at pilothouse windows; dual trumpet air horn
• Dock lines and fenders; owner's manuals for appliances and equipment

• Custom louvered blinds for saloon windows
• Custom mattress in master stateroom
• Carpeting in saloon and pilothouse
• All port lights have removable bug screens

• Zodiac 6-person offshore life raft canister pack in cradle on boat deck
• 406 EPIRB
• Lifesling mounted on boat deck
• Coast Guard safety equipment included
• (6) survival suits

Great Northern is a US Coast Guard documented vessel; her tender is registered in Oregon. Her current owners have meticulously gone through the boat after purchasing her in 2006, doing an extensive restoration including rebuilding the engines, remodeling the galley, and adding new nav/com and a new tender. Projects and improvements undertaken since 2006 include: hull painted with Matterhorn White Awlgrip (2010-2011) with Aristo Blue Awlgrip stripe (2011); new interior work (2010-2011); all windows and portlights removed, cleaned and re-bedded (2011); engine room redone with new electrical panel and wiring (started 2009); both Caterpillar mains rebuilt at 6,500 hours (starboard 2007, port 2008); new exhaust out of turbos plus blankets (2008); Wesmar 24V bow thruster (2010); Naiad active fin stabilizers re-sealed and re-conditioned (2012); Onan 17 kW generator installed 2003 and Onan 9 kW in service 2011; Magnum MagnaSine MS2812 charger/inverter (2012); all ship's batteries replaced with East Penn AGM (June 2015); galley remodel with new granite counters and upgraded cabinetry and appliances (2010-2011); Seafreeze custom refrigerator/freezer (2009); Splendide 7100XC combo washer/dryer (2011); granite counters in galley and heads (2012); custom tiles in heads (2010); additional GFCI outlets (2013); new air conditioning unit in master (2007, other units removed); Torrid MV30 30-gallon hot water heater (2010); Dickinson diesel range in saloon (2013); all sanitary hoses replaced (2011); fuel tanks drained, cleaned and pressure tested (2011); Fireboy engine room suppression inspected and recharged (2011); pilothouse electronics including Furuno suite (2010-2011); Achilles RIB tender purchased new (2013); windlass rebuild kit, rebuilt starter and two new deck switches (2011); flybridge and pilothouse compasses rebuilt (2012); life raft serviced and repacked (2012); hull waxed and bottom paint renewed (2015); exterior caprail varnished (2015); Toshiba laptop with Rose Point navigation (2014); Simrad 6 kW open array and second 4G radar (2015).

I've been buying and restoring boats for 60 years as a hobby. In the case of Great Northern, I had a dream of buying a good class-built boat and creating a new boat out of an older boat. The dream came true over a number of years — the only thing original is the teak and fiberglass. The two Caterpillar engines were rebuilt by a true Cat mechanic and all systems were replaced. Because of my commercial marine background, I wanted the safest boat I could build for coastal and offshore cruising. The previous owner bought the boat twenty years ago in Florida and ran it through the Panama Canal home to San Diego, then cruised to Alaska for six summers, then to La Paz, Mexico, and finally up to the Channel Islands above LA where we purchased the boat. The biggest chore and cost was painting the whole boat with Awlgrip and removing, re-bedding and refastening all the windows and portlights — this is a boat where the windows don't leak. Without exception, the systems were all replaced.

The listing broker flew to Portland, Oregon to visit Great Northern in December 2015 to take current photos and inspect her condition. She is moored in a protected boat house and her appearance inside and out shows great care. It is normal to have some trepidation when an owner touts the exceptional condition of a thirty-year-old boat, but having seen her, I'm a believer — it is nearly impossible to succinctly summarize the attention to detail that has kept Great Northern so beautifully maintained. The DeFever 53 is a capable long-range coastal trawler design, and Great Northern provides an excellent opportunity to purchase a remarkably restored boat — a lot of boat for the money, lovingly restored and beautifully maintained, ready to take off for adventurous coastal cruising.