in the beginning

Since we have not ventured very far yet…..I thought I would add to the blog by looking back at the events that led to the purchase of Serendipity. Get a beverage, take a deep breath and hopefully enjoy. So this is the beginning……..

As most of you know we have been sail-boaters for as long as you’ve known us.

For us sailing under power of wind and enjoying the quietness of the motion on the water is a “high.” It has been a panacea and a blessing and has treated us to beautiful starlet nights anchored in some very scenic little spots and warm sunny days with the wind at our back. The reality of getting a little older and operating a sailboat however has resulted in us not using the sails as much and spent a lot of time motoring our boat with our reliable four-cylinder diesel engine. During the summer of 2017 and the winter of 2018 a lot of things began to change. One of those things was the growing commitment to give up sailing and seek the greater comfort and personal enjoyment of a boat that was stable, safe, slow, and efficient. Most sail boaters who have made that decision (usually referred to going over to the dark-side) have gone to motor trawlers.

We loved our sailboat and the many joys she gave us but the decision was pretty well-made for us when it became obvious that the effects of aging on the body would not allow the rigorous physical effort the operation of a sailboat requires. We therefore began our search for the proper boat to serve all of our needs and to satisfy our desire for enjoyment on the water. Basically we were looking for a two bedroom two, bath condo on the water that could take us the places we still wanted to go. Most sail boater’s transition to what is referred to as a trawler.

So what is a trawler?

Traditionally a trawler is thought of as a fishing vessel that drags a trawl (fishing net) and therefore, typically spends about 90 percent of its voyage towing at slow speed. It needs to be exceptionally seaworthy, have a large deadweight (capacity for fuel, fish, provisions, fresh water and the like) and capable of steaming long range, which equates to being fuel efficient.

The original trawlers usually were designed for midshore services, but many now venture out to what is considered offshore grounds more than 50 miles from land, and their endurances have been increasing. This type of fishing trawlers are designed with full displacement hulls. This gives the boats a greater stability and allows them to carry more cargo but the speed capability is not as great as boats with semi-displacement hulls.

Recreational trawlers are pleasure boats which resemble fishing trawlers. They can also be called cruising trawlers, motor trawlers or trawler yachts.  With their round displacement bottoms, or “hulls”, and smaller fuel-efficient engines, trawlers take the leisurely route often cruising at only 9 to 10 mph en route to their destination. That’s okay, because the average trawler owner isn’t in a hurry. Rather, they know that half the fun is in the journey.

Trawlers boast an abundance of space, from the spacious salon on the main deck to multiple staterooms below. An open aft deck allows passengers to get out from under cover and enjoy the sunshine. Below, sleeping accommodations, a full head (toilet and shower), and spacious galley (kitchen) offer all the conveniences of home.

20 years ago Larry saw a trawler built by “DeFever” it was 44 feet had wonderful living accommodations and could be handled easily by two people. It had always been in the back of Larry’s mind that this would be the dreamboat. During the summer of 2017 a boat by the name of “SHORT VACATION” paid a visit to Wormley Creek Marina on their way to the Great Lakes. The Captain, John Short offered to let me see his boat. It was the same model, the same layout, as the one I had seen 20 years ago with all of those accommodations I had envisioned as being in my dreamboat. Erin and I worked up a list of what we needed what we would like to have and begin the search for our boat. My list was pretty short as it included;

1) never having to go into a bunk head-first or feet-first;

2) being at least able to sit next to the engines to work on them as I really enjoy working with my machinery;

3) finally, Larry wanted to have a real freezer that would keep ice cream frozen. (This was something that sailboat could never do).

Erin had a little longer list based on her exceptionally good eye for tasteful redecorating. (Pictures later in the blog.)

So what is a DeFever 44?   

Few recreational trawler designs have enjoyed the lasting appeal of the DeFever 44. Nearly 150 of these sturdy yachts were built during their production years, and used models remain in strong demand today. Heavily constructed of FRP the boat has a slightly higher freeboard, but with an enormous aft deck area perfect for entertaining.

The DeFever 44’s roomy two-stateroom, two head interior is arranged with the galley aft in the salon where it’s easily reached from the aft deck and flybridge. Visibility from the lower helm is excellent, and port and starboard sliding doors provide easy access to the decks. Grab rails in the salon overhead are a nice touch, and large windows provide panoramic views of the water. There is even a pass-thru window from the galley to the aft deck. The 44’s full-beam master stateroom is huge with tons of storage and space for a washer and dryer. A great feature of the DeFever 44 is her walk-in engine room with workbench and near-standing headroom. Twin 135hp Perkins diesels cruise at 7–8 knots with a range of 1,500 + nautical miles.

Length Overall.................... 43'9"      Beam.................................. 14'9"

Draft..................................... 4'7"       Weight........................... 44,000#

Air draft Clearance ................20 ft     Fuel ..............................900 gals.

Water ...........................500 gals.       Waste.............................60 gals.

Hull Type ...............Displacement

Clearly the “DeFever 44 Coastal Cruiser” was a perfect option to satisfy all of my list. Our DeFever 44 has a king size bed in the master stateroom,

the engine room has standing room between the engines and near standing room in the rest of the engine room.

And yes, it has a real freezer that will hold ice cream frozen.

Done deal, decision made let’s go look for a DeFever 44. The search took us everywhere along the East Coast and up into the Great Lakes. The boat that looked like the best deal was in upstate Michigan in the northernmost port of the lower Peninsula. It had been stored for the winter in a heated warehouse and was certainly in good condition. It was a very real possibility and certainly affordable but the problem that was that the cost to have a captain and crew deliver the boat to me in the Chesapeake Bay would have been in excess of $15,000. This cost made purchasing this boat not practical. Had we been retired at the time we might have considered bringing the boat back ourselves but it was not time yet. So the search continued.

After considering the boat in Michigan and choosing to decline its purchase because of the extra money to deliver the boat to the Chesapeake Bay I was feeling pretty bummed. We would have to find a boat closer to home even if it was in southern Florida or northern Maine we could deliver it ourselves. A few weeks went by before we continued the search and I was feeling pretty conflicted. We put the sailboat on the market as that would have to be done anyway in hopes that it would sell quickly. There is a very special story that goes along with the sailboat. Sometime when you are aboard or see Larry, ask to hear the story.

Of course the decision to sell the sailboat was a good one as it was time for it to move on to younger more vibrant healthy sailors who could enjoy the many features that she offered. Nonetheless there was a sad thought that the boat was going to be sold. The combination of selling the beloved sailboat and not finding the DeFever 44 to cruise for the next 10 years was a real downer. Over the next 10 days or we kept coming back to the various searches when one evening no searching for a boat, a pop-up ad appeared on the right of the screen. It was a DeFever 44 for sale in Solomon’s MD. That was 80 miles away, definitely close.   It was a 1998 DeFever 44 which was home ported in St. Leonard Creek near Solomon’s, Maryland on the Patuxent River. This was three hours driving time and 85 miles by water from our home port. Why this boat was never seen before on our search is unknown to us because it had been on the market for six months. 

All excited I thought that this was pretty serendipitous. Little did I know when I made the call to arrange a viewing of the boat that I would be breathless when the owner told me the boat’s name. The boat is named “SERENDIPITY.” Oh my, I could not wait to see this boat. We made arrangements to view the boat and to hire a marine surveyor to do sea trials and evaluate mechanical condition of the boat. The rest of the story includes the sea trials all the paperwork to purchase the boat and the two day trip back to Wormley Creek in Yorktown, Virginia. “SERENDIPITY” was now ours, and I know it is just a new chapter in the legend of my beloved Sailboat, Reliant. I know that sailing spirit is with me as we transition to the Trawler lifestyle. First Mate Erin seems to like it.....