Finally Bought a Bigger Boat!

[Bushwacker]

After looking for a suitable trawler for about a year to do the ~ 6000 mile Great Loop http://www.greatloop.org, we finally found one in Stuart, after looking at 14 boats from Marathon to North Carolina! It’s a 1986 49’ DeFever Raised Pilot House model (do a google search for passagemaker.com>cult classic) - it appears to be the SeaCraft of Trawlers! It’s a little bigger than what I planned on, but I spent enough time aboard my Seafari to know that the longer you’re on a boat, the smaller it gets! This thing is a serious cruising boat, carrying 400 gallons of water, 1000 gallons of fuel and a displacement of 50,000 lbs! With twin Perkins 135 hp diesels, it burns a total of 4 gal/hr @ 8 kts!

The first week of Febuary was epic . . . On Monday, I sold the house I’d live in for over 50 years; on Tuesday I bought the DeFever, and on Saturday I got married! I’m still in recovery mode! Pics of new bride Arden and boat are attached. Some of you got to meet her as my fiancé at the Homosassa gathering last fall. She lived on a 50’ sailboat in the Bahamas for a year and is really looking forward to doing the Great Loop on a trawler, saying that it’s a lot less work and much more comfortable than a sailboat!

[Blackfin26]

That is one heck of a week in February. Congrats, Congrats, Congrats, and bon voyage!! Well done.

[77SceptreOB]

Very nice! Congrats Denny and Arden!

[Old'sCool]

Congratulations!! That's also on my bucket list. Please document the Loop trip for us to follow.

[DonV]

Well done Denny and congratulations on many fronts!!!!

[Trayder]

Congrats!!!!

[bigeasy1]

Good for you Denny.Hope you have great times aboard the new ride.I wish my house was as big.
Congrats! may you have many wonderfull trips

[bumpdraft]

Congrats Denny, tell Arden Cindi says hi.

[Beaver]

Score and score again!!!! Way to go man. Love that new boat. Whenever I think about buying a big boat that's exactly the boat I think about. Good for you finding a woman that cant wait to spend time in the boat. Keep the pictures coming.

[uncleboo]

Congratulations, Denny! Don't forget to let me know when you navigate up this way!