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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers
DeFever 48
What the published record establishes about this model, what owners report,
and the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page is about the
MODEL — a specific hull always gets its own homework.
A capable long-range trawler with proven Lehman power; Loop suitability hinges on measured air draft and the health of aging cooling/fuel systems.
The DeFever 48 is a tall tri-cabin/flybridge trawler built roughly 1978–1992, most commonly fitted with twin Ford Lehman diesels though some carry larger Caterpillar power. It is a genuine displacement-speed long-range cruiser with large fuel capacity, well suited to the Loop's economy runs. Its two live risks for a Loop buyer are air draft (a tall boat whose clearance depends on what folds) and the condition of decades-old cooling and fuel systems. Findings below are largely model-general rather than specific to the 1987 model year.
How to read this: 🟢 Fact = confirmed against a document, spec sheet,
or owner. Everything else — Claim, Pattern, Question, Context — is not yet
verified: things to check, not settled truth. Sources are linked where published.
Fuel system
QUESTION
Have the fuel tanks, pickups and manifold been cleaned, and how is the multi-tank/filter system plumbed?
A DF 48 owner traced intermittent stalling to suspected tank debris/pickup issues on a shared fuel manifold; the setup runs four filters between each engine and the tanks, and owners manage tanks one at a time to isolate problems. Old fuel and tank sediment are a realistic stalling source on a boat of this age.
src:
Trawler Forum "DeFever 48 – Trying to understand how my fuel system works"
Your move: Ask when the tanks were last cleaned/polished and get the fuel-system diagram; on a sea trial, run each engine off each tank to confirm clean pickup and no starvation.
Air draft
CLAIM
Tall tri-cabin trawler — air draft depends heavily on what folds
The 48 is a tall flybridge/tri-cabin boat. Owner reports vary widely: one measured just under 20' at the top of the open radar array, while a brokerage listing cited 24' bridge clearance — the gap reflecting a fixed mast/light versus a folded arrangement. A related DeFever (49 RPH) owner reported ~22' antennas-down (a fixed anchor light being the culprit) but could reach ~16' by folding the radar arch and Bimini. Trust nothing until measured.
src:
Trawler Forum "Bridge clearance 49 RPH"; Trawler Forum DeFever 48 For Sale
Your move: Physically measure the actual air draft on the specific boat and list exactly what can be lowered (arch, mast, antennas, anchor light) and the resulting reduced height.
Range & fuel burn
CLAIM
Lehman boats cruise economically at displacement speed with large tankage
Owner figures for Lehman-powered 48s cluster around 7.8–8.1 knots at ~4.5–5.0 gph, or ~3 gph at 7 knots. With roughly 950–1,050 gallons capacity (some including a day tank) owners report long ranges at 5–7 knots. This makes the boat a comfortable Loop economy cruiser; Cat-powered boats burn far more if pushed toward planing speeds.
src:
Trawler Forum "48' Defever Trawler"
Your move: Confirm actual usable fuel capacity and burn on your sea trial rather than relying on brochure range figures.
Reading the boat
CONTEXT
Expect teak decks and aging systems on 1980s hulls
DeFever trawlers of this era commonly have extensive teak decking and original systems; on a ~40-year-old hull, deck core moisture, tankage, wiring and cooling components are the usual age-related concerns to scope with a surveyor. This is general to boats of the vintage rather than a documented model defect.
Engines
The engines research — factory options, tested performance,
and the engine-specific questions our members' dossiers carry — is part of the
full profile inside the product. It travels with every dossier and survey brief
built on this model.
Looking at a specific 48?
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