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DeFever 49 Raised Pilothouse

The published record on this model and what owners report, with the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page covers the model. Every boat still needs its own homework.

A tall-profile Taiwanese semi-displacement trawler that can do the Loop on hull-speed Lehmans — if the mast/arch setup brings measured air draft low enough.

The DeFever 49 Raised Pilothouse is a semi-displacement, long-keel trawler built in Taiwan (notably by the Sen Koh yard), derived from the Alaskan pilothouse series. It is a capable Great Loop boat but carries a tall pilothouse/mast profile, so air draft and the mast/arch lowering arrangement are the central things to confirm. At least four distinct "49 DeFever" models exist, and engine fitment varied over the run (Ford Lehman 120/135, later Perkins/Sabre or John Deere), so identifying the exact variant and verifying the actual engines is the first order of business. Twin Ford Lehmans in this application have a strong reliability reputation, with known issues concentrated in the raw-water cooling system.

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How to read the tags on this page. CLAIMstated by one source, not yet confirmed QUESTIONopen, and settled by looking at the boat itself CONTEXTbackground on how this model is built or used Sources are linked where published.

Model identification

QUESTION
Which of the several '49 DeFever' models is this hull, and which yard built it? Owners note there are at least four different boats sold as a '49 DeFever', including the RPH, the lower-profile 49 CPMY / 44+5, and boats from different yards (Sen Koh vs. later CTF/China builds). Many model-specific traits (profile height, build details) are yard- and era-specific, so the exact variant changes what applies. src: Trawler Forum, 'Defever 49' rph' thread
Your move: Ask the broker for the builder/yard and the specific model designation on the hull card or original documentation, and compare the profile against known RPH photos.

Air draft

QUESTION
What is the measured mast-down air draft, and what has to come down to reach it? The tall pilothouse profile plus a fixed anchor/steaming light drives air draft higher than it looks. One owner reports ~22' antennas-down (driven by a fixed anchor light) but 15'5"–16' with the radar arch and bimini folded. Mast arrangements vary: some masts are not hinged, some hinge above the deck, some have a base hinge allowing full lowering; several boats have had masts modified, hinged or removed. Listings advertise mast-down clearances as low as ~14' when configured for looping. src: Trawler Forum, 'Boat Dimension' and 'Defever 49' rph'; Curtis Stokes 'SweetWine'; defever49rphforsale.wordpress.com 'Cavara'; Curtis Stokes 'FreeBird'
Your move: Measure the actual air draft and identify exactly what can be lowered (mast hinge location, arch, bimini, anchor light), and get the owner's measured mast-down height in writing.
CONTEXT
The fixed anchor light is the usual height culprit On boats where the mast is hinged but the hinge is not at the base, lowering only reaches an intermediate height and the mast must be unbolted at the base to go lower. The fixed anchor light at the masthead is commonly what keeps the antennas-down figure high. src: Curtis Stokes 'SweetWine'; Trawler Forum 'Boat Dimension'

Draft & handling

CLAIM
Shallowish draft on a long prop-protecting keel Most 49 RPH listings show roughly 4'9" draft, though at least one later listing shows 5'6". The semi-displacement hull has hard aft chines and a long keel that protects the props and rudders — useful insurance in the thin and debris-laden water of parts of the Loop. src: Curtis Stokes listings; Trawler Forum
Your move: Confirm the loaded draft of this specific hull and whether it has been modified.

Engines

The engines research is part of the full profile inside the product. It covers factory options, tested performance and the engine-specific questions in our members' dossiers, and it travels with every dossier and survey brief built on this model.

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