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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers
Kadey-Krogen 48 AE
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 heavy, single-engine full-displacement trawler with excellent range and a tall profile. It's a capable Looper once air draft is verified, but confirm the exact model designation first.
The Kadey-Krogen 48 is a full-displacement long-range trawler with a single low-stress diesel, huge fuel capacity, and range far beyond any Great Loop leg. IMPORTANT: the "48 AE" (Advanced Ergonomics) was introduced around 2010–2011 as the successor to the 48 North Sea, so a 2005 boat is almost certainly a 48 North Sea (or possibly an early 48 Whaleback), not a 48 AE. Verify the actual model plate on the listing. Most engine, range, and hull findings carry across because the AE reused the same John Deere block and hull dimensions. Air draft is the main Loop consideration: the flybridge is the tall structure and the mast/antennas must fold to clear low fixed bridges.
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How to read the tags on this page.
PATTERNtwo independent sources agree; confirm it on the boat you're looking at
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.
Builder status
CONTEXT
Kadey-Krogen Yachts filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in July 2026 and is liquidating. The builder has ceased operations.
No factory parts support, warranty, or technical backing going forward. Parts and support shift to the aftermarket and the (strong) KK owner community; major systems (the engines and other third-party gear) are generic and unaffected. A real parts / support / resale consideration for a used-KK buyer, but not disqualifying.
src:
Wikipedia; Boating Industry, Trade Only Today, YachtBuyer, TheStreet (Jul 2026)
Model identity
CLAIM
A '2005 48 AE' is almost certainly a 48 North Sea
The 48 AE designation was introduced around 2010–2011 as the successor to the 48 North Sea, so a 2005 boat is most likely a North Sea (or an early Whaleback). Most specs carry over because the AE reused the same John Deere block and hull dimensions. Confirm the exact model on the hull plate and listing before making an offer.
src:
BoatTEST; Kadey-Krogen announcements
Your move: Check the builder's plate / hull card to confirm North Sea vs AE vs Whaleback.
QUESTION
Which exact 48 is this (North Sea, Whaleback, or AE), and what year and hull number?
The three variants differ in age, layout, and tank material. Nail down the designation so the right findings apply.
Range & fuel
CONTEXT
Range far exceeds any Loop leg
With a ~1,000-gallon tank, review figures cite roughly 4,700 nm at 6 kts, ~3,000 nm at 7 kts, ~2,000 nm at 8 kts, and ~1,400 nm at 9 kts. Range is a strong point, not a concern.
src:
BoatTEST / Kadey-Krogen; JMYS brokerage
CONTEXT
Loop-speed fuel burn is modest
Sea trials report about 6 gph at ~9 kts hull speed and as low as ~2.6 gph at 7.7 kts; a Trade-A-Boat owner cruises ~1600 rpm for 8 kts as a good speed/economy balance. Expect roughly 3–6 gph at Loop-typical 7–8 kts.
src:
Power & Motoryacht; Trade-A-Boat
Air draft
CLAIM
Tall flybridge profile: the mast/antennas must fold to clear low fixed bridges
This is a tall trawler; the flybridge is the fixed tall structure and the mast/antennas fold down to reduce height. Measure the actual air draft with everything lowered and identify exactly what can be dropped, then compare against the route's controlling clearance.
src:
Kadey-Krogen; BoatTEST
Your move: Measure real air draft with mast/antennas down and list what folds.
QUESTION
What is this boat's measured air draft with the mast fully lowered, and does the flybridge structure itself clear?
Published mast-down figures exist for the AE but not clearly for the 2005 North Sea, and radar/antennas/hardtop additions vary boat to boat. Confirm the true minimum height on this specific hull.
Hull & deck
PATTERN
Solid glass below the waterline, foam-cored topsides
The full-displacement hull is solid fiberglass below the waterline (reinforced with Kevlar on the 48), while the topsides/deck are foam cored. Cored areas warrant a full moisture survey.
src:
Yachting Magazine; Trawler Forum (KK owner)
Your move: Commission a deck and topsides moisture survey.
QUESTION
Does a moisture survey show any wet core in the topsides or decks?
Older Krogens have documented cases of saturated foam core (one boat drained 50+ gallons through a thru-hull cutout); re-foaming/re-skinning is expensive. A 2005 hull is less likely affected than 1980s–90s boats, but scope it: where is any moisture, how extensive, and what would repair involve?
src:
Sailing Anarchy forum
QUESTION
If teak decks are fitted, what condition are they and the substrate in?
Krogen owners report soft decks and rotten filler under fiberglass where teak is laid. Ask about deck moisture readings, fastener leaks, and any prior recore.
src:
Trawler Forum (KK42)
Fuel tanks
QUESTION
What material are the fuel tanks, how old are they, and any leak/corrosion history?
Krogen tank material varies by model (Whaleback used stainless; some KKs used aluminum). Leaking/rusting tanks are a documented issue on older boats. One KK42 owner found seam leaks and heavy internal rust, plus a vent placed under the rub rail. Inspect via the ports and ask about any repairs or replacements.
src:
Dave Townley Yachts listing; Trawler Forum; KK42 owner blog
Your move: Open tank inspection ports and check tank age/material and vent placement.
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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