Bayliner boats

Robin said:
Much more of a following than here in the UK which is surprising considering the high price of fuel here when compared to the USA!

The grp version of the DF49 is ideal for what we want but good ones are snapped up quickly, hopefully when our time comes there will be one. The Bayliner looks a possibility on paper but I have nagging doubts, not least about engine access and looking on their owner's forum the model I asked about has had some issues with leaky hull to deck joints.
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I might be slightly biased ;-) but after 3 years of owning a 20 odd year old DF I've been extremely impressed by virtually everything about her, apart from a Jabsco macerator pump I can't remember anything major which has caused problems. And that's after spending 4 months aboard cruising the W coast of France last year and spending anything up to a month at a time on board on various other occasions.

If you want to use the boat primarily as a floating caravan then I'm sure the Bayliner would do the job but if you value such things as engine access, quality internal teak fit out, quality wiring circuits, solid build quality, good sea keeping (I bet the DF is double the weight of the Bayliner) etc etc then the DF will win hands down. I would definitely go for one with stabs if you want comfortable cruising, they make a huge difference. i'd be surprised if any Bayliners had stabs. Don't get me wrong, I'm an admirer of Bayliners, they do not deserve the nickname Binliners, they are super value for money. You pays your money and makes your choice!
 
longjohnsilver said:
I might be slightly biased ;-) but after 3 years of owning a 20 odd year old DF I've been extremely impressed by virtually everything about her, apart from a Jabsco macerator pump I can't remember anything major which has caused problems. And that's after spending 4 months aboard cruising the W coast of France last year and spending anything up to a month at a time on board on various other occasions.

If you want to use the boat primarily as a floating caravan then I'm sure the Bayliner would do the job but if you value such things as engine access, quality internal teak fit out, quality wiring circuits, solid build quality, good sea keeping (I bet the DF is double the weight of the Bayliner) etc etc then the DF will win hands down. I would definitely go for one with stabs if you want comfortable cruising, they make a huge difference. i'd be surprised if any Bayliners had stabs. Don't get me wrong, I'm an admirer of Bayliners, they do not deserve the nickname Binliners, they are super value for money. You pays your money and makes your choice!
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That is why your 48 and the 49RPH Defever are top of our wish list! I think you are right about the Bayliner 4588, we haven't seen one in the flesh only what a broker sent us and it is only when you look closer the disadvantages (for our needs) show more clearly. Engine access is a big downside, as is the lack of side deck alongside the saloon unless you have ultra tiny feet or spiderman suction cups.

I think we are back on track again. We are still not ready to buy as I'm still working and waiting for some NHS rebuilds before we finally get away and fingers crossed the perfect Defever will turn up then on cue! We are members of the DOA so get info from them and we looked over a couple of members boats, a 2 DF44s and a 49 courtesy of them when we were on Virgina last year. I really like the pilothouse on the 49, but then much prefer the aft owners cabin of the 48 and 44s and the 3rd stateroom come office of the 48. We saw one that had all the wish list features, but it was a 53 pilothouse and too big for our likely berth not to mention the costs. Then again there is a nice DF60 on sale...

Yours impressed highly and I even have copies of your pics from way back when you bought it, on my laptop!

We have seen a couple or three nice Grand Banks we liked (46 and 49s) but they don't have the covered aft deck we like plus they had teak decks that were looking like a problem soon needing expensive attention with missing plugs and caulking and patched bits in evidence. Hot sun in southern States is not good for screwed down decks! They also mostly have bigger engines (one 49 had smaller Lehmans) and could be quite thirsty beasts even if run at slower speeds.

If it is possible sometime without being a pest I'd appreciate a look at yours in the flesh?
 
Robin

The timber trawler I had previously mentioned was not a DeFever 49, it was an Alaskan 49. Couldn't really say if they did the DF in timber, but I'm sure it would be a great boat anyway.
 
AndieMac said:
Robin

The timber trawler I had previously mentioned was not a DeFever 49, it was an Alaskan 49. Couldn't really say if they did the DF in timber, but I'm sure it would be a great boat anyway.
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I think I read somewhere that Art Defever designed the Alaskans for Grand Banks? Certainly a lot of his designs are in wood and steel as well as grp. He lives on one of his own boats too I think and is still designing at nearly 90 years old!
 
Robin said:
I think I read somewhere that Art Defever designed the Alaskans for Grand Banks? Certainly a lot of his designs are in wood and steel as well as grp. He lives on one of his own boats too I think and is still designing at nearly 90 years old!
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He actually "borrowed" the plans from the GB Alaskan when he left American Marine to start his own company.

As far as the Bayliner goes, they are build in my area of the US and are as thick as sand fleas in the Puget Sound. They are a lot of boat for the money. Just remember, you get what you pay for.

Bayliner compromised the efficiency of the 32 by moving the engines aft in order to accomodate an extra stateroom under the saloon. End result is a very large and deep wake. I run for cover when I see a pack of them bearing down on me as I know everything that isn't locked down will soon be on the deck.

Bernie
 
Tresner said:
Bayliner compromised the efficiency of the 32 by moving the engines aft in order to accomodate an extra stateroom under the saloon. End result is a very large and deep wake.
Bernie
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We had a really nicely refurbed early 90's 32' in our marina a couple of years ago Bernie.
The boat ended up selling 4 times in as many years for quite huge money each time, well above the odds for the equivalent local offerings because of the layout and condition.
It was nothing to do with the boat at all, more so the fact that the newbies buying it realised after 12 months boating wasn't for them. I would 'help' them to learn to operate the boat, and resale turn around was only a few weeks. She had quite prominent prop tunnels from memory and rounded on the aft chines.
 
[He actually "borrowed" the plans from the GB Alaskan when he left American Marine to start his own company.
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But were they drawn by him or someone else? Not that it matters because the result is a nice one regardless!

Yes I think we have gone off the Bayliner and are back on plan A, thanks Bernie.

Just a rather tentative suggestion - have you considered a trawler power cat?
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Actually we have but SWMBO isn't keen and there are good and bad points. We looked at USA built Endeavour 44 powercats (they do a sail version also) and in some ways they are ideal, low fuel consumption at above displacement speeds (oddly the same as a mono at displacement speeds and below), shallow draft with props and rudders in tunnels, no need for stabilisers etc. The downside is they are rather ugly, don't have a flybridge (I know it isn't essential but..) and are wider than the berth 'box' of 50ft x 17ft we can have in our ideal base. The owners cabin bed is mostly under the foredeck too and by comparison with the usual mono a bit claustrophobic.
 
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