Our People We love our modest yachts and we love to cruise. Most of us own vessels that were designed by the late Arthur DeFever, a renowned naval architect, who is known for his seaworthy cruising yachts. We would rather be anchored in a quiet remote cove than tied to a marina dock. We are curious about the next town around the bend in the waterway, the next enchanted island, and the pristine beach on the horizon off our bow.

We enjoy traveling in the company of other DeFever Cruisers and you will find us on the beach for a picnic, diving the reefs, and sharing a cocktail and dinner on a friend’s boat. We take the time to watch the sunset and listen to the sound of the conch horn signaling the end of another amazing day on the water. Most of us have seen the green flash at the moment the fire goes out on the horizon.

We share our experiences and knowledge with each other at all kinds of rendezvous; Informal ones on the beach in the Bahamas or the Isthmus of Catalina Island, or at exceptionally well planned gatherings at a resort where we not only make new friends, but also teach and learn about our boats and the cruising lifestyle.

Our Vessels Our cruising-style boats are sometimes called trawlers. Arthur DeFever called them Cruisers. He said, “A trawler is a single-screw fishing vessel designed to pull a net.” Arthur’s designs are quite traditional in appearance because form follows function. They have graceful lines with a high bow and intelligent interiors. Not a single one looks like a high-top plastic tennis shoe bobbing in the water. They carry a lot of fuel and water to give us long range and comfort. They are not fast, like lightweight sport boats that fly over the water on a plane, headed for the next fuel dock. Ours are built solidly to take the seas and easily travel 1,000 miles, without refueling, at cruising speeds of eight to ten knots.

You will find DeFevers exploring scenic waters from Alaska to the Panama Canal on the Pacific Coast. And you will see us traveling from Maine to the Bahamas and down the islands of the Caribbean to Venezuela. You may spot us in the interior of Guatemala on the Rio Dulce or inside the breaking reefs of Belize. You will find our international members on their boats in Finland, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, or touring the Mediterranean.

Our Passion for Cruising John Masefield’s poem, Sea Fever, describes the compelling draw of the sea, and the call of the wild. We understand the compulsion. It’s our passion.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trip’s over.