Stevens 47

[johnwilmer]

I thought that I posted a message yesterday, but don''t see it. This was my first time and if this is a duplicate, I apologize.

My wife and I are looking at a Stevens 47 as a possible liveaboard and coastal cruiser. We''ve also looked at Morgans, Endeavours and Hardins in the mid 40''s, all center cockpits. I found no independent reviews on the internet re: Stevens 47. The Stevens 47 generally are more expensive and I wonder if it is worth the extra cost. I would appreciate any information on the Stevens or any advice concerning the others I mentioned. We will initially be living in the NE US and live aboard year round with short coastal cruises from there. Eventually, we will do the snow bird thing.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Jeff_H]

For the most part the Stevens 47, the Stevens are a better boat in almost all ways than mid- 40 foot range Morgans, Endeavours and Hardins. While some of the differences are subjective and relates to your own tastes and goals, in real tangable ways, the Steven''s offers better build quality with better materials, in most cases a more sophisticated hull design, offering better sailing performance and comfort of motion and nicer detailing.

Whether that is worth $70-90K more is hard to say. Beyond that, as you get up to the $200K range there are a lot of really great boats out there.

Jeff

[johnwilmer]

Jeff,

Thanks for the input. That''s exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

John

[Dennis OConnor]

Three years ago my wife and I purchased a 1981 Stevens 47. It was a bit of a project boat, but we couldn't be happier. It can be considered a true trade wind boat. While it may not point like a 'J', it really loves a good reach. We do a lot of weekend trips and week long vacations out of Portsmouth RI and usually like to have guests on board. That is where the 3 cabin, 2 heads come in handy. Close quarter maneuvering is an issue with the modified full keel. We are in a very tight marina, and before adding a bow thruster, we had to spring the boat out of our slip. The boat has a very solid construction. This past year Sail Magazine ranked it as one of the 10 best blue water boats ever. It has a seakindly motion and nice wide side decks. Bridge clearance can be an issue depending on where you would keep it. The rig is 65' off the water. Our boat has a Harken sail slide system. It would be a real load hoisting the main without it. Tankage is excellant. 100 gallons for fuel and 250 gallons for water. Three sided engine access plus good access to all other systems.

[Giulietta]

Dennis,

In case you didn't notice, this post is from 2002!

Welcome to the posts!!

[camaraderie]

Dennis..since we are here anyway on this old thread...I have a question. The Stevens 47 is similar in exterior looks to the Hylas 47 which I believe he also designed and which we sailed and loved on a charter back in the 90's. I have never seen a Steven's 47 in person. Have you seen both boats and if so can you comment on any differences?

[Melrna]

I too have been looking at the Stevens 47. There was one for sale at Rouge Wave in Annapolis that sold and they have another one for sail down in the Carib. The one in the Carib is going 30K more than the the one sold here in the US. http://www2.yachtworld.com/core/list...&ywo=roguewave&

Good luck
Fair Winds
Melissa

[Dennis OConnor]

The Stevens 47 was the predecessor to the Hylas. It is my understanding that they sold the molds to Hylas when they stopped producing the Stevens. I sailed on a Hylas as part of a charter around 1995. That was the boat that got me interested in a center cockpit design.

[jordanship]

The Hylas and Stevens 47 are the same Sparkman & Stephens design built by the same yard in Taiwan, Queen Long Marine. Queen Long hired S&S to design the 47-footer for them right around 1981. Bill Stevens of Stevens Charters imported most of the original hulls, and they named her the Stevens 47. Later Queen Long Marine rebranded her as the Hylas 47 along with introducing other Hylas models.

The real difference between these two is the rig. The Stevens has a beefier rig. The Hylas 47's are high quality as well but just a little less robustly equipped. These Stevens models have become cult boats and rightly so.

The performance of these whether Hylas or Stevens is legendary. The hull shape and keel-rudder configuration make them surprisingly stiff and fast boats, well-balanced in any condition. A Hylas 49 model with a raised sheerline and sugar scoop stern is the current evolution of the 47.