Background: The DeFever 49 Cockpit Motor Yacht
The DeFever 49 Cockpit Motor Yacht is a classic long-range trawler yacht designed by renowned naval architect Arthur DeFever. https://www.defevercruisers.com/design_details.asp?id=13. Introduced in 1999, it's essentially an extension of the popular DeFever 44 Trawler, with an added 5-foot cockpit section for enhanced aft access, extended rudders, and shafts. This flush-deck design provides single-level walkaround decks, making it exceptionally practical for liveaboard cruising while maintaining an elegant, low-profile silhouette with a clipper-style bow, ample freeboard, and a sweeping sheer line.
The cockpit is similar to a sportfishing vessel coupled with a large exterior platform (swim deck) allowing spacious access to the water level for fishing, SCUBA diving, and dinghy access. The cockpit is one of the features that has caused the 49CPMY to be considered the ideal tropical/Caribbean/Florida live-aboard passage maker trawler. It is also an excellent boat for the tropics because of the large shaded area under the Bimini top above the flybridge with 360-degree visibility for views and navigability. The flybridge is isolated from outside elements with zip windows and doors all around. The flybridge also features two day/watch beds for lounging, entertaining or napping between watches (shifts) during long passages. Also somewhat unique is the large covered 'patio' deck area facilitating dry outdoor space for lounging and entertainment. The large overhead deck also accommodates large dinghies stowed safely and out of the way with easy loading and unloading via a remote-controlled winch on a high-capacity boom davit.
The 49 CPMY is celebrated for its seaworthiness, fuel efficiency, and world-wide following among passage makers and serious cruisers. Not in production since 2019, the 49 CPMY is highly sought as a standout for coastal, Great Loop, Florida/Bahama cruising, and blue water voyages. The 49 CPMY is commonly recognized as one of the best all-time live aboard motor yachts.
M/V Calusa
Named after the Calusa indians, the most nautical indigenous tribe in America and based in coastal Southwest Florida, “Calusa” is a 2004 DeFever 49 Cockpit Motor Yacht (49CPMY). Her logo emphasizes her active-lifestyle design and fitting. She is a U.S. Coast Guard Documented vessel registered in Florida with home port in Englewood, Southwest Florida.
Calusa has been meticulously maintained with an open checkbook by an engineer owner. She is well-appointed with multiple upgrades. Calusa is somewhat known within the trawler cruising community and some experienced cruisers have commented that her outfitting, upgrades and condition make her one of the finest examples of a DeFever 49CPMY in her era on the water. She has travelled throughout Florida from the panhandle, Florida Keys, throughout the Bahamas and along the east coast from Florida to Maine. She has proven to be both comfortable and safe for coastal cruising and offshore passage-making. Her Naiad stabilizers make cruising comfortable in most all sea conditions. She is fitted with multiple components of modern safety systems. She has dual helm stations allowing her to be operated from the flybridge helm or the interior salon helm. All navigation and communications systems are networked between both helms. With twin screws (engines & propellers) coupled with a bow thruster and 360 degree upper helm visibility, she is very maneuverable making for safe and convenient docking. Her multiple entrances on each side and through the swinging cockpit door makes for easy and safe boarding from the dock or dinghy.
Calusa is fitted with NAID stabilizers, bow thruster, reliable twin 150 HP John Deere marine diesel engines, 10 KW Westerbeke generator, new Magnum inverter and BMK Battery Monitor system, six 325-watt solar panels in two banks each with dedicated Magnum Solar Controllers that are networked with the Magnum inverter and battery system, Garmin chart plotters at the upper and lower helm, Garmin radar, Simrad auto pilot, exterior intercom system, remotely controlled exterior spotlight, StarLink satellite, Intellian satellite, redundant VHF radios, fixed and handheld satellite phones, dual communication headsets, water maker, and underwater lights.
Calusa’s engine room has high ceilings allowing stand-up, walk-through capability for persons of 6’2 and more. A key feature of the DeFever Motor Yachts is the independent sea chest which allows visibility and access to both exterior and interior sides of through-hull fittings. Calusa’s engine room will be found to be clean and neat. Her bilges and lazarette will be found to be clean and dry. Her engines and all engineering systems have been well maintained.
Calusa’s salon has the highly-sought layout designed with a galley pass-through bar. Within her salon is a leather hide-a-bed sofa, leather love seat dual recliner, dual drop-leaf table, bar stools, and flat screen TV with surround-sound audio throughout. Recently (2025) her air conditioning system has been replaced including 3 units (16,000 BTU, 12,000 BTU, 12,000 BTU). She has two staterooms, each with dedicated private heads/bathrooms with showers and vacu-flush toilets with independent holding tanks. The master stateroom is spacious with high head room, walk-around queen size bed, voluminous closet storage, and flat screen TV. Calusa has an enclosed laundry room with washer and dryer. Calusa also has a trash compactor.
Calusa’s galley is well-appointed with Vitrifigo refrigerator-freezer, electric 3-burner stove, oven, microwave-convection oven, and dual stainless sinks. She has ample storage space throughout.
Outdoors Calusa has large open spaces for efficient operability, comfort, lounging and entertainment. She has full walk-around sides leading to a large bow deck with high-quality ground tackle including dual anchors and a high-capacity windlass with gypsy head winch and samson post that are operated remotely from the lower helm, upper helm, and via foot pedals on the bow deck. Her flybridge is spacious and includes two bench seat/day beds for lounging and sleeping for standby crew during long passages. The flybridge provides 360-degree visibility at the helm and includes Eisen glass enclosures allowing 360-degree enclosure from the elements. Calusa’s covered mid-deck patio space has high quality outdoor furniture, mini-fridge, icemaker (new 2025), large Magma stainless grill, and sunshades on all sides.
Calusa’s design and fitting are maximized for outdoor waterfront activity. Her spacious water-level cockpit and large swim platform astern coupled with a hinged access door through her transom make access easy and safe at water level for boarding the dinghy, swimming, SCUBA diving, and landing fish. Calusa comes with a high-quality 12’ AB dinghy with 15 HP Yamaha motor. Her dinghy is easily stowed on her upper deck and launched from a remotely-controlled winch-davit system. Calusa is outfitted for offshore and inshore sportfishing with custom interior and exterior rod racks and rod holders, speargun rack, gimbaled cockpit fighting chairs, Magma fish cleaning station, cockpit fish box cooler, and underwater lighting that attracts fish in any marine environment.
Calusa - 2004 DeFever Cockpit Motor Yacht
Beam: 15 ft
Draft: 4 ft 9 in
Cruise Speed: 8-9 Kts
Fuel Tanks: 1100 Gal
Fresh Water: 380 gal
Holding Tanks: 40 gal
Engine Hrs: 4220
Links to videos & Photos
Exterior: Calusa Exterior.MP4
Interior: Calusa Interior.MP4
Engine Room: Calusa Engine Room.MP4
Underwater Lighting: Calusa Underwater Lighting.MP4
Photos: MV Calusa DeFever 49CPMY Photos
Price $395,000
Contact us for more detailed information
Jerry & Kristy Paul
941-662-7874
* some items optional