Defever Trawler Upgrades - Advice?

[TrawlerDude]

I just purchased a 1974 Defever Trawler, a 34 foot Passagemaker. It is the only Defever I have ever seen and it was exactly what I was looking for. I couldn't resist buying it. However there are a few things that I would like to change.
1. It has fixed, plexiglass windows that are functional and don't leak but they are a little cloudy and worn. Can they be cleaned/polished or do I need to replace them? Is there a good source for replacements?
2. I would also like to upgrade and have a few windows that open (sliders). Any suggestions?
3. The teak inside the cabin is discolored and dirty, what is the best technique/products to restore the teak?

[Pblais]

The teak inside the cabin is discolored and dirty, what is the best technique/products to restore the teak?

It would not be uncommon to have used a satin varnish on it. When new it looks like a hand rubbed finish. Before getting too far into anything I would consider get an expert to come and really look at it. You need to find out what it really is first and what was the finish. Some of this could be just natural patina and the rest could be something else. It's more a matter of not wanting to make things worse. It's not just dirt you can clean off so I would avoid any harsh treatments untill you have a full plan.

FWIW, sliders are sort of a tacky solution for boats of a lessor caliber than a Defever. I would consider gretting in touch with some Defever owners groups and see about how they deal with these issues. We don't have a lot of Defever members here but I have seen a few of them and these are boats that should have special care given. Some of them are exceptionally nice boats from the era of big boats built to take a beating and come back for more.

[Ex-Calif]

Hi Trawlerdude - I took the liberty of moving this thread to the powered boats section where it might get a little more visibility.

Welcome to CF and if you need anything just holler.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard TrawlerDude.
Great boat you’ve got there!

You might PM our members:

➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ver-16555.html
and
➥ http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...one-11731.html

for specific information & advice about DeFevers.

The DeFever 34 Passagemaker as described at
➥ DeFever Cruisers - A Club for Yachting Enthusiasts with a Passion for DeFever Vessels and the Cruising Life!

➥ DeFever History - DeFever Cruisers: A Club for Yachting Enthusiasts with a Passion for DeFever Vessels and the Cruising Life!

Try a Custom Google Search on < teak care >
teak care - Google Search

where you should find plenty of advice & information.

[motion30]

I have aluminum windows in my trawler ,several are sliders. Diamond sea glaze from bc. They are very nice and work well. I believe they will make them in any shape or size and on time delivery Do a search on google

[Cheechako]

Diamond Sea Glaze are the best sliders out there, they are not cheap. They can build to the size you need. Plexiglass windows can be restored, they do it on airplanes all the time. My son in law used to own a company that does it. What is your location?
If you are talking the teak floors, try a good cleaning with regular house hold floor cleaning supplies (not the kind that "auto wax" for vinyl etc) then you can assess the condition. Joy works great, TSP works greater but is enviro bad and you need gloves.
If you are talking bulkheads etc, take the time to clean it all with vinegar and water or your favorite solution. Then you can assess what it needs better. If it was varnished not oiled, you need to determine if the wear and tear has gone through the last bit of varnish. if there is exposed raw wood or grey marks, then this has occurred and you might have to spot stain/match prior to proceeding. If it is just dull etc, light sanding and recoating with a good varnish or polyurethane (one part) will make it look nice. If it looks like it was just oiled, clean as above and reoil it. I have sucessfully used Daly's Sea Fin Teak Oil over old interior varnish and it worked quite well. It is a kind of sticky oil, appears to be almost an oil/varnish mix... Pictures would help... Where were the defever's built? if Taiwan, the interior may be lacquer....

[TrawlerDude]

I am in Virginia on the Potomac River

[Mike156]

The Jensen Marine DeFever 34 is a great little trawler.

The original windows were made by a Costa Mesa company called Go Plastics. There is a Go plastics web site but it is a different company in Georgia.

A former employee of Go plastics bought the tooling to make the windows for the Jensen Marine boats - Cal and Ranger. I do not know if he bought the tooling for the Jensen PassageMaker boats.

Here is his contact info -

MARK PLASTICS - GO WINDOWS
369 E. Harrison, #G, Corona, CA. 92879
Tel: 909 735-7705

My Jensen DeFever 40 had the same windows as yours, but mine were not serviceable. I replaced them all with framed glass windows.

As mentioned in a previous post defevercruisers.com is a great resource.

Mr DeFever is still with us, and if you write to him he will write back and answer any questions about your boat. I got a really nice letter that cleared up a lot of things for me. He doesn’t do email.

Mike