I've heard some good and some negative about the older Pacemaker Yachts. One captian that I was chartering with said some yards wouldn't even haul a Pacemaker. I'm specifically more interested in the Sport Fish models. Any feed back? Thanks,
Hi... You might want to share some specifics. Not sure if you're talking about fiberglass boats from the 1970's or wood boats from the 1960's... they even built a couple of smaller models including a 37' sportfish into the 1990's. I would stay away from the wood boats. The fiberglass 48' sportfish from the 1970's was built like a tank. Pacemakers on the brokerage market, with the exception of the later model 37, tend to be fixer-uppers... and I'm being polite.
I have a 1971 48' Sportfish that I bought it a little over a year ago. I think its a great boat but find very little info on them. I fell in love with the lines and had to have it. Sharp entry, huge bow flare, and the classic Jersey lines make a beautiful boat in my mind. It's built like a tank as you said and crushes through the waves quite well. No speed demon but does what I need her to. I didn't say what kind of boat at first because I was looking for honest and brutally honest opinions. Thanks Bill
I believe Bruce Kessler of Zopolite fame owned a 48 Pacemaker in the 70s to early 80s. He added a 2 foot cockpit extension and even ran it from LA to Hawaii on its' own bottom with him and his crew (and extra fuel barrels)! A true adventurer and boating pioneer. I know they had a refueling stop (or two) in the mid Pacific, but any production sportfisher that can safely get you from LA to Hawaii is impressive in my mind. I always liked the lines and the look of the 48, and the David Martin design (older Egg Harbors, Ocean Yachts) should be easy on fuel. Most were equipped with 435hp 8V-71TI's, the workhorse for its time and a few later ones had 650 hp 8V-92TA's. definitely not up to the speed demons of today, but what is so bad about a 21 knot cruise? Rybovich built only one fiberglass boat, the "Private I", which used the 48 Pacemaker hull, and they added the could molded house/bridge along with the rest of the outfitting. Interestingly, this boat has always commanded a premium on the used market.
Blue, Thats some great info! I spent the weekend on her and it was great. Looking forward to getting her cleaned up.
Another 48' Pacemaker Sportfish owner here. Recently purchased a 1973 model that the previous owner had rebuilt the engines, transmissions and generator on, replaced the fuel and water tanks, then lost interest in the project. Mine is in need of cosmetic work but appears to be in very good mechanical condition. I'm a bit puzzled as to why these boats don't seem to hold their value compared to a Bertram, Egg Harbor, Hatt, etc, of similar vintage. I paid less than half of what the PO had invested in the recent upgrades. Cheers, Mark p.s. Hi Bill
