Click for Perko Click for Delta Click for Walker Click for Abeking Click for Nordhavn

Considering a 52 Jefferson Monticello. Help.

Discussion in 'Jefferson Yacht' started by rickali, Mar 19, 2012.

  1. rickali

    rickali New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 19, 2009
    Messages:
    1
    Location:
    Charleston
    Last week after looking at several boats we became very intrigued with a 52' Jefferson Monticello, 1988. Plan to live aboard, cruise the ICW with forays to blue water weather permitting and eventually the Loop. The problem is information on these boats is very limited...not even an Owners Forum.
    If anyone has information regarding reliability, structural integrity, anything, we will be very thankful.
    The company based in Jefferson, Indiana filed for liquidation this year. I posted this same question in another forum and so far nada regarding these yachts...help.
  2. knotchrissea

    knotchrissea New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 11, 2017
    Messages:
    8
    Location:
    East Rockaway, NY
    Did you buy that Jefferson? I am purchasing a 52 Monticello and would like to hear from other Jefferson owners. As you noted there is not much information out there about them.
  3. YachtForums

    YachtForums Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2002
    Messages:
    20,353
    Location:
    South Florida
    We had a Jefferson forum in the early years, but I closed it down after receiving a very terse letter from their attorneys demanding I omit the word "Starship" from a feature I published because they claimed it could be confused with a model in their line of the same name. In the feature, I used the word Starship as a descriptor, therefore I responded to them with a suggestion to take a long walk on a short dock and promptly discontinued coverage of anything Jefferson.

    I know they revived operations in recent years to build center console boats again. Their proving ground is the Ohio River in Jeffersonville, IN which doesn't inspire a lot of offshore confidence. I sea trialed a used 35" Marlago in 2016 for a friend. He ended up buying another Marlago, but this was the thread I posed to the community...

    http://www.yachtforums.com/threads/jefferson-marlago-35-center-console-opinions.26539/

    Following the seatrial I was suspect the hull might have a hook in it because backing off the throttle at planing speeds was akin to throwing out a drag chute. When we put the boat back on the trailer, I grabbed a straight edge and held it up to the bottom of the hull, where it meets the transom. Sure enough I found a 3/8" inch gap between the ruler and the hull. We were told a hook was added to reduce porpoising with the added weight of larger outboards. That's THE worst way to fix the problem! To me, this sounded like BS. I think the NidaCore settled while sitting unsupported on bunks.
  4. captainwjm

    captainwjm Senior member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2010
    Messages:
    296
    Location:
    Miami, FL, Cape Elizabeth, ME
    Over a decade ago we owned a 1986 46' Jefferson aft-cabin. I think I commented on the now-defunct forum about her. I really liked the boat, and only moved on when the wife's desire for bigger bathrooms converged with our financial ability to act. Mine had 3208 CATs and a Kohler 12 kw genset. It handled exceptionally well and was very easy to single-hand, which I did often. The interior was beautiful, and it was a comfortable boat to spend time it [we were not liveboards]. The only improvement that I felt was necessary was the installation of an inverter and separate battery bank, and of course, the usual updates to the electronics and enclosures.

    We looked at the then new 52' when it was introduced at the Miami Show, and were impressed. However, we've never been aboard one in the water, and did not come across any to look at when, several years later, we looked for our full-time cruising, retirement boat.