43' Stephens Brothers Power Cruiser (1929) - SEVEN BELLS
Owner’s Description
This Stephens Brothers boat was built in Stockton, CA, one of eight or nine boats using the same blueprints. Purchased by the United States War Shipping Administration in 1942, the boat served as an anti-submarine net tender in San Francisco Bay during WW2. The boat was fully restored in 1947 and then again in 1998 after purchase by its current owner. The hull is of Port Orford Cedar, the house is teak, and the soles are fir. The fourth-generation engines are Yanmar diesels. The lace curtains were a gift made by a friend’s elderly mother in Milan, Italy.
Seven Bells has an overall length of 43 ft., is 11.6 ft. across the beam, has a 4 ft. draft, and its gross weight is approximately 20,000 lbs. The hull uses sawed white oak frames with Port Orford cedar carvel planks. The boat has bronze fastenings, a teak deck and trim (bright work), plumb bow, and a flat transom. Seven Bells’ official number listed in Coast Guard documentation is 229189.
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Well, let’s see. New price in 1929 was $14,950. In 2023 dollars, that would be $261,555.06. Which is somewhat less than what it cost to restore the boat to its original 1929 new condition (with a few improvements like modern electronics and Yanmar diesels). A comparably sized modern boat by top-end manufacturer Nordic Tug, similar to Stephens Brother in its own day, might be a 2023 44′ Nordic Tug priced at $1,108,375.00 with more interior space, modern electronics, more powerful diesel, fiberglass hull, etc. So, Nordic Tug requires less maintenance, offers more power, modern conveniences, costs a lot more money. All in all, I prefer Seven Bells to a new Nordic Tug. Something about the romance of an old wooden boat, I guess. Call me a fool. You’d be right.
Made by a company with a VP named Clyde, what could be better. Do you think they’ll have held the price at $14,950? Exquisite boat, Thank you
Well, let’s see. New price in 1929 was $14,950. In 2023 dollars, that would be $261,555.06. Which is somewhat less than what it cost to restore the boat to its original 1929 new condition (with a few improvements like modern electronics and Yanmar diesels). A comparably sized modern boat by top-end manufacturer Nordic Tug, similar to Stephens Brother in its own day, might be a 2023 44′ Nordic Tug priced at $1,108,375.00 with more interior space, modern electronics, more powerful diesel, fiberglass hull, etc. So, Nordic Tug requires less maintenance, offers more power, modern conveniences, costs a lot more money. All in all, I prefer Seven Bells to a new Nordic Tug. Something about the romance of an old wooden boat, I guess. Call me a fool. You’d be right.