Dragonfly Chaser - GIBSON FOR SALE

Presenting a 1987 Gibson 14' x 50' Standard Houseboat on Norris Lake, Tennessee, powered by twin counter‑rotating 5.7L Crusader 350 CID V8 inboard V‑drives and an 8 kW Westerbeke generator. This motor yacht offers two staterooms—queen master and double berths in a cuddy—plus a sleeper sofa, and two heads, one a full bath with shower/tub. Liveaboard cruiser elegance in a versatile powerboat.

Features & specs

Power comes from twin counter-rotating 5.7L Crusader 350 CID 270 HP inboard V-drive engines showing port 1197 hours and starboard 1109 hours, complemented by an 8 kW Westerbeke generator with 1.3 engine hours indicated on the meter. Accommodations are generous, with two bedrooms—featuring a queen master bed and two double beds in the forward cuddy—plus a queen sleeper sofa, comfortably sleeping 6–8. The layout offers 1.5 baths: a full bath with tub/shower, vanity sink, and electric head, and a half bath in the cuddy with head and vanity sink. The galley is properly equipped for extended stays with a full-size electric refrigerator/freezer (new in 2018), a Galley Maid Empress electric 3-burner oven/range, Oxo coffee maker, coffee grinder, Keurig, countertop ice maker, PowerXL Air Fryer Grill, microwave, and a double stainless sink. Entertaining is effortless thanks to an integrated wet bar and a Primo bottom-loading hot/cold water dispenser adjacent to the counter/bar.

Climate control and comfort are assured by two Dometic Brisk II roof-mount air conditioning units rated at 15,000 BTU each (both new in 2020), a Hisense 8,000 BTU free-standing portable air conditioner in the cuddy, two 1500 W electric radiator heaters, and an Ivation 50-pint dehumidifier with a built-in pump. Cedar-lined closets are found throughout. For entertainment, enjoy a 43'' Hisense Roku LED HDTV in the main salon and a 19'' Vizio 720p LCD HDTV in the cuddy, while a Rockville AM/FM/USB/Aux input digital tuner stereo feeds four cabin speakers and three Kicker exterior speakers.

The lower helm is equipped with a Humminbird Matrix 37 depth/fish finder, an Icom VHF radio, and an Apelco Trident II hailer. Instrumentation includes port and starboard engine temperature, engine oil pressure, battery volts, hour meters, tachometers, and fuel, plus an RPM sync gauge, rudder angle indicator, remote spotlight controls, and a 12‑volt power outlet. The flybridge/upper helm carries a Ritchie compass, remote spotlight controls, and a Humminbird depth/fish finder, along with port and starboard engine temperature, engine oil pressure, battery volts, and tachometers, plus an RPM sync gauge and rudder angle indicator. Up top you’ll also find the upper-level canvas bimini/party top and a mooring cover for the flybridge.

Mechanical and safety systems include Teleflex Capilano hydraulic steering, a Fireboy automatic fire suppression system, a NOCO Genius onboard 4‑bank 40 Amp battery charger, and a battery selector switch. Capacities are equally robust, with two 120‑gallon aluminum fuel tanks, a 100‑gallon aluminum fresh water tank, a 10‑gallon electric water heater, and an approximately 90‑gallon plastic waste holding tank. Aft, an integrated swim platform with a 3‑step swim boarding ladder extends your on‑the‑water living space.

Dimensions and clearances are practical and well considered: LOA 50', beam 13' 10", draft 3', and bridge clearance 16'. Cabin headroom measures 6' 4" in the main salon, 6' 7" in the galley and master stateroom, 6' at the cuddy entrance/forward head, and 3' 6" in the forward cuddy. Shore-side inclusions elevate the offering: a 12.5' x 19' lumber dock with unencapsulated Styrofoam flotation, a 4'10" x 6.5' shed, and a patio storage box are included. While the dates of the last bottom paint and roof/deck gelcoat are unknown, a transferable Norris Lake slip is available, adding welcome convenience to ownership.

Model walk through

You’ll board this fiberglass-hulled houseboat near the bow beneath a small overhang that casts welcome shade for a pair of deck chairs, with a storage hatch discreetly underfoot. Slide open the starboard door to enter the main salon, a bright and social heart of the cabin. Just to starboard of the lower helm, a short stairway leads down to the forward cuddy tucked beneath the salon, where two double beds create a cozy retreat alongside a separate marine head with a vanity sink. Back in the salon above, a queen sleeper sofa anchors the lounge, joined by a reclining chair, ottoman, a 43'' Roku HDTV, and the stereo system. A Dometic roof‑mount air‑conditioning unit cools the upper cabin, while a free‑standing AC unit serves the cuddy for personalized comfort.

A generous counter/bar with two bar stools elegantly separates the galley from the salon, with a concealed wet bar beneath the countertop and a Primo hot/cold water cooler just adjacent. Steps to port descend to a well‑appointed galley featuring a full‑size electric refrigerator/freezer, an electric 3‑burner oven/range, an air fryer grill, a double stainless sink, and a microwave. The galley is thoughtfully stocked with pots, pans, utensils, and the coffee essentials—coffee maker, coffee grinder, countertop ice maker, and Keurig—while a compact pub table with stools completes the space. Just forward and to starboard lies the entrance to the full bath with its shower/tub, a second marine head, and a vanity sink. Aft of the galley, through a privacy divider, the queen master stateroom awaits with a cedar‑lined hanging closet and an integrated dresser to port, cooled by a second roof‑mount air‑conditioning unit overhead.

Step out the rear door—or stroll the exterior catwalks around to the aft deck—and you’ll reach the roomy engine bay beneath the hatch, home to the twin Crusader 270 HP inboard engines, the onboard battery charger, Westerbeke generator, fire suppression system, and more. Off the transom, an integrated swim platform and swim boarding ladder make waterside living effortless. A ladder just forward of the engine hatch takes you to the upper level with lounge chairs for sunning; a few more steps bring you to the flybridge, shaded by a bimini mounted to the rail to offer relief from the sun. The bimini covering the flybridge is due for replacement, and the second helm station is fully integrated here.

Sharing the slip is a small lumber‑framed, lumber‑decked dock that will need new flotation in the coming years; it houses a large storage shed and a dock box, both included with the houseboat. The date of the last bottom paint is unknown, and the vessel should be hauled for a marine survey prior to purchase; a prudent buyer will budget for bottom repainting and resealing the side decks. The roof will be due to be re‑sealed in the near future, albeit with less urgency than the side decks. The current Norris Lake, TN slip is transferable.