Sully's - STEPHENS FOR SALE

A lovingly renewed vintage American motor yacht that fuses Stephens shipyard artistry with tasteful, contemporary refinements.

“Sully’s” is a rare chance to acquire a highly modernized 1958 Stephens 53' Motor Yacht—an elegant, pedigreed classic yacht that has enjoyed sweeping structural, mechanical, electrical, and cosmetic enhancements while preserving the inviting warmth, balance, and soul that made Stephens motor yachts so revered. From her cold-molded, triple-planked mahogany hull reconstruction to her renewed decks, repowered Cummins diesels, refreshed interior, and current-generation navigation suite, Sully’s presents as a true gentleman’s motor yacht poised for effortless coastal cruising, gracious entertaining, and pride of ownership.

Stepping aboard delivers the quintessential Stephens experience: lustrous teak and mahogany joinery, broad side decks, expansive social zones, and commanding views from the traditional pilothouse. The aft cockpit and California deck have been thoughtfully reimagined with an expanded teak swim platform, stainless-and-teak boarding steps, a transom door, new cushions, a hi/low teak cockpit table, a bar counter with concealed sink, dimmable LED lighting, and a full enclosure completed in 2026. It is an alluring setting for dockside gatherings, sunset passages, or unhurried weekends aboard this classic motor yacht.

Inside, Sully’s blends classic yacht ambiance with the ease of recent upgrades. The salon showcases beautifully finished woodwork, large opening windows, updated lighting, comfortable seating, entertainment components, discreet bar storage, and an interior refresh finalized in 2025. The full U-shaped galley is set down and forward, featuring an electric stove with oven, microwave, stainless-steel sink, generous cabinetry, and an overhauled cold-plate refrigerator and freezer—well suited to extended cruising in a luxury pilothouse motor yacht.

Accommodations include an aft owner’s stateroom with port and starboard double berths, a private head with shower, VacuFlush system, new LED lighting, and direct cockpit access for breeze and convenience. A midship guest cabin provides twin berths with an adjacent head and shower, while the forward crew quarters offer two berths, a dedicated head, and access to the forepeak and anchor locker. Throughout, classic joinery and recent soft-goods updates deliver a warm, authentic, and comfortable environment befitting a premium vintage yacht.

Mechanically, Sully’s is notably well specified. Twin Cummins 6CTA 8.3 M3 450 hp diesels installed in 2002 show approximately 725 hours each, mated to Twin Disc gears. The spotless machinery space is supported by a Northern Lights 12 kW generator, an Onan 5.5 kW generator, Racor filtration, dripless shaft seals, an oil-change system, a fuel transfer pump, updated batteries, and numerous service-minded upgrades. The helm is equally capable with hydraulic steering, Simrad autopilot, Garmin radar, dual Garmin displays, an Icom VHF with hailer, engine-room cameras, compass, air horn, and traditional spotlight controls—ideal for confident passagemaking in a heritage cruiser.

Her refit record is substantial. Major work includes a 2011 hull rebuild utilizing cold-molded triple-planked mahogany with epoxy saturation and new silicon-bronze fasteners; composite nonskid decks completed in 2022 and repainted in 2026; renewed through-hulls and seacocks; stainless-steel shafts; cutlass bearings; dripless shaft seals; serviced rudder gear; broad electrical modernization with updated panels; an inverter system; an AGM battery bank; a new Victron solar charger; and extensive improvements to plumbing, sanitation, safety, lighting, and overall cosmetics.

For the connoisseur seeking a classic American motor yacht with provenance, personality, and meaningful modernization, Sully’s is in a league of her own. She offers the romance of a 1950s Stephens with the assurance of comprehensive refit work already completed—a yacht equally at home entertaining, weekending, and gracing yacht club events, inviting stewardship by a classic yacht enthusiast who values craftsmanship and preservation. A compelling and increasingly scarce example of West Coast yachtbuilding heritage, Sully’s is ready to be enjoyed by her next owner.

Overview

From the stern, a new, larger 40-inch teak swim platform and new stainless-steel and teak steps lead to a new transom door and into a beautifully finished, teak-trimmed cockpit where new belt lighting sets an inviting tone. This generous aft deck offers direct access to the lazarette, steering gear, and Northern Lights generator, while two steps up bring you to the California deck with comfortable port and starboard seating fitted with new cushions and served by a hi/low teak cockpit table. A large bar counter provides ample storage, a hidden sink, and beveled-glass stowage, and port and starboard wing doors frame a new extended California deck cover finished with mahogany planks and LED dimmable lighting. A new full enclosure in 2026 and wide side decks with fresh nonskid, also new in 2026, complete this superb indoor-outdoor living space and lead seamlessly to the Wheelhouse.

At the traditional centerline helm, hydraulic steering and a conventional gauge cluster new at repower pair with a Simrad AP28 autopilot, new Garmin radar, and two new Garmin displays for confident navigation. An Icom VHF with hailer, engine room cameras, compass, air horn, and a classic spotlight control round out a purposeful suite, while large windows and classic Stephens sightlines elevate this standout pilothouse.

The salon preserves its timeless Stephens character with teak and mahogany cabinetry and large opening windows that deliver excellent visibility, complemented by updated lighting. Comfortable settees convert to a bunk when needed, and two barrel chairs with swivel invite easy conversation. An all-new interior in 2025 freshened every detail, and the entertainment system incorporates a TV, a Bose stereo with Bluetooth, and DVD/VHS. A hidden bar sink and liquor storage keep the space refined and uncluttered, and circulation is effortless with access forward to the galley and crew cabin and down aft to the two guest cabins.

Down and forward, the full U-shaped galley is thoroughly equipped with a 4-burner electric stove/oven, microwave, and a cold-plate refrigerator and freezer—original but fully overhauled—alongside a stainless sink and ample cabinetry, all arranged for easy access to the forward accommodations.

Aft, the master stateroom presents port and starboard double berths amid beautiful woodwork and large hanging lockers, joined by a new “art” TV and a refreshed interior completed in 2025. Sliding access to the cockpit provides welcome ventilation and a second egress, and the private head with shower features a VacuFlush system and new LED lighting. Midship, the guest stateroom offers twin single berths, practical storage lockers, and an adjacent head with shower and VacuFlush, enhanced by new LED lighting and a new interior in 2025. Forward crew quarters include two berths, a dedicated head with new LED lighting, a new interior in 2025, and direct access to the forepeak and anchor locker.

The engine room is remarkably clean and well organized, anchored by twin Cummins 6CTA 8.3 M3 engines rated at 450 hp and installed in 2002, with approximately 725 hours each, mated to Twin Disc gears and protected by Racor fuel filtration and Tides dripless shaft seals supplied with spare seals. Power management is supported by a Northern Lights 12 kW generator from 2011 with 582 hours and an Onan 5.5 kW generator from 2002 with 360 hours. A new 20-gallon water heater in 2023, an oil changing system, a fuel transfer pump, and an air compressor for the ship’s horn add welcome capability, while new batteries in 2025/2026 ensure reliable starts. Every component is carefully labeled, upgraded, and maintained to a high standard.

Over the past decade to decade and a half, major work has underpinned the yacht’s integrity and reliability. Structurally, a complete hull rebuild in 2011 produced a cold-molded, triple-planked mahogany hull with epoxy saturation and new silicon-bronze fasteners, the work performed by a professional yard on Shelter Island. New composite decks with nonskid were installed in 2022 and repainted in 2026, and new through-hull fittings and seacocks were added—eight below the waterline and eight at the boot stripe—along with new stainless shafts, cutlass bearings, and dripless seals, plus new bronze struts with serviced rudder hardware. Mechanically, the 2002 repower with twin Cummins 6CTA 8.3 M3 remains the heart of the system, complemented by a new Northern Lights 12 kW generator in 2011, a new Onan 5.5 kW generator in 2002, and a new water heater in 2023. All bilge pumps—five in total—were replaced or serviced, sanitation hoses renewed with VacuFlush service completed, and new raw-water washdown pumps installed. Fuel system upgrades include new distribution manifolds, Racor 75/1000FGX filtration, and new hoses and clamps. Electrically, a complete modernization added new 12V, 110V, and 220V panels and a full rewire to current ABYC standards, together with new ProSport HD6 battery chargers, a Trace inverter system with remote monitor, and an AGM battery bank of six 8D batteries plus generator start batteries. GFCI outlets were upgraded, and renewable capability arrived with a new Victron solar charger in 2025 and 400 amp-hour solar in 2025, while a Starlink system delivers dependable connectivity. Cosmetic refinements include updated headliners and lighting, refinished cabinetry, new nonskid decks, and new cockpit cushions. Safety is equally comprehensive with an FE241 automatic fire suppression system, multiple portable extinguishers, CO/smoke detectors, new zincs in 2023, and updated ground tackle with windlass service.