Engine
Ford Lehman D242
Total Power
85hp
Engine Hours
1200
Class
Ketch sailboats
Length
13.72m
Year
1984
Model
Hubecky 45 Ketch
Capacity
-
The Yacht Sales Co.

The Yacht Sales Co.
Boat Details
Description
Location - Marquesas, French Polynesia (Tahuata)
1984 Custom Hubecky 45 Centre Cockpit Ketch – Dr. John
Dr. John is a beautifully maintained 1984 Custom Hubecky 45 Centre Cockpit Ketch, purpose-built in San Diego as a true bluewater cruising yacht. Constructed using cold-moulded mahogany with fibreglass sheathing, she combines the warmth and beauty of traditional timber craftsmanship with the strength and durability of modern composite construction. Designed from the outset for serious offshore passagemaking, Dr. John has spent her life doing exactly what she was built to do—safely carrying her owners across oceans and through some of the world's most spectacular cruising destinations.
Purchased by her current owner directly from the original builder in 2002, Dr. John was selected specifically for her strength, reliability and offshore capability. She completed an unforgettable family voyage from San Francisco through Mexico, Central America and French Polynesia before returning via Hawaii, later spending almost two decades cruising the California coast before once again setting course for the South Pacific. Following a major refit completed in 2025, she successfully crossed the Pacific via the Galápagos and is now cruising French Polynesia.
The recent refit has transformed Dr. John into an exceptionally capable long-range cruiser. Major upgrades include a comprehensive overhaul of the reliable Ford Lehman diesel engine, new standing rigging, lithium battery bank, Victron inverter/charger, upgraded watermaker, modern Raymarine autopilot, radar, AIS transponder, VHF radio, electric windlass, new Manson M2 anchor, Takacat tender with 8hp outboard and numerous additional improvements that reflect decades of thoughtful ownership and self-sufficient cruising experience.
Below deck, the centre cockpit layout provides comfortable accommodation with three cabins, generous living spaces and practical systems designed for extended life aboard. Powered by renewable energy through twin 300W solar panels and supported by a 600Ah lithium battery bank, Dr. John offers the independence required for extended offshore adventures.
After more than twenty-five years of family ownership, Dr. John is offered for sale solely due to the owner's changing health circumstances. She represents a rare opportunity to acquire a genuinely proven offshore cruiser with an exceptional ownership history, extensive recent upgrades and a successful Pacific cruising pedigree.
Contact The Yacht Sales Co. team for more information or to arrange a viewing.
Contact Information
More Details
Inventory
Vessel Specifications
Vessel Name – Dr. John
Make – Custom Hubecky 45
Model – Ketch
Year – 1984
Length – 13.72m / 45.00ft
Beam – 3.75m / 12.30ft
Draft – 1.68m / 5.50ft
Air Height – 15.24m / 50.00ft
Displacement – 11,793 Kg / 26,000 lb
Fuel Capacity – 340 L / 90 gal
Water Capacity – ~379 L / 100 gal
Hull Material – Composite - Cold-Molded Mahogany
Deck Material – Fiberglass over marine plywood
Keel Type – Full keel
Designer – Richard Anderson Naval Architect
Builder – Hubecky Woodcraft
HIN – D110011H884
Place of Registration – Fairfax, California, USA
Registration Number – 675164
Registration Expiry – 31st July 2028
Number of Helms & Position – 1, Center Cockpit
Tax Status & Paid Where – US Registered / Tax Paid
Lying – Tahuata, Marquesas
Last Antifouling – May 2025
Engines
Number of Engines – 1
Engine Make – Ford Lehman
Engine Model – D242
Horsepower – 85 Hp
Engine Year/s – 1984
Engine Number – D4 242
Engine Hours – 1,200 Hrs since complete overhaul
Last Service – 10th May 2026
Fuel Consumption – 2.65 L / Hr
Fuel Type – Diesel
Maximum Speed – 7 Knots
Cruise Speed – 6 Knots
Propellers – 3 Blade fixed
Drive Type – Shaft drive
Steering System – Hydraulic
Accommodation
Cabins – 2
Single Berths – 1
Double Berths – 3
Drop Down Saloon – Yes
Head Height – 2.00m / 6.56ft
Bathrooms
Showers – 1
Heads – 1
Heads Type – Manual
Holding Tanks – 40 L / 10 gal
Hot Water Capacity – 23 L / 6 gal
Galley
Galley Location – Saloon
Refrigeration – Top-loading
Freezer – Top-loading
Stove – Force 10 2-burner
Oven – Force 10 2-burner
Sink – Stainless steel twin basin
Gas Alarm – Yes
Microwave – Yes
Electronics
Depth Sounder – Yes
Log – Yes, requires repair
Autopilot – Raymarine Evolution P70R
Radar – Furuno DRS4W
AIS Auto ID System – Em-Trak B923
GPS – Garmin GLO 2 / Quark WiFi via Standard Horizon VHF
VHF – Standard Horizon GX2410GPS with remote station
Batteries
Battery House – 600 Amp/Hr lithium, 2 x 205 Amp/Hr flooded
Battery Engine – 205 Amp/Hr flooded
Battery Charger – Victron MultiPlus II 120v
Electrical Equipment
Watermaker – US Watermaker with spare membrane
Generator – Honda EU2200i
Genset Hours – 15 Hrs
Solar Panels – 3 - 2 fixed 300w + portable 250w
Air Conditioning – Portable ducted
Inverter – Victron MultiPlus II
Alternator – Balmar 6 Series 100A
Shore Power – 110v
Sail Inventory
Standing Rig Material – Aluminium
Standing Rig Age – Renewed in 2025, 1 year old
Age of Sails – ~20 Years, restitched in 2025, proven on passage from Costa Rica - Marquesas
Screecher / Gennaker – Asymmetric with new sock collar, turtle bag
Bowsprit – Yes
Furlers – ProFurl
Winches – 7 - 3 cockpit, 3 mast, boom
Safety Equipment
Bilge Manual – 2
Bilge Electric – 3
Life Raft – Viking L006D00015AF1
Life Jackets – 6 inflatable
Life Ring – 1
EPIRB – 1
Flares – 6
Fire Extinguisher – 3
Ground Tackle
Anchor – Mantus M2 25 Kg
Chain / Rope – 300 ft of 3/8 in high-tensile chain
Spare Anchor – CQR 29.5 Kg
Chain / Rope – 100 ft of 3/8 in chain + 200 ft of rode
Windlass – Lofrans Tiger 12v
Deck Gear & Accessories
Tender – Takacat 300LX
Tender Outboard – Tohatsu 8 Hp 2-cylinder
Deck Wash – Cockpit
Deck Shower – Cockpit
Bimini – Dodger with detachable cockpit shade
Air Compressor - Hooka dive
Mooring Lines / fenders – 6 Fenders,10 mooring lines from 12 ft to 85 ft
Disclaimer
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
Propulsion
Engine Make:Ford Lehman
Engine Model:D242
Engine Year:1984
Total Power:85hp
Engine Hours:1200
Engine Type:Inboard
Drive Type:Direct Drive
Fuel Type:Diesel
Propeller Type:3 Blade
Measurements
Speed & Distance
Cruising Speed:6kn
Max Speed:7kn
Dimensions
Length Overall:13.72m
Min Draft:1.68m
Beam:3.75m
Cabin Headroom:2m
Miscellaneous
Windlass:Electric Windlass
Liferaft Capacity:1
Electrical Circuit:110V
Hull Material:Composite
Hull Shape:Monohull
Keel Type:Other
Tanks
Fresh Water Tank:379 l
Fuel Tank:340 l
Holding Tank:40 l
Accommodations
Cabins:2
Heads:1

































