Cheoy Lee 53 Motorsailor Cetacea

Boat Overview

CETACEA is a Cheoy Lee 53’ Motorsailor, a classic motorsailor designed by the renowned team of Seaton-Neville. Built for rugged bluewater capability, she features heavy-duty fiberglass construction, a pilothouse layout, and twin diesel engines for safety and reliability. This cutter-rigged boat offers sailing versatility and a spacious interior with multiple staterooms. CETACEA combines power yacht comfort with long-range sailing capability, making it ideal for extended cruising. DO NOT confuse Cheoy Lee Shipyard boats with Taiwan “Leaky Teaky’s”. Cheoy Lee Shipyards, Hong Kong, has been in business for over 150+ years. In 1990, Cheoy Lee Shipyards ceased production of sailboats but continued producing explorer and luxury motor yachts while expanding its commercial boat building in the Hong Kong area.

Condition and Maintenance

As one of the last sailboat hulls built in Hong Kong and one of the last hulls in the CL53 series, CETACEA benefited from all improvements made to earlier CL53 hulls. The current owners have maintained and improved her for 24 years, unlike any other Cheoy Lee 53's, and continue to use her in the eastern Mediterranean.

Performance and Features

CETACEA is a proven, serious bluewater family cruiser, making her a top choice for anyone seeking a truly turnkey vessel. She boasts extensive real-world mileage, late-build refinements, and current status in a prime sailing area. A huge plus with CETACEA is that she exhausts the main engines at the stern, stopping the wrap-around effect of exhaust into the cabin, aft stateroom, pilothouse, and cockpit. Heavily customized for safety and comfort, CETACEA is unmatched in the CL53 series for seaworthiness, ease of handling, crew safety, and turnkey readiness.

Specifications

• Twin Perkins 4-236 engines (168 HP)


• 800 gallons of fuel


• 500 gallons of water


• 60-gallon holding tank


• 3 cabins with A/C in all cabins


• 2 electric heads with separate showers


• Large main salon with seating for 6


• Fully equipped galley designed for cooking underway


• Enclosed pilot house with an elevated full-size berth for comfortable night watches


• Self-tailing hydraulic winches and mast and jib furling systems


• Upper flybridge with a 360-degree view

Recent Upgrades

New equipment includes:

• All new rigging


• Shafts and shaft seals


• Zincs and cutlass bearings


• Kohler generator


• Inverter


• 3 chart plotters


• Radar and antennas


• AIS and VHF


• Hand-held VHFs


• Freezer


• Dinghy


• Starlink


• Cleaned out both fuel tanks


• Applied new antifouling paint

Custom Upgrades

The major custom upgrades on CETACEA include:

• Increased engine room ventilation for better performance


• Rerouted engine exhaust to exit aft of the cockpit


• Replaced teak deck with non-skid for low maintenance


• Redesigned/reinforced safety rails & extended solid tube railing around the cockpit


• Replaced doorway hatch with a full-sized waterproof door


• Installed a custom fiberglass table on the foredeck


• Installed fully enclosed cockpit canvass with Strataglass panels


• Installed a hardtop system with solar panels and dimmable LED lights


• Installed Lithium-ion batteries with an updated battery management system


• Redesigned the v-berth to provide a queen/king sized v-berth


• Redesigned the master head shower with wrap-around side walls

Comfort and Stability

These improvements make her extremely comfortable and stable, with increased performance sailing and motoring. Extensive insulation and soundproofing provide for very quiet passages. CETACEA is no ordinary sailboat. The owners, now in their 70s, are sad to list their beloved CETACEA for sale as they continue to enjoy sailing her around the Mediterranean. They hope to find just the right sailors to continue her legacy of adventure.

Background Information

CETACEA has been continuously and meticulously maintained and upgraded over the years. The original owners purchased her in 1990 for long-distance offshore cruising. The second owner used her for two months each year in the Eastern Caribbean. The current owners purchased her in 2001 and sailed her up and down the Caribbean Island chain. In January 2013, they began their circumnavigation, sailing more than 20,000 miles and visiting 35 countries.

Recent Adventures

In 2023, they sailed 1,200 miles through the Torres Strait to Darwin, Australia, and then 2,100 miles through Indonesia to Nongsa Point, Batam. In 2024, they cruised 700 miles north to Malaysia and Thailand. To avoid the dangers of sailing through the Red Sea, they shipped CETACEA from Phuket, Thailand to Marmaris, Turkey, where she is actively being sailed.

Refit Details

The New Zealand Refit 2018/2019 ($450,000 USD)

CETACEA underwent a significant refit with one of the finest Shipwrights, Steve Eichler of Lighthouse Projects. Major projects included:

• Replacing the teak deck with fiberglass and non-skid decking


• Repainting and fairing the entire boat


• Replacing all custom portholes and windows


• Increasing engine room ventilation


• Insulating for sound and heat


• Upgrading electrical systems

New Equipment & Updates Completed 2023/2025 ($130,000 USD)

1. New dinghy - Hyfield Hypalon 340 Classic


2. New Kohler 11 kW generator


3. New Garmin Phantom 48XHD Radar


4. Replaced Mastervolt inverter/charger


5. New chart plotters (3) with Garmin 8400 Series


6. Added new Furuno SX-20 Sat GPS


7. New AIS Vesper Cortex


8. New VHF and hand-held VHFs


9. New Starlink communication system


10. New freezer unit


11. Replaced standing rigging


12. Replaced both main engine dual coolers


13. Replaced both main engine exhaust elbows


14. Replaced main engine alternators


15. Rebuilt both main engine fuel injector pumps


16. Replaced both engine fuel lines


17. Added Fawcett fuel pumps


18. Inspected port transmission


19. Cleaned out both fuel tanks


20. Replaced both engine start batteries


21. Replaced both engine starter motors


22. Cleaned up wire ways in engine room


23. Replaced Raritan 20-gallon hot water heater


24. Replaced both shafts with new 316 stainless shafts


25. All cutlass bearings replaced


26. Cleaned areas between bearings


27. Replaced Kiwi Shaft Seal seals


28. Serviced both max props


29. Replaced max prop zincs


30. Replaced Airmar thru hull and Airmar DST-810


31. Replaced aft Air Con thru hull


32. Replaced all raw water-cooling air conditioning pumps


33. Replaced both underwater lights


34. Applied new Antifouling paint


35. New Heat Exchangers


36. New Dual Coolers


37. New Raw Water Impellars


38. New Fresh Water Pumps


39. Elbows Cleaned Out


40. Varnish Refreshed, 10 Coats Awlwood

Interior Layout

Pilothouse

Entering the pilothouse from the cockpit, you find convenient storage shelves to port, a breaker box, and seating adjacent to the helm. The helm features nearly 360 degrees of visibility, engine instrumentation, and navigation equipment.

Galley

The galley includes a U-line ice maker, a Force 10 three-burner LPG stove, a microwave, and two Isotherm refrigerators. It features a double sink, large countertop workspaces, and ample storage.

Main Salon

The main salon features a U-shaped dinette that seats six, an L-shaped settee, and a cocktail table with a freezer inside. There is significant storage beneath the cushions and above the settees.

Forward Area

The forward area includes a starboard cabin with over/under berths, an electric freshwater head, and a redesigned queen/king sized v-berth.

Utility/Service Room

The utility room houses the main electrical service panel, a washer/dryer combo unit, and provides access to the main engines.

Master Cabin

The spacious aft master stateroom features hanging lockers, a central dressing table, and a queen-size berth with ample storage.

Exterior Features

• Forward Deck: Features a hydraulic Hood Sea Furl unit and a 3500 Maxwell-Nilsson electric windlass.


• LPG Locker: Holds tanks for the galley and BBQ grill, and serves as a rinse station.


• Storage & Safety: Includes storage for a boarding plank and safety features.

Cockpit

The elevated cockpit features heavy doors, hydraulic primary winches, and an oval seating area. It is fully enclosed with canvas and Strataglass panels.

Aft Stern Area

The stern features a BBQ grill and a storage garage for emergency equipment.

Engine Room

• Main Engines: Powered by Perkins 4-236 engines with dual Racor filters and dripless shaft seals.


• Main Generator: A new Kohler 11 kW generator is housed in an enclosed sound shield.


• Electrical System: Utilizes both 230/240V and 120V AC and 12V DC systems.

Mechanical

• Range: (Clean Hull, No Genset Time)


• (2) Engines @ 1800 RPM burning 3 gal/hr @ 7 knots on 800 gallons = 1,800 NM


• (1) Engine @ 1800 RPM burning 1.5 gal/hr @ 6 knots on 800 gallons = 3,200 NM

Fuel System

The boat has two fiberglass fuel tanks, each holding 400 US gallons, for a total of 800 US gallons. A fuel manifold controls supply and return fuel for the engines and generator.

Fresh Water System

The water system includes 4 fiberglass tanks with a total capacity of 500 US gallons. The Spectra Newport Mark II watermaker produces 15-17 gallons per hour.

Sails and Rigging

CETACEA is equipped with hydraulic furling on both the genoa and mainsail. The standing rigging was replaced in 2024 with stainless Dyform wire.

Safety Equipment

Safety gear includes a 6-person Viking RescYou Pro canister life raft, GPS EPIRBs, and various safety equipment. Navigation lights were upgraded to Aqua Signal LED.

Tender and Outboard

The boat comes with a new 2024 Highfield Hypalon 340 Classic tender and a primary outboard engine.

Electronics

The pilothouse features a breaker box controlling all instruments and lighting. The boat integrates NMEA 2000-connected instruments for seamless navigation.

Survey and Disclaimer

Below is the final Vessel Survey performed in 2019 for insurance purposes. Exclusions: The dinghy and outboard are excluded until the legal documentation process for transferring ownership outside of the U.S. can be confirmed.

Mechanical Disclaimer: Engine and generator hours are as of the date of the original listing and are a representation of what the listing broker is told by the owner. The broker cannot guarantee the true hours.

Disclaimer: The company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information. A buyer should instruct their agents or surveyors to investigate such details as desired.