When R.M. “Tolly” Tollefson founded Tollycraft Boats in 1958 in Kelso, Washington, he could hardly have imagined that his name would become an icon in Pacific Northwest boat-building, or that his boats would be sought after as capable open-water cruising vessels on both coasts.
From 1952 to 1967, Tollycraft built four models of wooden construction, ranging in size from 24 to 34 feet, which became the foundation of the company’s first fiberglass designs in 1967. The company thrived. Over the next 11 years, its most successful design, a 34 Sedan, sold 194 units.
The Tollycraft 48 Motor Yacht was introduced in 1976. Noted Pacific Northwest naval architect Ed Monk, Jr. designed the semi-displacement hull with a springy sheer, upswept bow, sharp entry and a modestly raked stem with a deep forefoot to handle large waves. With a draft of 3 feet, 2 inches, a full-length keel to protect the running gear and a displacement of about 38,000 pounds, the 48 MY was considered by many to have excellent seakeeping characteristics and a comfortable ride across a wide range of conditions.
Monk used the 15-foot, 2-inch beam to give the 48 MY a modest aft cockpit, wide side decks with bulwarks and handrails that ran almost the full length of the boat. The two-stateroom, raised salon layout included a large dinghy storage area atop the aft cabin top, a wide flybridge with two captain’s chairs and an L-shaped lounge with table.
Notable features in the main salon included a lower helm station to starboard, twin access doors to the side decks and internal stairs to the flybridge. The U-shaped galley was three steps down, forward and to port of the lower helm. Early layouts showed a banquet table to starboard and a large forward cabin with an ensuite head. The owner’s cabin aft featured a large fore-and-aft double berth, abundant stowage lockers and another ensuite head.
For the first 10 years of its production, the 48 MY was powered by twin 210-hp Caterpillars or a pair of 320-hp Caterpillar 3208TA diesels. Later models were driven by a pair of 300-hp Cummins diesels or 375-hp CATs.
In 1991, the 80-year-old Tollefson took delivery of his own 48 MY, a striking blue hull with Tolly on the transom. He spent the next 10 years cruising the American and Canadian coasts of the Pacific Northwest and took one trip to Alaska. He retired from cruising at 90 years of age and passed away in 2011, four months after 165 “Tolly fans” serenaded him at his 100th birthday celebration.
This article was originally published in the November 2023 issue.
