1964 50MY Hull number One for sale

http://www.powerboatlistings.com/view/49315

Googling about stumbled on this somewhat obscure to me site. But seems others do know about it. Someone should list all boat sites, that would be interesting.

Beautifully kept classic yacht! Hope is Hull #1 of the Hatteras 50MY design built in 1964 of solid fiberglass. Designed by Jack Hargrave, this yacht is truly a timeless design.
Hull has been completely overhauled with new thru-hull fittings, new seacocks, new strainers. Out of water survey available.

Looks to be a nice boat. She's been for sale for a long time, I've seen this advert before, I think.

Classic boats don't seem to be like classic cars. Chassis #1 of, for example, an E-type Jaguar or Chevelle or Ford Mustang or Corvette would be worth a fortune. Prototype automobiles are frequently worth more than interim production numbers; also, the last of a series can be quite a bit more valuable as the serial refinements have made them better. This doesn't seem to be true in the classic boat market, though. I imagine if the Knit Wits were on the market, SHE would be worth serious money- but I don't think it would extend to the other first hulls of any Hatteras series.

The marine market does not punish the resto-mod, it rewards it! It always seemed more like the muscle car scene than the full classic one where originality was king. There are obsessive collectors in every segment of the business like the Bloomington Gold Corvette guys, but judging from Barrett-Jackson, there is a healthy demand for well improved/modernized vehicles. The same with boats only X10!

Big difference between a mass produced item that has appeal to the entire geography of America vs low volume products that only appeal to a small segment of the population. Then factor in that car manufacturers usually have significant documentation and standardization vs boat manufacturers who probably never build two pieces exactly the same. There may be a "cool factor" among aficionados to having the #1 hull of a model line, but does it translate into $$$? Last time I was on Capt K's 50 I loved the original galley which was fabulously restored. It was like a time capsule. But let's face it, when it comes time to sell,... much like a house, the old appliances are a ding.

As far as resto-mod cars there is a lot to be said for it, as long as the subject isn't something relatively rare. i.e. I've been kicking around the idea of a high performance build of a '70 Cutlass convertible. But Oldsmobile built thousands of convertibles in that time vs. 442s. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a clapped out, rotted, nothing special convertible for the VIN and put it on a caged tube chassis. I would never consider it on a real 442 unless there was nothing left but the VIN plate, and even then I would never expect rare collector $$ for it. But again, a boat is a different animal. However I would still never consider it to be an investment.

There's an old saying, that they "don't build them like they used to..." It holds especially true in boats, clearly in boats of this class and size.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rtrafford

There's an old saying, that they "don't build them like they used to..." It holds especially true in boats, clearly in boats of this class and size.

---

It's very true that they don't build cars like they used to...and I say Thank God. Cars today are much
better built, safer, last much longer- I remember back in the late 40's and 50's replacing spark plugs
constantly as well as brakes, valve jobs, rings and bearings etc. Five year old cars were old at that
time. The quality of the metals, plastics etc has improved substantially to the point that rusted out cars
are not very common today. Exhaust systems seem to last forever.

Now for boats it's different in many ways, some good some not so good. A good example was that
years ago a wood boat seemed to always need to have some cracked ribs or rotted wood that needed
to be fixed. Today's fiberglass boats only require a fraction of the maintenance and most of that is
only cosmetic. Hatteras started a revolution of sorts in the marine industry. No one had a clue as to
how long they would last. Most of the Hatteras' are still alive and well. Couldn't say that about 20 yr
old boats back in the "Good Old Days"


Walt

Walt