45C or 48MY

Wrestling with boat decision.
Wife and I have only studied the 45C and 48MY from listings on Yachtworld and material on this forum.
Right now we like them both although they are very different boats. Ready to begin some in person inspections and that may quickly separate the two.
Your recommendations and opinions are greatly appreciated.

45C Series II 1984-1992 or 48MY Series I 1981- 1984

Both will be 30+ years old, but at least they are a Hatteras.
Both have DD 6v92. Old technology and less efficient, but for our slow cruising and occasional need for speed, the lack of efficiency shouldn’t matter that much.

We do not fish. We own a slip in Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island, which is approximately midway between Chesapeake Bay area and Fort Lauderdale. Our cruising grounds are the Atlantic ICW with an occasional run on the outside for fun. We only pick calm days to go outside.
40 years boating experience. Largest boat was 37 ft. Sea Ray. Last boat past 10 years was 33 Pursuit with twin Yamahas.
We have never owned a diesel engine.

We live in metro Atlanta GA area and travel to wherever the boat is. We never intend to live aboard. Our longest stay might be 10 days, but typically more like 3 or 4 days.
The bigger boats are very enticing, but we subscribe to the notion of sticking with a boat just big enough for the mission.

The mission is ICW cruising for us and an occasional guest couple or grandchildren.
We stagger our legs of travel, leaving the boat at an interim destination and return later to resume the trip. We can do Hilton Head to Fort Lauderdale in 4 days or stretch it out to a couple of months. We love that trip.

We are young 60s age, semi-retired business owner. Majority of all maintenance will be performed by others. We would rather write a check and enjoy our time on the boat.

The 48MY has that wonderful back porch and more living space, making for better dockside accommodations, which is something we cherish considering our prior express style boats.

The 45C has more speed and easy boarding/deboarding at the dock. Considering our frequent transient docking and desire for unassisted arrivals and departures, this is a consideration for us.

Stairs to bridge vs a ladder
The 45C is a really good looking convertible.
I believe acquisition costs are comparable.
I’m not sure which one has less maintenance cost. Initial condition, our use, etc. will be factors.
Are these 32V or 12V DC electrical? Brochures look like 12V to me.
After owning many smaller boats I’ve learned to think about an exit plan. One day we will want to sell it. Not sure which one will be easier to sell 10 years from now. Recreation is changing. Boating, golf, tennis, and others are going through a significant transition. Not confident anyone can guess the demand for any boat 10 years from now but interested in opinions?

The 45C is fishable; even though we don’t and probably won’t. We have occasionally chartered a big boat for a family trip when someone wanted to fish. Charter boats come with tackle and a crew that know what they are doing and they’ll even clean the fish too. That’s more fun than a DIY fishing day in our opinion.

We enjoy the serenity and nature’s beauty of the cruise and exploring the things of interest at various destinations. We’ve never been up to the Chesapeake Bay area by boat but that is a target destination for us.

I just recently sold my series II 45c. Loved that boat. I cruised as much as I fished. Did alot of anchoring up with friends. Close friend had the series I 43c. Same boat, just shorter in the cockpit. We had a rib on the bow with a 15 Evinrude, so took off to see sights, and play on beaches. One friend had a trawler, one had a sailboat. We all tied off together. I enjoyed having the option of speed in case of storms, or going further distances on short weekends, or wanting to stay on hook longer, then pass them on the way home. I know some cruisers can scoot, but no friends had one.

I sold the 45 because I wanted a larger boat to do as above. I asked wife about interest in a motor yacht, but she, as I, were interested in the large cockpit in the stern, large fly bridge, speed, and fishability. Love trolling for dolphin and sails, and when snapper season comes in, hitting the bottom. Not to mention the entire family is dive certified. Put a ladder in the marlin door, and you have an incredible dive boat. (Not a fan of swim platforms). So we bought a 65c. Cruising, anchoring up, and off shore fishing and diving is more fun with a larger boat.

I know I will ruffle feathers, but in my opinion, a convertible is much more versatile than a motor yacht. Again just my opinion. This is my 3rd convertible, I have only been on motor yachts, not owned one. So, just works out for my family needs.

My 41c came from the Chesapeake bay where we cruised, fished, and crabbed every weekend. Up to the James River, over the the eastern shore, and out to the Norfolk Canyon for tuna and marlin. The convertible was perfect for my family use. Now here in Florida, our season is extended.

My two cents,
Tim

Sorry, hit submit in error.

Mine had the 6v92's, and the motors were easy to maintain, and parts are available.
The aft ladder to the bridge is no big deal, unless a serving tray in one hand.
My boat was a 12v boat, so accessories have more options.
Cruising, they sip fuel, very good on diesel but probably the same as a MY.
Raise the bow on both, and you are going to burn about 40 gallons per hour.
As for guests, mine only had one head. Look for one that has the second head option.

And as you said, either are Hatteras' so you will be getting a quality boat.

Tim

I have a series I 48MY. It is a wonderful boat. At 8 knots, it burns about 5.5-6 gph. The enclosed aft deck is a real plus where you will most likely spend all your free time. It is a real big plus at dusk when the bugs come out when at anchor. We have run her between Baltimore and S Florida each season since 2006 with two exceptions when I was ill. The engine room is quite accessable.

Don't let docking a MY concern you. I mostly have my SO with me, but have single handed, anchored and docked her myself. It is a matter of practice and planning and set-up. For cruising, I find a MY style better than a C. and as you age (I'm 81) you will really appreciate the lack of ladders and steep stairwells.

I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but my 48 is going to be for sale. You can see pictures in my profile. Send me a PM if you want to have a look. I'm in SE Florida. She just had an insurance survey and passed with flying colors.

Bobk

PS, the 48MY has a keel several inches lower than the running gear. That's a real plus on the AICW. I don't know about the 45C, but hope others will weigh in for you.

I'm a convertible guy but the 48 MY is a great icw cruiser. If your not fishing, diving and doing watersports the extra space is just too much to ignore.

I have always been a Motoryacht guy but I have been eyeing the convertibles. My wife and I are in our low 50’s and presently have a 54 Viking Sport Yacht (MY on sportfish hull). We cruise with 2 small dogs. I am interested in the convertible primarily because I want a faster cruise. I presently cruise at 23 knots. Also using a dinghy is very important to us. So a convertible has that longer foredeck which can take a larger dinghy. My present dinghy is 13’ but I would like a bigger one as one of my daughter’s is a boat nut and comes with us as often as she can bringing her boyfriend. So the convertible to me offers the speed and big dinghy accommodations. Also like the salon up high. The reasons I don’t like a convertible for us is the dogs cant get up to the flybridge. My wife’s knees don’t like climbing ladders and I don’t like the idea of her going around the flybridge to throw lines from the bow. My dinghy is stored on the bow. Loading and unloading is a pain in the ass on the bow. I can only imagine it is twice as difficult loading and unloading from the aft deck hardtop. So the MY offers safer access to the bow and no ladders to climb except the transom boarding ladder. Also that aft deck on the MY is an awesome back porch. Good luck in your search.

Interesting topic which we discuss from time to time on this forum. While we may have our differences regarding MY or Convertible we seem to agree that both are great boats......if they are Hatteras. My first Hatteras was a 43 DC back in the 70's and we liked it but at that time in my life I craved a little more cruising speed so I sold it and bought a Convertible. Well, it didn't take very long to realize that for our purposes we needed a MY. We sold the Convertible (Hatteras of course) and bought a used later model 43 DC with the turbo engines. While I loved the way the convertible handled etc., we missed the aft stateroom and most of all the enclosed "back porch".

It seems to me that the best compromise would be a cockpit MY as far as access to the boat and the ability to go fishing. No design is perfect for all of us which is why Hatteras made MY's and Convertibles. Motoryacht lover brings up a few pros and cons of each design but for my purposes I love my 1982 48 MY. The only ladder on it on the transom and I don't use it very often. When traveling it would be nice to be able to step off a cockpit onto a dock as opposed to the MY which requires the rapid deployment of a boarding ladder or a young body to jump down to the dock to secure lines. God knew what he was doing when he created Blonds, Redheads, Brunettes and every shade in between. Hatteras also knew what was necessary and created MY's and Convertibles. Viva la difference.....

Walt

Thank you all for sharing your experiences with these two models.

Whether we go with a motor yacht or a convertible, they both offer a wonderful boating experience. We’re weighing that there is no significant advantage in the salon, galley, and sleeping quarters between a motor yacht or convertible, but stairs vs ladder do have an advantage.

The two biggest differences we see are more personal lifestyle choices.

Regarding the motor yacht, we picture coffee in the morning and cocktails in the evening from that wonderful back porch. We might tend to stay at the dock more just to enjoy the view and the relaxing comfort of the back porch.

Regarding the convertible, more speed means more distance in less time. I picture me at the controls and my wife “safely” stepping off the boat with dock lines in hand to secure a cleat. With faster speed and better dock access, we may tend to explore more destinations.

Each boat offers both lifestyles. They each just do one extraordinarily better than the other. What boating lifestyle are we really looking for?

We are in nearby Savannah and also live in the ATL. I have stayed in harbor town which is a lovely spot. 2 observations come to mind. 1. When the bugs come out, you want the largest salon possible as a refuge. 2. In harbour town, we just stayed a couple of nights, since it is quite pricey for a transient. I was a bit amazed at how many different groups took flash pictures both nights with us as the background. Having the higher salon, and not seeing all of that activity was a huge plus. I totally agree that a cockpit entry is better, which we don’t have.
Good luck.

Those dreaded NoSeeUms can be quite aggressive on a still day when there is no breeze.

We started off in Thunderbolt in 1999 and migrated to Harbour Town in 2004. We had a tough slip in Thunderbolt and returning to dock always put a huge knot in my stomach. The currents in Thunderbolt not only challenged my docking skills, but they significantly increased bottom growth requiring much more diver and haul out services. Harbour Town is a nice still basin with no current.

i personally would go with the convertible. I find it much more enjoyable to run a boat from the bridge especially at night. I like being able to see the transom corners when docking, the wider side decks for tying up and adjusting lines when going through locks, etc. the maintenance on a double cabin are a pain. You can’t get to the rudder boxes or the steering ram very easily. If you do have to pull an engine it’s much easier with a convertible. If you don’t plan on maintaining the boat yourself that part may not matter to you. The trawler speed is nice for fuel economy but after about the 6th hour and wanting to get to the destination the extra speed is nice to have.

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Originally Posted by dsharp

i personally would go with the convertible. I find it much more enjoyable to run a boat from the bridge especially at night. I like being able to see the transom corners when docking, the wider side decks for tying up and adjusting lines when going through locks, etc. the maintenance on a double cabin are a pain. You can’t get to the rudder boxes or the steering ram very easily. If you do have to pull an engine it’s much easier with a convertible. If you don’t plan on maintaining the boat yourself that part may not matter to you. The trawler speed is nice for fuel economy but after about the 6th hour and wanting to get to the destination the extra speed is nice to have.

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As in all thing, it's diffrent strokes for different folks. I've done some 29 trips the length of the ICW at 7 knots (trawler) and 8 knots in the Hatteras 48MY. The boat is so quiet and comfortable at that speed, I never feel like I need to hurry to get somewhere, even after the few 10-12 hour days on the trips. We always have several potential stops identified and drop the hook when the mood strikes. The longer the day, the better that first Manhatten tastes. Of course it's good after a 4-5 hour trip too.

Aft visibility is clearly not as god from a MY bridge, but from the 48, the pilot can see the port corner from the helm. You simply learn the other corner is 15' to port. No issue with just a little practice. And the 48 like many models has nice wide side decks.

Bobk

I get board on an run longer than an hour unless im dragging bait.

When I sailed 3,000 miles I always had a line or two out. Made for lots of fun and some great meals. I'm happier in the ocean than the ICW but not everyone will be.

Similiar to the tech in newer cars , our ED is now outfitted with a varnished removable flag mast aft with hi resolution color backup camera. I don't depend on it, but when it works a short handed, stern-to docking job looks pretty fantastic. Not expensive. The mast is pitched 45' over the aft deck for full visibility. 2 more cameras in the engine rooms. I probably got the idea from a member here.
The point is, don't let visibility completely define your boat choice.

Dsharp makes a very good point regarding the access to the rudders and aft bilge pump on the MY also as he says major work in the engine room is severely hampered by the MY configuration. I just found this out the hard way as I replaced 2 transmissions and the generator recently. But professionals can do it but it just costs more.

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Originally Posted by motoryacht lover

Dsharp makes a very good point regarding the access to the rudders and aft bilge pump on the MY also as he says major work in the engine room is severely hampered by the MY configuration. I just found this out the hard way as I replaced 2 transmissions and the generator recently. But professionals can do it but it just costs more.

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My Dad owned boats yards after WW2 up until the mid 80’s and I worked for him for more years than Icare to remember. My opinion is rather biased because I mostly saw boats from the engine room. Well actually I started out like everyone else on the bottom job/ barnacle scraping crew, but I try not to revisit that nightmare.

I vote for the 48MY. More home-like accommodations. And if you are hitting 60...you are a lot closer to 70 than 50! Climbing a ladder up to the bridge gets old quickly. The 48 bridge is only a couple of safe steps up. A huge item to think about.

Is it true that a big difference between the convertible and motor yacht hulls in this vintage is their ability to push over the hump to get up on plane?

We don’t expect to streak around at 25 to 30 MPH, nor will we be happy running at hull speed any longer than necessary to comply with No Wake Zones.
A leisurely 18 to 22 MPH will probably be the sweet spot for our target speed and the drinking habits of those Detroit engines. But we want to be gliding along on plane at that speed and not wallowing along trying to get on plane.

Who is handling the lines on your team and who is at the helm? Likewise, anchor duty.

If it is your wife doing line duty, have her navigate the side decks of a convertible and see how she likes it. Or if it's you,
you try it. Regardless, run through some mock docking and undocking drills on each.

For us, that and a ladder to the bridge make convertibles a no-go.

Ann and I are fairly clumsy and un-agile. We navigated a much larger boat successfully all up and down the eastern seaboard. One big advantage of the 53s and up is the lower helm, which makes single handling easy, and dual handling easier, even for the likes of us.
We too are fans of the aft stateroom , and most of all the aft deck, the most used room on our boat. Like most, we had it so it could be entirely enclosed or mostly open. If/when we get another long range cruising boat, it has to have that aft deck.

We had both a lightweight boarding ladder that deployed in seconds, and a set of sea stairs if we were staying for awhile.

Mel Tucker has a 43dc that may work for you.

If you don't fish and mostly cruise the icw where you re not going to be doing much swimming and water sports o don't see the point of the convertible.

The aft deck on the MY offers much better ventilation (thru the wing doors) as well as protection from the sun. In your climate a soft enclosure will let you enjoy the space year round whether it rains, the temps drop or the bugs are out in force. No see Huns, mosquitoes and worst of all those GA coastal horseflies!

A MY is a lot easier to handle than a convertible. The cockpit does nothing for line handling. If you let your wife jump on the dock before the boat is tied up you re doing it all wrong. Secure the boat first by tying the lines from the boat. Jumping on the dock works with small open boats not anything over 40' especially with current you get at so many icw marinas.

Side decks on a convertible are not as easy to handle as on a MY where you have the safety of rails and no steps

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Holiday

Is it true that a big difference between the convertible and motor yacht hulls in this vintage is their ability to push over the hump to get up on plane?

We don’t expect to streak around at 25 to 30 MPH, nor will we be happy running at hull speed any longer than necessary to comply with No Wake Zones.
A leisurely 18 to 22 MPH will probably be the sweet spot for our target speed and the drinking habits of those Detroit engines. But we want to be gliding along on plane at that speed and not wallowing along trying to get on plane.

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My 1981 48MY with 425 HP 692's cruises on full plane at 15 knots @ 2000 rpm and that's loaded with heavy custom furniture, live board gear, tools, spares, center console RIB etc. Walt's has larger engines, perhaps 500 HP and his will cruise at 18+ if I recall right.

Pascal, I totally concur with your post. Gayle especially likes the safety of the wide catwalks and full high rails. I bought the boat when I was 70 years young. Twelve years later, I'm now a tad more experienced and never felt unsafe on it.

Bobk
Chateau de Mer
Tarpon Bay Yacht Club
Port St Lucie

I bet if you took all the stuff off her shed gain 2 or 3 kts Bob.

There's a ladder on a convertible, but there are about 7 sets of steps up and down on a MY. Personal preference, but I prefer not having to climb 10ft just to board a boat.

Also look at the 43c as a 45 with a shorter cockpit.

Bugsy has one for sale and I'm told it's very nice and priced reasonably.

I know his broker and he was impressed by it's condition.

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Originally Posted by Boatsb

Mel Tucker has a 43dc that may work for you.

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The 43DC is a great boat. The lower station which is part of the aft deck gives the helmsman 360 deg visibility and is also easy to go from the helm to the side decks or aft to help with lines. Most of them have a flying bridge which is accessed by a ladder. I owned two 43DC's and both had FB but as I got older, I found myself driving from the lower station more and more.

The difference between a 43 and a 48MY is substantial. Although the names would imply a 5 ft difference in length, it's actually closer to 6 ft. The 48 has a foot of extra beam as well. Added together and the 48 is a much larger boat which permitted them to have 3 staterooms and 3 heads, much larger aft deck etc. IMO the downside of the 48 is that in order to help with lines it necessitates going down the stairs to the aft deck. No big deal except in stressful situations.

Walt

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Originally Posted by krush

There's a ladder on a convertible, but there are about 7 sets of steps up and down on a MY. Personal preference, but I prefer not having to climb 10ft just to board a boat.

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6 ft on my 56. Which one is 10?

Ever tried boarding a convertible from a high fixed dock? It s a lot harder then climbing stairs or a pqsaerelle

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Originally Posted by Pascal

Ever tried boarding a convertible from a high fixed dock? It s a lot harder then climbing stairs or a pqsaerelle

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I was about to say that, but other than a few commercial fuel docks, not many of those in his contemplated cruising grounds.

True around GA, N FL and SC but once you hit central Fl and North Carolina where tides return to the 3-4' range floating docks give way to fixed docks and stepping down to a SF can be a challenge. I see it all the time in the Bahamas

The key is to learn to tie the boat before stepping off. It s no big deal... throw the night of the line on the dock behind a clear , catch it and secure the bitter end back on the boat. Then you can set up a ladder or stairs.

Same when leaving. The original post mentioned the need for assistance. Not needed. I always double up my lines before leaving and never require dockside help, even single handling