Shopping for a quality liveaboard. Would like to hear from owners of LCR's and MY's for suggestons. Would also consider a convertible in the 45-55' range but question if they would be as comfortable.
Want to keep price below $300k
Thanks
Paul
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Shopping for a quality liveaboard. Would like to hear from owners of LCR's and MY's for suggestons. Would also consider a convertible in the 45-55' range but question if they would be as comfortable.
Want to keep price below $300k
Thanks
Paul
Know others will reply, but we have a 43' MY and FOR THE MONEY, we love it.... Both of us would rather have the 53' and the Admiral REALLY loved the big LCR.
But as we paid $112,000 for our boat,(July 2000) and the seller gave us $39,500 back (he had blown both motors) at closing, so we are happy.(Had them both majored for $28,000)
The bottom line in all of this is... ANY Hatteras is a good deal.
And after only 4 years of being liveaboards..... Wish we had done this 30 years ago
Paul
maybe a silly question but what's an LCR? or is it a typo and you meant Long Range Cruiser?
I've been living aboard a 1970 53MY for a little over a year now and LOVE IT. i also wish I had done that before. look in pas posts, I posted a lenghty 1 year anniversary aboard post around sept 24.
the larger hatts (53, 58) are perfect live aboards because of the amount of space. My wife lives ashore but the kids are often with me, they each have their own stateroom and overall plenty of space. between the aft deck, foredeck, flybridge, salon, etc... their is plenty of space so that you don't trip over each other... as a matter of fact, I'm anchored as I type this enjoying a cool breeze and full moon while my daughter is watching TV in the salon...
The convertibles can work too if you don't need 3 staterooms... their cockpit is great for water sports altough the aft deck on the MY is really nice. plus, being higher you have more privacy.
53s can be found for under 300, expecially the earlier ones... 58s too although those under 300 may need some work...
pascal
miami, fl
1970 53MY
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I meant to say "LRC". I'm retired and looking to chase a dream I've had for a long time. Want to summer in Connecticut and winter in Florida. Taking ocassional side trips to Marthas Vineyard & Bahamas. Figure if don't do it now, it will never happen. The Long Range Cruiser appeals to me because it may be better for the trips north & south
I need something that can be operated by 2 people. Would the 53MY fit that requirment? My son is pushing for a large convertible but I think an extra bedroom (MY) would be used more than the cockpit (Convertible).
I know there are deals out there for much less that my budget $ but I am willing to pay a premium for the right boat in "turn key" condition.
I have a 53' My 72 vintage in Vallejo, ca. purchased in Ft. Lauderdale in 2000. We have used the boat in the Bahamas, in the Pacific NW - Coal Harbor, Vancouver. B.C., now in the SF bay area. We have found the motor yacht to be very livable even with 6-8 people on board. This is especially true if you have the flybridge enclosed as we do. In the Bahamas we had a hired captain, he used the forward cabin, and our family used the mid and aft cabins. Having 3 heads and showers gives you the needed privacy. The boat is easy to run with two, it's very forgiving when docking, but can be wet in rough water, having said that it has a great ride in a seaway especially if configured with stabilizers. These boats are not speed demons, 10-12 knots with 8v71 naturals is easy to achieve, burns about 10-14 gph, your range at 10 knots with 550 gal tanks is about 450nm with a good reserve. These are heavy forgiving boats with hard chines and a reasonable 4' draft ... a real consideration when using ICW. I have looked at LRC's and belive they are great boats as well. From a live aboard point of view there is more room, due to the wider beam, esp on the 58'. They're a round bilge boat and deeper draft. Check out the specs on this site for comparison. With regards to price i paid 165k in 2000 it was in very good shape, no major repairs. mike
We moved aboard our 1969 50 ft. Hatteras MY March, 2003. This is the last 50 ft. MY built and it looks identical to the 53. We bought it inland (Chattanooga) where it had been kept under cover in fresh water and was in very good shape. the 53 is 3 inches wider. We paid $140,000 for her and had to add electronics, new canvas and do some repairs and decorating. This old boat is a jewel with the thick fiberglass, 8-71 Naturals and all the original wood paneling in great shape. We average 1 mile to the gallon of diesel fuel and cruise about 10 mph. She can actually plane at 14 mph. The layout cannot be beat as far as liveable space. There is plenty of space for your own "space". The two of us handle the boat with no problem. We drive the boat at the down helm most of the time where it is so comfortable even though we have an enclosed fly bridge. We have traveled 4,000 miles since leaving Chattanooga, spend the summers in the Chesapeake and the winters in Florida. Our homeport is Beaufort, NC. We are in the process of doing the Great Loop. After almost 3 years of looking for a boat, this is the perfect one for us. You can count on a Hatteras, they never go away.
I think the 53MY is one of the best set up boats for living aboard I have ever seen. I have lived on a 43 Matthews, a 37 Egg sedan, a 44 Striker, and my small 36 Hatteras. The Hatteras was the best of the lot for comfort and reliability, the Egg for decor, the Matthews for room, and the Striker for being glad the day it sold.
The LRCs are great boats, with all the Hatteras virtues, and I guess the vices too. They do run slow, but economically, the 53MYs run almost as slow but not as economically. At least one boat of the 15-10 series, I think a 58, has been fitted with Deere diesels and essentially made into a trawler type yacht.
For decades the 53MY basically defined the market in large motoryachts because of its' quality, room and reliability. This is why they were built for 20 years, which is nice because there are a lot of them out there. I would not hesitate to buy one for a liveaboard boat, I think for the money they are impossible to beat. The big convertibles are nice, but the MY is the best thing going.
i always handle mine alone, never an issue... once you get past the oh s... this is big part"," which last five minutes, the weight and hull shape makes it very easy to dock. i do all the manueverign from the lower helm which puts me 4 steps away from the springlines.
... with the convertable is that it is very difficult to dock single-handed due to the distance from a cleat and the springlines.
In calm conditions you have enough time to get down to where you need to be. Now how often does THAT happen? :)
I've considered putting in controls at the tackle station specifically for this reason - so I can dock single-handed. I'm not sure its worth it, but it is still under consideration.
I have no problem running single-handed, but docking can be tricky, and getting off the dock could be too in less-than-nice conditions (and for the latter the lower controls would not help, since you can't see forward from them.)
We have a 53MY and love it. I was on a great 48LRC this year and the differences are really substantial. The LRC is a real purpose-specific boat - built for long range cruising. Your intended use is the most important issue. If you want to do blue water, long range cruising, you'd want an LRC, but if you want a great liveaboard to cruise in coastal and fresh water, the MY is better because:
Bigger staterooms
Walk-in, Stand-up engine rooms
3 staterooms, 3 heads with 3 showers (53MY)
Much faster cruising speeds (like 18Kts vs 7 kts)
Much bigger aft deck
Much bigger galley
I'm sure the LRC guys can give positive pointers for their boats too like huge fuel capacity, special low energy referigerators, lower operating costs. lower maintenance & repair costs for the smaller engines, etc. Go see both boats in a similar price range and decide.