45 or 46 ??

[Red Hatt]

I have been looking at a 45 1989 or and a early model 46. The 45 has 6v92 with 1100 hours. How many hours can you get out of a 692 before a rebuild and what is an honest cruise speed. The 45 is a lot more money but its a much newer boat and in very good cond. were as the 46 needs lots of work done to her [paint top to bottom and a new interior and electronics] and what is the cruise for a 46 with 8v71 ti 425hp. Thanks for any input.

[SKYCHENEY]

I've got 3300 hrs on my 6v92s (465hp) and they are still going strong. It just depends on the maintenance and care by the previous owners and the hp rating.

[Captned]

Go with the newer boat. You pay now or you pay later.

[jim rosenthal]

The newer boat is a better design; the hull runs drier, it is faster, and the boat is roomier and better set up. I believe the 45 is lighter as well. You would always be better off buying the best boat you can afford, not trying to rebuild an older one. Take it from one who did it; it was an interesting project, but if I were looking for a bigger Hatteras, I would get the newer 45C, the best one I could afford.

[Ross Macdonald]

We had a 1989 45 Hatt for 4 years before moving up and she was a great boat. We put alot of hours on the 692s. The interior layout was really nice. The only complaint I had was access to things in the engine room. With Air conditioning units, watermaker, and the genset aft of the stbd engine, getting at things was tough. It would have really been a problem if something happened to the outboard side of the stbd engine. Other than that, great boat.

[saltshaker]

The '89 45 has a much newer look than the 46, glassed front windshield, frameless windows etc.. It will also have a drier ride (although the 46 is not all that wet if you keep the bow up). She should cruise around 20-21kts @1950-2000rpm and top out around 25-26kts with 550HP 6v92TA's. The 46 should cruise 19-20kts @2100rpm and top out around 23kts. The 46 has a slightly larger interior, much larger engine room and carries more fuel. The 8v71Ti's will last longer and burn less fuel than the 6V92TA's. The 6V92TA's will give good service life if they have been cared for and not run too hard. If the boat has been cruised @2100rpm, then I wouldn't expect more than 1500hrs before they'll need a major. I have seen them go 2500-3000hrs when cared for and cruised @1950-2000 rpm. The 8V71Tis' will last 3500-4000 hrs and many will run strong even longer if properly cared for. When the time comes to major them they will cost a lot more than the 6V92TA's to major.

I own a '74 46C with '90 550HP 6v92TA's. I love this boat and am having a hard time deciding if I really want to sell it to move up to a late 80's 52C. The ride is exceptional, the layout is great (need to convert the master to a queen) and she is very serviceable.

Being that the 45 is in much better shape, it would be hard to recommend the 46 over the 45. There are several good ones out there and you should look at a lot of boats before you buy one. By the time you paint and update the 46, you may surpass the price of the newer 45. With both boats you have to expect to fix/replace/update more than you initially plan for and allow for those unexpected repairs.

I had the chance to buy an updated '85 45 a few years back but decided to put the money into my boat instead. I asked Tom Slane his thoughts on the 45 vs the 46 and he said keep the 46 for the ride and ER access.

Both boats will be great to own. You should shop both models and try to get out in some 3ft+ seas to see how each performs. Given the 2 you are looking at I would go with the 45. I would strongly consider finding a better 46. If you can find a good 46 with 8v92's, that would be my choice.

[Genesis]

I love my 45C.

There are issues with any boat, but I don't find the engine room to be too cramped to work in - even outboard on the starboard side. I've done some work outboard there, and you CAN get in there - you have to climb down in front of the AC condensors, but its not impossible if you're of "reasonable" size. (If you're "plus-size", then you need a friend or mechanic who isn't!)

The biggest change I want to make - and probably will this winter - is to replace the sliding salon door with a hinged one. I HATE that damn door. It has never been right and can't be, really - its a bad design. The rollers don't hold and the track traps water, which attacks the bulkhead behind it and the bottom of the door itself. There is no way around these problems really, and yes, I do have relief holes drilled in the track for the water - they invariably clog up with dirt and debris. In addition the latch mechanism is WAY too weak and I've given up on it after shredding several - it only takes one guy who grabs the door handle to avoid falling in rough seas and slams the door into the strike plate and it will be damaged or destroyed. Yeah, I know there are hold-opens, and I use them - but this is just a damage-prone part of the boat that I've never found a real solution for other than to fix the original design problem.

They're great boats overall. I've spent a LOT upgrading mine, including a complete electronics refit, new genset, installed Floscans, and done quite a bit in the engine room. I could use a paint job, but am holding off on that for the time being - she's not BAD looking, but fishing and diving takes its toll.....

I have 500 hp 6V92s - over 500HP you're just asking for too many ponies, and service life suffers BADLY. I run at 1900 typically if on plane, or on a "low consumption" low-cruise at 1100. At 1100 I get about 0.9nmpg at 9.5kts, and at 1900 I turn up 17-18kts (depending on load) and get 0.5-0.4nmpg, again, depending on load.

I can make 22-23kts in the corner, but NEVER run there. The boat saw 25kts once - on sea trial with about a gallon of fuel and water on board, and no gear. Of course you'll never actually use it that way......

[OldHatt45]

Redd Hatt,

I own a 73 45C. First, I really Like my boat. It has 8V71TI's in it and Cruises very nicely at 2000 RPM at between 20.5 and 21.5 knots, with Full (800 Gal) fuel and Full (140 Gal) water and all my gear, with 4 people on board. However, I have done a few things with my boat that are not what you would call standard. The average 45C (with 8V71TI's) from the boats I've seen will cruise nicely at somewhere between 16 and 19 knots.

I echo what Saltshaker said. But it depends on what kind of Owner you are. If you are the kind of person that wants to get their hands dirty and really work on the boat and do things right and Not mind (perhaps even enjoy) sitting at the dock while you are working on a "project", then that's one thing.

If you are the kind of boater that just wants to jump on and "go", then that's another story.

Either of your choices are Good, Solid, Sound boats. What you need to do is to listen to what everyone has commented on here, then decide what you really want to do. I would suggest that you Put together your own checklist of things you want/don't want, things you like/don't like things you would/wouldn't do and go from there.

Also, as Saltshaker said "With both boats you have to expect to fix/replace/update more than you initially plan for and allow for those unexpected repairs". This comment is true of ANY boat you buy. It just depends on you.

OldHatt45

[jim rosenthal]

Interesting that the 46 has a bigger engine room...that IS a plus, since I am becoming plus-sized myself. If I ever trade up, which isn't likely at this point.
I think my ideal up-trade would be a Hatteras of this size that had been upgraded with QSM11s, like Lonnie Cooper did. I was very impressed with the quality of the work that JB did on his boat, which I saw last summer. And she is FAST- thirty knot cruise or more, even before they got the prop loading up where it was supposed to be.
However, you will ALWAYS spend more to redo an older boat. You could argue that a 15 or 20 year old boat (and most of the new 45Cs are that old) will require just as much upgrading as one from the 70s, but I tend not to agree. The early 45 and 46 are pretty dated in their original trim. Of course, they update beautifully, and are showpieces when done right by someone who knows what they are doing.
Maybe my ideal tradeup would be a 45C (which I like the best for looks- it has the older styling which is similar to Blue Note)- with a full refit and upgrade to M11s. Now, if anyone knows of such a boat, DON'T tell me about it. I don't want to be tempted.

[saltshaker]

Sorry Jim, you aked for it, and this one is right in your back yard!
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi..._id=15384&url=