Cost to maintain older Hatt53MY

[rsmith]

The main thing I don't get about threads like this, any 53' boat will end up costing a lot of money to maintain and keep at a dock or store. The fact that it's a Hatteras doesn't mean anything. Most 53' boats these days have way more complex systems than any 1970-1988 53 Hatteras does. Like stated earlier in this thread, there's maintaining and there is replacing. If replacing because you want to update or add something, you really can't say that is the benchmark for a budget to own a 53 Hatteras.

How is it newer boats are more complex? Other than electronic engines and integrated navigation electronics all the other systems have basicly remained the same.

There is a huge difference in cost as directly related to what type of pants you wear. If you don't own a pair of Levi's and have never used hand soap from an orange pump container your going to need a really fat wallet

[Finalee]

Newport News Rate on 1971 43 DC , averaged over 8 years of ownership.

Slip fee - $3200
Insurance - $900
Haul out and storage Not required
Shrink wrap and winterize both engines, water systems and generator - not required
spring commission - $500
Diesel - $4000
State, local and federal fees/taxes - $500
Maintenance - $1500

I do all the work myself. Run about 100 hours a year. The maintenance fee is higher than actual ,and the excess covers hauling and painting every three years. If a major repair is required it will go on top of these numbers. I foresee an increase in costs due to the fact my body is not as flexible as it used to be. I should be putting $300 each month aside for the big bill which is about due.

[captddis]

Since the question is about a 53 MY lets stick to that.
Liveaboard at a marina say 700 mo and most likely a liveaboard fee. Power 300 a month running Ac's
Three heads figure 500 yr. Are pumpouts free at the marina?
The Ac units will get a workout 1000/yr
Insurance on the Gulf Coast 4000+. liability only policy about 1500
If the minium is done on the engines and gen 700/year
Batteries 3000 divided by four= 750/YR
Misc pumps,lights simple repairs, float switches 600/yr
Diver 1000/yr.

This is a bare minimum. No canvas, no wax/polish, no paint or varnish, no fuel, no electronic repairs or replacements. No carpet or interior up grades. No major issues.

Don't forget the cost to do a repair on a 40 year old 65,000 53My is the same cost as doing the repair on a 2014 three million Viking.

[saltshaker]

One point that hasn't been made is the size of the boat. Ive always done most of the work on my boat. Only thing I don't do is major engine work but most repairs and maintanance I've handled. This changed a lot and much more than I anticipated when I bought my 65. It's a lot of boat and many routine jobs become very time consuming and difficult. I now pay to have the boat washed weekly since it takes me 6-8 hours to do it myself. I don't do the detailing either as its a huge job. I don't have the scaffolding to do it and the time it would take me to do it right would be significant. If you're retired or have a lot of free time then some of these things aren't an issue. Moving from a 46C to and 65C was a big step and changed everything. I would think a 53MY would introduce similar issues for a DIYer. One other problem I didn't anticipate is haul outs. Most of the yards that can handle big boats don't allow or greatly restrict DIY or out side contract work. As Dave said, the price to fix and care for a 53ft boat is the same regardless of the purchase price.

[Boatsb]

Some people spend tens of thousands every year on maintenance and even upgrades. Others let them sit and do next to nothing. If you use it it will cost money. If you don't keep up with it it becomes a floating derelict.

[dastahl]

One point that hasn't been made is the size of the boat. snip. . .Moving from a 46C to and 65C was a big step and changed everything. I would think a 53MY would introduce similar issues for a DIYer. One other problem I didn't anticipate is haul outs. Most of the yards that can handle big boats don't allow or greatly restrict DIY or out side contract work. As Dave said, the price to fix and care for a 53ft boat is the same regardless of the purchase price.

Saltshaker makes a great point. The 53 is a big boat. I moved from a 42 to a 58 HAtt LRC. the difference is huge. I could give little Skooch a good soapy scrub in an hour or so, 4 hours does the 58. My friend had a 58 and his wife worked. People would always ask him what he did all day, well he maintained the boat. If not a full time job its real close if you don;t have or pay for help.
Skooch

[MikeP]

I tend to agree that - for me at least - a 53 Hatt is the largest boat I can personally maintain. Perhaps it's more accurate to say "that I would WANT TO maintain." Anything larger would become too much work to be enjoyable any more. As has been noted, I must admit that I find some tasks more difficult now than I used to...though it's more mental than physical (so far) Hull cleaning is a good example and earlier this year I actually paid 600 bucks to have done what I had previously always done myself. I have to admit that now I look at that task the same way I look at kickstarting my old Norton Commando motorcycle...Why when I can (did) install an electric-start?

I don't think it's accurate to give the impression on these boats that "something is always broken." I have never found that to be true. What is true is that some people ALLOW some things to be broken. For example, I know a person with a 53 who has one of the heads that doesn't work and doesn't care since he has two more. It's been broken for as long as I have known him/the boat (8 years). To be fair, his boat always runs/looks great and he spends a lot of time cleaning it. But having anything that doesn't work makes me nuts. If normal Preventive Maint/routine inspections are performed, I don't find a 53 to be particularly "difficult" to maintain at all. Sure, once in a while something quits with no notice but that's pretty unusual.

But to be honest, I'm going through that right now. I just arrived back at the boat (at 1:30 AM this morning) and one of my first tasks in the next couple of days is to troubleshoot/repair the Genny which quit a couple of days prior to leaving the boat back in Jul. I did not have time to seriously troubleshoot at that time and it was the first time the Northern Lights unit EVER did anything but run perfectly. Only thing I had time to look at at the time was fuel filters which I replaced to no useful effect. So yeah, $h1t happens.

Further I think one must be honest with his/her own ability and willingness to do the work. One can be perfectly capable of doing everything from washing a boat to overhauling a DD but have NO INTEREST at all in doing so. Others may be perfectly comfortable with certain specific tasks. I guess what I'd say is don't take either potential extreme - doing all the work or doing none of the work - as being what it takes to own the boat if those extremes don't fit your profile. Of course, your profile can change based on other factors from external requirements on your time to just not being interested any more.

[season]

I started a thread a couple of months back "Possibly Looking for a Partner". While it did not get a lot of responses, I did receive some good feedback. As I stated in my initial post, partnerships can be very difficult and open to different interpretations of what maintaining a classic vessel should be. That said, if the LLC contract drawn up to establish the partnership is thorough and the parties entering the agreement are on the same page with written directions for handling the times that they are not on the same page; finding a good partner seems to me to be a viable option. Of course, if you have the financial ability to operate with an open checkbook, single ownership is without question the way to go. However, there are probably thousands of boat enthusiasts who would love to move up and a partnership is the only viable option. I would venture to say that if your overall costs of ownership were cut in half, the cost of diesel would not be the issue it is for many of us and even "owning" a boat for "half" a year would actually yield more time on the water.

[samwhitten]

WOW that's a bargain! I guess location is everything. Up here a 60ft slip will run you 9-10K just for the summer, and it won't be covered. 1K per month was pretty standard for my 65 when I was in Fl and NC. You can do better but 1K per month is a good basis. You guys are getting by pretty cheap on maintanance. I spend more than 3K per year just for parts and supplies providing nothing major goes wrong. Keep in mind you can't average 3K per year and not include the years with major repairs. One AC condensing unit will blow that budget even if you do the work yourself. Unless you do all the washing and waxing yourself and pay no yard fees, you can easily spend 3K just keeping her clean and shiny.

On the northern gulf coast a 53 foot boat would be charged about $550 per month including elec/water. Seeming that the further south one goes the higher the dock rent. Property taxes in FL are much higher than AL MS LA; maybe that's a part of the price diff.