45C or 48MY

[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.

[bobk]

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.

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

[Boatsb]

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.

[carolinacoast]

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.

[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.

[dsharp]

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.

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.

[pizzazsdaddy]

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.

[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.

[GJH]

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.

[Boatsb]

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