Need help selecting a Hatt

[Sir_Cruisealot]

Hi,

In October we will start a 6-8 month cruise in the Caribbean. The crew will consist of me, wife and small baby.
Only one small issue remain: which Hatteras should we buy?

Some background info:
-Boating experience: 3 months on a new 39 ft Jeanneau sailing boat in Scandinavian archipelago last summer.
-Navigation: Should be ok. Have a single engine pilot license...and took a navigation class in Europe.
-Age: 36
-Mechanical: Not so good, but can probably learn quite quickly.

We have identified a few features that we would like the yacht to have:
-Large Aft deck. Lots of time will be spent there I suppose
-Galley up (if possible)
-Fly bridge with hard top
-2 or 3 staterooms
-Max total price "cruise ready": $225 000


Taking into account our limited boat handling experience, we are looking for a vessel that we could handle ourselves without any major problems.
We intend to hire a captain for a week's training after purchase.

I have been on board a 40 Hatt (too small) and a 70 Hatt (toooooo big)
Also was on board a 58 Hatt MY, and even though it was very nice, it lacked aft deck and felt slightly intimidating from a size point of view.

Finally, coming from a sailboat, we do not have a problem going slow trawler-style.

Would really appreciate some feedback and suggestions from you experienced Hatteras owners.


/Sir Cruisealot

[Genesis]

I'd say the 50 Convertable would be a decent fit.

Run economically (~9kts) you can return around 1nmpg in fuel burn.

You may have trouble with the pricing tho. Galley up eliminates the 45C (I owned one) and that is also on the borderline in other areas, including enough room for things like a washer/dryer that you might find useful/necessary.

The 45C, however, can definitely be done in your price range in today's market.

Smaller than the 45C is going to be too small, and as you go larger they get LARGER in a big hurry both in price and complexity.

Your navigation and operating experience is quite "light" for what you're intending to do, and your budget a bit stretched. You can probably get there but IMHO you may need to increase one or both materially to have a good shot at lasting success.

I would probably go up to the 50 or even 55C on the boat and have that captain on board for longer than you intend. This is going to blow your budget materially on the acquisition and operating costs but I think you're going to wind up there one way or another and being there "involuntarily" in the middle of the Caribbean will not be fun at all.

In the Caribbean having a good set of spares, tools and knowing how to use both is a big deal. Getting things fixed by other people can be done but its not going to be cheap and is unlikely to be timely either unless you start flying people in from The States, which blows "cheap" right out of the water.

[Sir_Cruisealot]

I'd say the 50 Convertable would be a decent fit.

Thank you for your input.

I think the C is too much of a fishing vessel for me. Huge cockpit, but no aft deck. Having looked through a bunch of brochures of the older Hatts, it seems to me that the 48 LRC, 48/52/53 MY/CPMY would be more of a fit.

My budget is not very strict. I am more interested in comfort, safety, low operating costs, and ease in handling than the final acquisition cost.

Any thought about this?

[Genesis]

Take a look at the 58YF. Nice compromise.

The 48LRC is going to be out of the budget range I suspect.

The 53MY is basically the same boat as the 58YF but the YF has a small cockpit on the back.

[st.tully]

The 53MY for sale below by MWERT (Mike) could be a turn key option - plus Mike has cruised with his family from NC down south to the Bahamas and beyond. He could give you an idea of what you should expect. Also there is a 58YF for charter down there that you could try out - don't have the link but someone will chime in with the info. Good luck! Wish I could make that trip right now. Cheers, g.

[SKYCHENEY]

I know of a nice 52CMY that is coming to market soon. Divorce is forcing the sale. PM me and I can give you the contact info of the owner.

[Sir_Cruisealot]

Thank you for the suggestions.

By the way, is there a difference in hull construction between the 52 on one side, and the 53 and 58 on the other? I thought I read somewhere that the 52 is more of a planing hull.
Will that make it less stable in the choppy seas of the Caribbean?

[SKYCHENEY]

Thank you for the suggestions.

By the way, is there a difference in hull construction between the 52 on one side, and the 53 and 58 on the other? I thought I read somewhere that the 52 is more of a planing hull.
Will that make it less stable in the choppy seas of the Caribbean?

Yes, the 52 is more of a deep-v hull and it takes more power to get it up on plane. Those boats have larger engines, deeper reduction gears, and larger shafts and props. They are different from the semi-displacement hulls of the 53 and 58. It all depends on how you plan to use the boat. If you need speed, the 52 is much like the new Hatt designs. If 9kts is okay, then I would consider one of the 1510 hulls (53 or 58) as they run well at slower speed while getting decent fuel economy. The 1510's will plane but only at about 15-16kt cruise while the 52 will cruise at 20kts+.

[Sir_Cruisealot]

Thanks Skycheney for the explanation. Then the 53 or the 58 will be my pick.
(1510 hulls refer to the beam, right?)

St.tully: I'd appreciate the link to the 58YF charter boat, when you get a chance.

[SKYCHENEY]

Yes, 1510 refers to the beam of 15' 10". Hatteras built the 53MY, 53C, 53YF, 58YF, 53EDMY, 58CMY, 58MY series I and the 58TC all in that beam from 1969 thru 1988. All great boats-heavy, solid and great sea boats.