Normal monthly costs on a Hatteras 42'-53'

[douglasl]

I'll be buying a Hatteras within a few months. Well, at least that's the plan.

Aside from the usual marina slip costs, what other monthly costs do you current owners have?

Just want to make sure I don't get in over my head.

Thanks,

Douglas

[Boatsb]

That's a pretty open question..

Insurance, maintenance, upgrades and use are all variables based on the vessel and the owners wants and needs.

If I told you another $1,000/month would you change your mind?

[douglasl]

Hi Scott,

Yeah, I should have been more specific. I know there will usually be a slip rental, unless it's in the back of your home, and insurance.

My question was more to the usual stuff like bottom cleaning, boat wash, and stuff like that. I understand upgrades and or mechanical/electrical repairs are not a usual cost, unless I'm mistaken.

Thanks,

Douglas

[Boatsb]

Hi Scott,

Yeah, I should have been more specific. I know there will usually be a slip rental, unless it's in the back of your home, and insurance.

My question was more to the usual stuff like bottom cleaning, boat wash, and stuff like that. I understand upgrades and or mechanical/electrical repairs are not a usual cost, unless I'm mistaken.

Thanks,



Douglas

Ok $1,000 a month. Does that scare you?

[douglasl]

$1,000 a month, not really.

I just want to know up front what the usual costs would be. Are any of the Hatteras owners aware of usual monthly costs or things that break down all the time. And I don't mean by buying an old, beat up boat, but a boat that has been maintained.

For example, I've been told by LRC owners that the windows leaking are a constant pain.

Would I expect about $300 per month for bottom cleaning, or less often, or more expensive?

Anything that all 43'-53' owners are always repairing every month or so? Etc.?

Douglas

[jim rosenthal]

You can expect a lot in the first year of ownership, generally; after that, when you have caught up a bit, it might be less. 53 MYs have, for example, four or five AC units, four electrical systems, three heads, etc etc etc. So unless you happen to buy a boat on which all of these systems have been serviced and kept up to date (this is essentially impossible) you will have maintenance to do as well as learning the boat. Or maybe it would be better to say that in the course of maintaining all these things and watching other people service them you will learn your boat.

[Boatsb]

So do you expect to use it? Fuel is not free. Expect the unexpected. A day on the water with friends can be a few hundred dollars if nothing breaks.

[saltshaker]

So do you expect to use it? Fuel is not free. Expect the unexpected. A day on the water with friends can be a few hundred dollars if nothing breaks.

Depends on the friends. A few hundred bucks won't get you too far if you want to run the boat. Frequency and type of usage will dictate the operating cost. Routine maintenance cost will vary greatly depending on location and how much you do vs pay others to do. I pay $85 a week to get the boat washed. I've always done it myself but to properly wash and dry my boat from the tower down will take me the better part of a day so I decided this is one of the splurges I get. I don't dive so I have a diver check the bottom and zincs once or twice during the season. If we don't get to use the boat for a couple of weeks in a row, then I may need him to clean the running gear. This year we stayed in for the winter so I'll need a good cleaning and new zincs installed in the next week or so. Rates are very high here as I pay 4ft for the diver to clean the bottom and another $150 to change the zincs. I supply the zincs. In Fl and NC that cost was about 1/4 of what I'm paying up here. I do most of the work myself except when it come to some of the heavy engine work or jobs I just don't want to do anymore. I just paid to have new batteries installed as I don't ever want to wrangle another 150lb battery around the ER again. Try to do as much yourself as you can but understand when it makes more sense to pay someone else to do the job. Once you find that balance you'll be able to get a clear picture of what you need to budget for. I personally have never sat down and added up all the expense. If I did I'd probably spend too much time trying to justify it in my head. I could never give it up and not end up in an institution so I guess the cost is really quite low compared to the alternative.

[SEVEN]

Well Doug what did you finally get?

[holtcl]

This has probably already been said but the "fixed" costs are not that much, it's the maintenance and upgrades that are really where the costs really start stacking up. There are other threads on this.

Cheryl
Cinderella
1971 53 MY