'79 Super Sixty thoughts

[andy_harper]

Most of us who own these use them as 10kt boats most of the time. I can wring 'er neck and see 27kts, but my tolerance for majors keeps me from doing it.
I've owned this boat for about 14 years and have had my hands on every system by now, you probably have a lot of questions so PM me and we'll talk on the phone.

This one has stabilizers, so I'm hoping the roll issue is not great. What is your fuel consumption/RPM at 10 knots?

[luckydave215]

1000 rpm = 10 knots, my estimated fuel consumption is 20-ish gal/hr including a 20kw gen. WOT is 100 gal/hr according to the Detriot load chart.
Note that I do not have fuel flow meters so its just a guess, I have 33" x 31" ZF props, and the boat is an open bridge without stabs.

[oceanjake]

I have stabilizers as well. When underway with or without the fins on, stability is not an issue. It slogs through everything. At rest is where you will notice some roll, although I also have a tower on mine which is probably contributing. It’s not bad...but worth noting. Don’t let that scare you.

[sixty]

I love mine. Not many boats out there that can compare to the sheer size, amenities and sea keeping of these boats. Cruising at 20kts is not possible with the 650's, my boat tops out at 20kts and cruise is 16-17kts. Running at 10kts mine burns less than 14gph and another gallon or so with a gen running.

Mine is a 60c with a custom glass enclosure and in a 3-4 choppy beam sea and no stabs it can really sway. Nothing dangerous, just uncomfortable. Bigger or smaller waves don't seem to affect it that much, that size can get the rhythm going.

[rsmith]

As a bertram guy you will appreciate the rocky rolly ride at 10kts. Stabilizers will help. Remember the enclosed bridge is sweet but adds weight up there.

Your asking for it!

[rsmith]

I don’t know where these guys are coming up with 20kts with the 650hp engines but got a fair amount of offshore NE coast canyon trips in a 79 60 back when it was new. With bait ice beer and enough Philly hoagies for 8 guys she barley made 17kts at 2150rpm fuel burn was 60gph at that speed. One odd trait I saw and others have confirmed it when the bottom drops below 5 fathoms the speed drops like a rock. You can feel the boat settle. Back then there was no GPS or even loran C for ground speed. We had what was called a Sumlog which was pretty accurate of the speed through water and I could watch it drop off to 15 kts as the bottom fell away.
Great boat typical Hatteras battleship. Rolling was only a problem when stopped fighting a fish then all that weight starts a pendulum effect.

[Ross Macdonald]

We owned an enclosed bridge 1979 60 for 13 years and made 5 trips from San Diego to Manzanillo and up to La Paz in it plus numerous trips to Catalina. Always 10 kts. with the 650 hp Detroits. Had Flo scans and burned about 12 gph. If you have ever come north up the 780 miles outside of Baja California then you understand what really bad conditions are. The boat did well. Had stabilizers but as you know they don't do much for pitching. My wife and I run the boat by ourselves and only cruised the boat. Probably the prettiest looking Hatt that Hargrave ever designed. Ross Macdonald

[luckydave215]

Of all of us who own, or have owned a 60C Ross likely has more miles under the keel than anyone else, I would listen to him.
I wanted a 60C after running one back from a Marlin tournament on Maui across the Alinuihaha channel at night (between Maalea harbor on Maui and Honokaa harbor on Hawaii island) which is legendary for being a confused washing machine. With 30kts trades and seas reflected off both islands it is about as rough and unpredictable as it gets.
At the owners insistence I ran the boat on plane the whole way - 100ish miles - and she rode wonderfully compared to the Rybovich I rode to get there.
After a couple hours I said to my self "What an awsome sea boat, I gotta get me one of these", and a few years later, I did.

[SKYCHENEY]

The one I know well has an open bridge and runs 19kts at 2100 no matter the fuel load. 60gph at that speed and about 15gph at 10kts. That's with the 650hp setup and in fresh water. I agree about rolling at rest. She rolls more than my 53.

I really like the way it gets up on plane. The bow never rises. The whole boat just lifts up evenly and goes.

[bigbill]

I don’t know where these guys are coming up with 20kts with the 650hp engines but got a fair amount of offshore NE coast canyon trips in a 79 60 back when it was new. With bait ice beer and enough Philly hoagies for 8 guys she barley made 17kts at 2150rpm fuel burn was 60gph at that speed. One odd trait I saw and others have confirmed it when the bottom drops below 5 fathoms the speed drops like a rock. You can feel the boat settle. Back then there was no GPS or even loran C for ground speed. We had what was called a Sumlog which was pretty accurate of the speed through water and I could watch it drop off to 15 kts as the bottom fell away.
Great boat typical Hatteras battleship. Rolling was only a problem when stopped fighting a fish then all that weight starts a pendulum effect.

all of my inboard powered boats lost speed in deeper water, from what i was told is that the boat gets push from the bottom in shallow water