53 with no bridge?

[Lancesummar]

Good morning. I am looking at a late 1977 53. I have never seen one without a top helm. Was this common? Was it removed? Does anyone know anything about this model?

[oscarvan]

Someone will add/correct me but afaik the flybridge was an option, at least in the early years, according to some invoices I have seen. Jack Hargrave originally penned the 50, the 53's immediate predecessor, without an upper helm. So while not common there are boats out there without. But, whether it was never installed or removed would differ from boat to boat.

[jap201]

If you have the hull id #, call hatteras and maybe they might have records of the build

[Pascal]

Indeed the FB waS an option Early on but one that was almost always added on. Very few boats were delivered without

Personally I think the 50/53 looks fantastic without FB but I would never own one without.

[Fanfare]

On the 50MY in 1965 the flybridge was a $3,500 option. Included a Bimini top, Pearce-Simpson 150 watt AM radio remote marine radio slaved off the main unit at the lower helm. There was also a remote depthsounder which may not have been standard.

[Lancesummar]

Thank you for the info fellas. OK so my next question would be about docking. I would assume a camera would be the only way you can back into a slip with this thing correct? Does anyone use a back up camera? How is it to get used to?

[SKYCHENEY]

No backup camera necessary. You are only a step or two from the pilothouse door where you can look back at either corner. And these boats don't sail around like most because they are heavy and have a deep bow and keel. They pretty much stay where you put them so you just take your time and its really quite easy to handle. .

[Photolomy]

I don't think a camera will be of much help, compared to just looking out the doors as skycheny said. However, I don't think it is a comparison to driving from a flybridge. And when there is wind and current, these things are a bit to handle.

[SKYCHENEY]

I never run the boat from the flybridge when docking. You have much more visibility below as well as the option of handling a spring line just outside the door.

[Photolomy]

You do know that not everyone has these boats on a lake, right? Even on the ICW these things are all over the place with wind and current. If the OP is on a lake, then inching the boat in is fine, and that was what I was expecting. Being on the ICW and liking the ocean and various inlets, I found instead that I had to grow a pair.