43DC vs 43 MY

[Tom Ipock]

I know that several here own the 43DC and the 43MY. I owned a 43MY 1987 a few years ago, and if it had been stabilized, I'd probably still own it. It was great for two friendly couples. I've just sold my 58MY and am looking to size down to a 48 or 43. I really like the looks of the 43DC, particularly the ones without the flybridge deck (more classic look). I was wondering if there were any "real" differences in the performance ie speed, handling, rolling etc. There is a tremendous difference in the pricing. Thanks for any input.
Tom

[Will]

Tom,
The difference in price may be because the 43’ DCs are older than the 43’ MYs.
There are also differences in the layout of the salon and galley you should consider. Otherwise, I can’t imagine that there would be much difference in ride or performance since the length, beam, draft and weight are the same for both models.
We are delighted with our 43’ DC and have had day trips with up to 20 people on board.
Will

[eze2bme]

I have the 43DC and absolutely love the layout with two helm stations ... aft deck and flybridge. Unless you're in very mild weather, that upper bridge on the 43MY will be cold in the Winter and hot in the Summer. As far as I know the 43MY does not have an "inside" bridge station.

As far as performance, the earlier 43DC came with gas engines or Detriot 6-71N's (J&T @ 310 HP or Detriot @ 285 HP) although the later models had 6-71TI's as an option. The newer 43MY also came with gas or diesel ... but I think that all diesels were turbos with around 375 HP. So I would "assume" that the newer 43s are a little faster ... maybe a knot or two ... but fuel consumption would be higher.

Don't know about you but I wouldn't have turbos due to short life expectancy and maintenance issues. Those 6-71N's should run well over 10,000 hrs. if maintained properly.

[spartonboat1]

Some of the later 43's had 485hp TI 6-71's, which had decidedly shorter lives, esp. vs. the N series (6-71N with 310hp by Johnson and Towers). The lower bridge is ideal for riding in a rough sea, since Hatteras did a study with gauges and the best location on a boat proved to be about 1/4 from aft on the lower deck.

Some of the later units were "tri-cabins" or lower dinettes, in which case the head the dedicated shower by turning the entire head into a shower.

Because these boats have a more narrow beam, plus V forward with a good keel aft, they ride exceptionally well in a head or quartering head sea. Beam seas are not your friend. Wish I had the stabilizers. We have literally seen other boats turn back in 3-5' seas, while we road at full cruise with no drama. I've also had other boats try to pass and fly into the air, which resulted in their dropping back behind us. So as other posts dedicated to the Hatt ride (you had a 58, so you know better than me), the ride is great.

The early boats had the batteries outboard of the engines (many complain), while sometime in the late 70's the batteries were moved inboard between the engines.

If you are coming down from a 58, you probably will not be stressed on the prices. The 48' Yachtfish was based on the 44' Tri-cabin from the late 60's early 70's. The 43' DCFB or MY were in production for a long time. If you are going to consider the 43'MY with the bridge-over-salon design, then why not consider the 48' CPMY, with 6V-92's I think, which was a (late 80's?) boat. Not too many made, but some posts on here about them indicate it is a nice boat and the hull can act as a displacement runner, if you desire. I think they are attactive and they did have the bridge-over-salon, but with a cockpit.

My 2CW...

[Walter P]

Interesting subject..... Many years ago I had a 43 DC with FB. It had the JT 310 hp engines. Great boat.. I then went to a Hatteras Convertible - great ride but I missed the accomodations of a MY. I sold the Conv. and bought a later model (1980) Tri cabin with 6-71 TI's. I kept that boat for about 12 years and sold it to buy a 1982 48 MY with 6-92's.

The lst DC with the JT's also was a little heavier (earlier prior to 1980 boats were heavier than 80 on). Hatteras told me that they figured out how to make them just as strong with less resin. The ride was in my opinion not as good with the lighter boat, but was still pretty good for a DC. It was quite a bit faster however due no doubt to more powerful engines and less weight. While I never owned the newer MY version of the 43 (1984 - 1987), I did have some experience with them through friends. In my opinion they offer several advantages over their older cousins. The aft deck is larger as is the bridge. Access to the bridge is by real stairs rather than a ladder as on the FBDC's. As with all things on boats, they all have compromises. The lower station on the earlier 43's was just about perfect for visability 360 deg. as well as much more convienent for handling lines when single handing the boat, but it stole space from the aft deck. NONE of the 43's were good in following seas and in fact in some cases were downright scary. No comparisen to the sport fish models. Beam seas are no fun either, but the remedy is stabilizers. I have run a few 53 MY's over the years and they have very similiar characteristics. I personally think that Hatteras really missed the boat (pun intended) by not building a MY on the 46 sport fish hull, a model that I believe to be a fantastic handling boat.

My present boat is a 1982 MY, which looks like a slightly larger version of the later model 43 with the bridge over the salon. Performance comparisions would not be fair as the running surfaces are quite unconventional with soft (round) chines forward to perform dual functions. I love my 48 and in fact I plan to take it to Tom Slane in a few weeks for some work over the winter.

If I were to buy another 43 today, it would be either an early flat top (no flying bridge) with 6-71 JT's or a later model ('84-'87) with 6-71 TI's. Note the later models were also built with 3208 Cats. They were a little slower.
I am not a fan of the flying bridge on the early 43's as it is so tall that it becomes very uncomfortable to drive from there with almost any conditions except pretty flat seas. You are also limiting your bridge clearance with the FB which limits some access in areas with fixed bridges such as on the way up to Montreal via the Hudson River which has a 15' fixed bridge. Both of my 43's had the flying bridge and I even considered having it removed but it probably would have impacted negatively on resale.

One last comment.... the hull mold for the early 43 and the newer 43 was the same. The difference was interior layout and superstructure.

Walt

[Trojan]

I have a 73/43DC with J&T 6-71N DD.. I also have the Fly-bridge and I love the bridge. I would never have a boat without a fly bridge. My last 5 boats all had bridges. I have never driven the boat from the lower helm. In fact the lower helm is covered with a shelf and TV. I have no desire to drive my boat from inside my living space. I love the sights from the bridge in any sea. I can see everything around Me. I cruise mostly in the Great Lakes and we do have seas with 10/12 ft. chop. I love the boat in all aspects. I find the best times are on the bridge cruising at night with friends. I have all the comfort electronics on the bridge. I added 2 capt/chairs for 3 and a cooler /bench. With that I can have 6 people on the bridge. The aft deck is all enclosed with glass. I think it may be a one of a kind from Hatteras. I have never seen another boat like it. The drawings for it were all hand drawn. I can sleep 8 people and I sleep 7 on a regular basis. The wife likes to sit with her friends on the built in bench seat on the bow. The only thing I would and will change is the twin bunks. The only other boat I would consider is the 53. Too each his own.



BILL

[Jaxfishgyd]

I have the 73' DC without a flybridge and wish it DID have one. Here in Florida I would rather have the open feeling. Plus it can be a bit of a problem driving at night as I'm having to look out the glass windshield and can get back glare if there's lights behind you or if people are going in/out the saloon.
The up side is, we have a 13' Boston Whaler on top with electric davit that we use all the time and it is out of the way when stored. I also agree I would love to have a 53' and then could belong to the 1510 club....

[SKYCHENEY]

I like the DC over the MY, but that might just be because I kind of grew up on a 43DC that my dad owned. I like the lines better. I like having a helm with a hardtop and a real windshield. I also like the bow seat. The MY is a great boat, though. It's plusses are the space on the hardtop for a tender and a larger galley. I don't think you can go wrong with either one. If I were you, I would look at both and fine the one that "fits"

[Tom Ipock]

Thanks for the opinions guys. One of the biggest complaints that we had with our 1987 43MY was the way that Hatt layed out the galley. The Refrigerator was facing aft, so everytime you put the boat up on plane, the stuff in the ref would be setting to fly as soon as someone opened the door - and the Admiral was usually the one complaining! Are the 43DC models the same way?
Tom

[Freestyle]

Refrigerator door faces forward on a 43DC.

To me, I prefer the DC over MY for having two helms and an extra $50-$100k to play with.

Otherwise they perform the same functions (comfortable cruising with lots of living space) about the same and very well.

Bruce
Freestyle
1976 43 DCMY