53 vs 58 TC Advantages and Disadvantages

[Freebird]

Randy,
I check my engines to make sure I don't have any problems. That way I hope to catch an oil or water leak, smoke, strange sound, vibration, etc before I starve it for oil and blow it up like you did. And as far as running the boat, I don't run it single handed. I always have at least one other person aboard, usually my wife. Besides, most of time when I need to go down to check I'm in several hundred feet of water in the middle of Lake Michigan with no other boats in site and running on autopilot.

On the 53MY the hatches are above. You set up and A-frame and pull them up. Then you wheel them out the back doors and lift them off of the back deck. Pay attention. This has been covered numerous times here . I'm not trying to discourage the sale of your boat. I'm just trying to answer the question that was asked. I'm sorry if you don't like my answers but I'm not your broker.

Dang Sky, I didn't mean to sound like I thought you were anal or anything, but IMHO you seem to be headed in that direction with hourly checks of your engines based on what you just said. There is nothing wrong with that, it just wouldn't be something I would ever feel the need to do, and I doubt many would.

Please don't take that as an insult but it would not be much fun for me to run a boat if I felt I needed to do that, even if I had company onboard. I won't take it as an insult that you may be implying that my blown oil line may have stayed intact if I had looked at it every hour. Quite frankly, the engine ran out of fuel before it displayed any signs of problems with the oil situation. If that oil line blew one minute after an hourly inspection, it really wouldn't have mattered would it?

My advice, look at it how I do, ship happens on a boat and will whether you watch it or not. Enjoy it while you're running it, and keep the maintenance up to date so you don't have to worry about checking on it every hour. Either that or install video cameras in your engine rooms unless you simply enjoy damaging your hearing and sweating. If it breaks, fix it so you can enjoy running it some more.

I'm sorry if I wasn't paying attention about how to remove an engine from a boat I don't own and really haven't planned to own. I've been on 53MY's and 58MY's but never noticed hatches you described. Sounds like a better design than on the 58TC, but like everything on a boat, there's always a downside to every design. I certainly would not want the 58TC if I felt the need for hourly engine checks as that would truly be a PITA with its ER layout. I still like the design of the 58TC better, but that's just me. Somebody like Jack Hargrave seems to have shared my feelings on that subject as well, so I figure I'm in good company if I need someone else's opinion to justify mine.

I was just teasing you 53MY and 58MY folks about messing up my chance for a sale, because I don't think any of you have given compelling evidence that your boats are better than mine, just different. I used smiley faces and stuff when I made reference to you guys. PAY ATTENTION!!!

I've even offered Bill my help in locating a nice 53 if that's what he wants. We've swapped many emails and seem to have a lot in common. I'm always ready, willing and able to help a friend. If he doesn't buy my 58TC, somebody else will.

[ThirdHatt]

Randy, I believe that if you take a survey on how many perform regular ER checks there will be many more prudent boat owners that do regular engine room checks while underway than those who do none at all. Most owners would like the advance warning that something is not quite right BEFORE something lets go. It's not required, it is just prudent and an act of preventative maintenance. It takes less than a minute when you're on your way to the head, so why not??

You are probably correct in your assumption that your particular engine failure may not have been noticed, but so many problems can be seen before they become critical. Blindly piloting your new (to you) boat at 200rpm off the top without checking your engine room regularly is asking for trouble IMHO, which you now must pay the price for. I know stuff happens on a boat, but a prudent owner doesn't just sit back and wait for them to happen. He does what he can to ensure safety for his passengers and reliability of his vessel.

If I am not mistaken, Jack Hargrave is the one who came up with the split ER concept, so I don't think that he would "prefer" the 58TC like you stated. That design was just a copy from old Chris Crafts, Burgers, etc from the 50's and 60's. There was nothing groundbreaking or new or innovative about the 58TC. That's probably one of the main reasons for such a short production run. The fact that it is a Hatteras is it's saving grace, but when you can have a boat that is uniquely Hatteras, well that is a real treat!

[SKYCHENEY]

It is true that hourly inspections will not catch every problem, but it is better than no inspections. Cameras are not the answer either, IMO. They just cannot "see" everything and picture is usually small, from only one angle, and with less than optimum resolution.

As far as heat and noise go. I just leave a pair of the headphone style shooting muffs hanging inside the door and throw them on. The heat is not bad, since I stand in the hallway most of the time and it is only for a couple of minutes. You never know what you might see or hear. I, too, have experience on both types of ER's. On the 43DC, I would pull the center hatch in the salon and shine a flashlight down there. It was an adequate check, but not as easy or as extensive as with the split ER design.

If you don't care about doing those checks then maybe that is not an important point to you. That is why some people own some types of boats and others prefer different ones. I would not dismiss a 58TC if I were in the market just because of that. I think you have to take all aspects into account before you buy. Price, condition, and layout are all important and each boat is a differing combination of these factors.

[eclipsarkanna]

Dear All:

The comments are incredibly useful and apart from personal preferences, the two things that stand out as big advantages (especially for a newbie and a 6 ft 235 pounder that doesn't want to sit in the engine compartment) is a walk-in engine room and having door access on both sides of the pilothouse (to ensure I am not running over some poor soul who assumes there is a decent pilot at the helm!). I also found a piece of information from an old article that said the with the split engine rooms on the 53, the hallway panel can be removed for full/easy access to the "other side" of the engines. That to me sounds like a necessity, remembering that it is my Brother-in-law (73 years old) that will be working on the engines.

The good news is that yesterday I am now a lot closer to Hatt ownership. Happily I liquidated my mutual fund (was in a money market fund) and went to cash with no losses so I have the capital I had planned on and now sitting in a savings account.

I just want to say many thanks to everyone for all the genuine and honest help (and in particular to the Bird for being so generous with his neutral help even though he is a seller - I don't know many sellers that would volunteer their time to help someone they don't even know to look for a boat from some other seller - that speaks loads to me about the high quality people that Hatt owners are, at least on this Forum).

Sorry to say it Randy but I am hitting the phone banks next week on the 53EDs that are for sale. After all things being considered (and a big choke on parting with a lot more money to get a 53ED over your TC), I just think the 53ED was made for me. I will keep in touch and let you know how things go.

Bill

[Freebird]

It is true that hourly inspections will not catch every problem, but it is better than no inspections. Cameras are not the answer either, IMO. They just cannot "see" everything and picture is usually small, from only one angle, and with less than optimum resolution.

As far as heat and noise go. I just leave a pair of the headphone style shooting muffs hanging inside the door and throw them on. The heat is not bad, since I stand in the hallway most of the time and it is only for a couple of minutes. You never know what you might see or hear. I, too, have experience on both types of ER's. On the 43DC, I would pull the center hatch in the salon and shine a flashlight down there. It was an adequate check, but not as easy or as extensive as with the split ER design.

If you don't care about doing those checks then maybe that is not an important point to you. That is why some people own some types of boats and others prefer different ones. I would not dismiss a 58TC if I were in the market just because of that. I think you have to take all aspects into account before you buy. Price, condition, and layout are all important and each boat is a differing combination of these factors.

Thanks for the clarification Sky, I hope you feel better as I do having exchanged views. It all boils down to the same old thing, different strokes for different folks.

I for one don't plan to have a stroke stressing myself out over little details that would keep me from enjoying the boat I bought to relieve my stress.

You know I have this thing about having to address everything that is thrown my way, but I'll hush if you will!

[CARL GUZMAN]

Being a newbie to this size boat one of my must haves was a full walk around deck so I can handle the lines and dock easily. being able to push off a piling at almost any area of the boat has it's advantages..And at the christmas light parade everyone was able to go out side and wave to the landlovers and the boat lights on the rail all the way around is nice too. If your new to docking bigger boats an extended width saloon is more difficult to handle....I found having more outside space was better for me....just some more thoughts for your decission..

[Freebird]

Sorry to say it Randy but I am hitting the phone banks next week on the 53EDs that are for sale. After all things being considered (and a big choke on parting with a lot more money to get a 53ED over your TC), I just think the 53ED was made for me. I will keep in touch and let you know how things go.

Bill

Well just be that way then!

Oh yeah, I was just testing your sincerity when I told you I would help you find a 53. It was a test, and you failed you ungrateful @#$%&*.

Now that I see we not only think alike, we're the same size, I am going to challenge you to a display of yachtsmanship and cooler capacity when you find that magical 53!

In short, I'm gonna open up a can of Tennessee whoopass on you there Bubba, so come on!! Bring that "little" preppy Hatt down here and I'll learn you a thing or two about proper English and the finer points of owning a "big" Hatteras.

Oh yeah, remember you promised I could ride back to Canada on your 53.

One other thing, real men only need one engine room, not his and hers sissy boat engine rooms !

[Freebird]

Being a newbie to this size boat one of my must haves was a full walk around deck so I can handle the lines and dock easily. being able to push off a piling at almost any area of the boat has it's advantages..And at the christmas light parade everyone was able to go out side and wave to the landlovers and the boat lights on the rail all the way around is nice too. If your new to docking bigger boats an extended width saloon is more difficult to handle....I found having more outside space was better for me....just some more thoughts for your decission..

Make up your mind you Nerd Haven wannabe!

What happened to all that stuff about big porches? You Cubans are all alike... bitch, bitch, bitch. How do you say bitch in spanish?

[yachtsmanbill]

quejarte siempre por se y tus problemas de mierda estúpidos.

[Freebird]

quejarte siempre por se y tus problemas de mierda estúpidos.

That reminds me, it's time to head for the all you can eat Mexican buffet to have lunch with Sammy, my amigo who owns the restaurant and holds the keys to the men's room.

Thanks for the reminder Willie!