Considering a 44' Triple Cabin Motoryacht

[bmack0073]

Hello all.
I am new here.
My name is Bryant. My wife and I are considering purchasing a Hatteras, 1968 Triple Cabin Motoryacht.
So far we have been unable to find much information about these older models.

The price seems right. The condition seems to be excellent.
The only worry I have is the age of the boat and my lack of knowledge in the Hatteras line, and additionally, my lack of knowledge in vessels of this size in general.

It is equipped with two Detroit 8-V71Ns and Alison transmissions. Each engine has less than 1000 hours on them. I assume these are original engines.

Can any of you give your insights into why one would like to own one of these vintage vessels?

I can provide any additional info if you need.

Thank you for your time and appreciated responses.
Bryant

[Boatsb]

Welcome to the world of Hatteras. No better vessel has been built that we know of or we would not be here.

I own a 1966 41C with original 8V53N's and they run great. The biggest issue is rust and leaks. Naturals seem to run forever. They are also rebuild able so relax and enjoy.

Remember a boat of that vintage will need maintenance. if you can do it great. If not have a budget to have it done right.

[bmack0073]

Thanks Scott.
I needed to hear some positive things about Hatteras. What better place to find them.

Are there any common problems these older models are known for?
I will probably be going up to take a look at it and would like to know what I should be looking for.

Thanks.
Bryant

[Capt Ratty]

Hello BMack -- I own a 1968 Hatteras twin cabin MY. I live in New Bern, NC, where Hatteras yachts are produced, so they are popular boats around here. It will be hard for you to find a Hatteras owner who's not happy with his boat, as you can see by browsing this forum. If there is something about his boat that a Hatt owner doesn't like, he will fix or repair it, not sell it to get another kind of boat!

All Hatteras are heavily built, and stable, especially older ones like the one you are looking at. The quality and craftsmanship that go into all Hatteras yachts is better than most production boats on the market. They are designed for rough water, so should be ideal in Alaska.

Here's what to look for in the boat you have seen. Do the windows leak? Are there water stains in the teak? Do all the systems -- plumbing, electrical, electronics, mechanical -- work? Does it stink, or have mildew visible? What's the condition of the hull and deck? Any soft spots or places where water enters? Check especially around cleats, stanchions and mast. How has the bottom been maintained? How's the general cleanliness and overall maintenence? Is the bilge clean? The only way to ascertain if nothing is problematic is to hire a marine surveyor. I am a yacht broker, and I almost always insist buyers get a survey.

When you're spending this kind of money on something this important, it only makes sense to get professional input.

Be not afraid. Almost everything about a Hatt is repairable and upgradeable. I have replaced my sliding saloon windows with fixed, tinted ones. I've replaced teak under the windows because of staining, and added teak veneer in some places. I put in cork floor tiles throughout, replaced portlights, and recovered the berths and couch. The aft deck got painted, and a new mahoghany mast built. I installed a new head and repaired the ice maker. I didn't mind doing all this because the expensive, important stuff was in great shape -- the Detroit 6-53 diesels with 2600 hours, and the generator with only 85 hours.

You might want to consider a twin-cabin instead of a tri-cabin because the cabins would be larger. You can always make a temporary sleeping area of the saloon. Just my opinion. Others on the forum will be giving you advice, I am sure. You came to the right place to get opinions on Hatteras boats, since there are plenty of people here who are experts.

[spartonboat1]

Hello all.
I am new here.
My name is Bryant. My wife and I are considering purchasing a Hatteras, 1968 Triple Cabin Motoryacht.
So far we have been unable to find much information about these older models.

The price seems right. The condition seems to be excellent.
The only worry I have is the age of the boat and my lack of knowledge in the Hatteras line, and additionally, my lack of knowledge in vessels of this size in general.

It is equipped with two Detroit 8-V71Ns and Alison transmissions. Each engine has less than 1000 hours on them. I assume these are original engines.

Can any of you give your insights into why one would like to own one of these vintage vessels?

I can provide any additional info if you need.

Thank you for your time and appreciated responses.
Bryant

Don't know if you can divulge the "seems right" price, but prices are depressed, so there is much latitude on that issue.

I always say to a prospective owner: order of priorities are 1) float 2) go and 3) look pretty.

There are some decent threads on here for testing the engines. 1,000 hours for that age is quite low, unless it has been cruised "at the dock"; maybe that is reflected in the overall condition. If the engines are in great shape, they will start after 5-10 seconds of rolling over in 60+ degree temps, then stop smoking after 3-5 seconds. Oil pressure 50+ cold at 800-1,000rpm cold, then when fully warmed 15#'s min at idle, 20#'s is great. Then when warm and run up to 1,000+ rpm should rise to 50#'s, go past, and thne settle back to 50 or so. (pressure relief valve is set to 50#'s). Shouldn't smoke at all when warmed up . Shut down, restart should be instantaneous when warm.

Trannies oil pressure should be 270#'s absolute min, 300#'s much better.

Good surveyor with an attitude is a good way to go...older, the better. (showing my age).

The 44's pre-dated the 43's MY's, which came out in 1971 were around forever (late 1980's). The 44' seems to be more of a straight deck, while the 43' has more of a gentle flair forward.

Truthfully, if you buy it right, and do reasonable maintenance, they are dependable and will get you home in the bad weather we all tend to get caught in once in awhile. By today's standards, they are "slow", but when you are running into a 4-5' head sea at full cruise and don't need to check down, speed is relative. Esp. when the go fast boats won't even go out.

Several times I have headed out into dusty seas, only to see all the other craft turn around. Once, another boat tried to pass and got airborne. He dropped back into our wake! Other posts on here about that type of situation.

Don't forget to budget for slip fee, storage, and maintenance. I probably have the "cheapest" budget on this site, and it takes $500/mo. over the 12 month year to cover fuel, slip, storage, maintenance.

My 2CW...owner since 1997 of a 43'MY with DD 6-71's.

[bmack0073]

Thanks spartonboat1 for your advice on engine/transmission pressures. This is exactly the kind of advice I had hoped for.

I think the "seems right" price will come in around 95k or so. Prices in AK are a little higher on just about everything, and I am not sure if this is the case here. I guess I will know for sure once I see it.

As for the additional costs... We are going to live aboard, which will be quite a decrease in total expenses compared to our house on ten acres in Northern Minnesota. We both lived 45 miles away from our work and gas was a major expense reaching over $500/mo for a while there. Now my wife's work is just a few miles away, and I am working from home. If we move into the harbor, my wife can walk to work. So, there is a trade in fuel costs.

I am going to call the harbormaster tomorrow and get the specifics on prices here. I know a slip for a 40' vessel in Juneau is going for around $160/mo. We are hoping Sitka will be comparable.

I appreciate everyone's comments so far. Without your input and suggestions I would not have considered an older Hatteras.

Feel free to add more....

Thanks,
Bryant

[DCMY #92]

We have owned our 41 double cabin (1965) for 25 years. As others have commented, these boats are built heavy and strong with well above average quality. They also run efficiently and comfortably.

Having said that they do have a few warts. Electrical wiring on the older boats is not well laid out and there is some chance that poor connections exist in the connection plugs where hull and topside wiring harnesses connect. If so it is not a big problem to bypass these plugs with butt splices.

Window leaks have already been mentioned and very likely unless modifications have already been made. Just hope that the previous owners did not use silicone materials in attempting to seal leaks. If so, successful repairs are much more difficult.

Also mentioned previously are the potential for soft spots in the decks and cabin top. The topsides use balsa coring. If water gets in it rots the core. Repair is generally not a problem, but depending on the location and size of the damaged area the repair can be expensive. As also mentioned before, a good surveyor will use a moisture meter to identify any wet areas. If it has not already been done, you should plan on removing and re-bedding all hand rail stanchions, cleats, etc. to prevent leaks. You will probably need to replace the chrome plated brass bolts originally used by now also.

All Hatterii are built with gelcoat like other boats, but it is painted over rather than depend upon it as the finished surface. Depending on the type of paint last used on the boat you are considering it may, or may not, lend itself to rubbing out, polishing or other restoration/maintenance activities. If the finish is dull, be careful in assuming it can be resorted without a repaint and budget accordingly. Look carefully at the topside's surfaces for linear cracks and circular cracks that look something like ringworm. I have found that our 1965 boat's gelcoat to underlying fiberglass layer boundary was full of air bubbles and voids. Over time these caused the cracks I mention above to come through the gelcoat and paint. These must be ground out and filled prior to repainting. This is a pretty basic lay-up flaw, so there is a good chance that Hatteras worked it out by '68 and your boat does not have this problem.

You will find that many replacement parts for your 1968 boat are still available from Sam's. I have always been amazed at the ability to buy window gaskets, deck hatch seals, electrical panel meters, etc. for any product this old - but you can.

I don't know if the main saloon floor was fabricated in 1968 the same way as in our 1965 model, but if so you should beware. On our boat the plywood floor is supported on a fiberglass ledge molded into the inside hull surface. Deck beams ends do not rest on this ledge, but stop short of it. The beams are attached to the plywood with bronze boat nails. Over time the nails near the side walls pull out causing the floor to sag. Symptoms include misaligned moldings or cabinetry along the saloon side walls and uneven floors. From the engine room you can see a gap between the bottom of the floor's plywood and the beams next to the hull if you look closely. If you find this problem it is also repairable. It's not worth going into the detail of how here, but if you need to know I will be glad to fill you in.

Our boat originally had not drip pans or isolated bilge section under the engines, hence the bilges were coated with oil throughout the boat. The Detroit oil pans sit too close to the bottom of the boat to install drip pans, but the installation of damns to contain oil blowing from the air box drains and other leaks was not too difficult. Maybe by '68 Hatteras was installing a means of containing the oil.

I hope you don't let this list of possible warts to put you off of the boat. You might notice that I didn't mention any structural or running gear issues. I doubt you can say that for many other manufacturers of boats of this vintage.

[holtcl]

Bryant,

I have had a 1970 44TC only for 6mos but in this time I have had the opportunity to realize the many virtues of the 44TC. We live aboard and find it comfortable, with enough 'elbow room' in the living spaces and sufficient storage. I particularly like the spacious salon and the galley-down layout; with ability to run the boat from aft deck or flybridge. We have had guests here and not felt cramped. It is just a very versatile boat, relatively economical, and if dockage is a concern, more reasonable than the larger boats. And of course you cannot beat Hatteras quality, and availability of parts. Yes you will have to creep to get into the engine room but this is the price we pay for not having one of the larger models. Hope you are lucky enough to find one with the original wood interior, as it is beautiful. We have not found a single thing in this price range to compare with our 44.

Cheryl & Mike

[drburke]

Hello Bryant, and welcome.

A year and a half ago I was considering what brand/size boat to buy, and admittedly knew nothing about the general field. I decided to buy a "name" to be safe, and purchased a Hattteras. This was one of the smartest things I ever did!

I strongly suggest you buy a copy of David Pascoe's book "Mid Size Power Boats". I know the 44 is the upper end of the range, but his insight and straight talk (and bad grammar) really are an education; the background applies to almost any boat you will consider with regards to seaworthiness and quality.

http://www.davidpascoe.com/mid_size_power_boats.htm

I lucked out with my purchase, but the person who recommended the book to me bought an off-brand, but didn't appreciate the difference until out past the Golden Gate into the Pacific. He also bought the book after the deal was sealed, and learned too late.

Best of luck, and listen to these guys on the forum--you won't find more information concentrated anywhere else.

DAN

[kwerges]

Not to take the thread off topic, but we visited Sitka during an Alaskan cruise in '06. It is truly breathtaking! A complete re-definition of "God's country." However, we visited in June. Do you plan on staying in Sitka year round???