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  1. #11

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    Buy this book and read it cover to cover. You will know more than 95% of the internet expurts.
    Attached Images
    "DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN




    Endless Summer
    1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
    ex Miss Betsy
    owners:
    Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
    Richard F Hull 1974-1976
    Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present

  2. #12

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    The best way to learn about your boat systems is to live in it. You will be able to notice if a particular system is about to fail ( like de AC is not cooling enough). If you encouter a problem you are not familiar with it, sit down an ponder the problem, unless you have a major water intake ! Do not feel you have to take apart the system inmediately. Sit down a make a plan. When we had to use the boat for our beach house for 3 years, the boat was in better shape than before, all the systems got used regularly , in comparison when the boat was iddle. The saying IF YOU DON NOT USE IT YOU LOOSE IT really applies to a boat. Good luck and enjoy

  3. #13

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    I / we went through a similar almost "panic" situation in our case of "what do we need to do to get ready". Our long term goal is to try to live aboard. We purchased our 53 last fall and it was already on blocks in winter storage. It was a 5 hour drive away and we tried to tell ourselves we would go and work on it 4 or 5 times over the winter. Never happened LOL. What I did do is over stress about it. Half of the "things" I thought we needed turned out to actually already be on the boat. I was even looking for a Marquip set of stairs, and good thing I didn't buy any as there was already a set on board.

    What I did learn was how much stuff goes wrong and fast. I have spent the summer watching different things break, getting half done fixing them then something more important pops up. i.e.. plugged toilet, then water lines exploded, then one engine kept loosing prime. So far I have fixed the motor and that is it. Outside railings that needed to be redone are half sanded. Gages work some of the time. Had a bent prop that I did get swapped out. Other things became lower priority and will have to wait until winter. I would say don't stress too much, like I did, and go with the flow.
    I think as others have said you learn as you go and there is a whole lot to learn!
    The great thing is this forum! The people are great and no where else is there so much help for a particular brand of boat like this.

    This summer we are living aboard full time as a test to see how we like it and see how it goes.

    I don't think you can completely prepare. From what I can tell from living onboard full time for this summer is that "maybe" in 3 or 4 years (when I hope to retire) I might have things 30% sorted out LOL. Having a good set of tools on board and electrical testers, etc. will be important as well as spare filters etc.

    Good luck and feel free to reach out would be happy to talk any time.
    1980 53' Hatteras MY, Hull # 592

    "Moon River" <-- Finally picked a name

  4. #14

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    We live on Benedetto full time from Mayish to Octoberish in Wisconsin. Coolest thing I've ever done and my wife seems to enjoy it as well, other than the spiders. I'm a major tinkerer so the boat keeps me in good practice! Like Bob said, don't stress it's supposed to be an enjoyable time. Take each task one at a time, too many at once without a win (fininshing) can be defeating. As a friend said about boating, "if it ain't fun then why do it?". I scoured the Sam's forum for hours reading threads that really didn't apply at the time but has definitly come in handy as I care for this old girl. Other than that I would recommend looking at as many boats as possible for the education. Once you decide, buy the smallest boat you can comfortably live on and not the largest you can afford. We did the latter, I would buy this boat all over again but a 53 would have been the perfect boat for us with a little less to care for. No Benedetto is not for sale. Other then that good luck and enjoy your journey. Oh and remember the one thing that always works on a boat...the owner. Also there is something breaking right now on almost every boat out there. Its our job to find it before it becomes a problem.
    Good Luck!!
    Dave & Trina
    Benedetto
    1989 60MY HATDK310
    Sturgeon Bay/Ft. Lauderdale

  5. #15

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    Last edited by yachtsmanbill; 08-20-2022 at 05:50 PM.
    yachtsmanWILLY

    I used to think I knew everything until I found the experts HERE; Now I know I dont know SQUAT



    www.flybridge.proboards.com
    Uncensored, no nonsense boating fun for adults

  6. #16

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    Along the lines of good on hand resources as internet is not always available while you are underway or anchored out. Four books that stay onboard and have been invaluable over the years are:

    - The Chapman Piloting & Seamanship (noted above in previous post)
    - Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual
    - Nigel Calder's Marine Diesel Engines
    - Peter Compton's Troubleshooting Marine Diesels

    A good investment yielding high returns...
    Best regards,
    --
    David

  7. #17

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    Too funny, but correct. "There is something breaking right now". Yes - only too true. I feel like every time I cross three things off my list, I add two (or three) back. If you have the aptitude to repair things, you'll be fine. If not, you may get overwhelmed when trying to control all the things that will come up.

    The simpler the boat, the less this will be an issue. One generator is 1/2 the issues of two, two heads instead of four or five, will have you changing less motors, pumps, hoses, etc. While redundancy is great, it also means more service, repairs and cost.

    Not sure I would necessarily agree with buy the smallest boat you can live on because, in my opinion (and we are talking boats) size really doesn't directly matter. While bigger boats may have extra systems, that is not always the case. More systems will correlate to the amount of problems you will have.

    The boat you select rather than it's size will be more directly related to the repairs. For instance, our LRC has duplicate systems everywhere and lots of other expensive systems like bow thruster, watermaker, stabilizers, etc. These are all extra costs to maintain and they all will need repairs and/or servicing from time to time. Many Hatteras yachts do not have these additional systems.

    Spend all your spare time on this forum. You will learn more useful information than anywhere else. Great people here and a wealth of knowledge.

    Good luck with you search.


    Quote Originally Posted by Sadey View Post
    We live on Benedetto full time from Mayish to Octoberish in Wisconsin. Coolest thing I've ever done and my wife seems to enjoy it as well, other than the spiders. I'm a major tinkerer so the boat keeps me in good practice! Like Bob said, don't stress it's supposed to be an enjoyable time. Take each task one at a time, too many at once without a win (fininshing) can be defeating. As a friend said about boating, "if it ain't fun then why do it?". I scoured the Sam's forum for hours reading threads that really didn't apply at the time but has definitly come in handy as I care for this old girl. Other than that I would recommend looking at as many boats as possible for the education. Once you decide, buy the smallest boat you can comfortably live on and not the largest you can afford. We did the latter, I would buy this boat all over again but a 53 would have been the perfect boat for us with a little less to care for. No Benedetto is not for sale. Other then that good luck and enjoy your journey. Oh and remember the one thing that always works on a boat...the owner. Also there is something breaking right now on almost every boat out there. Its our job to find it before it becomes a problem.
    Good Luck!!

  8. #18

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Quinn View Post
    I / we went through a similar almost "panic" situation in our case of "what do we need to do to get ready". Our long term goal is to try to live aboard. We purchased our 53 last fall and it was already on blocks in winter storage. It was a 5 hour drive away and we tried to tell ourselves we would go and work on it 4 or 5 times over the winter. Never happened LOL. What I did do is over stress about it. Half of the "things" I thought we needed turned out to actually already be on the boat. I was even looking for a Marquip set of stairs, and good thing I didn't buy any as there was already a set on board.

    What I did learn was how much stuff goes wrong and fast. I have spent the summer watching different things break, getting half done fixing them then something more important pops up. i.e.. plugged toilet, then water lines exploded, then one engine kept loosing prime. So far I have fixed the motor and that is it. Outside railings that needed to be redone are half sanded. Gages work some of the time. Had a bent prop that I did get swapped out. Other things became lower priority and will have to wait until winter. I would say don't stress too much, like I did, and go with the flow.
    I think as others have said you learn as you go and there is a whole lot to learn!
    The great thing is this forum! The people are great and no where else is there so much help for a particular brand of boat like this.

    This summer we are living aboard full time as a test to see how we like it and see how it goes.

    I don't think you can completely prepare. From what I can tell from living onboard full time for this summer is that "maybe" in 3 or 4 years (when I hope to retire) I might have things 30% sorted out LOL. Having a good set of tools on board and electrical testers, etc. will be important as well as spare filters etc.

    Good luck and feel free to reach out would be happy to talk any time.
    The pace of your gaining knowledge will increase, and it does get easier. Been there. I still get stumped and have headaches, but the first year is the hardest.

  9. #19

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    Quote Originally Posted by jim rosenthal View Post
    The pace of your gaining knowledge will increase, and it does get easier. Been there. I still get stumped and have headaches, but the first year is the hardest.
    Good to know the first year is the hardest. I came to the conclusion, rather - hope! - that this first stretch is revealing all the issues and once resolved things will get better. So thanks for that bit of information You kind of verified what I was thinking. I think it's like learning anything new, once you get into the flow of things it gets easier..... or so I am trying to convince myself. I try to be delusionally optimistic, or is it optimistically delusional?

    So OP what do you think of all this?
    1980 53' Hatteras MY, Hull # 592

    "Moon River" <-- Finally picked a name

  10. #20

    Re: Need advice on learning skills for Hatteras living

    There is really no difference in maintenance costs and effort between a 53, 60 and even 70 except for whatever you pay for by the foot like dockage, diver, wash - polish and haul outs. Yes the engines on the 70 will be a bit higher and cost a little more to maintain but not that much more. Extra systems like two generators cost a little more to maintain but the redundancy is very nice

    In addition to living spaces, critical to live aboard, what you get on the bigger boat is more space to work on systems. That makes a huge difference; easier to do your own maintenance and cheaper when you pay someone to do it.

    I ve been living on my 53 for almost 20 years now and that’s pretty much as small as I think a live aboard should be.

    Indeed for some reason the first year always seem to be the most difficult. Maybe it s because boats often sit for months before getting sold or maybe it s because before selling owners don’t maintain them as well as should.
    Pascal
    Miami, FL
    1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
    2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
    2007 Sandbarhopper 13
    12' Westphal Cat boat

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