1979 58' Hatteras auctioned May 3

[saltshaker]

I love people hat throw out these #s with no backup. A "Smart" consumer today should be savy enough to get competitive bids and break projects down to get costs within reason. Boats are meant to use and abuse. Every one is in a constant state of deterioration. Rust never sleeps. You sound like you have a Worth Avenue taste. Most of he rest of us have a Walmart budget.

Spot on. The cost of the work doesn't always reflect the quality of the work. Slane Marine is a good example of this. While not cheap, their rates are considerably lower than much of the competition. There are some northern boats that were damaged during Sandy that went to Slane for repair.Cost to do the work at Slane Marine was less than cost to work in many of the yards up here even when you add the transportation cost in. These boats went to Slane for the quality of the work, the reduced cost is an added benefit. Having a yard do all your work is not always the best option. Some of the best work I've seen often comes from skilled independent contractors who charge half of what some yards charge. I'd prefer a guy like captddis working on my boat than most yard workers. His knowledge, skills, attention to detail and work ethic are hard to find. He also charges a lot less than any yards I know of. A guy like Dave is who I'd choose to work on my boat regardless of price. The fact that facilities like Slane Marine and guys like Dave are out there at reasonable rates supports what rsmith is saying. Any fool can pay top dollar but it takes some skill to get top work and equipment for a reasonable price.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Resale value is an issue, but if you are fixing up an older boat to go cruising, you are going to get your value out of it in the time you spend on it and the memories you acquire. Flipping boats doesn't make you money- all it does is take a large fortune and turn it into a small one. I think a 58YF ready to cruise and enjoy for 110K is a good deal. Like said earlier, it doesn't have to be perfect or even excellent to be a reliable and enjoyable cruising boat. And, if you do it that way, you own it outright and you aren't making boat payments, so you can live fairly cheaply and have some good times doing it.

I'm interested to see who bought the FL boat and what they do with it. Maybe they'll appear here and get the benefit of all our collective experience.

And nice punch line, Skootch.

 

[Tinman]

Free is sometimes too much for some of these old boats. I haven't been on this boat or have seen decent pictures of it so I can't say what condition she is in. Survey had some big items but most were smaller items that a skilled owner could handle. Not every boat needs a complete refit and not every refit requires gutting the entire boat. If the engines are serviceable and the hull is sound, she could make someone a good boat. Not every owner needs a perfect new boat. Most of us have these older boats because we prefer the quality and ride to a newer cheaper brand. Most of us have these older boats because a new/newer quality boat isn't in our budget. Very few of us are interested in a total yard refit, again not in our budget. I'd think it's fair to say that most here would rather own an older Hatteras that may be less than perfect than a perfect Carver, Silverton, Ocean etc. Many buyers of these old boats are buying them because there is no way they can afford a perfect newer boat of this size and quality. There are those who prefer to buy an older tired Hatt and restore the boat themselves. Is the cost of a complete yard refit worth it? Probably not unless that is what the buyer is looking for. Based on your post, both past and present, this boat is a great deal for a buyer such as yourself. If you plan on redoing the entire boat then here is a great candidate providing the hull is solid. Why pay top dollar for one that you plan to gut and refit? Buyers are as varied as the boats out there. Not everyone has the same needs, wants, desires or budget.

Well said. I would not try to restore an old project boat to like new condition, but admire those that do. We like a nice boat like most, just not as picky nowadays, except for the mechanical. Thinking back, we have never bought an inboard boat that did not need a fair amount of work to get everything working and looking good.