40' Hatteras Motor Yacht Handling

[Karl]

I'm looking at a 1991 40' Hatt Double Cabin MY and was wondering if anyone could tell me how they handle in 5-7 foot seas. Also, are the fuel tanks made of fiberglass? For any owner's who will respond, how do you like the boat and are their any issues you can make me aware of? Thanks, Karl

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Freeboard on the 40MY is much less than most other Hatteras models of that size. I know they are more of a deep-V design than the previous Hargrave hulls, so they probably handle better as speed faster than hull speed. 5-7 footers are managable in our 53, but not what I would call enjoyable. I would imagine that they would not be comfortable in the 40MY.

 

[GJH]

In your boating waters, it will likely fare no better fun-wise than your current boat. Though my big tub will take 5 to 7s ok, we don't like it and avoid going out when its that rough.

Funny, I had dinner last night down here in Marathon with a fellow Californian. We were discussing how a 7 foot swell out there is much more pleasant by several factors than 4 foot seas are out here.

 

[Beckytek]

I have an 88 40' dc which has a different bridge layout and possibly different interior than the 91's. Spent 4 hours on the ocean in a northeaster with 4 footers on the beam with no problem but that's as big as I've seen. Captddis, forum member delivered many boats for Hatteras and said they ride better than the 43's.
Yes we have fiberglass fuel tanks and they are great. I love the boat with 2 staterooms and 2 heads. The salon is great with big windows and no steering station in the way, (more room). The boat is easy to move around with wide decks, handrails and flat walking surfaces, for line handling. It's a very heavy boat so it's no speed demon. We operate at 8 k normally except when my wife sees storm clouds. "Issues" we had rain water leaks on starboard side near the doorway. It took me a long time to find all of them, recaulked everything and all's well now, No good place to put the dinghy. I don't like have one hanging off the stern. Overall I haven't seen another hatt in our range that I like better. Ron

 

[nyrussell]

We live abaord ours and while it would not be great, I have complete faith she will get us home safe and sound. I have been caught in them once while it was confused as well right next to the UN in the east river and had to totally give way because of a person popping out from behind a large motorboat to "jump" the waves. She went sideways in the channel before i could get back in gear, and I got a good head on look at the UN before she turned. But she handled it great, turning as she did back onto course. Admiral had more of a fit. Friends aboard her on the aft deck stated, that's what a Hatteras is made for (they have a 42' Marine Trader).

So while it is not as much fun as 2-4's per se... No problems.

 

[nyrussell]

Oh yes, the tanks are fiberglass and one might be under the aft bed (ours is)

 

[captddis]

I will relate a true story, I have a cust of 20 ++ years and Ihave maintained and often run his boats. He bought a new 40 DC in April 1990. He ran that boat all over and took it to the Bahama's every year for a month at a time. He stuffed the bow a number of times when he should have stayed dockside.
Forward to June 1998 when he buys a 61 MY. The first trip on his stabilized 61, we are heading to the Gulf and getting tossed around, he looks at me and says that " my 40 takes the waves better than this, I am dissappointed"

I won't get into a debate, but the 40DC is a capable boat. One other example.

I came in from offshore with another 40 that I was taking to NY, A Ocean SF came in the same time and he had broken his antenna's and lifted his bridge off the deck. It was not a great ride but all we had to do to the 40 was give it a good wash down.

 

[spartonboat1]

This is regarding a '72 43'DCFB and 12 years ownership.

If the 40 rides better (above), it must be a great ride. I find that there are two primary factors that affect ride, beside sea height: frequency of seas and direction from which taken. The full cruise (13-14knots) in a '43 is decent in up to 3-5's and very good in 1-3's. 5-7's are check down to 10-12kts speed. I think was in 7-9's (6-7's for sure) and no where to 'hide', but on the nose, so we rode it out at 10-11knts, but I don't go intentionally in that weather; probably blew 20-25knts steady with 30kt gusts on the Great Lakes.

If I knew that 3-5's was going be the max, I would go no problem. The 43's are not happy campers in beam seas however. Following seas pretty decent but bow on or quartering on bow is best.

 

[Sonny]

w a v e l e n g t h
steep 7 footers are a lot more troublesome than a long slow 12 footer. keep in mind the Hatteras yacht was born to go out in conditions that kept other boats alongside. Comfort is one thing, survivability is another. Hatteri survive.

 

[nyrussell]

Go back a bit and see the post I did 2-3 years ago about my families first cruise to Block Island as well. Few boats I would like to be in when it gets snotty, This is one.

 

[REBrueckner]

As I think is implied above, nobody wants to be out in steep five to seven foot waves in boats our size...not even a 58 footer....as for example when wind and current is opposing....

To effectively lengthen the wavelength, slowing the passage of peaks and troughs, you normally must slow down and likely take the waves at angle,,,
If you ride higher in the larger boat (say on a flybridge) apparent motion will be significantly increased despite the greater beam...When the boat "smacks" the waves or solid water comes over the bow, you know you are stressing things...especially the crew...

It's possible, not likely, your smaller boat could take such waves just as well....bobbing more like a cork and rising and falling more quickly....but once waves get steep only a hull that is much shorter than or much longer than the wavelength will find the going a bit easier....

My Hatteras catelogue (early 1970's) does NOT show much difference in freeboard forward among most models...
48YF...6ft
45C.....6-4"
44TC...6
43DC...6-10 !!!
42C.....6-4
38C.....6-5
38DC...6-1
36C.....5-11
31C.....5-2 (least by far)

 

[Walter P]

Interesting Robby that the 43 DC had/has the most freeboard fwd. We owned two 43's over the last couple of dozen years or more along with a 34C and a 48 Series I MY (82). Unfortunately we got caught out quite a few times in conditions over the years that we should not have been in, but sometimes when you're running offshore the day starts out well and deteriorates swiftly by afternoon and the nearest inlet is either local knowledge or several hours away. We had some white knuckle times more often than any prudent seafarer should subject his vessel or his crew but in no case did the Hatteras quality fail us. The 43's ride a head sea rather well, particularily if you run a few points off dead on. We had one trip where the waves were so high that the CG monitered us every few minutes and were standing by to come get us if necessary. Waves were actually coming right over the foredeck and crashing on the house. After so much abuse one of the windsheilds shattered and broke out flooding us and the lower station with raw water. The details of this story can be told over a couple of beers better but suffice it to say that I'm glad we were on a Hatteras. In following seas we found the 43's to be horrible as are most boats of their type.

So far we have not experienced any really nasty conditions in our 48, but with it's soft chines and I think better seakeeping, I doubt that it would be so bad. My old 34 C was a very short lived experience as we went to a bigger boat beause we wanted more living area, but the couple of times we were out in "sporting" conditions, I must say that it behaved unusually well.. and tracked IMO better than our 43's.

The 40's were not designed by Hargrave and I believe they have substantially different running surfaces with more "V" than a typical Hargrave design. I think that means that at moderate to high speed in less than perfect conditions they should be quite comfortable. At displacement speeds or drifting, they should be pretty bad (rocky).

My take on all this is to make friends with an owner of a 40 and ask for a ride. If you're coming from a 25 ft searay or similiar, you will think you have just arrived in boat heaven. On the other hand if your experience has been as a commuter on a commercial ferry, you might hate it.

Walt