My first visit to the flibs was an eye opener. So many suppliers of Hatteras parts not available in Australia. Roger Wetherington was a wealth of information, even telling me his father was the carpenter that made my boat's interior. I learned so much history in such a short time. And also how to repair the Systems Monitor should it ever fail.
A chance meeting....Dottieshusband and I had a few cocktails together and I learned how to get a boat from a lake in Tennessee to Florida. The concept of northern lake bound boating and storing your boat in a shed during winter in the colder States are still hard for me to fathom.
At the show I visited the Hatteras stand and was shown the new 70MY by their affable and cheerful Australian agent. A truly beautiful boat, but designed for a different type of boater who needs crew and glitz. I like my own boat better simply because it's more interesting and the good sensible taste shown in the older boats never goes out of style. ( I can also drive my own boat, but the new Hats seem to need or be designed for crew.)
Indeed I think Hatteras is missing out on so many new sales from its existing customer base by not having some more traditional MY models made for true boaters. Look at Marlow, Flemming, Grand Banks and Outer Reef as examples. I do not believe the modern Hat MY boats generate the same nautical feeling and a golden age of boating tradition has ended. So I would love to see 8-9 knots, smart older style Hat MYs being produced again. Their current range of sports fishing models were magnificent.
On my last day I headed to Marina Drive and walked around some of the boat yards. I spied a 1991 CPMY70 on the hard with its new owner, Jack, underneath. I ended up having a pleasant lunch with him.
A great five days in Fort Lauderdale and I have ticked another box on my life's wish list.
