I really thouht I would end up with a Hatteras

[Spellbound]

Was a partner in a 61' (16v92's) for a few years and without a doubt the BEST headsea boat I have ever run. Engineering left MUCH to be desired as well as downsea performance. Enjoy this forum as there is much to be learned by some very knowledgeable indiviuals that apply to your boat.

 

[Calcutta]

I recently took a close look at the 80's Buddy Davis boats, the 47' in particular.
It cannot be argued that the lines of this boat are nothing short of beautiful. The workmanship is also top notch for a production boat. Also, lots of great wood on the interior, lighter than Hatteras used back then.

The two shortcomings that I discovered were:
1) That with the power you describe, the boat is supposedly a fuel hog compared to other boats in it's class.
2)The other thing that drives some in the fishing community nuts is the interior freeboard in the cockpit...unless your 5' tall or less, it hits you well below the knees.

Other than those two things, I've not heard anything else negative on this boat. I must admit, I've never fished one, the fuel burn issue came from captains of these boats.

They are beautiful and if I could get a great deal on one, I'd consider making the move...'till then , I'm very happy with the 36'

 

[Genesis]

Uh, coamings below the knees are an absolute show-stopper for me in an offshore fishing boat. That's downright dangerous and when you're out there "doing it" that sort of thing can get someone seriously injured or even killed.

God forbid you go overboard at night in the canyon around here while fighting a fish. There are frequently - like nearly always - 14' Tiger Sharks in those waters, and they're attracted to your spreader lights. We've caught several while swordfishing at night out there.

I don't know about you, but ringing the dinner bell on a 800lb set of swimming teeth is NOT my idea of a good time.

This sort of insanity is the same type of thing that drives boat manufacturers to even OFFER a boat without a bow rail. Ever get caught out in some REALLY SERIOUS crap? Ok, you have a sea anchor. That's GREAT!

Now go up on the bow of a sportfish in 10' seas with no bow rail and deploy it.

 

[Boss Lady]

Ok you guys, go easy on our new friend! At least he did not buy a Stink Ray, the way to convince someone to come over from the darkside into the light is to show them the fine attributes of the Hatteras. After he has run the new boat for a while he will become keenly aware of some short commings. Even I enjoyed a perfectly flat water cruise on Biscayne Bay with an un-enlightened friends new Stink Ray(floating condo). However, he left his captain at the helm for the return trip from the Bahamas after his first Gulf Stream crossing in it, for the safer confines of my 30+ year old Hatt. LOL Only experience will teach some lessons.

 

[Genesis]

All I want people to do is THINK before they BUY.

That's it. If you THINK and still make the decision, that's your call and you're entitled to it.

 

[luckydave215]

If I didn't THINK before I bought, I'd have bought a new Garlington. And be eating a lot of mac'n cheese
I'm glad I thought it over, and spent the 2 years it took to find just what I wanted.

 

[Chesapeake Dan]

Good job there BonerBoy, you just made a sale for Sea Ray!

Never catch me buying a " Stink Ray " although I have made quite a bit of money on " Repairing " them, just for that reason, I will never get behind the helm on one, just a tiny step above a Bayliner IMHO .

Food for thought on the 47' Davis, I had a Captain that I mated for several years that skippered one down in FLA back in the early 90's, and was not impressed at all with it, on the other hand my best friend down in Palm Beach was a full time Captain on a 61' Davis and was a hellava " Production " offshore battlewagon, but I was a mate on a 45' Ricky Scrarbough for three years, and hands down the finest riding boat I have ever had the pleasure to work on.

And speaking of Hatteras's, the buddy of mine that had the 61', his boss traded up for a 1988 70' cockpit M/Y and I mated several trips down to Key West with him from Palm Beach, and was full time with him for a summer here on the Chesapeake out of Virginia Beach/Deltaville Va and that was one awesome boat, my only gripe on her was , in a head sea she was WET!!!!!.

Also mated on a 1985 45' Hatt Convertable , started in Palm Beach, island hopped in the Bahamas for three weeks, and then down to the Key's to Islemarada to Channel 5, across Florida Bay, then up the west coast, final destination, Orange Beach Alabama. What a trip that was.

Sorry if I have rambled on , but just reliving some great boating day's of the past. Now that I am married with kids, I just get up in the morning, go to the boatyard, put in my 8 hrs and come home to the wife and kids. No regrets, it was fun while it lasted.

 

[Freebird]

Okay, I'm going to make a lot of new friends with this one, but why are you guys so hard on "Stink Rays"?

Sure, they'e turned out by the millions, they'll break if you drop 'em, and they're made more by machine than man. But other than that, every one I've owned (10) has given me nothing but satisfaction. With the exception of the new ones I've bought, I've made money on every one I ever sold. Of course I am in the Knoxville area, and Sea Ray is king up here.

I have to get tickled at some of my customers who are obviously woefully uneducated on some of the finer things in life. I've had two in the last week who noticed the Hatteras license plate frame on my car, or the shirt I had on, who asked me what Hatteras meant! One even called it "Hatter Ass"! A few weeks ago I had a lady who saw my newspaper ad for my 41. She called and said "I'm calling about the houseboat you have in the paper". This was the message that was left on my cell. I didn't call her back.

Oh well, I love my Hatts, and if you find me on another Sea Ray it will be because somebody made me a deal I couldn't pass up. Short of that it will be a sign that I've spent all my money fixing up my Hatts and had to downgrade.

 

[34Hatt]

Sure, they'e turned out by the millions, they'll break if you drop 'em, and they're made more by machine than man. But other than that, every one I've owned (10) has given me nothing but satisfaction. With the exception of the new ones I've bought, I've made money on every one I ever sold. Of course I am in the Knoxville area, and Sea Ray is king up here.

Boy Randy just when everyone was on your side you go and ammit this
I guess all the people that don't know what a Hatteras is must be why you keep going to FL .
Any boat you make money on is a good boat no matter what is on the side. But glad you have seen the Light.

 

[Freebird]

Forgive me Lord, for I have sinned. I've sold Sea Rays to nautically challenged rednecks for a profit. I'll learn 'em how to say Hatteras, I swear I will.

 

[rmaher]

Like many of you, I have friends with Sea Rays. The conversation here reminds me of the book popular in the mid-70's, Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. For those of you who have not read it, Robert Pirsig travels via motorcycle with a buddy, each on different style bikes. Pirsig spends a lot of time tending to the many issues of a well used motor. His friend just expects his bike to work - regardless of how he maintains it (or doesn't!) Issues of quality, and/or the perceptions of such, are discussed using the metaphor of motorcycle maintenance and more.

Hatteras versus Sea Ray - perceptions of quality colliding?

I think I need more coffee.

 

[(Nobody You Know)]

I don't know why I keep hamering at this but first of all, if the Buddy Davis surveys well (and by someone who knows what he's doing) hell go ahead and buy it. Then for gawds sake add some decent railing to the gunnels along with an ss handle bar to run along the the side of the salon (and bring that railing back at full height to the leading ege of the cockpit).

On another note, the "Ray" has allways had a good reputation. My first cruising boat was a little 1980 26' er. We pounded the crap out of that boat all up and down the Chessapeak Bay, Pamlico Sound, and places around FL. It held up well (at least better than my teeth). But you probably won't get much feed back anymore because most of them seem to be floating condos, or just run up and down in the safe confines of the ICW (and rock the hell out of everything along the way). Personally I absolutely abohor any damn thing on the water that has a top deck that flares downward as it approaches the stem - definitely a lake boat.

My friend, some day you will "end up with a Hatteras".

Capt'n Bill....who lives up the hill

 

[Freebird]

His friend just expects his bike to work - regardless of how he maintains it (or doesn't!)

Sounds like all he needs is a good Hog. All you need for maintenance is a helmet and a hammer!

 

[Rickysa]

Like many of you, I have friends with Sea Rays. The conversation here reminds me of the book popular in the mid-70's, Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. For those of you who have not read it, Robert Pirsig travels via motorcycle with a buddy, each on different style bikes. Pirsig spends a lot of time tending to the many issues of a well used motor. His friend just expects his bike to work - regardless of how he maintains it (or doesn't!) Issues of quality, and/or the perceptions of such, are discussed using the metaphor of motorcycle maintenance and more.

Hatteras versus Sea Ray - perceptions of quality colliding?

I think I need more coffee.

Great book

 

[StratPlan61]

Like anything else, you have to buy the right equipment for your intended use. Define your intended use and spend accordingly. Buddy Davis builds a great boat - it is intended for off shore fishing and I believe will serve you well. The problem arrives when we find ourselves in situations we didn't intend to be in - that's a great time to be in a Hatteras!
Last week the General and I were getting ready to head across Lake Huron, a little 38 mile run to our winter storage site. The weather wasn't bad, winds 15-20mph and 3-5' seas - pretty much a nice day for Lake Huron. My slip neighbor,a 43' Sea Ray SF guy says, "well if it were me I wouldn't go across today, but you've got a Hatteras, you'll be OK". I think he said a mouthful.

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

 

[Freebird]

Like anything else, you have to buy the right equipment for your intended use. Define your intended use and spend accordingly. Buddy Davis builds a great boat - it is intended for off shore fishing and I believe will serve you well. The problem arrives when we find ourselves in situations we didn't intend to be in - that's a great time to be in a Hatteras!
Last week the General and I were getting ready to head across Lake Huron, a little 38 mile run to our winter storage site. The weather wasn't bad, winds 15-20mph and 3-5' seas - pretty much a nice day for Lake Huron. My slip neighbor,a 43' Sea Ray SF guy says, "well if it were me I wouldn't go across today, but you've got a Hatteras, you'll be OK". I think he said a mouthful.

Bear'
1984 61' MY Strategic Plan

Dang Bear', you're comparing apples at the orange stand up there on Lake Huron.

That ole' Sea Ray boy was giving up almost 20 feet and 40,000lbs of displacement to that big ole' Hatt of yours! Sounds like he made the right decision to stay put, and he knows what big Hatts are capable of.

Maybe he'll see the "light" in heavy one day too and be able to say "Bye Bye" to the dock in his Hatt when the weather gets iffy.

 

[Boss Lady]

LOL, my distaste for S/R is complex. Primarily, I just don't really like the kind of people who tend to buy one. I think almost everyone on this forum has had an experience with a Sea Ray owner that generally promotes the desire to commit homocide. I can almost guarrantee if someone did the research we would find out that 30% of the insureance premiums we pay are due to the damage caused by S/R owners either directly by their inability to steer a boat or dock one, and the thousands of neglected boats that wind up storm damaged because the owner did nothing to protect it. I can gloat a little bit because a 50 S/R bashed itself to death up against Boss Lady during a hurricane and sank, I had scratched paint and a bent prop for battle damage. Now that would make a great commercial for a quality comparison! Oh yea, it was tied up with those cute little color coordinated docklines they sell at boaters world, you know, the kind we use to tie up our dinghys with. Anyway, Sea Ray rates right up there with Microsoft who also enables idiots to do things they couldn't do on their own. I will get off my soapbox for now, since my blood pressure went through the roof just typing this comment.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

Those SRs really tug at the old PUCKER STRING dont they?? Even here in Chicago, their reputation precedes them