info on Lady Larah? 1968 44' DCMY in Fort Lauderdale

[Bob H.]

Earlier this week while vacationing in Florida, we got the opportunity to tour and inspect this classic Hatteras. Although not the vintage of boat we have been looking for, we were intrigued and are considering putting in an offer. Do any other members know anything about her? Gregg, the broker who took the time to show her to us, said the existing owner has had her for 7yrs, and only used her for runs up/down the ditch.
https://www.yatco.com/vessel/info/2...tteras-for-sale-fort-lauderdale-united-states
Any knowledge or information shared would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Walter P]

Bob, The few pictures of it look good but I would have liked to see a few more photos including the interior spaces and engine room. As I said the posted pictures look good but pictures often do. I have always liked the 44 MY and I once considered buying one but I bought a 43 DC instead. The 44 is deceptive since although it's called a 44 it's significantly bigger than the 43 DC. The listing doesn't specify the engines but as I recall, they were usually 8-71n's which should last forever. With the 360 deg visibility from the helm it makes for an easy boat to handle. There is some pretty good pictures in the Brochures section of this forum that you may want to check out. Good luck..........

Walt

 

[Bob H.]

Bob, The few pictures of it look good but I would have liked to see a few more photos including the interior spaces and engine room. As I said the posted pictures look good but pictures often do. I have always liked the 44 MY and I once considered buying one but I bought a 43 DC instead. The 44 is deceptive since although it's called a 44 it's significantly bigger than the 43 DC. The listing doesn't specify the engines but as I recall, they were usually 8-71n's which should last forever. With the 360 deg visibility from the helm it makes for an easy boat to handle. There is some pretty good pictures in the Brochures section of this forum that you may want to check out. Good luck..........

Walt

Thanks for your input Walter,
That's the first thing we noticed while inspecting her; it's the biggest 44' we had ever seen! I'll look for more pics but it does have 8-71(s); 4000hrs but dry and tight blocks that fired right up with minimal smoke.Defintely has some issues exterior wise, bow and stern. We would concentrate on those areas during the survey. But although dated, the interior is in excellent condition with all that beautiful Hatteras joinery and woodworks still intact. Crunching the nembers on her now. Since homeport for the next few years will be Racine, WI. (Lake Michigan) we have quite a few things to consider!

 

[Pete]

Owned a sister ship back in the early 70's. My observations on the boat I owned, that may or may not apply to the one you are looking at are:

The electrical systems, both 12 volt and 120 volts are very inferior. Specifics include the use of coarse stranded non tinned wire in all cases. The 12 volt accessory switch which offers a "BOTH" position, which when used, jumpers across the port and starboard battery bank, is a definite fire hazard when one battery bank is weak and starting the engines.

120 volt outlets in the salon are exposed to salt water spray on the rear wiring, through the engine air intakes due to no outlet boxes.

Use of Square D single pole house hold breakers on both the 12 and 120 volt circuits.

Pull the panel in the salon behind the instrument cluster to get your own impression.

Other non electrical comments:

Check all three rub rails, if wood for rot, if aluminum for serious corrosion.

The hardtop on the boat does not look original, inspect what is up there

Check the side salon windows for frame corrosion.

Pete

 

[SeaEric]

She' a pretty nice boat. I was aboard her at Marina Bay in Ft Lauderdale the last time she was for sale, likely when the current owner bought her. I was told that her hardtop came from a large Viking Convertible that was a victim of the same hurricane that took the original hardtop (and maybe flybridge) off this 44. The retrofit hardtop works very well and looks good. FWIW, I would happily own that boat.

 

[Bob H.]

She' a pretty nice boat. I was aboard her at Marina Bay in Ft Lauderdale the last time she was for sale, likely when the current owner bought her. I was told that her hardtop came from a large Viking Convertible that was a victim of the same hurricane that took the original hardtop (and maybe flybridge) off this 44. The retrofit hardtop works very well and looks good. FWIW, I would happily own that boat.

Well that's interesting SeaEric!
I have not checked to see how she was originally made/delivered, but do know this model could be purchased with or without the flybridge. The hardtop is still in excellent condition!
Another thing we notice was instead of the third cabin ( which quite a few of these had), this boat has the private office area in the aft cabin. Looks to be original so we are wondering if that was an option back then.
Thanks for chiming in here SeaEric, we are working to find ways *not* to buy this boat, but sofar haven't found enough to convince ourselves!

 

[Bob H.]

Owned a sister ship back in the early 70's. My observations on the boat I owned, that may or may not apply to the one you are looking at are:

The electrical systems, both 12 volt and 120 volts are very inferior. Specifics include the use of coarse stranded non tinned wire in all cases. The 12 volt accessory switch which offers a "BOTH" position, which when used, jumpers across the port and starboard battery bank, is a definite fire hazard when one battery bank is weak and starting the engines.

120 volt outlets in the salon are exposed to salt water spray on the rear wiring, through the engine air intakes due to no outlet boxes.

Use of Square D single pole house hold breakers on both the 12 and 120 volt circuits.

Pull the panel in the salon behind the instrument cluster to get your own impression.

Other non electrical comments:

Check all three rub rails, if wood for rot, if aluminum for serious corrosion.

The hardtop on the boat does not look original, inspect what is up there

Check the side salon windows for frame corrosion.

Pete

Real good advice Pete, much appreciated!
I already observed a few of the electrical issues you listed, we know we will be spending a considerable amount of time upgrading that. Hopefully my 30yrs as a commercial/industrial electrical contractor will make that project a little easier.
You are the second member here who noted the hardtop was not OEM supplied. It looks good but we will note that for the survey inspector.
The overall condition of the rub rails, especially in the bow area is bad. There was a poor attempt at repairs here that may have done more harm than good. Same issue with the bow pulpit. These issue are the major factor in calculating our offer amount.
The previous owner has already re-furbished the side salon windows and it looks to be a very professional job! Our issue here was that none of these 6 windows can be opened or have screens. Was your boat the same way Pete?

 

[SeaEric]

Call SAM's Marine with her hull # 44TC340. They may have build info that would tell you if she had the FB when she left the factory.

 

[Bob H.]

Call SAM's Marine with her hull # 44TC340. They may have build info that would tell you if she had the FB when she left the factory.

Will do SeaEric!

 

[Pete]

Bob, the side salon angled fore and aft windows were fixed, but the large center rectangular window had one fixed panel and one sliding panel plus a screen, on my former 44.

Another item worth evaluation is the AC system. The original system used propellor type fans trying to push the air through the evaporators. Not at all efficient. You judge, just be sure to turn the units on and observe just how limited the air volume is and the noise level. Also worth noting is the boat came with two 16K compressors which marginally worked on the 120/30 amp service, but any drop in voltage on the dock tended to trip the main breaker. Also check the six tab compressor plug for the compressors on the side of the control box. These often get charred and need to be replaced.

On the aft stateroom option, the boats came with one large stateroom or two smaller staterooms, the aft being double twins over the fuel tanks, with a cross bunk upper and lower on the starboard side, head and shower on the port.

Also check the condition of the aft stateroom escape hatch.

Finally, all I have had to offer is negatives up until now. So let me add some pluses. Boat has more than normal headroom. The fiberglass work on the hull is thick beyond belief. The keel is open with a bilge pump in the bottom which eliminates the water in the sealed keel that most Hatteras boats experience. Far more than the average room to get around in the engine room.

Any additional questions, fire away.

Pete

 

[Pete]

Bob, FYI the original hardtop from Hatteras came with wing doors standard.

Pete

 

[Bob H.]

Bob, FYI the original hardtop from Hatteras came with wing doors standard.

Pete

I see that now Pete,
Spent a couple of hours researching the 44' model this afternoon. It's definitely a repair/remodel. I'll call Sam's tomorrow and confirm what she originally was, then try to decide how this will affect the value of this Hatteras, and how we will base our offer if we decide to purchase.
The plot thickens!

 

[bobk]

FWIW, out Series I 48MY came with sliding side windows. The PO cracked them and replaced the entire window and frame with fixed windows on both sides. This has not been an issue for us because the aft deck is large like the 44 and we spend most of our time out side. Depending on where and how you use the boat, you may feel differently.

Bobk

 

[jim rosenthal]

Beautiful in the photos. I love these boats without the flying bridge- really classic lines.

 

[Bob H.]

FWIW, out Series I 48MY came with sliding side windows. The PO cracked them and replaced the entire window and frame with fixed windows on both sides. This has not been an issue for us because the aft deck is large like the 44 and we spend most of our time out side. Depending on where and how you use the boat, you may feel differently.

Bobk

I agree Bob K,
But that request came directly from "The Admiral", so like all good swabbies, I must do what I can to comply! That aft deck is what really caught our attention on this boat; it's huge!

 

[Bob H.]

Beautiful in the photos. I love these boats without the flying bridge- really classic lines.

In person the lines are even more impressive Jim Rosenthal,
I'm waiting for a call back from Sam's on weather this boat was originally a flybridge, or just a hardtop. What we do know is the current hardtop is not OEM. Still in a quandry on how that should effect the value of the boat, and our offer to purchase it.

 

[Freeebird]

Well that's interesting SeaEric!
I have not checked to see how she was originally made/delivered, but do know this model could be purchased with or without the flybridge. The hardtop is still in excellent condition!
Another thing we notice was instead of the third cabin ( which quite a few of these had), this boat has the private office area in the aft cabin. Looks to be original so we are wondering if that was an option back then.
Thanks for chiming in here SeaEric, we are working to find ways *not* to buy this boat, but sofar haven't found enough to convince ourselves!

There were two floor plans available for that boat, one with two staterooms and an office area, and one where the office area was used as a third stateroom with diagonal bunks. I've been on both and definitely prefer the two stateroom layout as it makes the master very roomy.

 

[Bob H.]

There were two floor plans available for that boat, one with two staterooms and an office area, and one where the office area was used as a third stateroom with diagonal bunks. I've been on both and definitely prefer the two stateroom layout as it makes the master very roomy.

I tend to agree Randy,
But that third room would have been perfect for the grandkids!
We will see what we can work out here,

 

[Bob H.]

Thanks to everyone who responded here, our wonderful hosts at Sam's Marine, and Paul Hall with Hatteras customer service, we now have confirmed this;
Hull # 44TC340 was built and delivered with the fly-bridge option, the extended re-enforced hardtop with wing doors option and a 7kw diesel generator.
Right now the boat doesn't have any of that.
I asked the listing broker to contact the owner to see if he knew from the previous owner how all these changes came to be, and he responded he knew nothing of the re-fit and or repairs.
So now the question is; How does this effect the value of the boat?

 

[Freeebird]

I tend to agree Randy,
But that third room would have been perfect for the grandkids!
We will see what we can work out here,

That's why God created sleeper sofas.

As for your concerns over no flybridge, wing doors, and the original genset, at the price you're looking at, I can't see any of that being a factor where value is concerned. As long as the mains are in good shape and a generator of sufficient size has been installed, you should be fine. You can always add a flybridge and probably come up with something better than it originally had. Those were very small. Wing doors are no big deal.