Non stabilized 48lrc

[38ark]

I am looking at buying a 48lrc. How do they ride without stabilizers? Installing them isn’t an option and wondering what the community thinks. Thanks for any input

 

[SKYCHENEY]

The bottoms are round. They roll. You need stabilizers.

 

[rsmith]

The bottoms are round. They roll. You need stabilizers.

Truth I’ve watched LRC’s tied to the dock rolling when all the other boats in the marine were still

 

[Scarlett]

PM forum member Sandiego. He has a 48 LRC without stabilizers and has taken his boat from San Francisco to San Diego and back. I’m sure he could tell you what it was like.

 

[Retired1]

 

[zigzag930]

While I can't comment on the 48LRC, I can tell you that my 58LRC does not roll much when at the slip. In fact with 1/2 tank of fuel (1200 gallons or so) it moves around much less than most other boats of similar or even larger size. Even during high wind situations, I would say the she moves considerably less than any similar size boat. I attribute this to weight down low (fuel) which I tend to keep around the 1/2 full level.

 

[JD5652]

I bought my 58 LRC and it was NOT stabilized. I took it from Florida to CT and ran it for two years unstabilized.

Two years ago, I ran her from CT down to AYB in Virginia where I put Niaid stabilizers on her. Left VA and brought the boat to SW FLA.

She's a different vessel stabilized. Before, I had to worry about a 2 foot wake from a sportfish or smaller boat and had to constantly steer her 90 degrees into the wake to prevent things from flying off the counter or table tops. If we had guests aboard, I had to more closely ensure we did not allow a wake to take us abeam because we would lose cocktails, food, wine, etc off the tables.

It's a HUGE ride quality difference. Can you run it without?... absolutely! Will your experience be considerably different WITH... absolutely!

 

[rsmith]

Truth back in the day when they first came out I was on my yearly trip from Cape May to Palm Beach. I was always hauling butt because I had to get back to work. But I never waked anyone on purpose or was inconsiderate. Came across this 58 LRC waiting for a bridge. Current was ripping and he was standing into the current a couple football fields north of the bridge. I see the gates go down not wanting to get stuck behind this guy and have to pass him after the bridge I pulled the throttles back to 1000 rpm 9-10 knots and went by him with like you said about 2-3’ wake. The guy gets on the radio cursing me out said I broke all his wife’s dishes. I looked back it was still rolling like a pig. I was kinda shocked because Hatteras billed it as an ocean taming mini ship. In reality it’s not dangerous it’s just all that weight once it gets moving it doesn’t want to stop.

I bought my 58 LRC and it was NOT stabilized. I took it from Florida to CT and ran it for two years unstabilized.

Two years ago, I ran her from CT down to AYB in Virginia where I put Niaid stabilizers on her. Left VA and brought the boat to SW FLA.

She's a different vessel stabilized. Before, I had to worry about a 2 foot wake from a sportfish or smaller boat and had to constantly steer her 90 degrees into the wake to prevent things from flying off the counter or table tops. If we had guests aboard, I had to more closely ensure we did not allow a wake to take us abeam because we would lose cocktails, food, wine, etc off the tables.

It's a HUGE ride quality difference. Can you run it without?... absolutely! Will your experience be considerably different WITH... absolutely!

 

[Sandiego]

As an owner of both a stabilized 58MY and a non-stabilized 48LRC I am sharing this for the benefit of all who read this post to provide some balance to the responses which so far make it seem your cannot take a 48LRC out of the slip (or even in the slip) without peril. Very far from the truth. I will confess I feel like some of you are calling my baby ugly. Everyone of course is entitled to an opinion but unless you have first hand knowledge and have operated a 48LRC extensively I hope the comments will be taken in perspective. I have had a direct discussion with the OP so these comments are for the benefit of the wider forum and anyone considering a 48LRC in the future.

No one has asked the question about the mission of the vessel. I have run my 48 LRC without stabilizers from SF to San Diego and back as well as multiple SoCal coastal trips in a variety of conditions.

It absolutely would be a better ride with stabilizers. If I were spending 30-50% of my time on the open ocean I would invest the $75K +/- to add them. But when I purchased mine it had the original gyro gale system was 40 years old and needed at least $25K in repairs. I decided to have them removed at the yard and then run it for awhile to see if the investment and continued maintenance would be worth it (TO ME).

My first trip was southbound SF to SD. We had some rough conditions but nothing over 6 feet. Very happy with the ride of the boat.

Regarding rolling at a dock or on anchor:
I spent 4 years docked along a 49 DeFever and can assure you that not only was my Hatteras very stable but much more so than the DeFever. So stories of a 48 LRC having some crazy long term roll are not consistent with my experience. Maybe if light on fuel and water and a heavy dinghy on top the roll might be more pronounced but generally there is so much weight low on this boat that when it does roll it slows and stops pretty quickly. The DeFever was more tender (although nothing crazy) and the owner refused to even take it out in the SD Bay when his stabilizers were out of commission. On a run to Catalina they were traumatized and conditions were what I would consider "not bad". I nran a mainship 39 down the coast in similar conditions. What I noticed on this was the rolling was much more uncomfortable as it was a "snap" roll. Really annoying vs. the more gradual roll of that "round bottom" 48LRC.

I have also spent plenty of time on moorings at Catalina. It can be rolly there and when it is everyone is uncomfortable unless you have a SeaKeeper. The 48LRC was better than some

My Hatteras 58EDMY was stabilized and in rougher water they made a huge difference. That boat was very uncomfortable in a following sea even with stabilizers.

I was out in 8-10 foot mostly beam seas in June for a total of 12 hours. It was NOT a fun ride. Never felt unsafe and we had everything secured but far from pleasant. However the real impact of these types of conditions are felt when you adjust angle (which you would also do in an unstabilized boat) and then you are subject to more of a pitching motion with roll still significant. I was happy to have the mass of the boat and the high bow. I was even happier to get out of that rough water. This was a delivery trip so I could not wait what probably was another week for the Pacific to flatten to 2-4 feet.

Truth I’ve watched LRC’s tied to the dock rolling when all the other boats in the marine were still

OK very different from my experience. Based upon 4 years side by side in a slip with a 49 DeFever and also many nights on moorings at Avalon. How can this be true? The 48LRC has a massive amount of weight down low and a huge beam. Maybe if tanks are nearly empty and you have a big heavy Boston Whaler on top?

I have spoken to the OP directly so no need for me to go into detail but bottom line it is a fantastic cruising boat stabilized or not. Like most boats stabilizers will improve the comfort but not needed for safety on the 48LRC in any "reasonable" conditions.

If cruising in rough water a lot you might really find value in stabilizers. But for the occasional wakes discussed here you are paying a significant price. That may or may not matter to the owner.

If stabilized you need to run your genset which to me is a big negative. Also it costs fuel and adds to maintenance expense. All things being equal if I had 2 identical 48LRCs at the same price sure buy the stabilized version if you are willing to maintain them and use them enough. But generally you pay a premium for stabilization in the market and the 48LRC has a gentle rolling motion like most full displacement boats.

 

[Sandiego]

I bought my 58 LRC and it was NOT stabilized. I took it from Florida to CT and ran it for two years unstabilized.

Two years ago, I ran her from CT down to AYB in Virginia where I put Niaid stabilizers on her. Left VA and brought the boat to SW FLA.

She's a different vessel stabilized. Before, I had to worry about a 2 foot wake from a sportfish or smaller boat and had to constantly steer her 90 degrees into the wake to prevent things from flying off the counter or table tops. If we had guests aboard, I had to more closely ensure we did not allow a wake to take us abeam because we would lose cocktails, food, wine, etc off the tables.

It's a HUGE ride quality difference. Can you run it without?... absolutely! Will your experience be considerably different WITH... absolutely!

Thanks I think this is a great summary. I don't know how the 48LRC and 58LRC compare in ride but I think your experience is representative of the difference on most boats between stabilized and not stabilized.

Just curious how much the stabilizers cost on the east coast? I suspect a lot less expensive than in CA!

 

[zigzag930]

To qualify my earlier comments....

I was only talking about "rolling" when in a slip. As stated, I haven't experienced any issues.

However, when at sea - I would agree with JD. IF you have any sort of waves on the beam, stabilizers will make a significant improvement to ride quality and life on board.

Of all the nights we have anchored out (several hundred) only one time can I remember being rock miserably when on the anchor. It was this summer, anchored just outside Chub Cay in the Bahamas. We had a nasty swell come up in the middle of the night and it was a bit ugly on board until I could get the anchor up and move a bit closer to the shoreline.

JD can probably give you a good idea on cost for the stabilizers. Be sitting down.

 

[JD5652]

Thanks I think this is a great summary. I don't know how the 48LRC and 58LRC compare in ride but I think your experience is representative of the difference on most boats between stabilized and not stabilized.

Just curious how much the stabilizers cost on the east coast? I suspect a lot less expensive than in CA!

About $75K all in... that was in 2021-2022... almost even split between labor and equipment cost.