so why would/did you get an older hatteras?

[MarioG]

Because any other manufacture could have made 2 boats with all of the materials that Hatteras used to build our boat.

Our 41 year old 34' has an 1 1/2" thick hull .

 

[spartonboat1]

What influenced purchase:
> Hatt first rate reputation,
> Broker sales pitches how great Hatt's are
> Big mutha's, nice to have

What I really didn't know:
>Phenomenal build strength- exceeds any expectation I had- only now do I really comprehend, esp. compared to other boats...over and over I post that for a given hull the Hatt weighs 8-20K #'s more...only one place for that extra strength is in the hull! Hatt runs a solid fiberlass hull (except for brief fling with coring) that is incredibly strong;
>> e.g. was working on a holding tank and had to beat on a fitting...but the fiberlass felt like I was hitting solid steel...incredibly strong,
>> Major yard showed me the round fiberglass section they cut out of Hatt hull to install stabilizers- unbelieveably tough section of fiberlass,
>> posted picture of big battlewagon 60' or so Hatt after going ashore in hurricane- took out telephone-pole sized pilings and pounded against a concrete wall, but I don't believe so much as broke a window

None of the electrical, hydralics or other "systems" are flimsy...first rate stuff!

Seakeeping almost without peer--- I spoke to a new Viking owner of a 60' CNV who had taken a beating in seas in which my 43' MY would ride decently
>> see many other posts on the ride

I know the older boats, esp. from the 70's, were built before "they could control quality" (quote from Hatt engineer), i.e. heavier build, more resin. Some studies even indicate that rather that suffering fatigue, the resins are somehow increasing in strength by developing adaptive patterns around through hulls that may reduce stress risers. True? I don't know.

So only after owning one for 10 years do I really comprehend the design and build strength quality. So rave reviews might be a selling point, but ownership makes a true believer.

No these are not $200M 400' giga yachts, but for a production boat, I think they are a high water mark.
my 2cw

 

[GeorgeJW]

Because I lucked into a great broker (not intended to be an oxymoron) in Annapolis who first educated me on what a larger quality boat meant, and then took the time to go through those available eliminating all but Hatts, Post and a Viking...go figure. His advice was exactly in line with the earlier thoughts on this thread. Fell in love with the beautiful woodwork and took the dive (my first big boat...moved from a 17' runabout to my 43...insurance company gasped...they got over it). Took only a few months to "sell" the admiral...now if I were to try and sell, she would sell me and keep Waveaway....hmmm.
George

 

[Rickysa]

I stumbled onto a 31 Bertram knowing nothing about sportfishing boats, and learned what a sea-worthy boat is all about. When we decided to go bigger, the only option was a Hatt...bought one without ever having been on one just because of the reputation and couldn't be happier.

 

[jim rosenthal]

When I bought my Hatteras, I wanted a small-to-midsize convertible that was well made and I couldn't afford a new boat. (full disclosure: I have never owned a new boat and not too many new cars either). I has also had three prior boats which were not fiberglass/FRP and I didn't want the headaches of a wood or metal boat again. Mostly I liked the looks of a Hatteras and had a vague idea that they were better built than the competition. I actually didn't know too much about them.

Esthetics are a matter of taste. Build quality and seaworthiness are NOT a matter of taste; they are a matter of survival in some cases, although I try not to go out in weather like that. However, you don't always have a choice about what you get caught in.

Reputation is something that takes decades to build. For most of the time that I have owned my Hatteras, this forum did not exist, and indeed Sam's is a relatively recent addition as well. So, for all that time, and decades before my time, the factory supported their older boats. Very few manufacturers have done this. Although I didn't know about the factory support when I bought the boat, it has helped me a great deal, first the factory, then Sam's.

It is true that Hatteras Yachts are in a different class. While they are not the only well-made boat out there, their consistency of quality has earned them a reputation that other makers would dearly love to have. Most of them never will. Part of that reputation rests on the fact that Hatteras was instrumental in founding the industry of building large power boats in FRP, and pioneered a lot of the technology (sometimes in a very non-technical way, but that's okay). Most other manufacturers owe a lot to Hatteras and the people that made the company.

My boat required a complete restoration, essentially, a process that continues to this day. I find that although I am glad that the major work is over (at least I think it is), I very much enjoy the process of updating things, figuring out better ways to do things, making her safer, faster, and more comfortable. In this respect, I have decided that a very high-quality fiberglass boat- a Hatteras or similar- is the ideal one for me to have- there is enough work to do to satisfy my appetite for tinkering, a solid basis on which to improve, and I am spared the incredible maintenance tasks that go with a vintage wood boat. In our club, we have vintage Trumpys, Matthews, Chris-Crafts, etc. While I admire the owners for their dedication, I am not going to attempt that again. No way. Wood belongs on the inside, not the outside.

There are very few boats that you can buy, improve, use a lot, and still sell for something near what you have in them. There is no mystery to this- it has to do with buying something that has reached the bottom of the depreciation curve and is at least holding steady, if not going up. I feel that same way about my old Mercedes cars; they were well-made to begin with, and if maintained, they will continue to be a pleasure to drive and own, and be worth at least what I paid for them. The goal is to buy a boat that was well-made enough to begin with that it is still around and floating when it reaches the bottom of the curve. All boats depreciate- it's owning one that still continues to float that's the trick, so that the price sinks but the boat doesn't.

Finally, owning a Hatteras has admitted me to a group of like-minded people which has been a great deal of fun and very educational. Much of that has to do with the existence of this forum. I have visited other forums and there are communities centered around other boats that are a lot like this one- Chris-Craft Commanders, for one. The same spirit of enjoyment and assistance prevails. And the same spirit of appreciation for boats that were sturdy, seaworthy and beautiful when they were made.

As much as I like looking at new boats, they don't make me dream of owning one. They make me glad I have a good old boat. What I have found out through owning a Hatteras is that a thing of beauty really is a joy forever.

Now, as to the Ferrari, I've been there, done that, and let me tell you, the bang/buck ratio there is NOT a favorable one....

 

[Freebird]

Owning an older Hatteras, for me, was the realization of a childhood dream. When I was in high school (graduated 1975), all my buddies wanted hot rod Camaros and Mustangs. I grew up in a small middle class town, so Vette's were beyond the dreams of most of us. My dream ride was a 69-72 Chevy Blazer. I was an extremely shy (yeah really!) introverted guy with few really close friends. It would seem everybody was afraid of me because I wasn't into dope smoking and drinking. I was into boats, fishing, and hunting. Hell, I didn't go on my first date until I was 19! I liked girls, but I was too damn shy to ask one out!

Sorry for the auto-biography, but in 1979 I bought a '72 Blazer that I still own today. It was a cherry one owner with 40k miles when I bought it. Now it's a cherry two owner with 112k miles. It stays parked in my warehouse at work, and it gives me instant recognition as being a good ole' boy when my customers see it. I could sell it 10 times a week, but would never consider it.

I own two Hatteras yachts now which are listed in my signature. I really didn't mean to have two at once, it just worked out that way. As of now, it's a good thing I have both with the problems I'm facing at home. I always wanted to live on a boat, and I guess I've been granted my wish. Not exactly what I had in mind there either, but when I get down here to my 58 in FL, I feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders.

Okay, enough, back to the tech, tech, tech part of this thread!

Old Hatts in good shape are a great investment. Buy a good one, or buy a decent one and fix it up, and you will never lose a dime when you re-sell it.

Old Hatts stand out in a crowd and are the epitome of design excellence that few have been able to match. Their classic lines will never go out of style.

Old Hatts will outlive you if you take care of them.

Old Hatts are rare because by today's standards, Hatteras didn't build very many.

Last but not least, pride of ownership in having something special. You won't be passing yourself every 10 minutes, especially in the area where you intend to do your boating. I can count on one hand the number of Hatts I know of on the section of the Tennessee River I run on. For that matter, Pat and I have the only two Hatts in our marina in FL.

I've had a number of requests for pictures of my 41DC, including yours, so I'll make a blanket apology here. I didn't realize I had left the disc with pictures here on my boat in FL. I'll forward them to interested parties when I get back. Only problem now is, if I sell my 41, I'll have to put a bed in my office in TN. Hell, won't be the first time I've done that either, so don't feel bad about making me homeless in TN!

 

[34Hatt]

Go buy a new Cruisers, Sea ray or Silverton, We'll be talking with you again!

Capt'n Bill

Yeah and don't forget Mainship. Had a neighbor in my marina last year brand new boat missed most of the season chasing problems. It had so many that in the fall the boat went back to the Factory

So for me it was a friend who put the bug in my year. He told me I know the way you are and if you are going to fix up a old boat buy a HATTERAS. I also like a challenge and like bring things back from the Dead.

 

[Freebird]

When I bought my Hatteras, I wanted a small-to-midsize convertible that was well made and I couldn't afford a new boat. (full disclosure: I have never owned a new boat and not too many new cars either).

Now, as to the Ferrari, I've been there, done that, and let me tell you, the bang/buck ratio there is NOT a favorable one....

Forgive me for taking this one off course, but I had you pegged for a high dollar "Grey Poohpon-er" there Doc! I reckon you're just a working man like me after all! See what we'd miss with all tech, tech, tech only threads?

I've owned a bunch of fancy cars, new and old, but never a Ferrari. As for "bang/buck ratio", I always heard it cost big bucks when they went bang! I always thought of them as being like good looking women with bad attitudes. Sure, they're nice to look at, but you can't take 'em anywhere! I used this analogy when I told my friends why I broke up with a real beauty many years ago. I said she was like a Ferrari with a worn out Pinto engine!

 

[Paul45c]

Call it restoration fatigue, I guess, but I came within a whisker of selling my 45c very early this year. I meticulously went through everything on the boat and I mean everything. My plan was to approach it in this way so that I didn't get nickled & dimed on little things breaking all the time. Well, it didn't quite work out that way. Any of these boats are pretty complex beasties with loads of mechanical & electrical systems. There's ALWAYS gonna be something to chase.

I was thinking the grass would be greener with a 32-33' new express boat with 4-stroke outboard power. Loads less maintenance, right? Maybe. Depends on the boat, I guess, apart from the obviously smaller amount of boat to wash down. But how much do washdowns figure into a ratio of the total owner maintenance program? Not that much. And for the jobs you need to do on the smaller boats, the nastiness factor of said jobs can be compounded pretty badly by piss-poor access. So many of the manufacturers today make it damned near impossible to get at pumps, wiring junctions, cable runs, etc. I'd looked at Grady-White, for instance...no one's gonna quibble with GW's reputation for build strength and support, but you should see where they stick the generator on the 33 express! Good lord, you'd have to be an underweight 8-year-old to even slide far enough into the transom to pull the sound shielf off! Reaching seacocks also requires some contortionism, so they recognize this by building long rods onto the seacock handles. Uh, I don't know that I want to trust that kind of convoluted mechanical rig while I'm out in crap conditions and for some reason need to get that seacock closed NOW!

Hatteras design just fits my philosophy on boats. They're never the fastest, or falling prey to the latest fads in boat design -- they just do things that make sense. An example? How is a sportfish that can top out around 25kts. not fast enough? I'm sure plenty make the case that you absolutely need 35 kt cruise for tournaments. So, if they were making my boat today, instead of twin 6v92 500's, there would be 850hp MANs or something. With what we've had for fuel prices recently, would you want to suck up that much more fuel? In 1984, the 45c was considered hot iron. Times change, design philosophies change. This older design just fits me better. I like fwd salon windows...you gonna find that in today's 45c made by anybody? Uh uh. I could go on, but you get the point.

 

[JLR]

Several reasons. First, I loved the beam on my 56 MY. The smallest Hat with the largest beam. Second, the ride. She rides like a tank. Sure, she only cruises at 16 kts but that's fine. Third, she was a fresh water boat and although a 1981 model (bought by me in 1998), she showed like new. Fourth. I paid in 1998 about what she sold for new in 1981. I also expect to sell her, when I do, and get what I paid for in 1998. The depreciation curve has flattened out and that is good for me. Fifth, I can call Roger Wetherington at Hatteras and speak to the man who wired my boat in 1981. There is no substitute for that kind of service in my mind.

 

[Freebird]

I can call Roger Wetherington at Hatteras and speak to the man who wired my boat in 1981. There is no substitute for that kind of service in my mind.

Excellent point! I have had occasion to contact several manufacturers of different things in my day, but the Hatt folks are the most proficient on any subject I've run by them.

It would seem their company breeds as much loyalty in their employees as they do in their customers. Sea Ray, for example, seems to go through employees faster than McDonalds from what I saw when I was a Sea Ray guy. It is indeed nice to find folks at Hatteras who still know what we are talking about when we ask a question about a 40 year old boat.

Here's to you Hatteras!!!

 

[67hat34c]

Randy you are right, Hatteras employees and ex employees are very helpful. Steve Mcpherson put me in contact with a retired factory worker when i was chasing a vintage controll for my steering. The guy was glad to talk to me, even remembered the person who singed the inside of the helm, Jerry. Who he informed me was a guy named Jerry Evans who is still around.

 

[Bertramp]

I have a 35 year old boat because I love the classic look and (very important here) .... I'm poor !!
If I could buy a brand new 50 (think that's the smallest Hatt now makes), believe me .... I'd do it, but current prices dictate a used boat. Other big factor is .... with a new boat you take the depreciation hit. I can't get THAT hurt with an oldie.

Besides .... which would you rather say "I have a brand new Ford Taurus or I have a 53 T-bird"

 

[Capt.Erich]

You think a Hatteras is more seaworthy than this boat

http://towndock.net/shipping/2006_10_01_shiparchive.html

But you have to give them credit for making the trip

I happen to live in that neck of the woods. That little town is considered the "sailing capitol" of the south. You get to see all kinds of things that happen to float. I met a guy one night at the local watering hole there who had "left everything behind" and was headding to Key West in his "yacht". His yacht was a 23 foot day sailor with beautiful blue sails made from Wal Mart blue tarps. The best part of the story was that I ran into him in Key West the next winter.

Having read all of the reasons why everyone else bought a Hatt just reaffirms my thoughts on the topic. I have been on many sea trials and thought... Holy Crap... I'm glad I'm on a Hatt... I can't believe we just did that to this boat. I've also seen them up close and personal after hard groundings, playing bumber boats, layed up on a concrete piling, half sunk but still floating, after riding out a Nor'Easter offshore, etc.

It comes down to this... Hatteras builds a boat that laughs at Neptune and has exceeded all expectations of the idustry and owners.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Some of the early Hatteras ads addressed how tough the boats were, and the storms they had survived....this was before the unwritten rule came into play that you could only show attractive, clean, happy people in boat ads. Like this has anything to do with reality.....

I am grateful to be doing something I love for a living, and make a decent income at it. However, I don't see wasting money, and I like the idea that when I'm done with something, if I've taken care of it as I ought to have, it's still worth something. I don't expect to come out even, necessarily, but I won't argue with it if I do. What I DON'T want is to get hosed financially just because whoever made it didn't build in value and long life. And, as Eric, told me many many years ago, "always think about the next owner after you". When I'm done with my toys, someone else will want them- if my nephews or my godchildren don't get them.

 

[Nonchalant1]

For me it's 3 simple things:

1. I love a Hatteras and I can't afford a new one. Plus, Hatteras doesn't make one a small as my 53MY anymore.

2. In addition, you get the experience, support and friendship of the greatest bunch of people in any forum anywhere. The Hatteras Owner's forum.

3. And you get the parts and knowledge support of Sam's Marine.

No other boats have anything like that. I'd ask not why would I buy a Hatteras, but why would I buy anything else?

Doug Shuman

 

[the kuz]

I'm sure many of you have stories like this, but it's the main reason why I'm glad to own a Hat. First year we owned our series one 36C (1992) the wife and I got caught out 45 miles southeast of Diamond shoals (the fishing was great and the storm was 12 hours early, my bad). It blew up 53 KNTS N/NE - sideways heavy rain, wave tops blowing off in sheets, making 7-8 KNTs, squaring up for each big wave (they sure looked like 20+ ft to me) in quartering seas and still taking thick water over the flybridge whenever a wave broke at the wrong moment. The wife inside the salon, and me strapped to the steering station on the flybridge trying to see where I was going and watch the loran and GPS to navigate back to the waypoint we set 1 mile off Oregon Inlet. After 5 or 6 hours we finally caught the lee of the north jetty about 100 yards short of the bridge after running that nasty inlet in heavy following seas. Once inside, a check below revealed all was well and we docked at Pirates Cove, cleaned up the floor of the down gally, re-checked the bilges (dry), and crashed for the night in almost dry bunks in the forward stateroom. A comprehensive examination of the entire boat the next day revealed one broken coffee cup, a broken towel rack, and lots of stuff out of place. We were unhurt (except for my salt crusted red eyes), a little sore, a little wiser, and with a much greater respect for both mother nature and that little Hat. Not sure we would have made it back in a lesser boat. Watch that weather! Regards, Bob K

 

[captddis]

I have always said to people that If you have a good boat it will save you when you screw up. The Hatts fit the bill.

 

[SeaSwick]

Because I said I was going to get one when I was 7!

It only took 37 years, and then the right boat (1960 41' Trunkcabin Conv) turned up at the wrong time & in the wrong place. But… I bought her anyway, sight unseen (knowing she needed everything) & had her trucked from Texas. The driver said she felt more like a sixty footer than a forty footer.

But I digress…

A friend of my Dad’s replaced his 42’ Matthews, with a 1962 41’ Trunkcabin in 1964. Bill Shanks had his boats in his backyard on a canal in Bayshore LI, NY & would move the ALL ABOARD to Montauk during the season.

We spent many days onboard over the years, and that boat was unforgettable from the first day aboard, right through the end (Sadly, she burned to the gunnels in Fl in the early 1980’s). In any harbor she turned heads, even approaching 20 years old.

Shanks ran & fished her hard, as Willis Slane intended, while maintaining her in Bristol condition. His stories of what that boat went through, as well as a few first hand experiences convinced me he was serious when he said that Hatteras was the only boat on the water that can take more punishment than any owner or crew.

One memorable story (I wasn’t aboard), which he readily admitted was his error, was while fishing for Swordfish near the rip, north of Block Island, RI. (Yes, you used to be able to catch Swords & yes, this is an old story). Shanks was in the tower, watching the action below, when the ALL ABOARD “got” into the rip broadside & was knocked over flat on her beam. He was thrown from the tower, managing to grab a rail, when his other arm jammed around an antenna base. He was hanging with his feet in the water as the Hatt lay out prone.

His first thought was ‘She’s not coming back,’ but as she righted herself, he hoisted himself back to the tower controls and got her out of the rip. No-one went over the side, but the crew aboard were all beat-to-hell & the boat was a shambles below. When asked what got broken aboard, Shanks would always say “Everything that wasn’t Hatteras.”

My main “witness” account was in my late teens with my Dad, we joined him for a run off of Montauk. Our not having done any offshore fishing, we weren’t going to fish, (even with no wives or daughters aboard) but Shanks wanted to go out ‘to see what & who was around.’ He loved being aboard that boat.

On the way out, the ALL ABOARD was passed by the newer, faster Oceans, Eggs & Pacemakers. They all knew each other & they gave Shanks unlimited grief on the radio at his 18-20 knot cruise, as they passed in the high 20’s.

At the end of the day a real nasty, steep, windblown chop mixed in with the swells & it was a head-on run back to Montauk. It was a very mixed-up mess of a sea. The ALL ABOARD set her bow at her favorite running angle (no tabs on her), & she flattened everything in her way. We were very comfortable on the bridge and nothing slowed her off her cruise speed.

During the 90+ minute run back, several of the newer boats that were teasing her earlier in the day, had fallen in behind the ALL ABOARD to follow her in, much happier hiding in the mill-pond smooth following wake of the Hatteras. They had been getting pounded to pieces & if they hadn’t “found” the ALL ABOARD, would have had to slog back off-plane. One look through the binoculars revealed that the other boats' crews had been hanging on for dear-life.

Shanks said it happened all the time.

 

[captddis]

The only speed that matters is the speed you can maintain in a chop. I can't count the times I have been on a Hatteras or a Be----m that had a mid 20s cruise. Would head out in the morning and all the hot shots with their Jersey built speedsters would lead the way out. After a half hour you would hear over the VHF about having to drop down to 13 kts because of the pounding. Meanwhile we are having a nice ride at regular cruise. We would never see them again.
A number of years ago I took a 40DC TO NY. Ran offshore almost all the way. Came in after a day in slighty bumpy conditions. A Ocean came in behind us who lost his antennas and worked all the FB mounting screws out.
The captain said the boat could not take another day like that!
The Ocean captain told us what a slow boat we had. I walked around the parking lot and picked up screws and presented them to the captain, telling him we had to slow down to pick up pieces of his boat.
I hear people say that people who buy Hatts are paying for the name, I laugh to myself knowing they will learn the hard way. There IS a difference.