The AMF years at Hatteras, as bad as at Harley-Davidson?

[Westfield 11]

I know from my motorcycling past that H-D went downhill rapidly once American Machine and Foundry took over. They are now seen as a typical conglomerate plunderer of it's day: no money for R&D, lower build quality, bad relations with dealers etc. What were the AMF years like at Hatteras? When did they take over and how long did they last? It seems like the managers at Hatteras were able to resist the corporate bean counters better than at H-D.

 

[Angela]

I had heard the same thing about AMF ("the bean counter years" for Hatteras), particularly as it relates to the electrical wiring on Hatts; however, I'm not noticing anything OEM that unusually poor on mine, but then again electricity is not my forte, so what do I know!

I did notice that the nice bronze portlights turned to plastic. The hulls aren't as thick as the older models. The decks are not a rock solid as the older boats and you can feel the difference when walking on them. The old boats feel like you're walking on a concrete slab when you walk around the bow area. Not so, by the time AMF got done with them.

 

[fissioneng]

I think this is the ownership chronology

Started 1959
Sold to Rockwell International 1968
Sold to AMF 1972
Sold to Genmar (Irwin Jacobs and companies) 1985
Sold to Brunswick 2002

According to Pascoe, the Rockwell years were awful. The AMF years were good. I think we all have opinions about what has happened after that.

 

[Boatsb]

If I remember correctly hatteras was not sold to Genmar. Genmar purchased AMF after they refused to sell hatteras and then sold off the rest of the company.

I am not sure if Genmar followed the Hatteras style before imparting the carver styling or if it just took so long to do it that it seemed that way but they built classics for a few years in there.

 

[Angela]

According to Pascoe, the Rockwell years were awful. The AMF years were good. I think we all have opinions about what has happened after that.

I think I may have had my Rockwell years and AMF years mixed up! I think it was reading Pascoe where I learned about the bad years and the wiring problems. Still, at some point, the boats did start to cheapen up as compared to the really early models. That's where I notice bronze-to-plastic stuff. Even in stupid little things like the cabinet and drawer pulls. The ones on Ed's 1968 Hatt are far superior than the RV style crap I got on my 1980. And then there's the OEM sliding glass "patio" door on my 1980 Hatt in place of the nice wood, sliding or french doors. The aft deck of my boat looks like someone's balcony to their condo. Don't get me started on what a bonehead move by Hatteras that was!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I wonder when in 1985 Genmar took over. My April (I believe) 1985 boat has AMF emblems on her.

 

[MikeP]

Our 1980 53MY has only Hatteras emblems on the boat; the binder with all the oem manuals has an AMF/Hatteras logo.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Our 1980 53MY has only Hatteras emblems on the boat; the binder with all the oem manuals has an AMF/Hatteras logo.

Many times owners tried to update the look of the boat with newer emblems. I still have the original blue and white plastic block plate that says Hatteras in the center with a space for the size on one end (53) and a space on the other end for AMF. That is the right one for my vintage.

I remember our 1975 43DC having the black script Hatteras emblems like these:

I'm not sure about when that changed. 1980 could have been either of those two.

I see most people updating to this style:

 

[MikeP]

Here's what ours look like - I guess they could have been replaced at some point by the PO.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

That's the newer, Genmar version. It may have been replaced during repaint.

 

[Angela]

1980 - script "Hatteras". The printed (non-script) "Hatteras", I believe is the current logo.

 

[fissioneng]

I think the missing link here is that Irwin Jacobs bought the entire AMF company (bowling, baking, boats, etc.) out of spite as previously mentioned. AMF was allowed to operate while it was slowly cannibalized by Irwin Jacobs through the years. My 1986 manual still says AMF, but there is no AMF branding anywhere else. My take is that Irwin Jacobs really took control of Hatteras around 1989, then took what he learned (?), sold Hatteras to Brunswick in 2002, and then started Marquis.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

1980 - script "Hatteras". The printed (non-script) "Hatteras", I believe is the current logo.

There is one version between the script years and the one that MikeP has. It was as I described. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of it. It was sort of a modular system which looked like this:

 

[jim rosenthal]

Mine was built during the Rockwell period. (sort of like Picasso's "Blue" period, just kidding). I don't think the build quality was suffering at that point, although I could be wrong. (mine is a 71) I HAVE heard that the quality was not as good during the AMF ownership, but I don't know. Certainly the quality of Harley-Davidsons during that time was awful; they actually had to have a protective tariff on foreign bikes passed by the Congress to stay in business, maybe part of what finished off the British bike industry. To Harley's credit, I was told that they went back years later when they were on their feet again and asked that the protective tariff be repealed.

What is it about bowling ball companies that they all want to own yacht manufacturers? And then they build yachts that resemble bowling balls. What a surprise.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Our 1986 36c has the black plastic emblems. Our drawers have the aluminum tracks with the white plastic end supports. I have changed several and their plastic drawer guides as well. They are not expensive and readily available thanks to SAMS. Our boat is built like a tank and the electrical wiring work is almost artful. As far as replacing the brass portlights with the plastic ports they are very well made and work perfectly.They were made by Fuller Brush Co., (go figure), They also don't turn green. I guess Genmar owned Hatteras when our boat was built, but the series started around 1983, so the design and construction methods surely came before Genmar. Ang...Our door is a teak slider. Great boat and it don't break.

 

[BUSTER]

My 42C is a 1972,the boat is incredibly solid.Hatteras used the best hardware,the wiring has never been cannibalized by the PO it is perfect and the boat is built to last a lifetime. AMF or Rockwell,I am more than pleased after many years.

My only complaint about any of the non-aluminum rubrail Hatteras is the weak rubrail system. Any bump into anything and there will be hairline cracks in the paint,maybe right into the glass. I hate those ugly aluminum rubrails like Bertram uses,but they are stronger. Tony

 

[Maynard Rupp]

My 42C is a 1972,the boat is incredibly solid.Hatteras used the best hardware,the wiring has never been cannibalized by the PO it is perfect and the boat is built to last a lifetime. AMF or Rockwell,I am more than pleased after many years.

My only complaint about any of the non-aluminum rubrail Hatteras is the weak rubrail system. Any bump into anything and there will be hairline cracks in the paint,maybe right into the glass. I hate those ugly aluminum rubrails like Bertram uses,but they are stronger. Tony

Gee, our rub rail is a solid piece of stainless. I think I could run into anything with no damage. Best rubrail I have seen!

 

[MikeP]

That's interesting. I always felt as if the rubrails on our 53 could handle just about anything. But I have never been on a Bertram. What is the construction difference that makes them stronger?

 

[BUSTER]

That's interesting. I always felt as if the rubrails on our 53 could handle just about anything. But I have never been on a Bertram. What is the construction difference that makes them stronger?

On a Bertram the hull to deck joint is capped by a thick hollow aluminum extrusion,the early Hatteras 45C's did as well.That kept the stainless strake off the the area where the deck meets the hull.When the boat impacted anything the impact was dispersed over a large area.On most Hatteras convertibles the stainless rub strake is mounted directly to the hull to deck seam. As our hull to deck joints are fiberglassed on the inside,then screwed and all the voids on the outside of the hull to deck joint are supposed to be filled with 5200,before the screws go in. They aren't,there are deep voids in many places,so when the boat impacts anything it is Russian Roulette as to whether that was a solid spot or a void,thus possibly causing the finished roll of the deck to flex and crack the paint and or the glass.

 

[spartonboat1]

I think I may have had my Rockwell years and AMF years mixed up! I think it was reading Pascoe where I learned about the bad years and the wiring problems. Still, at some point, the boats did start to cheapen up as compared to the really early models. That's where I notice bronze-to-plastic stuff.

I don't if the scope of the plastic issue included the porthole/lights, but I thought the plastic portholes by Fuller Brush go back to the founder of Hatteras, Willis Slane, who was a 'bud' to Fuller Brush exec.

P.s., Fuller is now willing to sell you pieces parts to the portholes, whereas a few years ago they would only sell and entire unit. Some the parts prices are pretty reasonable, IMHO.