Will this become a classic Hatt?

[bobk]

Saw this one at the Hyatt in Cambridge MD. The future 'classic' look? Yep, it is a Hatteras.

Bob

 

[Sparky1]

Classic? Only if that one proves to be the last Hatt ever built. I doubt anyone who hasn't seen that model before would recognize it as a Hatteras short of the badge. Pretty boat, but not a contender for a classic designation. It's pretty, but it has no soul.

 

[smoothmove]

My daughter and I were walking through our Harbor the other day discussing the various boat designs and commenting on the pros and cons of each. She has a pretty good eye and artistic sense as well as an appreciation for some of the classic forms of old cars. Naturally I assumed she shared my appreciation for the classic lines of the Hatteras, Egg Harbors and Chris Crafts we were looking at. I was quite surprised when she said she likes the newer models. When I asked he why, she said they just look better and more "carefree" or something to that affect. And that the older designs looked sort of "tired". A favorite of hers was a 50 foot SeaRay. BLASPHEMY! When pressed to defend my preference, I couldn't say much more than "I just like the older look" It did get me thinking that perhaps the new boat builders may know a thing or two more about what people want these days. I imagine that a newly made classic design boat would be a pretty tough sell to a pretty small market.
Eric

 

[Walter P]

Eric,

Very interesting post. But I must respectfully disagree about there being no market for an older classic design look. Just look at all the companies making traditional boats and Selling them. Your daughter does make a point however that like everything else in life, things change including taste in design. Actually the longer I look at the picture of the Hatteras on this thread, the more it grows on me.......but not enough to prefer one to the older classic models.

Walt

 

[Boatsb]

many things can build a following. Some are classic others timely. The wizard of oz is classic. Rocky horror timely. One will survive the test of time. will that boat?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

I hate the look, but I bet she cruises nice. I'll take it on a even up trade if they're interested. I may learn to tolerate the looks if I lived with it long enough.

 

[MikeP]

Well, some folks consider the Edsel a classic so why not this Hatt?

I'm with Sky, I hate the look but I'll bet I could get over that real fast if they swapped me for my 53!

 

[Sparky1]

I don't hate the look as I think it's a beautiful boat, but it has nothing to visually set it apart from the rest of the beautiful boats of that style on the market. It doesn't scream Hatteras like the classics do, but I would love to own it.

Look at the new Camaro, for example, which was supposed to be a semi-retro version of the classic '69. Is it a pretty car?... yes, but it will never become a classic as is the case with the '69. Same with this Hatt vs a classic 70 footer.

 

[krush]

Cars/boats are only "classic" because you old farts saw them everyday growing up LOL.












But to be truthful, my favorite car era is the art-decos. I like that architecture too.

As for boats, convertible or nice trawler. ALL motor yachts are fugly.

 

[ThirdHatt]

ALL motor yachts are fugly.

Now there's a close-minded statement if I have ever heard one!

Have you ever looked at Feadships?

 

[SKYCHENEY]

There is just something that looks right about all of the Hargrave designs. The proportions, the lines, the stately look of his vessels are undeniable. I don't care if it was a convertible, a motoryacht, or a trawler, they all just look right. And it has nothing to do with the builder either. Even the the 36 Carver aft cabin is easy on the eyes. Jack designed some great looking boats and whoever designed this Hatteras doesn't know Jack!

 

[eze2bme]

I saw one of these several weeks back at Harbourtown Marina on Hilton Head Island, SC. Only problem I have is that if it hadn't had the Hatteras logo on it I'd never had known it was a Hatteras.

 

[Sparky1]

Cars/boats are only "classic" because you old farts saw them everyday growing up LOL

But to be truthful, my favorite car era is the art-decos. I like that architecture too.

As for boats, convertible or nice trawler. ALL motor yachts are fugly.

Your first statement may be true to a certain extent, but it takes time for something to become a classic although there are those rare items which become instant classics. When you get into your 50's, do you really think you'll see cars/boats of the late 90's (when you were a kid) on display?

As for the "art-decos" being a car era, I must have missed class that day.

As for your statement that all motor yachts are fugly, go away kid, you bother me.

 

[krush]

When you get into your 50's, do you really think you'll see cars/boats of the late 90's (when you were a kid) on display?

I've thought about that. I hope not. The 80's and early 90s were horrible for cars!!!

 

[MikeP]

"The 80's and early 90s were horrible for cars!!!"

I'd like to think that's not totally true; the only car I own is a 89!

 

[Pascal]

mike

a Ferrari isn't a car, it's a work of art...

 

[spartonboat1]

Actually, her lines are similar to some very expensive high-speed yachts from the 30's to the 50's. I would think that solidity of construction and sea-worthiness will be determining factors in the long run for 'classic' designation. Actually not as 'swoopy' as some of the Searay, et.al designs. Almost some functionality peeking through!

 

[tom5518]

"The 80's and early 90s were horrible for cars!!!"

I'd like to think that's not totally true; the only car I own is a 89!

I agree with Pascal on a Ferrari being a work of art. I came out of a restaurant Saturday and there was a 599 GTBi in the parking lot. It was gorgeous, but I honestly have to say that a 308 or a 328 GTS like Mike's is still the best looking car I have ever seen. The same thing goes for Hatteras in my opinion. If I had a 53 I can say I would not trade even up for the one pictured.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Take a look through the book on Jack Hargrave designs, which is called "American Classic". He did quite a few motoryachts. Just about all of them are graceful classic designs which have aged beautifully- maybe not aged at all. Every last one of them is far superior to the modern Hatteras pictured at the beginning of this thread, which probably has Jack spinning in his grave at about cruise rpm.

Krush, you just don't like motoryachts, I think. I don't particularly want to own one at this stage of my life, but I can see the beauty in a lot of those designs, especially the 58 tricabin and the original 70' MY. And the 53 MY without the flybridge is a really lovely boat- I have an old Hatteras magazine ad that a friend on this forum gave me, showing the 53 classic sans bridge, and it is a great design.

There are some boat companies doing well with traditional style yachts built new; there's a market for that kind of boat. Considering how few of the modern-look Hatteras yachts have been sold recently, it's anyone's guess what is going to succeed in the yacht market going forward from here. There's a lot of unsold inventory of recent products hanging around at discount prices. I have no idea what the market for boats is going to look like when it gets over its implosion and begins to strengthen. I'd be delighted if more traditional boats became popular again.

I've heard that the test of a yacht design is whether you keep looking back for one last glance when you have tied her up to the dock and are going home. Well, I could walk away from a modern Hatteras without much trouble, I'm afraid, and I'm not even sure I would remember what it looked like by the time I was in my car. And I don't think I'd look back even once.

 

[Sparky1]

I've thought about that. I hope not. The 80's and early 90s were horrible for cars!!!

IMO the only real classic in the 80's was the '87 Buick GNX. Talk about an instant classic, that one was. That car set a performance standard that's still hard to top. Beats the hell out of me why GM never developed a true sports car around that 3.8SFI Turbo and basically dropped that powerplant after '87.