I've previously owned and lived aboard a 57' Hatteras Motoryacht with an extended aft cockpit. If you are looking for information on ownership experience, contact me. Hatteras builds a great boat and I would highly recommend them. Currently, I have a 1982 72' Broward.
Hatteras LRC I've been looking for a cruiser with the intention of some extended traveling. I know Hatteras built a few models of Long Range Cruisers, and from the photos I've seen they look good. Do you have any experience with these? Or an opinion regarding whether they would make a good long range boat, particularly for blue water or if (when) things get rough? Thanks in advence.
Vern Hello, I am looking at a 58ft and a 64ft Hatteras. I want to certify one of them to carry passengers for hire. I have looked at a 56ft Hatteras already licensed, so I know it can be done. I have spoken with the Coast Guard and was told it is a lengthy process which will not discourage me from doing so. Has anyone been through the COI process, if so, how long did it take you and what were your major hurdles? Thanks, Vern
It is indeed a lengthy complex process. Luckily hatteras can provide you with the data, blueprint, etc... which the CG requires. There are a number of things which needs to be modified. The most expensive ones will be the railings which have to be redone to meet height requirements as well as some fireproofing in the ER. A neighbor of mine has a 58 which used to be inspected and the entire ER was lined with alum panel and insulation. It s not only costly to install but greatly limits access to wiring, plumbing, etc.. You need to evaluate all the requirements and estimate the costs to make sure it is financially viable.
I looked into the process somewhat about 20 years ago and the general opinion was that it would cost close to $1M to bring most fiberglass hulled boats up to code (if at all possible). One of the biggest obsticles is the lack of fire retardent materials. I also found it nearly impossible to get a straight answer on what would be needed. The general response seems to be 'Build it. We'll inspect it and then tell you if it passes'. That's a lot of investment with very little certainty. Much easier to just go with a steel or alluminum vessel. Trying to re-invent the wheel can be a major mistake when dealing with the CG. I'm familiar with the vessel you guys were looking at. We looked at it awhile ago while looking for a 56 for personal use. If her COI is still current I'd probably go that route if I was intent on using a 56 Hat. Otherwise there are different vessels I'd go for depending on your planned usage.
We found the same thing. Buy a vessel that is currently certified. New or used. If you try to bring one up to compliance nothing will be grandfathered in. You will need to deal with issues like no penetrations through bulkheads and the like. Sometimes not possible on an older boat. Plus the whole process is very arbitrary and they probably won't extend you the same leeway they might to a manufacturer.
I know a guy that tried to certify his late 90's 50' Hatteras CPMY. He spent thousands and thousands having the bow rail raised 2' along the entire boat and several other things. When the Coast Guard came out to do the certification inspection, they told him that they cannot certify it because the doorways are all too narrow going into the boat and for the heads and such.......
Perfect illustration. It's like a dog chasing his tail. He'll never catch it, and if he does he'll bite himself anyway. Better to stay 6 pax. (or 12- I DK much about that certification) or let a commercial builder deal with the red tape. Another thing to consider is that, even if you make a 56 Hat certifiable, it'll probably only be for 49 pax. That's a hard number to make a living with, even for a head boat. Then there's "In protected waters" to deal with.
Down here There is a demand for medium size groups in the 15 to 20 range, not packing them like sardines with 49 pax on a 60 footer. No fishing, no tour boats, just your average day charter having a good time on the water. We turn down quite a few because of the 12 pax limit. More than 20 / 25 on a sub 70 footer and it gets cramped... I know some 53 hatt have been certified for 49 pax, I can't image how crowded it must be, i ve had up to 35 on my boat (friends, not charter) and it s a little tight.
I think there's a jump in certified ratings between somewhere around 20 pax. to 49 pax. So if you want to go for like 20 guests plus some catering your doing a 49 pax cert. That doesn't mean you have to or even want to carry that number although heads equal $$$. Could you enlighten me on the 12 pax. rule? What's the criteria for that?
Bareboat charter. Client charters the boat only, un- crewed, from owner and contracts the crew separately. Two contracts, two payments. Captain obviously need a master since it s over 6 but the boat doesn't have to be inspected. This is how almost all charter contracts are written here in so Florida. Up to 12 guests can be on the boat. Obviously the boat contract states crew will need to be approved by owner...
Sure? That's an old dodge of the 6 pax charter rule and limits the charter to the capacity of the boat, not 12. I thought there was a specific 12 pax charter certification that some of the large SF were operating under. (I never really checked into it as it had no effect on the work I do.) BTW, as you pointed out, one needs to keep a very clear seperation between the captain and the boat with a bareboat charter. I remember when there was a big crackdown on it once. What people were doing was to give the charterer a list of 3 captains to choose from with a clear indication they were supposed to choose the first on the list. The CG wasn't amused or accepting at all.
Not sure what "capacity of the boat" you are referring to... I have never looked up the actual reg to see where the 12 limit comes from, the lawyers did it a while back when we started, this is how all the brokers handle mosts charters down here. We ve been boarded by the CG while on charter, they knew we had charter guests and didn't question why it was over 6.
Your answer sent me searching the CFR's. Wait while I uncross my eyes. Where's Marmot when you need him? You seem to be operating under the bareboat regs, and a CG that hasn't been told to crack down lately. If you're maintaining the seperation between the captain and the boat all is good, but if you're running your own boat or controlling what captain the charterers choose, near as I can tell, you're risking a fine of $100 per extra passenger and/or 30 days in jail. This is not a legal opinion- I'm not qualified-just what I think I read in the CFRs but I'm lost in them. Beyond that I could find only references to the 12 pax. rule, but not the regs. Anybody out there know about the 12 pax license or regs?
