May be in the market, again....

Would be hard to give up that lower helm

64' Hatteras has a tremendous fuel burn, even dialed down to 20 knots was 100 gph.
60' Hatteras is 80 gph at 25 knots. IF you dial it down to 20 knots which was around 1650 RPM's fuel burn is much less, I remember in the high 50's gph, going by memory. This is by far the best all around boat for you of ANY of the ones mentioned in this thread. Plenty of range, 2 gens, seakeeper, easy to work on, plenty of room in ER, built like a tank, comfortable, full beam master, and on and on. The upper helm is enclosed and air conditioned and how much time are you really spending at the helm compared to on the boat?

Hatteras 60' my has an aluminum tank in the forward engine room bulkhead, it's in a dry location and above any bilge water, if there were any. You're right the newer 60's were straight shafts. Engine room is standup with plenty of room around all sides of engines and gens. Actually too much room IMO. Yes you could easily add a remote control system to the 60'. Almost all MY's this size range you will have to descend a ladder to do engine room checks.

As an owner of of a '14 Hatt 60MY/Panacera, I can offer these comments:
1. We looked at all of the builders you referenced and we chose the Hatteras for the following reasons: VOLUME, performance flexibility, build quality, and ease of operation/maintenance.
2. What do I mean by performance flexibility: 1000 RPMS is 10kts burning 9/10GPH pretty much constant regardless of environment. If we are not at hull speed we run on true plane: 1875 RPMS is 73% load and 74GPH @ 20KTS, 1900 is 74% load and 76GPH @ 21KTS, 1950 is 74% load and 80GPH @ 22kts. I'll skip to 80% load is 2100 and 90GPH @ 25kts. 100% load is 2350/60 @ 30/31kts We are moving a HOUSE through the water at 25kts @ 80% load....and buring 90 per hour. These numbers are for 1,150 C-18 ACERTS, full water, 3/4 fuel, 2 SK9s onboard, and a Highfield 390 on back (750-800lbs) or so. Internal fuel is 1,000 gals and we carry a 200gal bladder from ATL when doing doing long runs. '15 and newer went to 1200 gals internal as standard fuel.
3. So you can run 300NM in daylight or you can run 400NM if you want to slow it down to trawler speeds and run overnight. For us that's Beaufort SC to JB (Beaufort, NC) in 1-day in daylight heading to NE for summer. Means I get to NYC and LI sound in 3.5 days if the WX cooperates. That's huge in my mind.
4. VOLUME: we run to the Northeast and we have the family live and play on this thing from late June to August...dinner parties for 6/8 (we are cooking/grilling on board every day), cocktail parities pretty much every night in some form or fashion, grandkids off the swim platforms 24/7, guests 24/7 and we never feel cramped. Why? because it has a 18'+ beam which means we get a full-beam master and an open salon concept that works really well. Largest party: We have had 34 women onboard for a cocktail party at Fischer's Is....that was CRAZY but it wasn't cramped though we had women everywhere from bow to the FB to aft FB, cockpit, salon, settee. chairs on swim platform, etc.
5. Ops and Maintenance: It's a Hatteras so Sam's is on speed dial but in terms of access it's amazing. Almost too much room in spaces, particularly engine room. Maintenance is really simple: it takes 4hrs to wash and dry her (head to toe & stem to stern), 1.75-days to wax her (head to toe & stem to stern) and because she's totally painted holds that wax far longer than gel coat. This is something I think is overlooked and not many comment on...how long does it take to keep any model in yachtie shape.

Here are the cons
1. Rides bow high because of the huge prop pockets, small tabs, and weight distribution with SK9s and hydraulic tender platform all at or near the stern.
2. No 3rd head....they could have figured this out. Our master shower is too large and the utility room under the companion way stairs is like, why?
3. Getting on/off from the deck is sometimes (tide depending or should I say fixed-dock depending) a PITA especially with a large dog. The solution (stairs to the stud side door) is really lacking. Bulwark doors would have been nice at cockpit/level. Best solution....only floating docks!

Hope this helps as we start heading into spring boat show season.

All of this….

I ended up at 68 feet, as this is what was required to check all of my own boxes. Now in, I don’t really see where I can shave length, even with a magic eraser. Yes, I forfeited speed and just bought into displacement, but as you stated I’m out of Ft Pierce Inlet and around Montauk in 86 hours after picking a good weather window. Im passing Diamond Shoal at around 48 hours from depart. I stay in the stream well north of OCMD and then fall off to the point.

If you can forfeit having 20 knots, well, everything including maintenance becomes a bit easier as you’re lighter on the iron, no pounding, no stress.

Fuel burn is affordable at that rate. Trip is comfortable given space, weight, design, fins. Comfortable and efficient. Lots of space, lots of bells and whistles, and while at sea it’s one deck living without steps with a day head on the main deck level. I’d be losing check marks in boxes if she shrank even ten percent.

Totally get that. We simply have slightly different boxes to check…I’m great with the current pace at sea. Sure, it would always be nice to have 20 knots in pocket. Most of my boating friends do. Best example is a Grand Banks couple. They cruise extensively at 20…while I embrace actually being in motion...

Im a better party host when I arrive, and I arrive too late to pick up the dinner tab...